Emilio Zamora's latest book brings to life Alonso Perales, a Tejano Civil Rights pioneer

by Alfredo E. Cárdenas

Emilio Zamora.

Emilio Zamora has done it again. 

He has translated, from Spanish to English, the works of a leading Tejano civil rights pioneer. In his latest book, In Defense of My People, Zamora brings to life the incredible works of Alonso Perales, the co-founder of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).

In 2014, Zamora published The World War I Diary of José de la Luz Sáenz, which also originally appeared in Spanish. Both Perales and Sáenz came to maturity in Alice. Perales was born in Alice while Sáenz was a native of Realitos in Duval County. Both were among the leading Tejano civil rights leaders in the first half of the 20th century.

Alonso Perales

Perales was born in 1898, was orphaned at age twelve, and raised by adoptive parents who saw to it that he graduated from high school. He was the first Mexican-American to graduate from high school in Alice. He went on to graduate from Draughon’s Business College in San Antonio in 1915 and later he earned a law degree.

Perales then achieved a successful career as a lawyer and diplomat, serving as the Nicaraguan consul in San Antonio for 30 years. He represented Nicaragua in the formation of the United Nations where he helped draft the constitution of the UN. 

"He has been largely forgotten, in part because his writings were in Spanish," Zamora said. 

En Defensa de Mi Raza permits Perales’ achievements to civil rights for Mexicans and Mexican Americans available to a wider audience. The book was originally published in Spanish in 1936 and 1937 and includes Perales' articles, letters, and speeches.

He often encouraged the Tejano community to pursue education and partake in civic duties. He provided a form letter, "How to Request School Facilities for Our Children," that parents used to ensure schools gave their children opportunities "equal to those furnished children of Anglo-American descent."

"This first-ever English translation of his two-volume publication, En Defensa de Mi Raza, will make Perales' contributions to equal rights for Mexicans and Mexican Americans available to a much larger audience," noted Zamora's publisher, Arte Público Press. "A long-lost gem of the civil rights movement, this book details the Latino community's fight for rights, dignity, and respect."

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