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    The Inspiring Life of Texan Héctor P. García
    The Inspiring Life of Texan Héctor P. García
    The Inspiring Life of Texan Héctor P. García
    Ebook194 pages2 hours

    The Inspiring Life of Texan Héctor P. García

    By Cecilia García Akers

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    About this ebook

    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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThe History Press
    Release dateApr 4, 2016
    ISBN9781625856463
    The Inspiring Life of Texan Héctor P. García
    Author

    Cecilia García Akers

    Cecilia Garcia Akers is the middle daughter of Dr. Hector P. and Wanda F. Garcia. Cecilia is the founding member of the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Foundation and serves as its board president/chairman. She has written editorials for the Corpus Christi Caller Times and the Waco Tribune regarding the legacy of her father, Dr. Hector P. Garcia. Cecilia is married to Jimmy Akers and resides in San Antonio, Texas.

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      Book preview

      The Inspiring Life of Texan Héctor P. García - Cecilia García Akers

      lives.

      INTRODUCTION

      Any book about Dr. Héctor García should be in everyone’s personal library. Forgive me, but that is how important I believe his achievements to be. And a book written by his middle daughter, who lived through the tough times with him and who saw on a daily basis what his compassion and commitment really meant? Well, that is a perspective that is so unique and personal that it must be read by all those who are proud to be Americans.

      This is a heartfelt story about a man who didn’t wait for change to happen; it is a personal remembrance about a man who actually changed the world we live in for the good. I often think of what the world would be like without Dr. Héctor. What if he had not been there to speak up for veterans, patients, widows and mothers? What if he had not typed those hundreds of letters in the night to administrators and public officials, admonishing them about the conditions and segregation of schools, hospitals, neighborhoods and swimming pools?

      These stories illustrate time and again the fortitude and strength he needed to pursue his righteous cause—and not just by him but by his family as well. I love the quote that Dr. Héctor was a man who in the space of one week delivers twenty babies, twenty speeches and twenty thousand votes.

      But those twenty babies, twenty speeches and twenty thousand votes took twenty-hour days and meant great sacrifices on his family’s part. His wife and children felt the brunt of his compassion for the greater good, and his absence from their day-to-day lives took its toll. Many times his family was threatened and harassed because of his efforts. But like many great men, his family rallied around him and gave him the strength to continue his fight against injustice. He could not be silenced.

      Dr. Héctor was a graduate of the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston. His legacy is important to us who work here, and his connection is meaningful. He serves as a giant role model for all of us, but particularly for our Latino students. Here is a man who valued his culture, pursued his education against great odds and leveraged his position as a physician to advocate for education and civil rights and against racism and injustice.

      His story remains timely and relevant. It is a successful immigrant story. He was proud of his parents and of his nationality. This was instilled in him from an early age. His parents were teachers, and he was proud to say that he was named after a Trojan hero and his brothers and sisters after Aztec leaders. He was neither the only success in his family nor the only doctor in his family; all told, there were six physicians among his brothers and sisters—a wonderful testament to the American immigrant story!

      I am amazed at the scope of his work and influence even in the legal arena. There was the Hernandez case, which stopped the elimination of Mexican Americans from grand juries, and the Delgado v. Bastrop Independent School District case, which was the landmark Mexican American school desegregation case in Texas. His efforts helped end the Texas poll tax, which prevented poor Texans from voting. Every United States president from Kennedy to Clinton understood that he was the person to lobby and deliver the votes in South Texas. It is not a surprise that he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Reagan, only that it took so long for Dr. Héctor García to be recognized for his work.

      Dr. Héctor believed in the promise of America and spent a lifetime ensuring that the Constitution protected every American no matter their race, ethnicity or economic status. His story is a great one, and it is important that we keep it alive and share this book widely with our children and grandchildren.

      DR. REBECCA SAAVEDRA

      Vice-President of Strategic Planning

      University of Texas Medical Branch

      Galveston, Texas

      Chapter 1

      IMMIGRATION AND EDUCATION

      Héctor Perez García was born in Llera, Tamaulipas, Mexico, on January 17, 1914, to Jose and Faustina García. He was their second child, following another son’s birth, Jose Antonio. Two daughters, Emilia, and Clotilde, were also born in Llera, Mexico. They would leave Mexico in 1917, when Héctor was three years old. Jose and Faustina García were both educators in Mexico. They were embroiled in the Mexican Revolution and feared for their safety and that of their children. The violence had escalated, and the unknown factors as to who would triumph in the Revolution caused the García family to plan their exodus from Mexico. Having four young children to protect, they decided to move their family and their belongings to settle in Mercedes, Texas.²

      Jose had family in Mercedes. He thought this would be the best transition for everyone. Unfortunately, their educational credentials did not transfer to Texas, and Jose and Faustina were unable to teach in the United States. Having to channel his energies elsewhere, he chose to teach all of his children at the highest education level possible. Settling in Mercedes, Texas, with several of Jose’s bothers, they opened and operated a dry goods store named the Antonio G. García and Brothers Department Store.

      Jose was an educator. Although he enjoyed the time with his family in the collaboration of the retail business, this was not why he had received an education. His struggles went beyond financial. His intelligence and desire to teach would always be with him.

      The children would go to school during the day. Héctor would help in the store after school. However, young Héctor had his eyes on other activities such as sports. He loved baseball and spent as much free time as possible playing with his friends. Jose knew that discipline was the key. Apparently, young Héctor would have to be corralled with a belt to make him come home. Faustina, however, would have him spared from Jose’s anger for the day.

      Héctor, as I have been told, was probably the most difficult of all of Jose’s children. The García family expanded to ten children, so the financial burdens really escalated. Jose’s desire to educate all of the children responsibly would make things difficult.

      Jose and Faustina had escaped the Mexican Revolution in 1917. However, they would experience a totally different world–one of segregated schools, a segregated city and struggles that occur when there are racist attitudes toward immigrants. Jose firmly believed that a proper education and independence would guarantee his children success in life. He was able to develop an educational tool, a book that taught vocabulary, reading and basic skills to assist his children in the educational process. Jose knew and understood the barriers that they would encounter.

      The García family. Left to right, first row: Héctor, Antonio, Faustina (with Cuitlahuac on her lap), Jose, Emilia and Clotilde. Left to right, second row: Cuauhtemoc and Dalia. García Papers, Special Collections and Archives, Bell Library, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi.

      The lessons with his children occurred nightly after all the chores were done. Jose would take his children into the basement of the store and teach them history, government, English and mathematics. All of his children were bilingual. The García children became very accomplished and successful. It was not a matter of who made the most money or who had the flashiest lifestyle. The children grew up to be dedicated professionals. J.A., Héctor, Clotilde, Cuitlahuac, Dalia and Xicotencatl all became medical doctors and had their own careers. Not only that, but they would also take care of thousands of patients, assist their communities and become involved in politics and the education of our youth. They would all give back to their communities and remain humble. Jose and Faustina taught their children well.

      Héctor P. García would face discrimination and educational battles all his life. The first known encounter was when Héctor was in high school in Mercedes and his English teacher told him that no matter how hard he tried, no Mexican would make an A in her class. As hard as Héctor tried, he still made a B. This was the first indication of what Héctor would endure all of his life to achieve the education he would need.

      Héctor made it through school in Mercedes, Texas, and graduated from high school in 1932. He would hitchhike thirty miles daily to Pan American Junior College in Edinburg, Texas, for his basic college courses. Apparently, Jose García cashed in a life insurance policy to pay for Héctor’s education. His family was determined to provide the best support they could. However, having a family with seven surviving children would be financially difficult for them.

      Héctor went to the next level and graduated from the University of Texas– Austin with a bachelor’s degree in zoology. He graduated in 1936 in the top 10 percent of his class. His degree in zoology was merely a steppingstone to the next level; it was a requirement. Héctor wanted to do well. He wanted his family to be proud of him and wanted to assist them monetarily. Most of all, he wanted his independence. He would never depend on anyone else for a job. The next level was in his sights. He was accepted into the University of Texas Medical Branch–Galveston in 1936. At the time, Galveston allowed for one Mexican per year to be accepted into its medical school. This was Héctor’s

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