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Save the Date
January 13, 2012 |
The life and work of this civil rights leader will be
highlighted in a conference and exhibition. |
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Alonso
S. Perales (1898 - 1960) was a civil-rights
lawyer, diplomat, political leader and soldier.
One of the
most influential Mexican Americans of his time, Perales saw himself as
a defender of la
raza, especially battling charges that Mexicans and Latin
Americans were inferior and a social problem. He was one of the
founders of LULAC (the League of United Latin American Citizens) in
1929 and helped write the LULAC constitution. He served as the organization's
second president.
Perales was an
intellectual who firmly believed in the law. He wrote about civil
rights, religion and racial discrimination, which he argued "had
the approval of the majority." His work includes the pamphlet Are We Good Neighbors? and the two-volume set, En
defensa de mi raza. A member of the American Legion
and the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, Perales was also a columnist
for La Prensa and other Spanish-language newspapers. |
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In Defense of My
People:
Alonso S. Perales and the
Development of Mexican-American Public Intellectuals
Friday, January 13, 2012
University of Houston
M.D. Anderson Library
Rockwell Pavilion |
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Conference Information:
Highlighting the recent acquisition of the Alonso S.
Perales Collection by the University of Houston's M.D. Anderson
Library, courtesy of the Perales Family and the Recovering the U.S.
Hispanic Literary Heritage Project, scholars will present their research
on this trailblazing public intellectual at a day-long conference on
Friday, January 13, 2012.
Coming from prestigious institutions around the
country and abroad, scholars will shed light on Perales' activism and
defense of Latinos, including the chronology and history of Mexican
American and Latino civil rights movements, the impact of religion on
Latinos, the concept of "race," and individual versus
community action to bring about social and political change. |
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About the Exhibition:
The previously unavailable items in this collection
shed light on Alonso S. Perales' leadership, ideas and writings. His
legacy can now be studied from historical, ethical, religious, legal
and humanistic perspectives. On view will be:
- Letters
and correspondence with key political figures
- Memorabilia,
including photographs
Contact:
For conference information, call 713-743-2078
For logistical information, call 713-743-3128 |
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ARTE PÚBLICO
PRESS is the nation's largest and
most established publisher of contemporary and recovered literature by
U.S. Hispanic authors. Its imprint for children and young adults, Piñata
Books, is dedicated to the realistic and authentic portrayal of the
themes, languages, characters, and customs of Hispanic culture in the
United States. Based at the University of Houston, Arte Público Press,
Piñata Books, and the Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage
project provide the most widely recognized and extensive showcase for
Hispanic literary arts and creativity. For more information, please visit
our website at www.latinoteca.com.
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