Affidavit sworn by Dionicio Mendez Ortiz to Alonso S. Perales
Item
Dublin Core
Title
Affidavit sworn by Dionicio Mendez Ortiz to Alonso S. Perales
Subject
AFFIDAVITS
MILITARY
RACE discrimination - public establishments
RACE discrimination - restaurants
MILITARY Personnel
DISCRIMINATION
MEXICAN American Soldiers
PERALES, Alonso S., 1898-1960
Description
Affidavit sworn by Dionicio Mendez Ortiz stating that he was turned away at a barber shop and a restaurant, then slapped by the sheriff.
Creator
Ortiz, Dionicio Mendez
Source
Perales, Alonso S. Are We Good Neighbors? 1948. EBSCO Arte Público Hispanic Historical Collection: Series 2
Publisher
Artes Gráficas
Date
1943-12-03
Contributor
Gonzales, M.C.
Mendez, Eron
Rights
Content compilation of The Latino/Hispanic American Experience Leaders, Writers and Thinkers copyright 2012 by Arte Publico Historical Collections. All rights reserved.
Relation
Gauthereau, Lorena. "Are We Good Neighbors?: Mapping Discrimination Against Mexican Americans in 1940s Texas." https://arcg.is/1C1bbv.
Format
JPEG
Language
English
Type
Text
Identifier
pera0078
Coverage
CALDWELL County (Tex.)
Scripto
Transcription
THE STATE OF TEXAS, COUNTY OF BEXAR
"My name is Dionicio Mendez Ortiz; I was born in Lockhart, Caldwell County, Texas; I am 19 years of age; I enlisted in the Army of the United States on April 1943; I attended the public schools at Lockhart and went as high as the fourth grade; I have lived practically all my life at Lockhart.
"On Wednesday, December 1st 1943, at about 2:30 P.M., I approached a barber shop located at 111 San Antonio Street in Lockhart and saw a colored boy shining shoes; I was accompanied by Eron Mendez, who was also born and reared at Lockhart, and I entered the barber shop for the purpose of getting my shoes shined; I was wearing the uniform of a Private in the United States Army, Medical Corps; the colored boy told me that he could not shine my shoes, I asked him why, and he said he could not tell me and for me to talk to the boss. The owner was cutting the hair to a customer and I asked him why I could not get my shoes shined in his barber shop. He stated that he could not permit me to have my shoes shined, but he would not give me any specific reason; then, he grabbed a hold of my coat by the chest with one hand and he doubled up his fist with the other and began pushing me backwards, so I decided to leave the place.
I then went to the Court House to complain to the Sheriff, because I had been directed to do so by the local Draft Board. Inasmuch as the Sheriff was not in at the time, I told my cousin, Eron Mendez, to go with me to a nearby restaurant to drink a cup of coffee. When we entered the South Cafe, which is located in the Court House Square, we sat by the Counter and waited a little while to be served. As one of the waitresses passed in front of us, I told her, "We want two cups of coffee, please", she said that she could not serve us there; then, we left the restaurant and went to the Court House to find the Sheriff, who had already arrived. It appears that the Sheriff had already been advised as to the purpose of my visit, because when I entered his office he told me, "you were not born in that restaurant," I told him that I just wanted a cup of coffee and he then got up and slapped me and told me to get out.
"I was deeply wounded because of the fact that I had been twice humiliated while wearing a soldier's uniform."
Dionicio Mendez Ortiz (signed)
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 3rd day of December, A.D. 1943.
M.C. Gonzales, (Signed)
Notary Public in and for Bexar County, Texas
My commission expires 6-1-45.
Affiant resides at 1323 Burleson St., San Antonio, Texas
The statements above made by Dionicio Mendez Ortiz occurred in my presence and are correctly stated.
Eron Mendez (Signed)
Lockhart, Texas
Route 3, Box 2
"My name is Dionicio Mendez Ortiz; I was born in Lockhart, Caldwell County, Texas; I am 19 years of age; I enlisted in the Army of the United States on April 1943; I attended the public schools at Lockhart and went as high as the fourth grade; I have lived practically all my life at Lockhart.
"On Wednesday, December 1st 1943, at about 2:30 P.M., I approached a barber shop located at 111 San Antonio Street in Lockhart and saw a colored boy shining shoes; I was accompanied by Eron Mendez, who was also born and reared at Lockhart, and I entered the barber shop for the purpose of getting my shoes shined; I was wearing the uniform of a Private in the United States Army, Medical Corps; the colored boy told me that he could not shine my shoes, I asked him why, and he said he could not tell me and for me to talk to the boss. The owner was cutting the hair to a customer and I asked him why I could not get my shoes shined in his barber shop. He stated that he could not permit me to have my shoes shined, but he would not give me any specific reason; then, he grabbed a hold of my coat by the chest with one hand and he doubled up his fist with the other and began pushing me backwards, so I decided to leave the place.
I then went to the Court House to complain to the Sheriff, because I had been directed to do so by the local Draft Board. Inasmuch as the Sheriff was not in at the time, I told my cousin, Eron Mendez, to go with me to a nearby restaurant to drink a cup of coffee. When we entered the South Cafe, which is located in the Court House Square, we sat by the Counter and waited a little while to be served. As one of the waitresses passed in front of us, I told her, "We want two cups of coffee, please", she said that she could not serve us there; then, we left the restaurant and went to the Court House to find the Sheriff, who had already arrived. It appears that the Sheriff had already been advised as to the purpose of my visit, because when I entered his office he told me, "you were not born in that restaurant," I told him that I just wanted a cup of coffee and he then got up and slapped me and told me to get out.
"I was deeply wounded because of the fact that I had been twice humiliated while wearing a soldier's uniform."
Dionicio Mendez Ortiz (signed)
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 3rd day of December, A.D. 1943.
M.C. Gonzales, (Signed)
Notary Public in and for Bexar County, Texas
My commission expires 6-1-45.
Affiant resides at 1323 Burleson St., San Antonio, Texas
The statements above made by Dionicio Mendez Ortiz occurred in my presence and are correctly stated.
Eron Mendez (Signed)
Lockhart, Texas
Route 3, Box 2
Text Item Type Metadata
Original Format
paper
Collection
Citation
Ortiz, Dionicio Mendez , “Affidavit sworn by Dionicio Mendez Ortiz to Alonso S. Perales,” Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage Digital Collections, accessed April 28, 2024, http://usldhrecovery.uh.edu/items/show/110.