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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The city of Houston lost an admired civil rights |
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leader with the passing of Ernest Eguia on May 3, 2015, at the age of |
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95; and |
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WHEREAS, Born to Narciso and Maria Eguia in Lockhart on |
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November 7, 1919, Ernest Eguia grew up in Houston; he was the oldest |
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of six children, and he began working as a boy, shining shoes at a |
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barbershop and selling newspapers; although he excelled |
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academically, he left school in the 10th grade for a job at a |
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menswear store, Buck's Dry Goods; during World War II, he served as |
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a forward artillery observer in the United States Army, and he |
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fought in the Battle of the Bulge and took part in the liberation of |
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the Nordhausen concentration camp; he rose to the rank of staff |
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sergeant, and among other decorations, he was awarded a Bronze |
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Star; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Eguia returned from four years in the military |
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to find that discrimination against Mexican Americans remained a |
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serious problem, and he joined a fledgling advocacy organization, |
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the League of United Latin American Citizens; as an early leader, he |
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helped make the Houston council one of the most prominent and |
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effective chapters; the organization opened the way for Hispanics |
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to serve in the fire and police departments, and it expanded the |
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participation of Latinos in all aspects of city government; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1963, he was involved in arranging an address to |
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Houston activists by President John F. Kennedy, which represented |
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one of the first outreaches to Latinos by a sitting U.S. president; |
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over the course of 67 years of active membership in LULAC, Mr. Eguia |
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held offices at the national level as well, and he helped create |
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such programs as the Little School of the 400, a precursor to Head |
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Start, and Service, Education, and Redeployment; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Eguia was employed for a time by Warren |
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Petroleum Company; later, he returned to Buck's Dry Goods and made |
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his career in retail as a salesman and manager; moreover, he was a |
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proud member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American |
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Legion; and |
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WHEREAS, Through his profound commitment to social justice, |
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Ernest Eguia made a lasting, positive difference in Houston and |
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beyond, and those he leaves behind will continue to find |
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inspiration in his accomplishments for years to come; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Ernest Eguia and |
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extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife of |
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67 years, Maria Eguia; to his children, Diane DeYoung, Rebecca |
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Eguia Curry, David Ernest Eguia and his wife, Sylvia, and Mark |
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Steven Eguia and his wife, Debbie; to his grandchildren, Mark |
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Andrew Schlossberg, Kimberly Curry Kersten, Madelyn E. DeYoung, |
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Matthew James Curry, Michael B. Eguia, and Sam Ernest Eguia; to his |
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great-grandchildren, Addison and Brody; and to his other relatives |
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and friends; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Ernest |
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Eguia. |