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.

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.

"Officially leveled by Fountas & Pinnell"--Back cover.

This book uses evolutionary psychology as a lens to explain religious violence and oppression. The author, a clinical psychologist, examines religious scriptures, rituals, and canon law, highlighting the many ways in which our evolutionary legacy has shaped the development of religion and continues to profoundly influence its expression. The book focuses on the image of God as the dominant male in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This traditional God concept is seen as a reflection of the “dominant ape” paradigm so evident in the hierarchical social structures of primates, with whom we have a strong genetic connection. The author describes the main features of male-dominated primate social hierarchies— specifically, the role of the alpha male as the protector of the group; his sexual dominance and use of violence and oppression to attain food, females, and territory; in-group altruism vs. out-group hostility (us vs. them); and displays of dominance and submission to establish roles within the social hierarchy. The parallels between these features of primate society and human religious rituals and concepts make it clear that religion, especially its oppressive and violent tendencies, is rooted in the deep evolutionary past. This incisive analysis goes a long way toward explaining the historic and ongoing violence committed in the name of religion.

Engaging text, authentic photographs, and a timeline illustrate the life of civil rights leaders Hector P. Garcia.

Neil Foley examines the complex interplay among regional, national, and international politics that plagued the efforts of Mexican Americans and African Americans to find common ground in ending employment discrimination and school segregation.

A history of the American GI Forum, a civil rights group formed by Hispanic servicemen and women in response to the intolerable conditions they found in their communities upon their return from World War II; covering the years between 1948 and 1983.

A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year According to census projections, by 2050 nearly one in three U.S. residents will be Latino, and the overwhelming majority of these will be of Mexican descent. This dramatic demographic shift is reshaping politics, culture, and fundamental ideas about American identity. Neil Foley, a leading Mexican American historian, offers a sweeping view of the evolution of Mexican America, from a colonial outpost on Mexico’s northern frontier to a twenty-first-century people integral to the nation they have helped build. “Compelling...Readers of all political persuasions will find Foley’s intensively researched, well-documented scholarly work an instructive, thoroughly accessible guide to the ramifications of immigration policy.” —Publishers Weekly “For Americans long accustomed to understanding the country’s development as an east-to-west phenomenon, Foley’s singular service is to urge us to tilt the map south-to-north and to comprehend conditions as they have been for some time and will likely be for the foreseeable future...A timely look at and appreciation of a fast-growing demographic destined to play an increasingly important role in our history.” —Kirkus Reviews

After a move to a new home, comfort comes from a surprising place. Long ago, a young girl named Abigail put her beloved patchwork quilt in the attic. Generations later, another young girl discovers the quilt and makes it her own, relying on its warmth to help her feel secure in a new home.