HISPANICS IN GOvERNMENT
tered. Consider the role the Latina played in supporting their children who entered the military at a time when it was not uncommon to see “No dogs or Mexicans allowed” signs in restaurant windows.
In 1951, six years after the end of
World War II, the Society of Mexican Mothers, a women’s patriotic society located in Sacramento, California, unveiled a statue of a soldier. The statue was quickly named ‘El Soldado’ or ‘The Soldier’, and was dedicated to the fallen heroes of the Sacramento Valley who did not return from war. In the midst of their grief, this small core of mothers whose sons, daugh- ters, husbands, family members and friends fought in Europe, Asia and Africa, did not go silently into ‘that dark night’. They raised their voices and money to assure that a proper me- morial was dedicated to honor loved ones who sacrificed and died for this nation.
This generation of Latinas over-
came hardships during WWII – hard- ships that rarely were discussed or shared with others, including family members. For many, months passed with no word from their loved ones – not knowing if their children would return home. One can only imagine the loneliness and fear they experienced. There were no support groups to assist or comfort them. With little or no money, these mothers came together to raise funds for their statue by making and selling tamales and sponsoring bake sales. With no modern conveniences or ready-made ingredients, they started from scratch in their kitchens to prepare what they needed. Talk about labor-intensive fundraising.
El Soldado was given a place of honor at the entrance of a community park in Sacramento. It stood there until the statue was donated to the State of California, with the expecta- tion that it become an official and permanent state memorial. In 1975, ‘El Soldado’ was moved to the State Capitol with little ceremony. Sadly,
70 HISPANIC NETWORK MAGAZINE
time and nature has not been kind to the statue. The memorial was never completed and rarely visited by the public – it has been dubbed ‘The Homeless Soldier’. Fast forward sixty years. In April of this year, the State of California will officially present to the public a design and plan to beautify, enhance and restore ‘El Soldado’.
Ground-
breaking for the memorial is schedule for November 2011, with an official transfer of the memorial to the people of California in Spring 2012. Six de- cades later, the dream of the Society of Mexican Mothers will be realized. By legislation, ‘El Soldado’ is des- ignated an official state memorial, and maintains its original name (Mexican American) to historically reflect the name first given when it was dedi- cated as a local community memorial after World War II. Today, the state memorial honors not only Mexican American veterans, but all Latino veterans. The names of 43 Latino veterans, from across the nation, who are recipients of our nation’s highest military honor, the Medal of Honor, will be etched in granite to honor their sacrifice. The memorial will also recognize the service and contribu-
Celebrating 19 Years of Diversity
tion of Latinas who have served in the military.
At the entrance of the memorial, visitors will be greeted by a garden dedicated in memory of the Society of Mexican Mothers. These women, these mothers who would not wait for history to recognize the contribu- tion of their children, remind us that they too, through their loved ones, served in the military, and are worthy of recognition as guardians of their children’s legacy. We are the children, grandchildren and great grandchil- dren of a generation of World War II mothers who survived hard times, and who in the process inspire us today in our own hard times. “Finish our work”.
Only private donations can be used to support California’s newest state memorial. If you wish to learn more about the memorial, make a donation, or view a short video, see the memo- rial website:
www.mavm.ca.gov.
www.hnmagazine.com
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