The Inspiring Life Of Texan Hector P Garcia

As a Mexican immigrant, Dr. Hector P. Garcia endured discrimination at every stage of his life. He attended segregated schools and was the only Mexican to graduate from the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, in 1940. Garcia's passion for helping others pushed him to advocate for equal rights. After serving in World War II, the doctor worked to help minorities achieve greater access to healthcare, voting rights and education. He started a private practice in Corpus Christi and in 1948 founded the American GI Forum. Cecilia Garcia Akers shares a daughter's perspective on her father's remarkable achievements and sacrifices as an activist and physician.

As a Mexican immigrant, Dr. Hector P. Garcia endured discrimination at every stage of his life. He attended segregated schools and was the only Mexican to graduate from the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, in 1940. Garcia s passion for helping others pushed him to advocate for equal rights. After serving in World War II, the doctor worked to help minorities achieve greater access to healthcare, voting rights and education. He started a private practice in Corpus Christi and in 1948 founded the American GI Forum. Cecilia Garcia Akers shares a daughter s perspective on her father s remarkable achievements and sacrifices as an activist and physician."

In 1948, Three Rivers Funeral Home refused burial of the remains of Felix Longoria, a World War II veteran. For Dr. Hector P. García this incident was an example of the bigotry and injustice that many Mexican Americans suffered in South Texas and throughout the U.S. He and his fledgling organization, the American G.I. Forum, stepped into the national consciousness to fight for Longoria and his family and to inspire Mexican American participation in party politics and against segregation in the post-World War II years. García was an immigrant from Tamaulipas, Mexico, whose family journeyed north in the fashion of so many other immigrant families seeking economic opportunities and safety from the numerous revolutionary conflicts. In spite of discrimination and poverty common in the Rio Grande Valley, García became a physician in 1940 and, like many young Mexican Americans, served his adopted country with distinction in fighting fascism and injustice abroad. After receiving the Bronze Star and six battle stars, he returned to Texas only to find that much of the discrimination and segregation against Mexican Americans was still rampant, despite their having proved themselves on the bloody battlefields overseas. An outraged García went on to rally Mexican-American veterans into one of the most effective civil rights organizations in history and to create a space for them within the political process. His pioneering efforts not only resulted in changed laws and practices, but also in a new awareness among Mexican Americans that they could fight for their rights and win. He proved to be a decisive factor in the election of America's first Catholic president, John F. Kennedy. His activism inspired a new generation of social reformers in the barrio and a reluctant acceptance that Mexican Americans were first class citizens. For his work, he was awarded the Medal of Freedom in 1984. Hector P. García: In Relentless Pursuit of Justice, the first definitive, superbly researched and documented biography of this great American hero is not a one-sided profile of García, but an objective appraisal of his successes and failures, as well as an analysis of the political, social and personal issues that he and the American G.I. Forum confronted during his lifetime.

“Just let me sing!” These are the prophetic words of Freddy Fender, who rose from an impoverished background in south Texas to achieve international superstardom as a rock ‘n’ country singer during the 1970s. For the millions of fans worldwide who have loved Freddy, this book offers an in-depth exploration of Freddy’s personal and professional life: from his hardscrabble childhood to his raucous early years, leading to his explosion onto the world stage as a one-of-a-kind performer. The Life Story of Freddy Fender is the first of a two-volume publication which will tell the story of this singular entertainer. Written by Freddy’s daughter, Tammy Lorraine Huerta Fender, the book conveys in rich detail what Freddy went through to succeed. The book also reveals the painful truth behind that success, and how the misery of substance abuse tore both him and his family apart. Freddy’s journey to redemption forms the heart of this biography, as does his faith in a Higher Power. Frank, uncompromising, and bold, this book is the definitive work on the life and legacy of Freddy Fender, told as no other could tell.

Latinos constitute the fastest-growing population in the United States today, and Latino political participation is growing rapidly. Still, Latino political power is not commensurate with the numbers, and much potential remains to be tapped. In LatinoPolitics in America, author John A. García examines the development of this vibrant community and points the way toward a future of shared interests and coalitions among the diverse Latino subgroups. This newly revised edition lays out the basic factsof Latino America—who Latinos are, where they come from, where they reside—and then connects these facts to political realities of immigration, citizenship, voting, education, organization, and leadership. García's nuanced portrait of contemporary Latinopolitical life, first published in 2003, has been updated throughout to include data from the 2010 census and the 2008 and 2010 elections.

"Story of Lauro Cavazos, former US Secretary of Education, his education, career in education and public service, and family"--

An illustrated history of Loredo, Texas, paired with histories of the local companies.

An illustrated history of Ggrand Prarie, Texas, paired with histories of the local companies.

Ghulam Bombaywala sells bagels in Houston. Demetrios dishes up pizza in Connecticut. The Wangs serve tacos in Los Angeles. How ethnicity has influenced American eating habits—and thus, the make-up and direction of the American cultural mainstream—is the story told in We Are What We Eat. It is a complex tale of ethnic mingling and borrowing, of entrepreneurship and connoisseurship, of food as a social and political symbol and weapon—and a thoroughly entertaining history of our culinary tradition of multiculturalism. The story of successive generations of Americans experimenting with their new neighbors’ foods highlights the marketplace as an important arena for defining and expressing ethnic identities and relationships. We Are What We Eat follows the fortunes of dozens of enterprising immigrant cooks and grocers, street hawkers and restaurateurs who have cultivated and changed the tastes of native-born Americans from the seventeenth century to the present. It also tells of the mass corporate production of foods like spaghetti, bagels, corn chips, and salsa, obliterating their ethnic identities. The book draws a surprisingly peaceful picture of American ethnic relations, in which “Americanized” foods like Spaghetti-Os happily coexist with painstakingly pure ethnic dishes and creative hybrids. Donna Gabaccia invites us to consider: If we are what we eat, who are we? Americans’ multi-ethnic eating is a constant reminder of how widespread, and mutually enjoyable, ethnic interaction has sometimes been in the United States. Amid our wrangling over immigration and tribal differences, it reveals that on a basic level, in the way we sustain life and seek pleasure, we are all multicultural.

Now available in a fully-revised and updated second edition, A History of Modern Latin America offers a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the rich cultural and political history of this vibrant region from the onset of independence to the present day. Includes coverage of the recent opening of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba as well as a new chapter exploring economic growth and environmental sustainability Balances accounts of the lives of prominent figures with those of ordinary people from a diverse array of social, racial, and ethnic backgrounds Features first-hand accounts, documents, and excerpts from fiction interspersed throughout the narrative to provide tangible examples of historical ideas Examines gender and its influence on political and economic change and the important role of popular culture, including music, art, sports, and movies, in the formation of Latin American cultural identity Includes all-new study questions and topics for discussion at the end of each chapter, plus comprehensive updates to the suggested readings