George I. Sanchez and Lyle Saunders
Listening to the Right Voices
When discussing anti-discrimination activism, it feels almost intuitive to turn to voices of color for an accurate and trustworthy account of the problems at hand. However, it’s important to recognize that those with the greatest capability of ending discriminatory policies and legislation are not minorities; rather, they are majorities who do their best to listen, interpret, and respond to the problems that minorities face. Thus, it is hardly ever the case that the loudest voice, in context, is the most trustworthy. 20th century America brought rise to conversations between Hispanic and white activists, particularly pertaining to attacking discrimination in labor, education, and healthcare in the South. In the mid 1950s, we began to see conferences and councils formed, primarily led by white men, that focused on the problems that Spanish-speaking people in America were facing. Through analyses of these dialogues, the disconnects and differences in opinion cannot be ignored. This collection will highlight the opinions and discourse of George I. Sanchez, a Mexican-American educator and education equity activist, and Lyle Saunders, a white American educator and sociologist, as they researched ways to attack ethnic discrimination.
Who were they?
George Isidore Sanchez was born and raised in New Mexico, and before turning 17 he became a teacher at a rancheria (small Indian settlement) while pursuing his bachelor’s degree at the University of New Mexico. From there, he completed his graduate study at the University of Texas and the University of California at Berkeley to receive an M.S. in education psychology and Spanish, as well as an Ed.D. His thesis at UT Austin questioned the use of standardized tests for Spanish-speaking children, marking the beginning of his published advocacy for aid to Spanish-speakers. As president elect of the League of United Latin American Citizens, founder of the Americal Council of Spanish Speaking People, and numerous other positions, he devoted his entire career to aiding Spanish-speaking students navigate their way through predominantly white spaces at public universities.
Lyle Saunders received his B.A. and M.A. from the University of New Mexico, and afterwards remained there to teach sociology. His interest in the social aspects of prejudice and discrimination led him to participate in several studies of people of color, including the Study of Spanish-speaking People of Texas, in which he and George I. Sanchez analyzed over 900 photos of Mexican American communities to educate the public on their strength in the face of adversity
The Mexican American Perspective
Though the two activists collaborated on numerous projects and corresponded on a regular basis, they had very different perspectives on how best to attack ethnic discrimination in the American South. Both participated in the Southwest Council on the Education of Spanish Speaking People, a council founded by the Texas Good Neighbor Commission to discuss ways to help Spanish-speakers adjust to Texas education without isolating or separating them from their peers. At the end of this council, Sanchez presented his Summarized Proceedings, asserting that while some progress had been made, “more is needed than conferences and other professional avenues of communication”. The attached pages reveal his urgency for government systems and other advocates to take Spanish-speakers’ problems seriously and put in “clear thinking, an honest effort” so that they may “share their full measure of the American Way of Life” (Sanchez).
Saunders discusses a different, more conceptual approach to the problem in his presentation “A Suggestion for Attacking Ethnic Discrimination” given at the First Southwide Conference on Discrimination in Higher Education in 1950. He believes that a placard of support placed at every institution would suffice, if it reads something like the following: “This institution is operated in accordance with democratic principles and the American creed. Whoever you are, you are welcome here.”
So What?
While there is some merit in declarations of support for students, this method for institutions to offer declarations over material support is not new, and it is exactly the type of discourse that Sanchez believed to be counterproductive. Though both activists worked together in multiple studies and councils, they appear to have very differing views in what constitutes progress against discrimination and in their understandings of the impact of discriminatory policies. I posit that this contrast can largely be attributed to their races and thus their connection to the issue at hand. Sanchez’s deeper understanding of the problem and what needs to be done stems from his heritage as a Mexican American in the United States. Saunders, while possessing a deep interest in anti-discrimination activism and policy, has no choice but to view the problem from an outside, privileged perspective.