SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 86
WHEREAS, The life and achievements of the Honorable José
Tomás Canales, a former state representative and civil rights
trailblazer, are being honored on the 100th anniversary of his
landmark 1919 investigation of the Texas Rangers; and
WHEREAS, Born into a prominent Nueces County ranching
family in 1877, J. T. Canales earned his law degree from the
University of Michigan; from 1900 to 1903, he practiced in Corpus
Christi and Laredo before settling in Brownsville, where he spent
the next two decades as a lawyer and a public official; and
WHEREAS, In addition to serving as superintendent of the
Cameron County public schools and as a county judge, Mr. Canales
spent five terms as a member of the Texas House of
Representatives, holding office from 1905 to 1911 and from 1917
to 1921; the only Hispanic state representative at the time, he
provided an important voice for the diverse populations living in
the Lower Rio Grande Valley; and
WHEREAS, One of Representative Canales's most notable
accomplishments was his 1919 investigation into the Texas
Rangers for their actions during the 1910s, in particular the
massacre of 15 unarmed ethnic Mexican men and boys, when the
Mexican Revolution roiled the border area; the Canales
Investigation, as it became known, shined a light on the
excessive violence carried out by the Rangers against residents
of Mexican descent, which resulted in as many as 5,000 deaths
between 1914 and 1919; though he faced opposition and death
threats for his efforts, Representative Canales outlined
numerous instances of misconduct by members of the law
enforcement agency, and the investigation ultimately resulted in
the force being reorganized and reduced in number; and
WHEREAS, Representative Canales decided not to seek
reelection in 1920 and retired from state office, but he remained
active in Hispanic civil rights initiatives; he was integral to
the founding of the League of United Latin American Citizens, and
he served as Brownsville city attorney and chaired the Texas
Council on Human Rights; a lifelong believer in the importance of
accessible, high-quality education, he wrote numerous articles
and books about Mexican American history and the development of
South Texas; he passed away in Brownsville on March 30, 1976, at
the age of 99; and
WHEREAS, J. T. Canales was a pioneering figure in the
struggle for social justice in the Lone Star State, and his
vision and leadership remain a continuing source of inspiration;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 86th
Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the legacy of José Tomás Canales
and commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Canales Investigation.
Rodríguez
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on January 30, 2019.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate