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8/13/2019 The Legacy of Kennedy and Latinos Myth versus Reality LatinoPOV_com
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8/13/2019 The Legacy of Kennedy and Latinos Myth versus Reality LatinoPOV_com
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an entrenched mythical legacy. As the saying goes, nature abhors a vacuum,
and the existence of historical amnesia creates a vacuum which has been filled
by people with mythical and romanticized Camelot stories which conveniently
replace the stubborn facts of reality. The main premise of this embellished
Kennedy legacy that continues to endure is that this aristocratic and rich
Bostonian Catholic who possessed good looks and oratory skills somehow had a
special affinity for the underdog Mexicans within the Southwest. Also, the
affection that this patrician patron held for Mexicans had somehow become
transformed into reality by Kennedys expansion of their civil rights and a
concrete improvement in their daily lives. Another aspect of this ongoing
mythical legacy also promotes the subjective belief that if only Camelot
Kennedy had lived that he would have done much more to advance the civil
rights of Latinos who he frantically tried to help while alive but somehowcouldnt. This emotional and romanticized belief had even motivated many
Latinos in the past to place photos of Kennedy on the walls of their living rooms
next to the mystical santos, candles and other religious artifacts. This legacy has
created a form of icon and hero worship toward this messianic aristocrat who
supposedly had been drawn by fate from the sea coast of Marthas Vineyard and
Boston to venture to the Southwest to rescue powerless and oppressed
Mexicans who were somehow incapable of organizing themselves. With the
passage of time such an idealized story begins to resemble the old Aztec myth of
a messianic white Quetzacoatl arriving to save them from the tribulations of
life.
Kennedys dismal record on segregation and civil rights during the
1950s
Kennedys father Joe Sr. had previously amassed a fortune during Prohibition
by bootlegging illegal liquor and later used this money to fund Johns political
career and his life as a carefree playboy. Kennedys aristocratic and luxurious
life where partying and womanizing consumed much of his time was insulated
by a racial and class wall from the reality of strict legal segregation which thenexisted and the challenges of working-class life. He was elected to the US House
of Representatives where his short stint there was undistinguished as he took
no clear positions on issues of substance. This was followed by his election to
the US Senate from Massachusetts with the assistance of his fathers money as
the elder Kennedy was motivated by the political goal of securing the US
presidency for his
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Mexican-American children attend a segregated school in 1950s California
son. In 1954, Republicans President Eisenhower and Chief Justice of the US
Supreme Court Earl Warren assisted in overturning legal segregation with the
1954 Supreme Court ruling of Brown vs Board of Education. This was followed
by Eisenhowers use of troops in 1957 to desegregateLittle Rock High School in
Arkansas to protect African-American students from the violence of white racistmobs. At this point in history the Republicans were more tolerant and
supportive of civil rights than the Democrats whose core leadership of their
party was dominated by reactionary Southern Democrats called Dixicrats. In
the decade prior to winning the presidency in 1960 John Kennedy did not take
a principled nor public position in support of civil rights as he was accustomed
to the existing segregation in Boston and the defense by the Democrats of the
status quo. As a US Senator in 1957, Kennedy blatantly voted to oppose the 1957
civil rights bill in order to support and appease Southern Democrats who
fiercely defended the continuation of racial segregation. By doing so Kennedy
hoped to gain the attention and political support of the Dixicrat leaders for his
future presidential bid. He was also silent on the federal governments much
publicized implementation of Operation Wetback during the 1950s which
was a national campaign that rounded up and deported tens of thousands of
undocumented Mexicans. In summary, John Kennedys political career and
activity during the years prior to running for president consisted of silent
inaction and outright opposition to civil rights as he didnt want to make any
waves and was primarily interested in enjoying his playboy lifestyle.The 1960s presidential campaign and the growing civil rights
movement
The presidential election of 1960 was influenced by the growing civil rights
movement whose goal was to break down the wall of segregation that was
harshly affecting the lives of all minorities within the country. The Republicans
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had a comparatively better record on civil rights than the Democrats during the
1950s, buttheir 1960 presidential candidate Richard Nixon attempted to
downplay this issue in order to appeal to the mass of conservative voters within
the country especially those in the South who were accustomed to the
traditional segregation of the races. Kennedy faced a close presidential race and
encountered strong opposition from many Protestant voters due to his Catholic
religion and rumors were spread widely by many groups of a possible Papal
takeover of the US if he was elected president. In order to counter this anti-
Catholic vote
1960s Black students at asit-in demonstration tointegrate a restaurant.
Kennedys political consultants developed a strategy to win over crucial African-
American voters from the Republicans along with the growing number of
Mexican-American and Puerto Rican voters. This campaign strategy promptedKennedy to do an ideological and political about-face at the Democratic
convention as he now declared himself to be in support of a civil rights plank
that had been added to the partys platform. As part of this campaign strategy
Kennedys handlers identified five sectors whose votes needed to be mobilized
in order to gain victory in the upcoming and close presidential election. Distinct
and sometimes contradictory political messages and outreach were conveyed to
these various sectors which consisted of organized labor, African-Americans,
Latinos, southern Democrats and the Chicago mob. To carry out this strategy
Kennedys consultants had advised him to make a sympathetic phone call to
Martin Luther Kings wife Coretta as her husband languished in a jail after
being arrested for a civil rights protest. This orchestrated political gesture by
Kennedy was publicized widely to African-American voters who interpreted it
as a position of strong support for their cause which Republican candidate
Nixon had downplayed and ignored.
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The political mobilization by the Viva Kennedy Clubs sparks a
movement
Mexican-American Democrat leaders were involved in the campaign plan for
getting out the Mexican vote by organizing Viva Kennedy clubs in different
communities of the Southwest. The campaign political spin that these clubs
disseminated to the various Mexican communities promoted Kennedys Irish
ethnicity, his Catholic religion and particularly his emotional and idealistic
speeches about equality, common ties and hope for the future which were
receptive to the ears of Mexican-Americans suffering from discrimination and
poverty. Campaign stops by Kennedy in the Southwest and California also
utilized the new political tactic and campaign tradition of listening
Viva Kennedy Clubs helped spark Chicano activism in the 1960s (Dr. Garcia papers)
to Mariachi music, eating tacos and hugging Mexican political leaders for
photo-ops. The campaign stops organized by the Viva Kennedy Clubs includedmany of JFKs grand and vague messages which promised the appointment of
Mexican-Americans to posts within the federal government and the much
needed expansion of civil rights and educational opportunities. These flowery
speeches and emotional promises by the messianic Kennedy galvanized and
played on the hopes and desperation of many Mexican-Americans voters who
fervently believed that their vote for this candidate would eliminate the existing
segregation, discrimination and poll taxes which obstructed their right to vote,
hold office and live a free life. Despite the emotional attachment and extreme
loyalty expressed by these Viva Kennedy clubs and their leaders for Kennedy he
purposely kept his political distance from major Latino civil rights
organizations and avoided any direct and formal meetings with them. He did
not want publicity of any such meetings and commitments with civil rights
groups to jeopardize his campaign appeal to pro-segregationist Democrat
voters. While speaking to southern voters and politicians Kennedy quickly and
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opportunistically switched his political message in order to downplay and
distance himself from the civil rights plank contained in the Democratic Party
platform which he vaguely defined as something not yet achievable. Organized
labor was another sector to be mobilized by Kennedys campaign and they were
promised a raise in the minimum wage and stronger pro-worker legislation.
Meanwhile, Kennedys father facilitated his old mob ties with Sam Giancana
and the Chicago Mafia so as to enlist their aid in winning the vote in Illinois.
These mob-inspired votes would be in exchange for the promise of having a
future friend in the White House. All of these campaign promises to satisfy
these five voting sectors were also accompanied by militant and aggressive
foreign policy rhetoric that was aimed at Cuba and their peoples recent
revolution, the Soviet Union, anti-colonial struggles for independence and the
need to continue and win the arms race and Cold War.A flawed presidency full of flowery promise and a lack of
achievement
Kennedy preferred the exciting realm of foreign policy and particularly fighting
the Cold War against the Soviet Union instead of what he considered annoying
domestic issues such as civil rights and other urgent social problems which
faced the country. Much of his energy was spent on wanting to out-compete the
Soviet Union in the arms race, space exploration and in proxy wars involving
independence movements throughout the third world. Upon being elected
Kennedys first adventure into the arena of foreign policy was his approval for
the invasion of Cuba in 1961. This military invasion resulted in a disastrous
defeat as he had aligned himself with the ousted elements of the brutal ex-
Batista regime and attempted to restore them to
US supported Batista supporters are defeated at the Bay of Pigs invasion
power in Cuba. This military attack by Kennedy against the Cuban revolution
and the embarrassing defeat at the Bay of Pigs would cause their leader Fidel
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Castro and his people to defend their newly-won revolution from an
antagonistic US by turning to the rival Soviet Union for military aid and
survival. The subsequent reckless installation of missiles in Cuba by the Soviets
to counter US missiles near their border led to an international crisis with
mutual threats and a possible military confrontation between the two
superpowers. Instead of utilizing the rational method of democracy Kennedy
and Kruschev escalated their military rhetoric which nearly erupted into a
devastating nuclear war. This near nuclear disaster dissipated once the Soviets
removed the missiles from Cuba. Kennedys foreign policy supported and
provided military aid to the dictatorships in the Dominican Republic, Haiti,
Guatemala, Iran, South Korea, the Republic of the Congo and the authoritarian
PRI in Mexico. The defeat of the US allied French colonialists by the
Vietnamese in 1954 resulted in Eisenhower violating an internationalagreement by blocking free elections and dividing Vietnam politically between
north and south. He followed this up by deploying a small military force to the
new country of South Vietnam which was a US creation. At the beginning of
Kennedys presidency there were 600 US military advisors in Vietnam and
within three years his aggressive military policy had increased this neo-colonial
intervention and military force to 17,000 US soldiers with tentative plans to
deploy even more forces. Kennedys approval to assassinate South Vietnamese
President Diem and replace him with a more cooperative puppet leader had the
effect of expanding Vietnamese resistance and the war. The eventual toll from
Kennedys role in expanding this colonial and militaristic war in Vietnam War
would be 58,000 US deaths which included 10,000 Latinos and close to a
million Vietnamese. Another result of this destructive and costly war was the
eventual death of the Great Society and extensive federal programs that
attempted to improve the
JFK escalated military intervention & Johnson expanded the war
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level of education, healthcare and eliminate poverty. A nuclear treaty with the
Soviets, a landing on the moon, efforts to improve healthcare and ironically, his
establishment of a national Commission on the Status of Women for discussion
of gender issues were political bright spots for Kennedy. While all of these
major issues demanded his utmost attention, unfortunately, much of Kennedys
time was spent at public expense on adulterous womanizing as the White House
soon became a true Camelot party center as his staff secretly shuffled numerous
females in and out of his quarters on a regular basis. During his first year in
office JFK did nothing to advance voter registration rights for minorities. He
declared publicly that his Attorney General brother Bobby had advised him that
voting rights were not under federal jurisdiction as it was the responsibility of
the states to reform and resolve this problem. Also, his civil rights campaign
promise to African-Americans to confront the problem of housingdiscrimination became a low priority for him and was generally ignored as polls
at that time showed that most Americans did not see this issue as important.
Impatient with segregation and false promises by Kennedy, leaders and
members of the Civil Rights Movement soon became more active and militant
as pro-integration sit-ins at restaurants and pickets at businesses accelerated in
the Carolinas, Alabama and Georgia where protesters were brutally beaten,
gassed and jailed by police and Klan thugs. The Student Non-Violent
Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had criticized Kennedy for his vacillation and
inaction on civil rights and the president responded by verbally attacking this
young organization as being the one responsible for the police violence
perpetrated upon student protesters! The increasing violence and the use of
police dogs and billy clubs against peaceful civil rights groups was being widely
televised to the US public and abroad. Reacting to this pressure Kennedy finally
sent federal marshals to Mississippi to defend an African-American named
James Meredith who encountered mob violence and rioting as he attempted to
enroll at the University of Mississippi. In all of the other southern states the
struggles for integration by the freedom riders, protesters at sit-ins and youngpeople on picket lines were left undefended as the violence from racist police,
the Klan and other segregationists went unopposed by the so-called US Justice
Department. By 1963, the growing scenes of brutality and attacks against
protesters particularly in Alabama were being beamed around the world and
Kennedy became worried about his credibility. This prompted him to eventually
send federal troops to stop the Alabama violence. Growing domestic and
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international political pressure and criticism forced Kennedy to make a public
statement and finally take a firm position on civil rights which he did in June of
1963. Martin Luther King, Malcom X and other civil rights activists were
becoming more impatient and angry with Kennedy over his opportunistic lack
of commitment and lack of concrete support for the people who were being
beaten and killed for the cause of civil rights. These leaders then organized the
huge and successful nationwide 1963 March on Washington which was opposed
by Kennedy who felt that it would be critical of his administrations weak stance
on civil rights. After being given some input into the March by black leaders a
less than enthusiastic Kennedy grudgingly supported this historic event.
The idealistic Camelot tale where a rich patron helped poor Latinos
is a myth
The 1960 campaign promises made by Kennedy to Latinos in exchange for theirbroad support and hard work in getting out the vote turned out to be hollow,
unfulfilled and disrespectful. The poll taxes required by certain states for voting
which directly affected Latinos remained intact under Kennedy. Also, the
dangling promise of more government positions for Latinos in return for the
time consuming campaign work and voter turnout that was mobilized by the
Viva Kennedy clubs resulted in nothing but a good political sales pitch by his
administration. A couple of token crumbs were tossed out by the Camelot
presidency as one Latino was appointed to a low-level judicial position while
another was appointed as the ambassador to
Political movements developed in the 1960sfor justice & to end the war
distant Costa Rica. While these two appointments were beneficial for these
individuals they had no concrete effect on increasing Mexican-American
political power nor improving the daily lives of Latinos throughout the
countrys barrios. Before his death Kennedy and his campaign consultants were
preparing for the 1964 presidential race and faced a close election in Texas that
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was up for grabs. After three long years Kennedy was finally persuaded by his
campaign handlers to acknowledge and meet with a Latino civil rights
organization in order to help get out the vital Mexican vote in Texas. This brief
encounter consisted of dropping by a 1963 Texas state LULAC event for a short
while and allowing wife Jackie to give a few nice pleasantries in Spanish before
quickly leaving. Thus, in return for all of the time, labor and voter turnout
efforts that were contributed by Latinos to Kennedys candidacy they had been
given the new and ongoing political response of being ignored and taken for
granted. It was under the presidency of Lyndon Johnson who was pressured by
mass political movements from below that real progress was achieved for
minorities with the passage of the Civil and Voting Rights Acts, aid to
education, healthcare, jobs training and the war on poverty. What sabotaged all
of these constructive social policies of the Great Society was Johnsons fataldecision to continue and expand the disastrous Vietnam War that ultimately
ended in defeat. This historical debacle was accompanied by a wasteful human
and financial cost that undermined the equal restructuring of our society and its
future resources for years to come. John Kennedy may have meant well, but he
was in way over his head as President and was beset by many personal
contradictions and compulsive obsessions that distracted him from confronting
the urgent problems faced by our society. This lack of competency and focus
caused him to lose his bearings and credibility by promising everything to
everyone in an unprincipled and opportunistic manner. Kennedy once stated, I
had different identities, and this was a useful way of expressing each without
compromising the others. An historical perspective and objective analysis of
his political work is not meant to disrespect his family especially the later work
of Bobby and Edward whose political consciousness developed further than that
of their older brother. Many peoples feelings may be hurt by the truth, but an
unbiased and factual assessment of Kennedys Latino connection and the
persistent Camelot myth which was created after his death by wife Jackie is
needed. Many people still naively cling to and promote this illusory tale which istotally devoid of reality. Somehow, this myth depicting the exalted patron
prince from Boston who supposedly had a special connection and affection for
Mexicans verges on a saintly type of romantic hero worship. What Kennedy
inadvertently did contribute for civil rights was his verbalizing and
dissemination of the principles of equality, progress and the need for change.
While his actions on these principles were limited, more importantly they took
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hold in the young minds of a new generation who decided to organize political
movements and struggle to make these principles a reality. The political and
historical lessons to be learned in the real world by contrasting factual events
with the enduring Kennedy cuentos and myths is that history is not created by a
theory of heroes and messianic Camelots, rather it is made by the masses of
people who become politically conscious, organize themselves and proceed with
clear objectives to improve their lives and those of their families. This is what
won the victories of the 1960s civil rights and anti-war movements which were
driven by the broad involvement of African-Americans, Chicanos, Puerto
Ricans, Asians, Native Americans and other progressive sectors. Those who
gave their lives for these struggles for equality and rights during this period of
history are the real heroes and not the self-promoted savior aristocrats from
above whose self-interest is placed ahead of the social interests of the mass ofpeople.
Copyright: 2013, Jimmy Franco Sr.
Facebook at: JimmyLatinopov
Twitter: @xicanomc
About Jimmy Franco Sr.
Jimmy Franco Sr. is the moderator and writer of the blog site: "A Latino
Point of View in Today's World" latinopov.com
View all posts by Jimmy Franco Sr.
This entry was posted inPolitics.Bookmark thepermalink.
A Loss of Ethnic Studies Contributes to Historical Amnesia
16 Responses to The Legacy of Kennedy and Latinos:Myth v ersus Reali ty
1. Ignacio M. Garciasays:
November 25, 2013 at 1:44 pm
http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?author=1http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?author=1http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?author=1http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?cat=7http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9251http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9251http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8874http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8874http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8874http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9251http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?cat=7http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?author=18/13/2019 The Legacy of Kennedy and Latinos Myth versus Reality LatinoPOV_com
12/19
Jimmy,
You do a good job of debunking many of the myths. I try to do the same in my
book Viva Kennedy: Mexican Americans in Search of Camelot while providing
an assessment of the Mexican American Generation reformers who were
responsible for the Viva Kennedy Clubs.
Reply
Jimmy Franco Sr.says:
November 25, 2013 at 10:34 pm
Hello Ignacio,
Thank you for responding. Many people do not want to touch this Kennedy-
Latino issue and myth and treat it as if it were some sort of holy relationship. I
have not read your book and look forward to doing so especially the section on
the people who came out of the Viva Kennedy Clubs. Corky Gonzalez from the
Colorado Crusade for Justice was one of them who later on played a valuable
role in organizing our youth.
Gracias,
Jimmy Franco
Reply
2. paul garciasays:
November 25, 2013 at 5:37 pm
Neither party really looks after Chicano interests. Interesting article.
Reply
Jimmy Franco Sr.says:
November 25, 2013 at 10:11 pm
Hello Paul,
You are right. We need to maintain our political and organizational
http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8874#respondhttp://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8874#respondhttp://latinopov.comalatinopointofviewintoday%27sworld/http://latinopov.comalatinopointofviewintoday%27sworld/http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8888http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8888http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8888#respondhttp://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8888#respondhttp://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8880http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8880http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8880#respondhttp://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8880#respondhttp://latinopov.comalatinopointofviewintoday%27sworld/http://latinopov.comalatinopointofviewintoday%27sworld/http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8886http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8886http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8886http://latinopov.comalatinopointofviewintoday%27sworld/http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8880#respondhttp://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8880http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8888#respondhttp://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8888http://latinopov.comalatinopointofviewintoday%27sworld/http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8874#respond8/13/2019 The Legacy of Kennedy and Latinos Myth versus Reality LatinoPOV_com
13/19
independence and fight for the issues
that benefit us and other allies.
Take care,
Jimmy Franco
Reply
3. judy baca-UCLAsays:
November 25, 2013 at 5:53 pm
fascinating analysis. thanks for the article.
Reply
Jimmy Franco Sr.says:
November 25, 2013 at 10:06 pm
Hello Judy,
Thank you for your response and support.
Jimmy Franco
Reply
4. Jose Solersays:
November 25, 2013 at 8:51 pm
We are not Puerto Rican- Americans. We are simply Puerto Ricans, a part of
Latin America and a colony of the United States of North America. Your
analysis of the Kennedy and Latino myth is right on.
For those of us who struggle for the Independence of Puerto Rico There are
differences between Democrats and Republicans when it comes toimplementing imperial policy. There may be differences between individual
democrats like Gutierrez or Dellums (when he would submit his transfer of
powers resolution for Puerto Rico in Congress) but not at the Party level.
Thanks for the work you do.
http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8886#respondhttp://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8886#respondhttp://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8881http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8881http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8881#respondhttp://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8881#respondhttp://latinopov.comalatinopointofviewintoday%27sworld/http://latinopov.comalatinopointofviewintoday%27sworld/http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8885http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8885http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8885#respondhttp://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8885#respondhttp://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8884http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8884http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8884http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8885#respondhttp://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8885http://latinopov.comalatinopointofviewintoday%27sworld/http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8881#respondhttp://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8881http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8886#respond8/13/2019 The Legacy of Kennedy and Latinos Myth versus Reality LatinoPOV_com
14/19
Reply
Jimmy Franco Sr.says:
November 25, 2013 at 10:27 pm
Hello Jose,
You are right. The public and most politicians dontrefer to Puerto Rico as a
colony the US isnt supposed to be a colonial power! The status of Puerto Rico
as a nation is an issue of colonialism and as such and
the Puerto Rican People have the right to self-determination and must be
allowed by the US to exercise that right without any interference or
intimidation. Also, Kennedy simply viewed Puerto Rico as a military training
site.
Gracias and take care,
Jimmy Franco
Reply
5. Adrian Perezsays:
November 25, 2013 at 11:28 pm
Would like your permission to reprint. Gracias.
Reply
Jimmy Franco Sr.says:
November 26, 2013 at 2:58 am
Adrian,
Please proceed with the reprint.
Thank you,Jimmy
Reply
6. JJ Garcasays:
http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8884#respondhttp://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8884#respondhttp://latinopov.comalatinopointofviewintoday%27sworld/http://latinopov.comalatinopointofviewintoday%27sworld/http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8887http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8887http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8887#respondhttp://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8887#respondhttp://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8890http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8890http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8890#respondhttp://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8890#respondhttp://latinopov.comalatinopointofviewintoday%27sworld/http://latinopov.comalatinopointofviewintoday%27sworld/http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8892http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8892http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8892#respondhttp://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8892#respondhttp://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8892#respondhttp://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8892http://latinopov.comalatinopointofviewintoday%27sworld/http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8890#respondhttp://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8890http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8887#respondhttp://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357#comment-8887http://latinopov.comalatinopointofviewintoday%27sworld/http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=9357&replytocom=8884#respond8/13/2019 The Legacy of Kennedy and Latinos Myth versus Reality LatinoPOV_com
15/19
November 26, 2013 at 3:41 am
Thanks for your article, growing up in south Texas I always had my druthers
about the history. Through my own research I look at the US as an imperial
project that since the Eisenhower/JFK juncture has, as described by Chomsky,become more and more ruthless and as you described well about Cuba. The JFK
administration practiced what Saul Landau coined simulopting trying to
negotiate and assassinate Fidel at the same time.
Your piece was picked up by Global Analysis. Felicidades!
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-legacy-of-kennedy-and-latinos-myth-versus-
reality/5359307
Sincerely,
JJ Garca
Instructor
Chican@ Studies
University of New Mexico
Reply
Jimmy Franco Sr.says:
November 26, 2013 at 11:17 pm
Hello JJ,
In history books the era of imperialism was supposed to be around 1900 with
the involvement in World War One and the seizing of Puerto Rico, Cuba,
Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, etc. However, the economic basis for this system has
grown larger and Eisenhowers warning about a growing military-industrial
complex is truer than ever. This is evident by the senseless and imperial wars in
Iran, Afghanistan and support for despotic regimes from Honduras, Egypt and
Saudi Arabia while opposing progressive governments in Latin America.
Take care,
Jimmy Franco
Reply
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16/19
7. Roman Dominguezsays:
November 26, 2013 at 6:06 am
I have to admit that I was taken in by the smooth talking young Kennedy in1960. I attended his political rally that was held East Los Angles Junior College
that same year. He had me convinced that he was going to do great things for
minorities. My wife was never impressed with him and felt all along he was a
big phony. She tried to warn me. Your article is right on re Kennedy and his
broken promises for the Latino
community. Though I must give him credit for starting the space program in
which I was employed for 27 years. Thanks for a great eye opening article.
Reply
Jimmy Franco Sr.says:
November 26, 2013 at 11:25 pm
Hello Roman,
I was also at that Rally at East Los College at the age of sixteen and was a bit
awed by the smooth talking Kennedy. With the passage of time his lack of
achievement on civil rights, expansion of the Vietnam War and
support for dictators within third world countries and especially in Latin
America allowed me to mature politically and see his true political colors which
did not serve the interests of Latinos or those of other working people.
Gracias and take care,
Jimmy Franco
Reply
8. Eugene Hernandezsays:November 26, 2013 at 8:49 pm
Thank you Jimmy
Reply
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17/19
Jimmy Franco Sr.says:
November 26, 2013 at 11:04 pm
Eugene,Thank you for your response and support-keep up the good work.
Jimmy Franco
Reply
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