G
274 q G q GALLEGOS, CARMEN CORNEJO (1926– ) “El que quiere puede” (Those who want to can achieve). These words propelled softball champion and community activist Carmen Gallegos through life. They are her mother’s words. Born to Mexican immigrants from Tepic, Nayarit, Carmen Gallegos was the fourth of five children and the first to be born in the United States. She grew up in Orange, California, keenly aware of discrimination against Mexican Americans in a predominantly Anglo community. “I was sent to a segregated school, far from home with no school buses available. We weren’t allowed in certain theaters, the public swimming pool, and local stores.” Despite the climate of adversity, Gallegos flourished . Home was a happy and secure place with a high value placed on education. With her mother’s words in mind, Gallegos was an honor student, sang in the choir, had a part-time job, and played sports. “Baseball was the popular sport and we women wanted a team of our own.” The Orange Tomboys, composed entirely of Mexican American women, won their league’s championship in 1947. Carmen married Tony E. Gallegos in 1948; the couple had two children. Michael is an economist, and Lori is a lawyer. Tony Gallegos is a former chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Washington, D.C. Carmen Gallegos received a California teaching certificate and taught English as a second language (ESL) and Spanish for eleven years, from 1971 to 1981, in elementary school and in an adult education program. A supporter of César Chávez, founder of the United Farm Workers union, and his cause, Gallegos was an active participant in the civil rights movement, joining the American GI Forum in 1963, an organization dedicated to the promotion of education and civil rights for Mexican Americans. In addition, she was PTA president , a member of the El Rancho Unified School District ’s advisory board, a member of the Sister City Committee of Pico Rivera, a member of the Women’s Democratic Party, and a volunteer at the White House for the Public Liaison for Hispanic Affairs. In 1974 the Mexican-American Opportunity Foundation honored her as the Hispanic Woman of the Year for community service. Through her untiring commitment to civil rights and community service, Carmen Gallegos serves as an inspiration for other women. Consistent with her Hispanic heritage, she considers her children to be her most important achievement. SOURCES: Griswold del Castillo, Richard, and Richard A. Garcia. 1995. César Chávez: A Triumph of Spirit. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press; Johnson, Connie Peterson, and Margie Wright. 1984. The Woman’s Softball Book. New York: Leisure Press; Ramos, Henry A. J. 1998. The American GI Forum: In Pursuit of the Dream, 1948–1983. Houston: Arte Público Press. Lori Gallegos-Hupka GANADOS DEL VALLE (1983– ) Ganados del Valle is a community-based economic development organization located in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. Ganados represents highly innovative efforts to provide alternative forms of economic development that are environmentally sustainable, offer meaningful opportunities to local residents, and build upon the Hispanic culture of the region. Northern New Mexico is one of the oldest and poorest rural communities in the United States. During the 1960s the region gained visibility when Reies López Tijerina and la Alianza de Mercedes Federales attempted to reclaim communal grant lands lost through EuroAmerican conquest and subsequent capitalist penetration . While la Alianza never achieved its goals, it resonated with locals and tapped into a deep frustration. As a result, many were encouraged to consider alternative forms of landownership and economic arrangements . Although many Hispanos were wedded to a pastoral lifestyle, the growing tourist economy and rising land prices made it prohibitively expensive to acquire the necessary land and/or capital to initiate a successful economic venture. Consequently, the region has suffered from severe out-migration as growing numbers of Euro-Americans have been drawn to the Ganados del Valle 275 q region. While tourism has brought much-needed money into the area, it has also created a series of lowwage , seasonal jobs that not only are environmentally pernicious, but also do not build upon or cultivate the talents and leadership potential of the local population. Ganados began in 1983 when three local residents, Antonio Manzanares, Gumercindo Salazar, and María Varela, began to discuss the obstacles to building a viable livestock operation. Ranchers Manzanares and Salazar, along with Varela, a community development specialist, soon realized that in addition to limited access to...
OR
Buy This Book in Print