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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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marking the 90th anniversary of its founding in 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, Today, under the leadership of national president |
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Domingo Garcia, LULAC continues its efforts to protect the civil |
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rights of Latinos while expanding opportunities in education, |
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employment, economic advancement, and political influence; its |
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comprehensive suite of nationwide programs support such worthy |
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causes as affordable housing, health care access, citizenship, and |
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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 commemorate LULAC's 90th anniversary and extend |
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to the members of the organization sincere best wishes for the |
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future. |