Letter from Lay Council for the Spanish Speaking, Archdiocese of San Antonio, February 28, 1947.
Item
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Lay Council for the Spanish Speaking, Archdiocese of San Antonio, February 28, 1947.
Subject
LETTERS
DISCRIMINATION
RACE discrimination - public establishments
RACE discrimination
OUR Lady of the Lake College
PROTESTS and social movements
Description
Letter written in response to the discrimination of Henrietta Castillo, Anita Gomez, and Lucy Elizondo. the Lay Council for the Spanish Speaking sent a letter to various organizations and newspapers, denouncing this event. Several community leaders and educators signed the letter.
Creator
Gonzalez, Henry B.
Daunoy, Mary Estelle
McMahon, John I.
Gamez, Luis E.
Source
Publisher
Lay Council for the Spanish Speaking, Archdiocese of San Antonio
Date
1947-02-28
Contributor
Smith, Frances
Rivera, Andrew
Ehlinger, Paul J.
Perales, Alonso S.
Des Marais, Alice
Pina, Mary
Bartlett, Terrell
Carvajal, Christine
Hayes, John M.
Hidalgo, Juan L.
O'Connor, Richard S.
Solis, Emma
App, Austin J.
Castillo, Henrietta
Cross, Jasper
Christensen, Alice M.
Brenner, Theodore J.
Birch, John J.
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
pera0021
Coverage
SAN Antonio (Tex.)
NEW Braunfels (Tex.)
Scripto
Transcription
LAY COUNCIL FOR THE SPANISH SPEAKING
Archdiocese of San Antonio
Room 218, Bedell Bldg.
San Antonio, 5, Texas
Mr. Henry B. Gonzalez, Pres.
Miss Mary Estelle Daunoy, Secy.
Dr. John l. McMahon, VIce-Pres. Mr. Luis E. Gamez, Treas.
February 28, 1947
To whom it may concern:
In view of the facts presented in the accompanying affidavit, we the members of the Lay Council for the Spanish Speaking of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, hereby vigorously protest the act of discrimination of the manager of the P.K. Cafe at 165 W. San Antonio Street in New Braunfels. We declare that this action is not only un-American but it is un-Christian. We heartily agree that a business firm may refuse service to people on the grounds that they are unclean or disorderly but when American citizens of whatever descent who are neat and clean and conduct themselves in a manner that is above reproach are refused service because their parents or grant-parents were born in another country, we feel that it is high time to cry out against it.
The persons involved in this case happen to be outstanding representative of the group of people known as Latin Americans. One of them, for example, is a senior student at Our Lady of the Lake College. Another, possessed two Master's Degrees, one granted by the University of Texas and the other by St. Mary's University of San Antonio. The third is president of a women's church group in San Antonio. The brother of Miss Castillo died in the service of his country. He was a member for the Army Air Forces during the last war. Mrs. Gomez's son is still in the U.S. Navy, having served in combat during the war. The brother and seventeen close relatives of Miss Elizondo served int he armed forces of this country during World War II. All three women have records of unquestioned calibre [caliber] of patriotism to the country to the country of their birth in the United States of America. They were deeply hurt by this discrimination and we feel that they deserve at least an apology.
The action of this person discriminating against these three women is contrary to the principles on which our country was founded. Such acts of discrimination cause all good Americans to hang their heads in shame. As loyal Americans we feel it our bounden duty to see that discrimination such as this is given all possible attention to the end that this disgraceful blight on our way of life be eliminated once and for all.
(Signed)
Mr. Henry B. Gonzalez, Executive Secretary
Junior Deputy Organization
Dr. John. L. McMahon, President
Our Lady of the Lake College
Miss Frances Smith, Dean of Girls
Thomas Jefferson High School
Mr. Andrew Rivera, Vice President
National Bank of Commerce
Reverend Paul J. Ehlinger, Director
Catholic Welfare Bureau
Mr. Alonso S. Perales, Attorney
Miss Alice Des Marais, Director
Social Service Department , Santa Rosa Hospital
Miss Mary Piña, School Teacher
Bowie School
Mrs. Terrell Bartlett, President
Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women
Miss Christine Carvajal, School teacher
Ruiz School
Reverend John M. Hayes, Professor of Religion
Incarnate Word College
Mr. Juan L. Hidalgo, Men's Field Worker
Bishops' Committee for the Spanish Speaking
Mr. Richard S. O'Connor, Director
Graduate School of Social Science
Our Lady of the Lake College
cc: The Texas Good Neighbor Commission, Austin, Texas
cc: Dr. George I. Sanchez, University of Texas Austin, Texas
cc: Dr. Carlos E. Castañeda, University of Texas, Austin, Texas
cc: New Braunfels Herald
cc: Alamo Register
cc: La Prensa
cc: La Voz
cc: Southern Messenger
cc: San Antonio Ministerial Alliance
cc: San Antonio Chamber of Commerce
cc: Mexican Chamber of Commerce
cc: New Braunfels Business and Professional Women's Club
Archdiocese of San Antonio
Room 218, Bedell Bldg.
San Antonio, 5, Texas
Mr. Henry B. Gonzalez, Pres.
Miss Mary Estelle Daunoy, Secy.
Dr. John l. McMahon, VIce-Pres. Mr. Luis E. Gamez, Treas.
February 28, 1947
To whom it may concern:
In view of the facts presented in the accompanying affidavit, we the members of the Lay Council for the Spanish Speaking of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, hereby vigorously protest the act of discrimination of the manager of the P.K. Cafe at 165 W. San Antonio Street in New Braunfels. We declare that this action is not only un-American but it is un-Christian. We heartily agree that a business firm may refuse service to people on the grounds that they are unclean or disorderly but when American citizens of whatever descent who are neat and clean and conduct themselves in a manner that is above reproach are refused service because their parents or grant-parents were born in another country, we feel that it is high time to cry out against it.
The persons involved in this case happen to be outstanding representative of the group of people known as Latin Americans. One of them, for example, is a senior student at Our Lady of the Lake College. Another, possessed two Master's Degrees, one granted by the University of Texas and the other by St. Mary's University of San Antonio. The third is president of a women's church group in San Antonio. The brother of Miss Castillo died in the service of his country. He was a member for the Army Air Forces during the last war. Mrs. Gomez's son is still in the U.S. Navy, having served in combat during the war. The brother and seventeen close relatives of Miss Elizondo served int he armed forces of this country during World War II. All three women have records of unquestioned calibre [caliber] of patriotism to the country to the country of their birth in the United States of America. They were deeply hurt by this discrimination and we feel that they deserve at least an apology.
The action of this person discriminating against these three women is contrary to the principles on which our country was founded. Such acts of discrimination cause all good Americans to hang their heads in shame. As loyal Americans we feel it our bounden duty to see that discrimination such as this is given all possible attention to the end that this disgraceful blight on our way of life be eliminated once and for all.
(Signed)
Mr. Henry B. Gonzalez, Executive Secretary
Junior Deputy Organization
Dr. John. L. McMahon, President
Our Lady of the Lake College
Miss Frances Smith, Dean of Girls
Thomas Jefferson High School
Mr. Andrew Rivera, Vice President
National Bank of Commerce
Reverend Paul J. Ehlinger, Director
Catholic Welfare Bureau
Mr. Alonso S. Perales, Attorney
Miss Alice Des Marais, Director
Social Service Department , Santa Rosa Hospital
Miss Mary Piña, School Teacher
Bowie School
Mrs. Terrell Bartlett, President
Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women
Miss Christine Carvajal, School teacher
Ruiz School
Reverend John M. Hayes, Professor of Religion
Incarnate Word College
Mr. Juan L. Hidalgo, Men's Field Worker
Bishops' Committee for the Spanish Speaking
Mr. Richard S. O'Connor, Director
Graduate School of Social Science
Our Lady of the Lake College
cc: The Texas Good Neighbor Commission, Austin, Texas
cc: Dr. George I. Sanchez, University of Texas Austin, Texas
cc: Dr. Carlos E. Castañeda, University of Texas, Austin, Texas
cc: New Braunfels Herald
cc: Alamo Register
cc: La Prensa
cc: La Voz
cc: Southern Messenger
cc: San Antonio Ministerial Alliance
cc: San Antonio Chamber of Commerce
cc: Mexican Chamber of Commerce
cc: New Braunfels Business and Professional Women's Club
Text Item Type Metadata
Original Format
paper
Collection
Citation
Gonzalez, Henry B. et al., “Letter from Lay Council for the Spanish Speaking, Archdiocese of San Antonio, February 28, 1947.,” Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage Digital Collections, accessed April 29, 2024, http://usldhrecovery.uh.edu/items/show/4.