George I. Sánchez
Encyclopedia
George I. Sánchez was a pioneer in American educational scholarship and civil rights activism, originally from the state of New Mexico
. He served on the faculty of the University of New Mexico, held several concurrent teaching, chair, and dean positions at The University of Texas at Austin, where he had earned his Masters of Educational Psychology and Spanish, from 1940 until his death. Dr. Sanchez also acted as the President of the League of United Latin American Citizens
(LULAC), while spearheading several landmark civil right aimed court cases focusing on gaining equal public education rights for African, Native, and Chicano Americans and all the time maintaining an "open-door" policy at both his home on Scenic Drive and in his office at the UT Austin Education building now named in his honor. Today, he is remembered as a leading figure in the early "Mexican-American/Chicano" movement, which culminated during World War II, after heavy involvement with and collaboration between Chicano-Americans and Latin Americans through The Office of Inter-American Affairs. He received his Ed.D. from the University of California at Berkeley in Educational Administration, 1934 as a Fellow of the General Education Board.
. During his early years, his family moved between Albuquerque and Arizona
, following his father's occupation as a miner of both copper and gold. The longest settled period of time Jorge enjoyed as a child happened to be in Jerome, Arizona, now a ghost town, but at the time was known as W.C. Clark's copper mining boom town, with shipments moving hourly towards Clark County in Las Vegas Nevada. His early experiences in a notorious mining company owned town, full of constant human suffering at the hands of a single industrial capitalist may have helped shape his gift for public service in the name of the human race.
. He was the university's first professor Latin American Studies and later served as the chair of the Department of History and Philosophy.
The year after arriving in Austin, Sánchez became the national president of LULAC, the major civil rights organization for Latinos in the U.S.
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. He served on the faculty of the University of New Mexico, held several concurrent teaching, chair, and dean positions at The University of Texas at Austin, where he had earned his Masters of Educational Psychology and Spanish, from 1940 until his death. Dr. Sanchez also acted as the President of the League of United Latin American Citizens
League of United Latin American Citizens
The League of United Latin American Citizens was created to combat the discrimination that Hispanics face in the United States. Established February 17, 1929 in Corpus Christi, Texas, LULAC was a consolidation of smaller, like-minded civil rights groups already in existence...
(LULAC), while spearheading several landmark civil right aimed court cases focusing on gaining equal public education rights for African, Native, and Chicano Americans and all the time maintaining an "open-door" policy at both his home on Scenic Drive and in his office at the UT Austin Education building now named in his honor. Today, he is remembered as a leading figure in the early "Mexican-American/Chicano" movement, which culminated during World War II, after heavy involvement with and collaboration between Chicano-Americans and Latin Americans through The Office of Inter-American Affairs. He received his Ed.D. from the University of California at Berkeley in Educational Administration, 1934 as a Fellow of the General Education Board.
Early life
Jorge Isidoro Sánchez y Sanchez was born on October 4, 1906 in Albuquerque, New MexicoAlbuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
. During his early years, his family moved between Albuquerque and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, following his father's occupation as a miner of both copper and gold. The longest settled period of time Jorge enjoyed as a child happened to be in Jerome, Arizona, now a ghost town, but at the time was known as W.C. Clark's copper mining boom town, with shipments moving hourly towards Clark County in Las Vegas Nevada. His early experiences in a notorious mining company owned town, full of constant human suffering at the hands of a single industrial capitalist may have helped shape his gift for public service in the name of the human race.
Early career
Sánchez published his best known work, Forgotten People, in 1940. This book was the first to use sociological methods to document the concerns and experiences of "New Mexicans." Sánchez criticized the inclination to romanticize New Mexico and its people while at the same time ignoring the grinding poverty in the state. He also challenged the U.S. government to address the basic needs of the people, whom he said had always been loyal to the nation.The Texas Years
Sánchez gained his greatest accolades after 1940. In that year, he accepted a position as a full professor at the University of Texas in Austin, TexasAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. He was the university's first professor Latin American Studies and later served as the chair of the Department of History and Philosophy.
The year after arriving in Austin, Sánchez became the national president of LULAC, the major civil rights organization for Latinos in the U.S.