Photogallery: Political Life

Click on an image to view in more detail.

   Back to Menu

Soon after John Kennedy was nominated for President, Bobby Kennedy met with Dr. Hector Garcia to discuss how to get Mexican-Americans to support JFK in the upcoming election. The result was formation of the Viva Kennedy clubs. Dr. Garcia is seen here with other national leaders of the Viva Kennedy organization, meeting with JFK in October 1960.

Viva Kennedy clubs were established across the country. Rallies such as this one in Indiana were held to encourage Mexican-Americans to vote.

Viva Kennedy clubs encouraged 85 percent of the Mexican-American vote to go for JFK over Richard Nixon. These votes were particularly important to Kennedy due to the close national election in 1960.

During the campaign, John Kennedy had promised Mexican-Americans action on a number of civil rights issues and some appointments to high-level government positions. But nothing happened right away. Eventually, Dr. Garcia was appointed by Kennedy to help forge a mutual defense treaty with the West Indies Islands. With this appointment, Dr. Garcia became the first Mexican-American to represent a President of the United States.

Dr. Garcia is seen here with President Kennedy and other member of the West Indies Island treaty committee. Standing among the dignitaries he said, "That was the greatest moment of my life, I knew I was an American then."

With their long-time friend Lyndon Johnson in the White House, Dr. Garcia and the American GI Forum anticipated what might be possible in LBJ's Great Society.

Preparing for the 1964 presidential election, the American GI Forum established the Viva Johnson clubs. Dr. Garcia is seen here speaking at a rally in support of Johnson.

After LBJ's extraordinary victory in the 1964 election, Dr. Garcia and other Mexican-American leaders were dismayed that Johnson's civil rights agenda focused strictly on the needs of African-Americans and neglected the issues that concerned the Mexican-Americans.

In 1966, Dr. Garcia and other Mexican-American leaders met with President Johnson at the White House. This time, their needs were addressed. Johnson gave a direct order to fund Project SER, to assist Mexican-Americans in improving their own communities. In the following weeks, Johnson would appoint long time GI Forum member Vicente Ximenes to a special cabinet level position on Mexican-American affairs.

After Viva Kennedy, many politicians courted the American GI Forum for Mexican-American votes. Robert Kennedy is pictured here with Dr. Garcia and other GI Forum members. Kennedy was a keynote speaker at an American GI Forum national convention.

In the late 1970's, President Jimmy Carter asked Dr. Garcia to the White House for a high level briefing on the President's Tax & Economic Program and a high level briefing on the Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan crisis.

During the 1980's the American GI Forum adopted a less partisan attitude than they had before. Here Dr. Garcia is pictured with President George Bush, who spoke before an American GI Forum national convention.

During the 1992 presidential election, Dr. Garcia supported Bill Clinton in his campaign. Following Garcia's death in 1996, President Clinton said, "Dr. Garcia was a real American hero. We should honor him best by committing ourselves to continue the work of his life. He was a remarkable man."