Dionicio Morales facts for kids
Dionicio Morales (born in 1918 in Yuma, Arizona, died in 2008 in Montebello, California) was an important Latino leader. He worked for civil rights and helped many people. Morales started the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF). This foundation became one of the biggest Hispanic non-profit groups in the country.
He spent his life fighting against unfair treatment and prejudice in the United States. He was good at working with business and political leaders. This helped open doors and create jobs for many Latinos in the U.S. He even had a special relationship with President Lyndon Johnson. This helped MAOF win big victories for Latino civil rights. Because of his work, some called him "an urban Cesar Chavez." He worked very hard to inspire new Mexican American business and political leaders. His dream was a U.S.A. where all Latinos had equal chances in school and at work.
His Early Life and Fight for Fairness
Morales was the first of 11 children in his family. He grew up during the Great Depression in Moorpark, California. This was a time when many people had no jobs and struggled. His parents were immigrants from Mexico. They came to Southern California to work in farm fields.
Life was very hard for Mexican families then. There was a lot of competition for jobs. This made feelings against Mexican people worse. In some places, like Los Angeles County, money was even set aside to send Mexican families away. Those who stayed faced many problems. They lived in very poor conditions and often did not have good health care. Many got sick with diseases like tuberculosis. Morales himself almost died from this illness. Seven of his brothers and sisters did not survive.
At school, Mexican and Mexican American children were kept separate from other students. They were not allowed to speak Spanish. If they did, they could be punished. These unfair experiences made Morales decide to dedicate his life to helping Mexican Americans.
His Path to Leadership
Morales went to Santa Barbara State Teacher's College. Later, he worked for the Bracero program. This program brought workers from Mexico to the U.S. to help with farm work and factory jobs during World War II. This is where he first met Cesar Chavez, another famous civil rights leader.
After that, Morales worked as a probation officer for young Mexican Americans. He then became a labor organizer in East Los Angeles. His years working in East L.A. helped him prepare to start the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation in 1963. In 1978, MAOF became the first Mexican American organization to receive a million-dollar contract from the government. This was a huge achievement.
In 1997, the Mexican government gave Morales the Ohtli Award. This award recognized his important work in activism and with MAOF. In 1998, he wrote his autobiography, Dionicio Morales: A Life in Two Cultures. In his book, he shared his family's journey from Mexico. He also wrote about their struggles against poverty and unfair treatment in the United States. Morales passed away in 2008 in Montebello, California.
The Mexican American Opportunity Foundation
The Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF) has grown to be a very large organization. It helps many people across the United States. It serves over 100,000 Californians. MAOF also provides childcare for about 8,000 children every day. This helps parents work.
Morales got the first big job training contract for MAOF by calling the president for help. He managed to talk to Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson. Johnson helped him meet the Secretary of Labor. This meeting led to MAOF receiving a $37,000 training contract.
Mr. Morales also built strong relationships with big companies. These included Kraft Foods, Rockwell International, McDonnell Douglas, and Lockheed Martin. These connections created many job opportunities for Mexican Americans. Today, MAOF still helps with job training. However, most of its budget, about 80 percent of its $57 million, goes to childcare programs. These programs make it possible for parents to work and support their families. Morales had retired from working with the foundation eight years before he passed away.
