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Dr. Garcia’s efforts to get Mexican American voters to the polls, including the Viva Kennedy clubs he helped organize, made a difference in the outcomes of national elections.
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This newspaper article announces the March 26, 1948 meeting for veterans that resulted in the creation of the AGIF.
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The EEOC fielded discrimination complaints like this one, in which Daniel Acuna alleges that his employer paid him a lower hourly rate because of his Latino heritage.
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This EEOC flyer informs Spanish speakers of their rights under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Executive Order 11246, which prohibited discriminatory employment practices among government contractors.
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Dr. Garcia’s commitment to military service began in 1929 when he joined the CMTC, predecessor to the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). He received several such training certificates.
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In an exchange that exemplifies his approach to practicing medicine, Dr. Garcia urges Rebecca Salinas to visit him at his office regardless of her ability to pay for treatment.
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This Fort Worth Star-Telegram article describes PASO’s aim to demand civil rights through political participation.
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This flyer advertises a PASO meeting and describes the organization’s objectives, stating that “now is the time to unite and become better informed to vote intelligently.”
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The AGIF encouraged voters to pay their poll taxes so they could vote, but the organization simultaneously fought to outlaw the discriminatory practice, as evidenced by this 1965 lawsuit.
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PASO sought to build political power by encouraging Latinos to vote.
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In this 1942 letter to his family, Dr. Garcia discusses life in the military and promises to send money soon.
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Like many immigrants during World War II, Dr. Garcia served his country valiantly before becoming a U.S. citizen. His received this certificate of naturalization in 1946.
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This 1932 document announces Dr. Garcia’s graduation from Mercedes High School. One high school teacher told him that because he was Mexican she would not give him an A.
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Dr. Garcia had a detailed plan to make Mexican American voices heard in the 1952 election, including the distribution of sample ballots to inform voting decisions.
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This AGIF flyer advertises a rally to address the fact that over 110,000 Latino children in Texas were not enrolled in school.
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In 1962, Dr. Garcia’s 13-year-old son, Hector Jr., died of an injury he sustained while on a trip to Mexico. The AGIF circulated this notice to inform members of the family’s tragic loss.
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After the AGIF helped put an end to discrimination at their Texas high school, two members of the Junior GI Forum sent this letter of thanks to Dr. Garcia.
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In this letter to President Kennedy, Dr. Garcia advises him to appoint more Mexican Americans to government positions, mentioning AGIF leader Vicente Ximenes in particular.
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Dr. Garcia received this commendation from Mexico for his distinguished service to the Mexican American community. Dr. Garcia also received the Aguila Azteca, the highest honor Mexico awards to foreigners.
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Dr. Garcia’s Presidential Medal of Freedom citation references his community-building endeavors, his work with the AGIF, and his faithful representation of the government.
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For his admirable service during World War II, Dr. Garcia received the Bronze Star Medal. The citation for the medal recognized his “outstanding diligence and loyalty to duty.”
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Dr. Garcia was licensed to practice medicine in Texas in 1940. In his early years as a doctor, he sought to improve living conditions in Mexican barrios and migrant labor camps.
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AGIF chapters reached the east and west coasts by 1974.
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This diploma marks Dr. Garcia’s graduation from the University of Texas at Galveston with a doctorate in medicine in 1940.
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This poster advertises the formal dedication of the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Papers and an exhibit of Dr. Garcia’s papers on display at the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Bell Library.