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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The League of United Latin American Citizens is |
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celebrating the 90th anniversary of its founding from February 17 |
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to 23, 2019; and |
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WHEREAS, Established in Corpus Christi in 1929, LULAC drew |
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strength from the rise of the Texas-Mexican middle class and the |
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growing resistance to discrimination; it became the first |
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nationwide Mexican American civil rights organization, striving to |
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end political disenfranchisement, racial segregation, lack of |
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political representation, and jury exclusion; a multi-issue |
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organization from its inception, it also sought to address the |
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roots of poverty and promote economic progress; and |
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WHEREAS, LULAC organized poll tax drives and fought to |
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abolish these antidemocratic taxes; in the 1930s, it investigated |
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charges of discrimination by the Works Progress Administration, and |
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it later worked with the Federal Employment Practices Commission to |
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open up jobs for Mexican Americans in the defense industry; members |
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were engaged in Hernandez v. State of Texas, which secured for |
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Mexican Americans the right to serve on juries; moreover, they |
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fought for the appointment of Mexican Americans to important |
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federal and state positions and supported candidates for public |
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office; and |
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WHEREAS, Deeply committed to school desegregation, LULAC was |
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engaged in such pivotal court cases as Delgado v. Bastrop ISD, which |
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ended segregation in public schools; from its early years, the |
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organization promoted education by awarding scholarships, and in |
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1974, it created a national scholarship fund, as well as the LULAC |
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National Educational Service Centers; members also participated in |
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a 1990 case seeking the allocation of a greater share of state funds |
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to South Texas colleges; along the way, LULAC played a role in the |
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formation of a number of important organizations, among them the |
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Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund; and |
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WHEREAS, In recent years, LULAC has continued its efforts to |
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protect the civil rights of Latinos while expanding opportunities |
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in education, employment, economic advancement, and political |
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influence; its comprehensive suite of nationwide programs support |
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such worthy causes as affordable housing, health care access, |
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citizenship, and humanitarian relief; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the course of nine decades, LULAC has helped to |
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build a more just, equitable, and vibrant society, and its |
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contributions have improved the lives of countless Americans; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 17 to 23, 2019, as National |
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LULAC Week and extend to the members of the organization sincere |
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best wishes for the future. |
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Cole |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 208 was adopted by the House on March |
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6, 2019, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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