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Ernest Rodriguez' "Impressions," 1960s-1980s
""The Sleeping Giant Awakens"" Page 2
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Page 2 Designed to serve the needs of Spanish-speaking people, th GI Forum gained popularity and members, and it soon reached national proportions. Forum leaders realizing the magnitude of the social and economic problems of their people had expanded their membership to include relatives of members to the third degree. A nonpartisan policy was adopted to limited political activity to registration drives, poll tax payment drives, informing voters of the qualifications of candidates etc[.] Many Forum members were individually taking an active part in politics and elections and some were office-holers [sic]. Some of the politically conscious leaders who were closely associated with state and national leaders of the Democratic party, considered the Forum's limited political policy as inadequated [sic] to meet all of the legislative and political needs of the Spanish-speaking people. This was an ideal limate in 1960 for the Democratic party's Nationalities Division to make political hay among the minorities with John F. Kennedy's platform promises of civil rights, and the appointment of Spanish-speaking persons to Ambassadorial posts in Latin-America. Viva Kennedy movement was started to mobilize Spanish-speaking voters all over the country. The popularity of the movement rivaled that of the cha cha cha, the latest latin-american [sic] dance craze, and Viva Kennedy Clubs sprang up wherever there was a concentration of Spanish-speaking people. Aside from his platform promises the appeal of the Kennedy personality had won the support of Latin-Americans[.] With the final returns of the election the states of California, Texas and Illinois, with heavy concentrations of Spanish-speaking people, tipped the scales of the election assuring Kennedy's victory and Nixon's capitulation. GI Forum leaders who played a key role in organizing the Viva Kennedy Clubs were not unaware of the implications of the election returns and hailed the Kennedy victory also as a victor [sic] for Spanish-speaking people. They rejoiced in the knowldge that they had proven their political prowess by mustering a voting potential to be reckoned with in future elections. They knew that as a minority group they were emerging into political maturity and were determined to maintain their political unity and effectiveness. The Viva Kennedy Clubs were ready-made for easy conversion into a permanent and cosely knight political action group. Carlos McCormik, who figured prominently in the organizing of the Viva Kennedy Clubs, Dr. Hector Garcia, Albert Pena, Bexar County Commissioner and political kingpin of San Antonio, Attorney Ed Idar of Corpus Christi, Texas[,] and other Forum leaders drew up PASSO's constitution. They adopted an independent political policy, not aligning themselves to any particular party in order to have a freer hand in the selection and endorsement of candidates sympathetic to the needs of Latin-Americans. PASSO leaders were further encourages and gratified, when Kennedy living up to campaign promises of utilizing qualified Spanish-speaking persons in the diplomatic service appointed the then Mayor of El Paso, Texas, Raymond Tellez as our Ambassador to Costa Rica, and Antonio Moscoso as Ambassador to Venezuela. Other appointments saw Professor Vicente T. Ximenes set to Quito, Ecuador[,] as a Program Economist for the Alliance for Progrss. Pedro San Juan, who prepared
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Page 2 Designed to serve the needs of Spanish-speaking people, th GI Forum gained popularity and members, and it soon reached national proportions. Forum leaders realizing the magnitude of the social and economic problems of their people had expanded their membership to include relatives of members to the third degree. A nonpartisan policy was adopted to limited political activity to registration drives, poll tax payment drives, informing voters of the qualifications of candidates etc[.] Many Forum members were individually taking an active part in politics and elections and some were office-holers [sic]. Some of the politically conscious leaders who were closely associated with state and national leaders of the Democratic party, considered the Forum's limited political policy as inadequated [sic] to meet all of the legislative and political needs of the Spanish-speaking people. This was an ideal limate in 1960 for the Democratic party's Nationalities Division to make political hay among the minorities with John F. Kennedy's platform promises of civil rights, and the appointment of Spanish-speaking persons to Ambassadorial posts in Latin-America. Viva Kennedy movement was started to mobilize Spanish-speaking voters all over the country. The popularity of the movement rivaled that of the cha cha cha, the latest latin-american [sic] dance craze, and Viva Kennedy Clubs sprang up wherever there was a concentration of Spanish-speaking people. Aside from his platform promises the appeal of the Kennedy personality had won the support of Latin-Americans[.] With the final returns of the election the states of California, Texas and Illinois, with heavy concentrations of Spanish-speaking people, tipped the scales of the election assuring Kennedy's victory and Nixon's capitulation. GI Forum leaders who played a key role in organizing the Viva Kennedy Clubs were not unaware of the implications of the election returns and hailed the Kennedy victory also as a victor [sic] for Spanish-speaking people. They rejoiced in the knowldge that they had proven their political prowess by mustering a voting potential to be reckoned with in future elections. They knew that as a minority group they were emerging into political maturity and were determined to maintain their political unity and effectiveness. The Viva Kennedy Clubs were ready-made for easy conversion into a permanent and cosely knight political action group. Carlos McCormik, who figured prominently in the organizing of the Viva Kennedy Clubs, Dr. Hector Garcia, Albert Pena, Bexar County Commissioner and political kingpin of San Antonio, Attorney Ed Idar of Corpus Christi, Texas[,] and other Forum leaders drew up PASSO's constitution. They adopted an independent political policy, not aligning themselves to any particular party in order to have a freer hand in the selection and endorsement of candidates sympathetic to the needs of Latin-Americans. PASSO leaders were further encourages and gratified, when Kennedy living up to campaign promises of utilizing qualified Spanish-speaking persons in the diplomatic service appointed the then Mayor of El Paso, Texas, Raymond Tellez as our Ambassador to Costa Rica, and Antonio Moscoso as Ambassador to Venezuela. Other appointments saw Professor Vicente T. Ximenes set to Quito, Ecuador[,] as a Program Economist for the Alliance for Progrss. Pedro San Juan, who prepared
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