Jaime Martinez

Jaime Martinez

Template:TOCnestleft Jaime P. Martinez is a Texas activist. He is a retired union organizer — and trumpeter in the 1960s Tejano band The Fabulous SunGlows.

Background

Jaime P. Martinez was born in 1946 in San Antonio, Texas and was reared by his Mexican migrant worker grandparents in the Westside barrio, a Spanish speaking community. His involvement in activism began in 1966 as a member of his local union in San Antonio, Texas IUE-AFL-CIO Local 789, Friedrich workers. He marched and fasted for justice for the farm workers alongside Cesar Chavez, President of the United Farm Workers of America.

Mr. Martinez has defended the rights of workers and marches for civil rights throughout America and has worked with community leadership such as Rev. Ralph Abernathy, right hand man of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rosa Parks.

Latino civil rights

Between 1994 and 1996, Jaime Martinez began meeting with activists, labor, and Hispanic grass roots organizations laying the groundwork in the United States as one of the original organizers for the first Latino Civil Rights march of October 12, 1996. This march was attended by over 200,000 people in Washington, D.C. In 1999 Jaime Martinez submitted a report and testimony in Los Angeles, California, on immigrant rights on the Labor Force to delegates of the AFL-CIO, representing 13.5 million workers who adopted resolution #17 “Defending the Rights of Immigrant Workers.”

1994-1995-1996 - Jaime Martinez met with Latinos in Panama, Mexico, Chiapas, the Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica to promote International Human Rights of Immigrant workers.

1996 – Jaime Martinez led an international delegation of Latino Civil Rights leaders to Washington, D.C., to meet with Attorney General Janet Reno requesting an investigation of the civil rights violations of the undocumented immigrants who were beaten by the Riverside, California, Sheriffs Deputies.

1996 – Served as National Labor Coordinator – Coordinadora 96 National Latino Civil Rights Immigrant March in Washington, D.C.

Union work

1990 – Jaime Martinez was elected Treasurer of the IUE District Eleven and was unanimously elected for a second term by the Labor delegates to continue to serve as Treasurer in 1993, making him the “First Hispanic Executive Board Member” since the founding of the IUE union in 1949.

1999 – Jaime Martinez submitted a report and testimony in Los Angeles, California, on immigrant rights on the Labor force to delegates of the AFL-CIO, representing 13.5 million workers who adopted resolution # 17 “Defending the Rights of Immigrant Workers.”

In 2000, Mr. Martinez was appointed delegate to the International Metal Workers Federation World Council meeting in Washington D.C.— only 100 delegates from 25 countries were selected for this historic convention.

Labor Council for Latin America Advancement

1994 – Elected to the National Labor Council for Latin American Advancement serving 1.5 million Latinos in the United States.

In 2001, he was appointed National Chairperson of the Immigration Committee for the Labor Council for Latin America Advancement, representing 1.5 million Latino workers in the United States.

2004-Jaime Martinez was elected Texas State President of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement.

2008- Appointed Chairperson of the Texas Immigration Labor Conunittee by the Texas President of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement- AFL-CIO.

Marching in San Antonio

In 2006, Mr. Martinez was the lead organizer and chairperson of the 10th Annual Cesar E. Chavez March for Justice in San Antonio, Texas which gathered 20,000 participants.

Cesar Chavez holiday

1999 – Jaime Martinez gave testimony to the Texas House of Representatives and the Senate to declare a Texas State Holiday honoring Cesar E. Chavez on his birthday, which was unanimously passed.

Nobel Prize advocate

1995 – Jaime Martinez served as a member for the Nobell Peace Prize for Bishop Samuel Ruiz Garcia, of San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas Mexico.

Cesar E. Chavez Legacy & Education Foundation

2006-Jaime Martinez was the founder of the Cesar E. Chavez Legacy & Education Foundation, a 501C3 organization in San Antonio, Texas, to preserve the life and legacy of Cesar E. Chavez and to provide scholarships for underprivileged students.

LULAC

2005 - Jaime Martinez was elected National LULAC Treasurer in Little Rock, Arkansas.

2008- Elected to 4111 term by acclamation for the office of National LULAC Treasurer.

2009- Recognized as an “Extraordinary Father” on Fathers Day, by San Antonio, LULAC Council #4947

Honors

1999 – Jaime Martinez was honored in Mexico City and received award recognition at the 25th Congress of the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies at the Centro Historico in Mexico City, for defending the human rights of Mexican people in the United States and Mexico.

1999 – Jaime Martinez was honored by La Prensa Foundation, San Antonio, Texas, as one of the 12 outstanding Hispanic Leaders of 1999.

United Latin American Citizens

2002-Jaime Martinez appointed Labor Advisor to the National League of the United Latin American Citizens by President Hector Flores.

Prison support

2007- Organizing support to close the prisons for profit at the T. Don Hutto prison in Taylor Texas, who are holding immigrant families and children who are living behind prison cells.

Friends of Patti Radle host appreciation party

Friends of Patti Radle turned out for Councilwoman Patti Radle for her four years of service to the City. The event was held at Say Si on South Alamo, Tuesday, May 29th, 2007.

Guests included Anita Martin, City Public Works Director Tom Wendorf, former Mayor Bill Thorton, Larry Romo, Patsy Castillo, friend & Cesar Chavez March coordinator Jaime Martinez, Congressman Charlie Gonzalez, Anita Reyes & Bud Ford, Alyssa Burgin & Cliff Borofsky, Russell Felan & Julian Castro, Cris Alderete & Joe Alderete, Robert Galvan & Lourdes Galvan.

Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard

2011- After Years of Fighting to Honor the Legacy of Cesar E. Chavez, the San Antonio City Council voted to establish Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard and two International Freeways.

Tribute to San Antonio communists

The People's Weekly World of May 20, 2000, carried a May Day Supplement. On page B, San Antonio activists paid tribute to contributors to the "worker's cause" - all Communist Party USA members Emma Tenayuca (1916-1999), John Inman (1896-1996), Manuela Soliz Sager (1911-1996), James Sager (1902-1979), Luisa Moreno (1906-1992).

Signatories included Jamie Martinez IUE-AFL-CIO, Int'l Exec. Bd.

Communist Party USA

In September 2006 the Peoples Weekly World listed several know members or supporters of the Texas Communist Party USA.

Andrea Greimel, Andy Sivak, Brad J, Celia Joanna Stanford, Elaine Lantz, Gene Lantz, Francisco Paco Cantu, Frank Valdez, Sheila Valdez, Hernando Martinez, Jaime Martinez, John Stanford, Paul Hill, Richard Pressman, Stewart Minor.

Washington trip

The Cesar E. Chavez Legacy and Educational Foundation took over the US capital Friday afternoon September 14, 2012. They were joined by Congressmembers Lloyd Doggett, Gene Green, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee, Ruben Hinojosa and Congresswoman Judy Chu from Califormia, who met with the Latino activist, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, SEIU, AFSCME, civil and human immigrant rights activist from all over the country.

Jaime P. Martinez, organizer of the events, along with Dr. Eduardo Ibarra, from Puerto Rico, President of El Colegio de Dotores, and chairman of the board of a national organization, “Viva El Pueblo Latino.” Ask both political parties to work together for a just pathway to citizenship and to support the students “Dreamers” in their efforts to obtain equality in their education.

Congressman Lloyd Doggett said that this movement that came to the steps of the US capital was both a celebration and a reflection of “a time in which we are asking individuals of all political parties to recognize the importance of having comprehensive immigration reform at the top of the agenda”.

Democatic represntaive Ruben Hinojosa said that these immigrants have already shown that they are the future of the country. “They are Americans in their hearts, in their minds, in every single way except on paper”.

“Both parties need to act now” said Jaime P. Martinez, the President and Founder of the Cesar E Chavez Legacy and Educational Foundation. “We are going to break through the system, the barriers they put against the Dreamers, the barriers they put against comprehensive immigration reform, and equality education.”

“US Congress needs to stop blaming each other and pass the dream act to fix the broken immigration system calling specially on both parties to find a just and fair equitable solution.” “The conscience of America is back home in the people that are suffering deportations, children that are put barriers to continue their education, for over twenty years we have been fighting for immigration reform, we cannot have these two parties come to consensus? Somethings wrong with this picture, now the people are speaking up and marching as we are doing here at the US Capital. We want the Senate to listen to us”. “I commend the President Barack Obama who issued and executive order in June halting the deportation of 800,000 young undocumented young immigrant students addressing the issue of the Dreamers, DREAM Act who was stalled in the Senate in late 2010″.

Lloyd Doggett friendship

Lloyd Doggett, Jaime Martinez, (microphone)

Congressman Lloyd Doggett is close to Jaime Martinez, and the San Antonio based Cesar E. Chavez Legacy & Educational Foundation.

The Cesar Chavez Foundation in San Antonio used a letter to the President that I signed calling for bold action on immigration at a protest yesterday. I support the good efforts of local groups like the Cesar Chavez Foundation, led by my friend Jaime Martinez, in our work to keep families together.

Congressman Doggett drove in from Austin to join the Foundation July 4th (2014) Immigration March.

References

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