Author: Cecilia García Akers Publisher: Arcadia Publishing ISBN: 1625856466 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 146
Book Description
As a Mexican immigrant, Dr. Hector P. Garcia endured discrimination at every stage of his life. He attended segregated schools and was the only Mexican to graduate from the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, in 1940. Garcia's passion for helping others pushed him to advocate for equal rights. After serving in World War II, the doctor worked to help minorities achieve greater access to healthcare, voting rights and education. He started a private practice in Corpus Christi and in 1948 founded the American GI Forum. Cecilia Garcia Akers shares a daughter's perspective on her father's remarkable achievements and sacrifices as an activist and physician.
Author: Ignacio M. GarcÕa Publisher: Arte Publico Press ISBN: 9781611921724 Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 444
Book Description
In 1948, Three Rivers Funeral Home refused burial of the remains of Felix Longoria, a World War II veteran. For Dr. Hector P. García this incident was an example of the bigotry and injustice that many Mexican Americans suffered in South Texas and throughout the U.S. He and his fledgling organization, the American G.I. Forum, stepped into the national consciousness to fight for Longoria and his family and to inspire Mexican American participation in party politics and against segregation in the post-World War II years. García was an immigrant from Tamaulipas, Mexico, whose family journeyed north in the fashion of so many other immigrant families seeking economic opportunities and safety from the numerous revolutionary conflicts. In spite of discrimination and poverty common in the Rio Grande Valley, García became a physician in 1940 and, like many young Mexican Americans, served his adopted country with distinction in fighting fascism and injustice abroad. After receiving the Bronze Star and six battle stars, he returned to Texas only to find that much of the discrimination and segregation against Mexican Americans was still rampant, despite their having proved themselves on the bloody battlefields overseas. An outraged García went on to rally Mexican-American veterans into one of the most effective civil rights organizations in history and to create a space for them within the political process. His pioneering efforts not only resulted in changed laws and practices, but also in a new awareness among Mexican Americans that they could fight for their rights and win. He proved to be a decisive factor in the election of America's first Catholic president, John F. Kennedy. His activism inspired a new generation of social reformers in the barrio and a reluctant acceptance that Mexican Americans were first class citizens. For his work, he was awarded the Medal of Freedom in 1984. Hector P. García: In Relentless Pursuit of Justice, the first definitive, superbly researched and documented biography of this great American hero is not a one-sided profile of García, but an objective appraisal of his successes and failures, as well as an analysis of the political, social and personal issues that he and the American G.I. Forum confronted during his lifetime.
Author: Hector A. Garcia Publisher: Prometheus Books ISBN: 1633880214 Category : Psychology Languages : en Pages : 290
Book Description
This book uses evolutionary psychology as a lens to explain religious violence and oppression. The author, a clinical psychologist, examines religious scriptures, rituals, and canon law, highlighting the many ways in which our evolutionary legacy has shaped the development of religion and continues to profoundly influence its expression. The book focuses on the image of God as the dominant male in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This traditional God concept is seen as a reflection of the “dominant ape” paradigm so evident in the hierarchical social structures of primates, with whom we have a strong genetic connection. The author describes the main features of male-dominated primate social hierarchies— specifically, the role of the alpha male as the protector of the group; his sexual dominance and use of violence and oppression to attain food, females, and territory; in-group altruism vs. out-group hostility (us vs. them); and displays of dominance and submission to establish roles within the social hierarchy. The parallels between these features of primate society and human religious rituals and concepts make it clear that religion, especially its oppressive and violent tendencies, is rooted in the deep evolutionary past. This incisive analysis goes a long way toward explaining the historic and ongoing violence committed in the name of religion.
Author: Henry A. J. Ramos Publisher: Arte Publico Press ISBN: 9781611920611 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 212
Book Description
A history of the American GI Forum, a civil rights group formed by Hispanic servicemen and women in response to the intolerable conditions they found in their communities upon their return from World War II; covering the years between 1948 and 1983.
Author: Neil Foley Publisher: Harvard University Press ISBN: 0674048482 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 361
Book Description
A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year According to census projections, by 2050 nearly one in three U.S. residents will be Latino, and the overwhelming majority of these will be of Mexican descent. This dramatic demographic shift is reshaping politics, culture, and fundamental ideas about American identity. Neil Foley, a leading Mexican American historian, offers a sweeping view of the evolution of Mexican America, from a colonial outpost on Mexico’s northern frontier to a twenty-first-century people integral to the nation they have helped build. “Compelling...Readers of all political persuasions will find Foley’s intensively researched, well-documented scholarly work an instructive, thoroughly accessible guide to the ramifications of immigration policy.” —Publishers Weekly “For Americans long accustomed to understanding the country’s development as an east-to-west phenomenon, Foley’s singular service is to urge us to tilt the map south-to-north and to comprehend conditions as they have been for some time and will likely be for the foreseeable future...A timely look at and appreciation of a fast-growing demographic destined to play an increasingly important role in our history.” —Kirkus Reviews
Author: Hector A. Garcia Publisher: ISBN: 1633885143 Category : Philosophy Languages : en Pages : 256
Book Description
An evolutionary psychologist traces the roots of political divisions back to our primate ancestors and male-dominated social hierarchies. Through the lens of evolutionary science, this book offers a novel perspective on why we hold our political ideas, and why they are so often in conflict. Drawing on examples from across the animal kingdom, clinical psychologist Hector A. Garcia reveals how even the most complex political processes can be influenced by our basic drives to survive and reproduce--including the policies we back, whether we are liberal or conservative, and whether we are inspired or repelled by the words of a president. The author demonstrates how our political orientations derive from an ancestral history of violent male competition, surprisingly influencing how we respond to issues as wide-ranging as affirmative action, women's rights, social welfare, abortion, foreign policy, and even global warming. Critically, the author shows us how our instinctive political tribalism can keep us from achieving stable, functioning societies, and offers solutions for rising above our ancestral past.
Author: Hector Garcia Publisher: Tuttle Publishing ISBN: 1462921442 Category : Self-Help Languages : en Pages : 214
Book Description
In The Ikigai Journey, authors Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles take their international bestseller Ikigai: the Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life a step further by showing you how to find your own ikigai through practical exercises, such as employing new habits and stepping outside your comfort zone. Ikigai is the place where our passion (what we love), mission (what we hope to contribute), vocation (the gifts we have to offer the world) and profession (how our passions and talents can become a livelihood) converge, giving us a personal sense of meaning. This book helps you bring together all of these elements so that you can enjoy a balanced life. Our ikigai is very similar to change: it is a constant that transforms depending on which phase of life we are in. Our "reason for being" is not the same at 15 as it is at 70. Through three sections, this book helps you to accept and embrace that--acting as a tool to revolutionize your future by helping you to understand the past, so you can enjoy your present. Section 1: Journey Through the Future: Tokyo (a symbol of modernity and innovation) Section 2: Journey Through the Past: Kyoto (an ancient capital moored in tradition) Section 3: Journey Through the Present: Ise (an ancient shrine that is destroyed and rebuilt every twenty years) Japan has one of the longest life spans in the world, and the greatest number of centenarians--many of whom cite their strong sense of ikigai as the basis for their happiness and longevity. Unlike many "self-care" practices, which require setting aside time in an increasingly busy world, the ikigai method helps you find peace and fulfillment in your busy life.