To Mr. Tom C. Clark, Assistant Attorney General, From Alonso S. Perales, Director General, Committee of One Hundred, The League of Loyal Americans, Dec. 14, 1944.
Item
Dublin Core
Title
To Mr. Tom C. Clark, Assistant Attorney General, From Alonso S. Perales, Director General, Committee of One Hundred, The League of Loyal Americans, Dec. 14, 1944.
Subject
LETTERS
PERALES, Alonso S., 1898-1960
ETHNIC discrimination
CLARK, Tom C. (Tom Campbell), 1899-1977
MEXICAN American Soldiers
Description
Letter from Alonso S. Perales to Assistant Attorney General Tom C. Clark regarding the discrimination against Mexican and Latin Americans in the Southwest. The letter requests an answer to three questions from a previous letter and whose response would be of interest to the three million Mexican inhabitants of the United States and the quarter of a million soldiers of Mexican descent in the military. Perales states that the F.B.I has a right to "investigate UN-AMERICAN activities".
Creator
Perales, Alonso S.
Source
Date
1944-12-14
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
pera0037
Coverage
SAN Antonio (Tex.)
Scripto
Transcription
[handwritten: SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS,]
Dec. 14, 1944.
The Attorney General,
Washington, D.C.
Attention Mr. Tom C. Clark,
Assistant Attorney General
File reference:TCC: EB: AEM
144-012-4
Gentlemen:
With further reference to our letter of Nov. 6, 1944, [Circled - 1944] [Handwritten- circled 1944] relative to discrimination against Mexicans and Latin Americans generally in the Southwest, we will appreciate it very much if you will answer the three questions which we asked you in said letter. To the three million inhabitants of Mexican descent of the United States, and particularly to the one quarter of a million soldiers of Mexican descent now on the firing line, it is of utmost importance that you advise us whether or not you are willing to make the investigation mentioned, and to submit to President Roosevelt and Secretary Stimson the evidence which we have sent you. Our honest opinion is that if you were to ask the owners of the business establishments why they discriminate against the Mexican, they would cease to discriminate; and it would not be necessary for you to threaten them either. All you would have to do would be to identify yourselves as Agents of the F.B.I. We do not see where you would be violating any property rights by asking such a question. In the first place, you have the right to investigate UN-AMERICAN activities. Who knows but that at the bottom of this all you may find a ring of fith [circled and handwritten - fifth] columists?
Than king you in advance for a prompt reply, we remain
Respectfully yours,
COMMITTEE OF ONE HUNDRED.
THE LEAGUE OF LOYAL AMERICANS
By [Handwritten - Alonso S. Perales]
Director General
Dec. 14, 1944.
The Attorney General,
Washington, D.C.
Attention Mr. Tom C. Clark,
Assistant Attorney General
File reference:TCC: EB: AEM
144-012-4
Gentlemen:
With further reference to our letter of Nov. 6, 1944, [Circled - 1944] [Handwritten- circled 1944] relative to discrimination against Mexicans and Latin Americans generally in the Southwest, we will appreciate it very much if you will answer the three questions which we asked you in said letter. To the three million inhabitants of Mexican descent of the United States, and particularly to the one quarter of a million soldiers of Mexican descent now on the firing line, it is of utmost importance that you advise us whether or not you are willing to make the investigation mentioned, and to submit to President Roosevelt and Secretary Stimson the evidence which we have sent you. Our honest opinion is that if you were to ask the owners of the business establishments why they discriminate against the Mexican, they would cease to discriminate; and it would not be necessary for you to threaten them either. All you would have to do would be to identify yourselves as Agents of the F.B.I. We do not see where you would be violating any property rights by asking such a question. In the first place, you have the right to investigate UN-AMERICAN activities. Who knows but that at the bottom of this all you may find a ring of fith [circled and handwritten - fifth] columists?
Than king you in advance for a prompt reply, we remain
Respectfully yours,
COMMITTEE OF ONE HUNDRED.
THE LEAGUE OF LOYAL AMERICANS
By [Handwritten - Alonso S. Perales]
Director General
Collection
Citation
Perales, Alonso S.
, “To Mr. Tom C. Clark, Assistant Attorney General, From Alonso S. Perales, Director General, Committee of One Hundred, The League of Loyal Americans, Dec. 14, 1944.,” Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage Digital Collections, accessed April 30, 2024, http://usldhrecovery.uh.edu/items/show/359.