SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 15

In Memory

of

Ramon Vasquez y Sanchez

WHEREAS, San Antonio lost an admired activist, artist, and cultural historian with the passing of Ramon Vasquez y Sanchez on May 8, 2023, at the age of 83; and

WHEREAS, The son of Olivia Sanchez and Ramon Vasquez, Ramon Vasquez y Sanchez was born on the city's Westside on May 6, 1940; he attended San Antonio College and joined the staff of the Bexar County Archives to focus on the preservation of Mexican American history; in addition, he was a member of the Bexar County Historical Commission; he also gained increasing recognition as an artist, illustrating the Bexar County coat of arms and publishing work in newspapers and other media; his acclaimed paintings of the early Indian Missions centered on the ordinary people and Mexican heroes generally left out of historical narratives, and his subjects included daily life in the barrio; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Vasquez y Sanchez became a leader in the Chicano rights movement; he wrote the preamble for the establishment of the Raza Unida Party, provided graphic designs, and served as vice chair and gubernatorial campaign manager; as chair of the Bilingual Bicultural Coalition on Mass Media, he oversaw suits against the Federal Communications Commission that led to greater Mexican American representation among journalists; he was a fierce advocate for equity in city arts funding, and he was instrumental in establishing Centro Cultural Aztlan and ran its visual arts program for decades; in that role, he encouraged other artists, created a sense of community, and popularized public Día de los Muertos commemorations; he also fought for the inclusion of Mexican American and Tejano stories in the Alamo narrative and organized the first "Olvidate del Alamo" and "Las Mujeres del Alamo" art exhibits; tenacious and outspoken, he nevertheless expressed his strong viewpoints with grace, courtesy, and logic; and

WHEREAS, In 1988, Mr. Vasquez y Sanchez helped reorganize the Mission Descendant Families of Northeastern Mexico and South Texas under the umbrella of the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation; he served as a tribal council member for over three decades; moreover, he formed the nonprofit group American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions and united with other activists to secure the return of over 150 ancestral remains to Mission San Juan Capistrano; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Vasquez y Sanchez married Gloria Camarillo in 1962, and they became the parents of three children, Ramon Juan Vasquez, Edna Marie Vasquez, and Marisol Vasquez; he and his second wife, Maria Magdalena Gonzales, had one son, Javier Ramon Vasquez; following her passing, he was fortunate enough to find love again, and in 2013, he wed Maria Chavez, who survives him, along with his children and his 11 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, Throughout his lifetime, Ramon Vasquez y Sanchez sought to root out injustice and illuminate the richness of Mexican American heritage, and although he will be deeply missed by all who were privileged to know him, they will treasure their memories of his wisdom, compassion, and wry sense of humor; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of Ramon Vasquez y Sanchez and extend sincere condolences to his family, to his many friends, and to all who mourn his passing; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be prepared for his family and that when the Texas Senate adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Ramon Vasquez y Sanchez.

Menéndez

________________________________

President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on June 15, 2023, by a rising vote.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate