Vicente T. Ximenes facts for kids
Vicente T. Ximenes (born December 5, 1919 – died February 27, 2014) was an American government worker. He worked hard to support the civil rights of Mexican Americans. This means he fought for fair treatment and equal opportunities for people of Mexican heritage in the United States.
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Early Life and Education
Vicente Ximenes was born in 1919 in Floresville, Texas. Growing up, he and other Mexican Americans faced segregation. This meant they were kept separate from others, like in schools or public places. After finishing Floresville High School in 1939, Vicente worked as a chief clerk for the Civilian Conservation Corps. This was a program that helped young men find jobs during the Great Depression.
He also went to the University of Texas at Austin. There, he became friends with Dr. Hector P. Garcia. Dr. Garcia later started the American GI Forum. This group worked for the civil rights of Mexican American veterans.
Fighting for Civil Rights
Vicente Ximenes made a big difference in the fight for civil rights.
- In 1957, Vicente learned about a unfair event in Colorado. A local group had stopped a Mexican American boy from carrying the flag in a ceremony. As the leader of the American GI Forum, Vicente told newspapers about this. He also sent messages to the national group involved. Because of his actions, the ceremony was canceled. The national group even removed the local chapter. Vicente chose to work with them to fix the problem. They held a special flag exchange ceremony to show they were making up.
- In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson asked Vicente to help organize important meetings in El Paso, Texas. These meetings were called the El Paso hearings. They led to many new rules and policies that helped Mexican Americans. People talked about language, education, jobs, and legal help. These hearings helped start a bigger movement for Mexican American rights across the country.
Career and Public Service
When the United States joined World War II in 1941, Vicente joined the U.S. Air Force. He became a bombardier, flying planes and dropping bombs. He flew 50 missions in North Africa. He even received the Distinguished Flying Cross for being brave. After the war, he taught flying until 1946. He left the Air Force as a Major in 1947.
When he came home, he saw that segregation was still happening. He joined the American GI Forum with his friend, Dr. Garcia. Vicente went back to school. He earned a degree in Education in 1950 and a Master's degree in Economics in 1951 from the University of New Mexico.
He then worked for the Bureau of Business Research. In 1961, he worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development in Ecuador. This agency helps other countries. Later, he became a deputy director for the same agency in Panama. He also helped with the "War on Poverty," a government effort to reduce poverty.
In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson chose Vicente to be a U.S. commissioner for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. This group works to prevent job discrimination. President Johnson said Vicente was a "distinguished public servant, a teacher, a war hero, a leader of the Mexican-American community."
Vicente led the important El Paso hearings in 1967. These hearings were a major step for Hispanic people to become a bigger part of American society. He also led President Johnson's new Cabinet Committee on Mexican American Affairs until 1972. His work in this role led to changes in federal laws that helped people nationwide.
Later, from 1972 to 1973, he was Vice-President of the National Urban Coalition. He also served on the board of trustees for the University of Albuquerque from 1972 to 1977.
In 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed Vicente as Commissioner of White House Fellows. In this job, he helped choose top students and future leaders to work in government offices. In 2007, Vicente spoke at a Civil Rights Symposium at the University of New Mexico.
Awards and Recognition
In 2008, the University of New Mexico gave Vicente an honorary "Doctor of Humane Letters" degree. He also received an honorary Ph.D. from New Mexico Highlands University.
The University of New Mexico has a scholarship named after Vicente Ximenes. It helps graduate students who show a commitment to public speaking and community work. This scholarship was started in 2005 by students and a professor. It is funded by donations.
Vicente Ximenes received many other awards. These include the Common Cause Public Service Achievement Award and the State of New Mexico Distinguished Service Award. He also received Panama's highest honor, the Vasco Nunez de Balboa award. Other awards include the Aztec award and the Albuquerque Human Rights Bridge Award.
Personal Life
Vicente T. Ximenes was married to Maria Ximenes, who passed away in 2009. Vicente died on February 27, 2014, when he was 94 years old. Vicente and Maria had four children. Three of them, Ricardo, Olivia, and Ana Maria, are still living. Their oldest son, Estevan, died in 1978. They also had a granddaughter, Theresa, and two great-granddaughters, Chloe and Madison.
Media and Legacy
A book called Vicente Ximenes and LBJ's Great Society: The Rhetoric of Mexican American Civil Rights Reform was written about Vicente's work. It was published in 2018.
You can find a video of Vicente Ximenes speaking at the Civil Rights Summit of 1972 on YouTube here.
Vicente was also featured in two documentaries. One was called The Civilian Conservation Corps, which came out in 2009. The other was The Longoria Affair, shown on PBS in 2010. This film tells the story of Felix Longoria, a World War II veteran who was denied burial in his hometown because of his background.
Newspapers also wrote about Vicente. The Wilson County News published an interview with him in 2010. The Albuquerque Journal published an article honoring him after he passed away in 2014. A book called "Leaders of the Mexican American Generation" also included a chapter about his civil rights work in 2015.
Vicente Ximenes is remembered for trying to make big changes from inside the government. He believed in working with others to reach goals. A university leader said that Vicente's work at the state and national level makes him one of the most important people in U.S. civil rights history.
