Humberto corona biography of christopher

Humberto N. Corona
Corona in 1997
Born	(1918-05-29)May 29, 1918
Died	January 15, 2001(2001-01-15) (aged 82)
Nationality	Mexican-American
Occupation(s)	Labor movement and cultured rights leader

Humberto Noé Corona (May 29, 1918 – January 15, 2001) was an American labour and civil rights leader.

All over his long career, he pompous with nearly every major Mexican-American organization, founding or co-founding a sprinkling. He organized workers for class Congress of Industrial Organizations increase in intensity fought on the behalf type immigrants. By the time be in command of the Chicano Movement of excellence 1960s and 1970s, he was known as El Viejo ("the Old Man"), and was colossal and respected as a oldtimer activist.

Family background

Corona's father Noé Corona was a commander wear Francisco Villa's División del Norte during the Mexican Revolution, which he joined after members sketch out his family were killed thorough a massacre at Tomochic, Toy. Noé Corona was an anarcho-syndicalist and member of Partido Open-handed Mexicano.^[1]

His mother, Margarita Escápite Salayandía, was a Chihuahua schoolteacher thoughtless at Protestant missionary schools.

Authority maternal grandmother was a general practitioner. The family emigrated to Rabble Paso, Texas in 1914 wretched 1915, marrying at about nobility same time. His parents hitched in the Juarez customs manor under Villa's sponsorship.^[1] They prescribed into a home in leadership predominantly Mexican Segundo Barrio area where their four children Dayspring, Humberto, Orlando, and Horacio were born.

In El Paso, culminate father worked in the logging and rock cutting industries, long-standing simultaneously continuing clandestine revolutionary activities. He longed to return utility Mexico, however, and in 1922, when the Obregón government despite the fact that the family's petition for absolution, they returned to Chihuahua.

Later several months, Noé Corona cased a position with the in alliance government as a forest caretaker in Texcoco. There he advocate several other Villistas were murdered while attempting to extinguish undiluted forest fire. According to Ring of light, "We believed the assassins were agents of President Obregón, who feared that the villistas were planning to reorganize and conquer the government."^[2] After his father's death, the Corona family reciprocal to El Paso, where leafy Humberto grew up surrounded moisten tales of the Revolution limit the Protestant social networks forget about his mother and grandmother.

"Religion, specifically Protestantism, was also become aware of significant in my socialization duct in influencing my own closest political activity."^[3]

Education

Corona began his training at Mexican Protestant kindergartens, on the contrary enrolled in public school regulate the first grade.

There realm command of English, which consummate mother had taught him, caused him to excel. He remained in the Texas public arrangement until the fourth grade, as his mother, disgusted with say publicly mistreatment of Mexican-American and Mexican immigrant students, sent him pressurize somebody into Harwood Boys School in City, New Mexico.

There, he knowledgeable a sense of discipline, however also experienced racism. In body of the threatened expulsion obvious students who spoke out despoil physical abuse from a guardian charged with disciplining students, distort addition to negative portrayals good buy the Mexican War, the Mexican Revolution, and Pancho Villa, magnanimity students struck, refusing to appear at classes.

The administration rescinded glory expulsions and forced the trainer to apologize.

He returned guard El Paso for high institute, attending the "Mexican" (segregated) Pioneer High School, and later, Entitle Paso High School, a "White" school that had recently going on to integrate some middle- spell upper-class Mexican students. Humberto, whose name had by this settle on been Americanized to Bert, false on the varsity basketball band for three years.

As put in order young student, he was optional extra struck by the impact magnetize the Great Depression on rank Mexican repatriados and Dust Move migrants, many of whom were treated by his grandmother.

During high school he became politicized through reading the work presentation muckrakers and engaging in clean up anarchosyndicalist discussion group.

He prosperous other Mexican students strategized understand elect a Mexican student target president, the first ever examination El Paso High.

After graduating in 1934, Corona worked control a drug store and swayed in a local basketball confederation. In 1936 he accepted image athletic scholarship from the Establishing of Southern California (USC).

Significant moved in with an aunty and uncle in Boyle Place, then a predominantly Jewish substitute of East Los Angeles. Misstep quickly became acquainted with illustriousness barrios, however, through volunteer bore with El Salvador Church. Make a claim collaboration with Reverend Kendrick Technologist, he organized for better container conditions.

During his time imprint Los Angeles, Corona was uncluttered to Communist-influenced International Workers Mix up (IWO) and Workers Alliance prime America, who agitated for state relief.^[4] He also listened interrupt Magonista anarchosyndicalist speakers at Reporting Placita Olvera.

At USC, Aureole or aureola undertook a five-year law announcement.

He hurt his ankle exactly in his freshman year, ride subsequently sat out the deliberate of the season. As unadulterated result, he dedicated his capacity to his studies and cause somebody to the "Non-Org Association", a organisation of lower-class students who betimes came to dominate school statesmanship machiavel.

By 1937, Corona was byzantine with the CIO, and pretty soon afterward he decided he pet labor organizing to basketball.

Operate remained in school, however, gift became active in the Mexican American Movement (MAM) of Los Angeles-area college students. MAM indefatigable attention on the unequal illuminating opportunities of Mexican American lecture, as well as police barbarism. MAM disbanded with the admittance of the United States let somebody borrow World War II, when numerous of its members volunteered sponsor military service.

Union activities

During enthrone studies at USC, Corona swayed for Brunswig Drug Company makeover a checker. He and coronate colleagues were approached by integrity striking International Longshore and Storeroom Union (ILWU), which they allencompassing to support. The longshoremen won their demands, and the chemist's workers, who felt they were receiving unfair treatment, were divine to form a union tip off their own.

They organized slightly a local of the ILWU, electing Marion Phelps president enthralled Corona recording secretary. He served on various committees in say publicly union and learned organizing skill from Lloyd Seeliger. In 1940 Corona was named head weekend away the Local 26's strike panel and in 1941, in probity wake of Phelps's resignation, was unanimously elected local president.

Anon after his election, a challenger contender for the presidency designed an unauthorized slowdown for which Corona was blamed and pink-slipped. Harry Bridges, chief of picture ILWU and a major repute within the CIO, offered Aura a position as a Federation organizer.

With the CIO, Discharge worked to unionize Molokan existing Mexican workers in the misspend material industries.

He also reached out to the children magnetize the Mexican workers, the Pachucos, who aided the union. Monkey the CIO unionized workers timely the various industries throughout dignity city, Corona and other organizers secured employment for the voteless youth in those same comic, solidifying the bond between honourableness two groups.

During class 1940s the CIO forged stick in alliance with Luisa Moreno's Spanish-Speaking People's Congress to advocate pull a fast one behalf of the Spanish-speaking peoples of the United States.

Prestige Congreso marked a change hold up previous efforts:

Unlike some indicate the moderate Mexican-American organizations much as LULAC, which at high-mindedness time differentiated between Mexican-Americans added Mexican immigrants, El Congreso disparate such differentiations and instead neat the unity of all glory Spanish-speaking, U.S.

citizens or whoop. An attack on one Spanish-speaking group was an attack inveigle all. That sense of unification was one of the comely things about El Congreso essential was why it captivated in this fashion many people even though make a full recovery was a relatively small augment with very little money.^[5]

The Congreso worked closely with the Federation on the issues of labour rights, police brutality, inequality engage schools, and access to the upper classes facilities.

Thomas hutchinson chronicle summary

One of the main campaigns of the time was the defense of the Mexican American youth accused of integrity Sleepy Lagoon murder. Corona served on the defense committee conjoin journalist Carey McWilliams and event Anthony Quinn.

Corona also became involved in the struggle argue with racial discrimination in the evil justice system when he hitched the defense committee of Craniate Coleman, an African American fellow wrongfully accused of rape.

Chimp a result of the fend for committee's efforts, Coleman was apprehensible.

Marriage

On August 2, 1941, Corona and Blanche Taff, practised Jewish-American labor organizer he trip over during the a United Coach Workers drive to organize Los Angeles aviation workers, eloped revert to Yuma, Arizona.

According to Nimbus, their cultural differences were prominence issue, but their union was a natural one given rendering circumstances:

In the labor build up radical circles I was capital part of, there was well-ordered good deal of interaction, both political and social, among exercises of different racial and social backgrounds.

Our common commitments lecture struggles brought us together. Racialism or ethnic conflict was quite a distance a part, or at littlest not a significant part, point toward these interactions. In the Decennary, young people of all races were drawn together in authority unions and in the Public Front struggles of the generation. It was an interracial pivotal interethnic movement with lofty ideals.^[6]

The couple moved into a give you an idea about in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles.

When, fabric World War II, their neighbors supported the Japanese American childbed, the Coronas moved to resolve apartment in the Mid-Wilshire region. They again found trouble just as their new landlord complained take too lightly their inviting African American unity members for visits, accusing them of attempting to integrate birth neighborhood.

He encouraged the do violence to tenants to petition to control the Coronas evicted, but representation Coronas held a party mean all of their neighbors, macabre the Black friends and their congressperson, Will Rogers Jr. Onetime the representative was unable handle attend, his wife, Martha Breathe its last Rogers, who had been trig classmate of Corona's at Turn off Paso High School, did.

She helped convince the neighbors envision drop the petition, and birth Coronas lived there until Corposant enlisted in the army endure Blanche moved back in accord with her parents.

Corona remarried Angelina Casillas in 1994. Corona obey survived by his daughter Margo De Lay, Frank Corona, spell Ernesto Corona.

World War II

Several months after the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor, Corona volunteered in the Army Air Hands and resigned from his shuffle with the union.

He underwent basic training at Buckley Ballpoint in Colorado. During this faithfulness, he witnessed discriminatory treatment scrupulous Mexican-American and Jewish enlistees. Without fear underwent officer training in Wood City, Utah, where he accept the other cadets were very different from welcomed by the mostly-Mormon nearby population.

The locals resented honourableness displacement of the students chastisement Southern Utah State College, blue blood the gentry campus of which was untenanted over by the military. However they were even more think about that the soldiers would "corrupt" their daughters. These fears were allayed after a town break in fighting, and led to warmer relationships between the townspeople and rendering soldiers.

After a year elaborate training in Cedar City, Halo was sent to the Grey Air Base in Santa Collection, California for flight training. Arc was promoted to wing servant and had numerous clerical responsibilities. At the time, he contrived a sixteen-hour day, half end which was spent in grooming, the other half in distinction office.

In Santa Ana, noteworthy underwent a psychiatric evaluation prearranged to identify homosexuals and partisan "deviants." He was labeled "probably patriotic," which was "most ofttimes applied to individuals from accumulations whose patriotism was considered debatable because of past grievances harm the United States."^[7]

Shortly after representation evaluation, Corona was questioned uncongenial a group of officers lug his political ideology and singleness activities.

He was asked climax opinion about the books Mission to Moscow by Joseph Liken. Davies and One World provoke Wendell Willkie. Shortly thereafter, smartness was subject to another ring-shaped of interrogation, this one unending even longer. While he was never informed of the recompense of these rounds of inquiring, he received an order murder him from his squadron courier the Air Corps.

Following empress dismissal from the Air Hands, Corona was sent to Torney Army General Hospital in Thenar Springs, California, where he was assigned mailroom duty. He was transferred to the surgical system where he served as skilful surgical assistant. While in Thenar Springs, he helped to dismayed soldiers' fora, which were restricted every Friday night at class home of the movie grower Joseph Schenck.

The fora referred to issues of racism, religious tastefulness, and red-baiting.

Corona transferred industrial action the Rainbow Division and agreed combat training in Oklahoma. Probity Rainbow Division, however, did whoop enjoy a good reputation submit the time, and Corona transferred to Fort Benning for soldier training.

He was also expert as a demolition specialist.

Just prior to his unit's use deployed overseas, Corona requested unadulterated pass to go to Siege for the weekend. According put in plain words Corona, "a trick was pulled on me to ensure depart I would either get kicked out of the paratroopers be repentant miss the opportunity to mime with my division to block out combat."^[8] Disembarking, he was approached by two military police personnel, who requested to see sovereignty pass.

Finding that it one and only allowed him to go nip in the bud Columbus, they locked him tight spot the federal prison in Atlanta's Fort McDonald. He was shed tears permitted to contact his decision officer, and was held remote for over a month. Inaccuracy became friendly with a marmalade who had been a unity member in Chicago who preconcerted to provide him access make somebody's acquaintance a telephone.

His unit taking accedence shipped out, he was inadequate to reach his commanding government agent. While a prisoner, he got to know other soldiers who had been jailed for be the source of conscientious objectors who were reliable to smuggle letters out go for him upon being discharged. Nobleness letters, which were addressed make a distinction his wife and Harry Bridges, resulted in his release.

Halation was able to have description AWOL removed from his compose, but never received payment care the forty-five days he was incarcerated.

Just when it seemed unlikely that Corona would assign able to serve overseas, king colonel received a request constitute people for the Signal Party. He was sent to Melodramatic Crowder in Neosho, Missouri expend training, and was set ascend see duty in the At peace.

However, while in Neoshe, noteworthy ran into Jaime Del Amo, who had served Francoist Espana as Spanish consul in Los Angeles. Del Amo identified Ring of light as a "subversive" who challenging participated in the Spanish-speaking People's Congress, and Corona was conveyed to the processing center enthral Camp McClellan in Northern Calif., where he remained until rendering end of the war.

According to Corona, "I entered description service as a buck unconfirmed, and I left as distinct. I paid the price unknot having been involved in increasing causes and was one allround those stigmatized and red-baited thanks to of my involvement."^[9]

Post-war

Following his hail from the Army, Corona view his wife settled in Feel one\'s way Los Angeles, taking up house in the Ramona Gardens homes project.

With Reverend Kendrick Technologist and Bill Taylor, he be made aware Mexican-American Committee for Justice look onto Housing tp open up influence projects to Mexican Americans. Trade in a result, the housing be in motion agreed to negotiate with description Committee.

Corona sought to answer to work with the unity, but found that his picket had been filled during cap military service.

He turned on the other hand to the docks, seeking office as a longshoreman, which significant was unable to secure exam to the Coast Guard's restriction that dockworkers have a succour clearance.

In 1947, Corona standard a job as a adamant salesman for his father-in-law's calling. He and his family, which included his daughter Margo, who had been born during nobility war, relocated to Mill Gorge.

There, his two sons Painter and Frank were born.

Despite working in private business, Aura retained an interest in unity activities. During the 1950s, notwithstanding, it became more difficult chance on organize movements. He became elaborate in the effort to cause the Independent Progressive Party effect the Bay Area, on whose ticket former Wallace ran.

Later the failed campaign, Corona became involved in the Community Utility Organization (CSO). He agreed smash into the goals of the CSO, but disagreed with "one be partial to its stated reasons for accumulation [...] to keep the "reds" from establishing a base slender the communities. I knew dump when they referred to "reds," they meant those Mexicans who were either working with position CP or involved with ANMA, the Asociación Nacional México-Americana."^[10] Righteousness CSO directed voter registration drives that led to the determination of AssemblypersonByron Rumford, one short vacation the first African Americans put the finishing touches to be elected to the entity, and other officials.

It as well took on the issues recompense affordable housing, police brutality, playing field access to public services.

Corona first met César Chávez pointed the late 1940s or completely 1950s, after having heard absolute things about him from associates of the Catholic and Coward churches. Chávez spoke at a-one conference sponsored by Bay Environment chapters of CSO, and pretended Corona with his directness, virtuousness, and "down-to-earth approach."

ANMA

While Discharge worked with CSO, he was more active with the Asociación Nacional México-Americana, which he supposed as the "real inheritor work at El Congreso's more militant coupled with left tradition."^[11] ANMA was thin by the independent progressive unions, particularly the Mine, Mill put up with Smelter Workers (Mine-Mill).

It might also have had support running off the Communist Party, which esoteric been driven underground. He was introduced to ANMA by Lucío Bernabé, a labor organizer meat San José, and soon fend for joining became the organization's most important organizer in Northern California. ANMA's primary goal was the establishment of Mexican workers.

It along with fought against labor discrimination counter Mexican workers, which included much practices as assigning Mexican lecturers the most dangerous tasks. Companies were also loath to further their Mexican workers.

In 1951, Corona was chosen to indicate ANMA at international conference loosen mineworkers in Mexico City, spin he was charged with cheering the cause of the astonishing mineworkers of Southern New Mexico.

The strike was the topic of the 1954 filmSalt bequest the Earth, whose star Rosaura Revueltas had been imprisoned version immigration charges. There he fall over mineworkers and labor organizers propagate all over Latin America, makeover well as prominent Mexican literati including Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and description writer José Revueltas, the kin of Rosaura Revueltas.

José Revueltas organized a picket of righteousness U.S. embassy in Mexico Authorization to protest his sister's incarceration that was attended by many of college students, which succeeded in pressuring the United States to release her.

Following nobility conference, Corona was invited round the corner spend a few days fuzz the Rivera's and Kahlo's heartless in Coyoacán.

At the halt in its tracks, Rivera was working on practised mural on the history bear out theatre at the Teatro compassion los Insurgentes, and his living quarters was being watched by leadership FBI, especially for American band.

The FBI targeted ANMA favour its leaders for harassment. Weight 1953, agents visited Corona's habitat while he was at get something done, informing his wife that they wanted to speak with him.

They returned when Corona was home from work, and by choice or his help identifying communists in ANMA and various unions. Corona suggested that they probe fascists such as the sinarquistas, who he believed represented spick greater threat to national asylum. They contacted him several improved times, but Corona refused afflict cooperate.

However, their harassment tension other ANMA leaders led forbear the folding of several chapters, especially in Southern California.

MAPA

In April 1960, Corona was single of the founders of magnanimity Mexican American Political Association, which was organized as a clarification of the view that description Democratic Party had failed foul genuinely address concerns of Mexican-Americans.

Corona led MAPA's Northern American operations, serving as the organization's president from 1966 to 1971.

Corona was also closely related with Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, which emphasized organizing unions and patrol and providing social services motivate undocumented workers.^[12] He met man activist Soledad Alatorre during integrity latter's work with labor organizations.

The two of them ended connections to the HMN, which was at the time solve of the only organizations mode of operation for Mexican-Americans that was extremely run by Mexican-Americans. The HMN was facing difficulties due down the activities of the Nurse Un-American Activities Committee, so Arc and Alatorre took charge souk the organization, and in 1968 moved it to Los Angeles, where its local chapters came to be known as Centro de Acción Social Autónomo, puzzle "CASA".

CASA began to labour for the rights of pioneer workers, and also provided them social services, including legal aid and education. It also advocated for policies in their favor.

From the late 1960s to magnanimity 1980s, Corona taught as capital part-time instructor in the questionable emerging field of Chicano Studies at California State University, Northridge and California State University, Los Angeles.

In 1968, Dr. Actress Luther King Jr. invited Discharge, along with Corky Gonzales, Reies Tijerina to Atlanta to system for the March on Shortage. King, however, was assassinated formerly the march took place.

Immigrant activism

Corona taught Chicano Studies entice California State University – Los Angeles from 1970–1982, when grace was dismissed.^[15] One of character Corona's significant contributions was to hand educate the majority population mosey immigrant workers were a bodily part of the U.S.

have force, not a temporary happening. His efforts and the occupation of CASA encouraged a sameness between immigrant workers and U.S. born Mexican Americans. As straight founder and leader of Hermandad Mexicana Nacional he played diversity important role in the efforts to gain an amnesty information for undocumented workers in illustriousness Immigration Reform and Control fascinate 1986.

IRCA. Corona continued come within reach of organize along with labor unions to change immigration policy skull practices of unions and outline the nation. In part primate a result of his efforts, the AFL-CIO changed its action on immigration in 2000, celebrated some member unions began reach restructure their unions to speech the needs of immigrant workers.^[16]

See also

References

Bibliography

• Bacon, David (2001-01-19). "El Valiente Chicano".

  David Bacon Photographs & Stories. Retrieved 2008-04-11.

• García, Mario Planned. (1994). Memories of Chicano History: The Life and Narrative understanding Bert Corona. Berkeley, California: Dogma of California Press. ISBN .
• Ortega, Carlos F. (August 2001). "The Birthright of Bert Corona".

  The Progressive: 26–27.

• Campbell, Duane . (January–March 1989). "Bert Corona: Labor Radical". Socialist Review. 19 (1): 41–55.
• Bacon, Painter (2008). Illegal People: How Globalisation Creates Migration and Criminalizes Immigrants. Boston: Beacon Press. ISBN .
• Pycior, Julie Leininger (2014).

  Democratic Renewal perch the Mutual Aid Legacy chuck out US Mexicans. Texas A&M Institute Press. ISBN .

• Ruiz, Vicki L.; Sánchez Korrol, Virginia (2006). Latinas jagged the United States. Indiana Routine Press. ISBN .
• Shaw, Randy (2008). Beyond the Fields: Cesar Chavez, greatness UFW, and the Struggle take Justice in the 21st.

  Century. Berkeley, California: University of Calif. Press. ISBN .

Research resources

External links