i National Institute of Mexican American

History of Civil Rights

DRAFT

Foundation:
Civil rights are an expansive and a significant set of rights that are designed to protect individuals from
unfair treatment. As civil rights relate to Mexican Americans, they are the rights of individuals to receive
equal treatment (and to be free from unfair treatment or discrimination) in a number of settings –
including: education, employment, housing, public accommodations, immigration, cultural, economic
upward mobility, voting rights as well as on the basis of gender, sexuality, and more.

Goal: To organize, prepare and establish the National Institute of Mexican-American History Civil Rights.
(The Institute). The Institute will research, chronicle, and showcase historic and contemporary Mexican-
American milestones in education, community organizing, defense of our nation and economic and
more expansive civil rights forged in San Antonio and South Texas. These accomplishments are lasting
gifts as they advance our democratic ideals not only in our City but in our state and in our Nation as well.

The Mission: The mission of The Institute is to systemically and regularly chronicle and communicate the
history of civil rights forged or nurtured in San Antonio’s Mexican-American communities from the 19th
century to the present.

No other American city has given birth to Latino institutions and bequeathed to our nation on par
with San Antonio. These institutions include among others:

1921 Orden Hijos de América (Order of the Sons of America), organizes Mexican American workers in San
Antonio to raise awareness of civil rights issues and fight for fair wages, education and housing. Hispanic
Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU); Mexican American Legal Defense Fund (MALDEF);
Communities Organized for Public Service(COPS); Intercultural Development Research Association
(IDRA);AVANCE; Padres Asociados para Derechos Religiosos, Economicos y Sociales(PADRES); Southwest Voter
Registration Education Project (SVREP); Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, Inner City Development Corp. San
Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (originally the Mexican Chamber of Commerce, the first organization of
its type in the United States);MAYO: Mexican American Youth Organiztion; La Raza Unida Party;
KCOR-AM (the first Spanish language radio station in the United States); KCOR-TV (the first Spanish language
television station in the United States), and League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and the GI Forum
were nurtured and exponentially grew in San Antonio’s Mexican-American community.

According to the Association of African American Museums, there are well over 160 museums and
centers focused on the history of African Americans in the United States. And, according to Julian
Samora, author of, “Timeline of the History of Mexican American Civil Rights---1905-2006”, while there
are two dozen or so Latino centers or museums in the USA, these focus mostly on music, art, sports, or
culture. Sadly, not one focuses on the Mexican American history of civil rights, not even in our own City.
Moreover, despite the international significance of San Antonio-s Mexican American contributions to
the advancement of civil, educational, social, cultural, and human rights, one does not exist in our City
either. Essentially, such an institute becomes a legacy gift to the whole City.
Intended to reach and engage the all sectors of the population, the Institute will showcase Mexican-
American capstone achievements, organizations, and transformative leaders forged in San Antonio.
Public school students and college students, civic as well as professional leaders will be able to learn and
research the civil rights history of San Antonio’s Mexican Americans. Educators as well as community
and business leaders will deepen their understanding and appreciation of the critically important
Mexican-American struggles, contributions and achievements that position San Antonio in the center of
our nation’s civic, economic, political and democratic life.

That is why the Institute, with support from the City of San Antonio, will collaborate with philanthropic
organizations, local school systems and universities. These include Our Lady of the Lake University
(OLLU), the University of Texas-San Antonio (UTSA), St. Mary’s University, Trinity University, Texas A&M
University (San Antonio) as well as the Alamo Community Colleges. The City would have oversight
power, and the Institute shall be open to all residents and communities, but especially to high school
and college-aged students and teachers and faculty members. Moreover, local educational institutions
and systems will be asked to contribute time, talent and funds to the maintenance of The Institute. To
deepen the roots of the Institute, businesses and philanthropic organizations will also be asked to
contribute.

In order to institutionalize the Institute, its core funding must come from the City of San Antonio, much
in the same way it funds libraries and senior centers. Moreover, The Institute would have a Board of
Directors committed to establishing the Institute.

Learning Road Map: City residents, students, teachers and others will learn about the depth of
experience and the breadth of historical contributions and civic actions forged in and by San Antonio’s
Mexican-American communities that have positively impacted our City and our Nation. Also, it will
highlight transformative leaders and pillar organizations emerging from and within San Antonio’s
Mexican-American community since the 1850s.

The Institute will archive and organize seminars and institutes focused on the many Mexican-American
transformative leaders, and capstone organizations, exposing lessons-learned and the many
complexities still facing our community. And, yet celebrating the many successes and pointing to the
major challenges yet needing serious attention from all us as we work to build a better San Antonio for
all local residents , those across the Nation, and the 21st century and beyond.

Mexican-American historical events, transformational leaders and contributions might include:

Mexican American Educational Opportunities and Legal Actions

Mexican-American Experiences and Contributions 1850 to 1900
Mexican-Americans and Business, Economic Justice and Labor Unions
Mexican-Americans from 1900 to 1950
Mexican-Americans and Civil Rights Actions/Political Activism 1950 to the present
Mexican-American Civic Organizations with Regional or National Significance

The institute in San Antonio will focus on the struggles and accomplishments of the Mexican American
Civil Rights Movement, and will be a great source of for local, regional and national acclaim.