American GI Forum facts for kids
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| Founded | March 26, 1948 |
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| Founder | Hector P. Garcia |
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Key people
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David Rodriguez, National Commander |
| Website | www.agifus.com |
The American GI Forum (AGIF) is an important organization for Hispanic veterans and for civil rights. It was started in 1948. Its main idea is "Education is Our Freedom and Freedom should be Everybody's Business." AGIF has groups all over the United States. They focus on helping veterans, supporting education, and fighting for equal rights for everyone.
Two of its biggest programs are the Veterans Outreach Program in San Antonio and the Service, Employment, Redevelopment-Jobs for Progress, Inc. (SER) in Dallas. These programs help veterans find jobs and get support. The current leader of the AGIF is David Rodriguez.
Contents
How the American GI Forum Started
The American GI Forum was created in Corpus Christi, Texas, on March 26, 1948. It was founded by Dr. Hector P. Garcia. He wanted to help Mexican-American veterans who were not getting the same treatment as other veterans.
Helping Veterans After World War II
After World War II, many Mexican-American soldiers came home. But they often faced unfair treatment. They were sometimes kept separate from other veteran groups. They also had trouble getting medical care from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
The AGIF first worked to get these veterans the medical services they deserved. Soon, the group started working on other important issues. These included voting rights, making sure juries were fair, and ending segregation in schools. They fought for the civil rights of all Mexican Americans. By 1959, the AGIF had 25,000 members in 18 states. Today, the AGIF helps all Hispanic veterans.
The Felix Longoria Case
One of the AGIF's first big efforts was for Felix Longoria. He was a Mexican-American soldier who died fighting in the Philippines during World War II. Three years after the war, his body was sent back to Texas. But a funeral home owned by white people refused to hold his funeral.
Dr. Garcia asked Senator Lyndon B. Johnson for help. Senator Johnson made sure Longoria was buried with honor in Arlington National Cemetery. This case brought the AGIF national attention. Soon, new chapters opened across the country. Groups for women and young people also started.
Fighting for Justice: Hernandez v. Texas
The AGIF also played a big part in a very important civil rights case called Hernandez v. Texas in 1954. The AGIF worked with another group, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), on this case.
Pete Hernandez, a farm worker, was found guilty of murder by a jury that was all white. His lawyers argued that Mexican Americans had been unfairly kept off juries in Texas for many years. But the state court said that since Mexican Americans were officially classified as "white," an all-white jury was still fair.
His lawyers took the case to the highest court in the country, the Supreme Court of the United States. They were the first Mexican-American lawyers to argue a case there. They said that Texas treated Mexican Americans unfairly as a group. They argued that Hernandez's rights were violated because Mexican Americans were kept off juries.
The Supreme Court agreed with them. They said that Mexican Americans were a distinct group in this case. They ruled that discrimination against them was proven. The court decided that Mexican Americans, and all other racial or national groups, have equal protection under the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution. This was a huge victory for equal rights.
Taking Action for Change
Unlike LULAC, the American GI Forum was sometimes more willing to protest and challenge unfair rules. Some of its members even marched with Chicano protestors. Between 1969 and 1979, the Forum led a national boycott against the Adolph Coors Company. This was a big beer company. The AGIF challenged the company's unfair hiring practices that affected Chicanos.
Where the AGIF Spread
The AGIF started in Texas, just like LULAC. It slowly grew to other states. By 1954, the AGIF had chapters in 16 states. Most of these were still in Texas.
It wasn't until the 1960s that the organization became very popular in California. New groups also started on the East Coast in Connecticut, Maryland, and Washington D.C. By 1974, the AGIF had a strong presence across the country. This included the Pacific Northwest and some parts of the South.
Past Leaders of the AGIF
Here are some of the people who have led the American GI Forum:
- Dr. Hector P. Garcia
- Tony Gallegos
- Jake I. Alarid (1983-1984 and 1994-1998)
- Francisco Ivarra
- Antonio Gil Morales (2005 – 2009)
- Albert Gonzales (2010-2013)
- Luis Vazquez-Contes (2013-2014)
- Ángel Zúñiga (2014–2018)
- Lawrence G. Romo (2018–2021)
- Luis Vasquez-Contes (2021-2023)
- David Rodriquez (2023-Present)
How the AGIF is Organized
Each local group, called a chapter, chooses its own "Commander" and a state leader. Every year, a national meeting is held to choose the national leaders of the organization.
Here are some of the states where the AGIF has chapters:
- Arizona [1], Silvestre S. Herrera (Phoenix) Chapter
- California [2]
- Colorado Mile Hi Chapter
- Idaho [3]
- Illinois [4]
- Kansas [5]
- Michigan [6], Flint Chapter
- Nebraska , Omaha Chapter
- New Mexico [7]
- Oklahoma [8]
- Puerto Rico [9]
- Texas [10]
- Utah [11]
- Washington [12]
- Washington, D.C. [13]
- Wyoming [14]
See also
- LNESC
- Latino
- NALEO
- NCLR
- SVREP
- LULAC
- MALDEF
