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H.R. No. 217
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Alberto Barrera was born over 70 years ago in Rio
Grande City, Texas, by the banks of the Rio Grande River and he was
the seventh child of 14 brothers and sisters raised by his parents,
Bonifacio Barrera and Antonia Rodriguez Barrera; and
WHEREAS, Alberto Barrera was educated in Catholic school in
Starr County as a young lad and later attended the Rio Grande City
Independent School District (ISD) North Grammar School, where a
series of dedicated teachers gave the young man a lifelong thirst
for knowledge and educational achievement; and
WHEREAS, Upon his graduation from high school in 1948 he
received a rare $75 college scholarship from the Rio Grande City
Parent Teacher Organization, which he used to enroll in Edinburg
Junior College in Edinburg, Texas, an institution that went on to
become a four-year college and later the University of Texas--Pan
American; and
WHEREAS, While the $75 covered a semester of tuition and
schoolbooks, Alberto Barrera worked his way through school as a
waiter at the college Faculty Club through the help of a lifelong
friend, Ruben Solis; Mr. Barrera earned $16 a month for two years
and received room and board before transferring to a four-year
college; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Barrera enrolled at Texas A&I University in
Kingsville and lived with his brother, Eduardo, with whom he
studied and graduated with two years later; and
WHEREAS, After graduation at the age of 21, Alberto Barrera
was drafted by the United States Army and served in the Korean War,
including nine months of action in Korea and eight months in nearby
Japan, during which he also drew cartoons for the army newspaper and
worked as a mapmaker drawing classified maps for military
operations; and
WHEREAS, After his term of service he was honorably
discharged back to the civilian world and presented with numerous
awards for his service, including the Korean Service Medal, the
Service Bronze Star, the United Nations Service Medal, the National
Defense Service Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal; and
WHEREAS, Alberto Barrera returned home to pursue his
education in 1955; he studied abroad at the University of Mexico
City, married Celia Garcia on August 18, 1956, and went on to
receive his master of arts degree from Texas A&I University in
Kingsville in 1963; and
WHEREAS, Raising his four children, Armandina, Alberto,
Arnoldo, and Ambarina, he continued his lifelong pursuit of
education teaching at Rio Grande City Consolidated Independent
School District; during his 42-year career with the Rio Grande City
ISD, Alberto Barrera was a teacher in various grade levels and a
bilingual director, and he later taught classes at South Texas
Community College; and
WHEREAS, Alberto Barrera also had a lifelong love of music
that started when he wrote poetry and songs in high school inspired
by his family and cultural experiences he had while growing up in
South Texas; and
WHEREAS, It was the tradition of his family members to gather
on the front porch each evening and recount their day; many times
his father would share a proverb or story with the family and quite
frequently his mother would sing a song and elaborate on the meaning
and background of the song; and
WHEREAS, Alberto Barrera shared this rich cultural
background with his family and contributed to it by writing many
songs and poems which he shared with them and, at first, discarded
until a local Catholic priest urged him to save all his work; and
WHEREAS, Many years later on a warm South Texas evening when
Mr. Barrera and his wife and children were returning from a trip to
McAllen and listening to a Spanish song on the radio, he commented
that he could write much better lyrics than those playing on the
radio; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Barrera commented that if her husband thought
he could do a better job, "Why don't you write and record a song
yourself?", setting her husband on a new path for many years to
come; and
WHEREAS, After that day, Alberto Barrera began a much more
systematic approach to his musical interests, making songs for
specific purposes; one song he wrote, "La Urraca," was written to
help his youngest daughter learn to pronounce the double rr's of the
Spanish language; shortly thereafter, his daughter Ambarina was
able to pronounce the sound with no trouble at all; and
WHEREAS, Since he created "La Urraca," many more songs and
poems followed along with stories that can be found today in state
adopted textbooks and which have been published alongside authors
of renown like Rudolfo A. Anaya; and
WHEREAS, His music has worked its way into the offerings of
many of the well-known bands playing "corridos," or songs that tell
stories of life along the Texas-Mexico border, and are also
composed for many special occasions, including retirements,
funerals, political campaigns, birthdays, and other events in the
lives of many South Texas families; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the author of "Mi Lindo Rio Grande" and many
other stirring stories, poems, and vocals that have earned the
admiration of audiences across the state and the nation is
deserving of recognition for his many accomplishments in his public
and private life and the admiration of his fellow Texans; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mr. Barrera as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.
Guillen
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 217 was adopted by the House on
October 2, 2003, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House