To Mr. Tom Clark, United States Department of Justice, From Alonso S. Perales, President, Committee of One Hundred, The League of Loyal Americans, Oct. 26, 1944.
Item
Dublin Core
Title
To Mr. Tom Clark, United States Department of Justice, From Alonso S. Perales, President, Committee of One Hundred, The League of Loyal Americans, Oct. 26, 1944.
Subject
LETTERS
DISCRIMINATION against Mexican Americans
CLARK, Tom C. (Tom Campbell), 1899-1977
PERALES, Alonso S., 1898-1960
RACE discrimination
UNITED States--Government policy.
UNITED States. Census Office
UNITED States. Department of Justice
ROOSEVELT, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945
MILITARY Personnel
FEDERAL government--United States.
GOVERNMENTAL Investigations
MEXICAN American Soldiers
Description
Letter to United States Department of Justice with attention to Mr. Tom Clark from Alonso Perales, President for Committee of One Hundred and the League of Loyal Americans. Would like the Department of Justice to begin an investigation as to the motive of those owners of establishments who do discriminate. Alonso Perales requests that the War Department and the Department of Justice inform President Roosevelt of the situations taking place in Texas, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico and to ask Congress to enact a law “forbidding the humiliation of persons of Mexican extraction anywhere in the United States.”
Creator
Perales, Alonso S.
Source
Date
1944-10-26
Rights
Content compilation of The Latino/Hispanic American Experience Leaders, Writers and Thinkers copyright 2012 by Arte Publico Historical Collections. All rights reserved.
Relation
Format
JPEG
Language
English
Type
Text
Identifier
pera0036
Coverage
US Southwest
WASHINGTON, D.C.
SAN Antonio (Tex.)
Scripto
Transcription
[marginalia: triangle * ? 8]
[handwritten] San Antonio, Texas
Oct. 26, 1944.
United States Department of Justice,
Washington, D.C.
Attention Mr. Tom Clark.
Gentlemen;
With further reference to our recent correspondence regarding discrimination against Mexicans in the State of Texas, we take pleasure in enclosing herewith a list of some of the towns and cities where such practice exists. We have many more names, and the list will follow within the next few days. However, the list we are sending you to-day will give you a good picture of the situation.
We believe that an immediate investigation by our Department of Justice to determine just what motive impels the owners of these establishments in discriminating against Mexicans would prove valuable.
Also, we believe that if our War Department would say to the owners of these establishments that our Federal Government will positively not tolerate the humiliation of American soldiers of Mexixan descent simply because of their racial lineage, that would likewise prove very helpful.
If neither your Department nor the War Department feel disposed to take immediate action in the absence of a federal law upon the subject, then we respectfully request that our Department of Justice and our War Department inform His Excellency Frankilin Delano Roosevelt of the existing situation in Texas, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, California and other states of the Union, and say to him that three million Americans of Mexican descent would appreciate it very much if he would ask the Congress of the United States immediately for a law foridding the humiliation of persons of Mexican extraction anywhere in the United States merely because of their ancestry. The situation is becoming more serious every day, and, therefore, quick action by our Government is imperative.
Thanking you in advance for a prompt reply, we remain
Very truly yours,
COMMITTE OF ONE HUNDRED.
THE LEAGUE OF LOYAL AMERICANS.
By [signed] (Alonso S. Perales)
President.
[handwritten] San Antonio, Texas
Oct. 26, 1944.
United States Department of Justice,
Washington, D.C.
Attention Mr. Tom Clark.
Gentlemen;
With further reference to our recent correspondence regarding discrimination against Mexicans in the State of Texas, we take pleasure in enclosing herewith a list of some of the towns and cities where such practice exists. We have many more names, and the list will follow within the next few days. However, the list we are sending you to-day will give you a good picture of the situation.
We believe that an immediate investigation by our Department of Justice to determine just what motive impels the owners of these establishments in discriminating against Mexicans would prove valuable.
Also, we believe that if our War Department would say to the owners of these establishments that our Federal Government will positively not tolerate the humiliation of American soldiers of Mexixan descent simply because of their racial lineage, that would likewise prove very helpful.
If neither your Department nor the War Department feel disposed to take immediate action in the absence of a federal law upon the subject, then we respectfully request that our Department of Justice and our War Department inform His Excellency Frankilin Delano Roosevelt of the existing situation in Texas, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, California and other states of the Union, and say to him that three million Americans of Mexican descent would appreciate it very much if he would ask the Congress of the United States immediately for a law foridding the humiliation of persons of Mexican extraction anywhere in the United States merely because of their ancestry. The situation is becoming more serious every day, and, therefore, quick action by our Government is imperative.
Thanking you in advance for a prompt reply, we remain
Very truly yours,
COMMITTE OF ONE HUNDRED.
THE LEAGUE OF LOYAL AMERICANS.
By [signed] (Alonso S. Perales)
President.
Collection
Citation
Perales, Alonso S., “To Mr. Tom Clark, United States Department of Justice, From Alonso S. Perales, President, Committee of One Hundred, The League of Loyal Americans, Oct. 26, 1944.,” Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage Digital Collections, accessed April 28, 2024, http://usldhrecovery.uh.edu/items/show/268.