Texas 2023 - 88th 1st C.S.

Texas Senate Bill SR15 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 15
2	2	In Memory
3	3	of
4	4	Ramon Vasquez y Sanchez
5	5	WHEREAS, San Antonio lost an admired activist, artist, and
6	6	cultural historian with the passing of Ramon Vasquez y Sanchez on
7	7	May 8, 2023, at the age of 83; and
8	8	WHEREAS, The son of Olivia Sanchez and Ramon Vasquez, Ramon
9	9	Vasquez y Sanchez was born on the city's Westside on May 6, 1940;
10	10	he attended San Antonio College and joined the staff of the Bexar
11	11	County Archives to focus on the preservation of Mexican American
12	12	history; in addition, he was a member of the Bexar County
13	13	Historical Commission; he also gained increasing recognition as
14	14	an artist, illustrating the Bexar County coat of arms and
15	15	publishing work in newspapers and other media; his acclaimed
16	16	paintings of the early Indian Missions centered on the ordinary
17	17	people and Mexican heroes generally left out of historical
18	18	narratives, and his subjects included daily life in the barrio;
19	19	and
20	20	WHEREAS, Mr. Vasquez y Sanchez became a leader in the
21	21	Chicano rights movement; he wrote the preamble for the
22	22	establishment of the Raza Unida Party, provided graphic designs,
23	23	and served as vice chair and gubernatorial campaign manager; as
24	24	chair of the Bilingual Bicultural Coalition on Mass Media, he
25	25	oversaw suits against the Federal Communications Commission that
26	26	led to greater Mexican American representation among
27	27	journalists; he was a fierce advocate for equity in city arts
28	28	funding, and he was instrumental in establishing Centro Cultural
29	29	Aztlan and ran its visual arts program for decades; in that role,
30	30	he encouraged other artists, created a sense of community, and
31	31	popularized public Día de los Muertos commemorations; he also
32	32	fought for the inclusion of Mexican American and Tejano stories
33	33	in the Alamo narrative and organized the first "Olvidate del
34	34	Alamo" and "Las Mujeres del Alamo" art exhibits; tenacious and
35	35	outspoken, he nevertheless expressed his strong viewpoints with
36	36	grace, courtesy, and logic; and
37	37	WHEREAS, In 1988, Mr. Vasquez y Sanchez helped reorganize
38	38	the Mission Descendant Families of Northeastern Mexico and South
39	39	Texas under the umbrella of the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation; he
40	40	served as a tribal council member for over three decades;
41	41	moreover, he formed the nonprofit group American Indians in Texas
42	42	at the Spanish Colonial Missions and united with other activists
43	43	to secure the return of over 150 ancestral remains to Mission San
44	44	Juan Capistrano; and
45	45	WHEREAS, Mr. Vasquez y Sanchez married Gloria Camarillo in
46	46	1962, and they became the parents of three children, Ramon Juan
47	47	Vasquez, Edna Marie Vasquez, and Marisol Vasquez; he and his
48	48	second wife, Maria Magdalena Gonzales, had one son, Javier Ramon
49	49	Vasquez; following her passing, he was fortunate enough to find
50	50	love again, and in 2013, he wed Maria Chavez, who survives him,
51	51	along with his children and his 11 grandchildren and 5
52	52	great-grandchildren; and
53	53	WHEREAS, Throughout his lifetime, Ramon Vasquez y Sanchez
54	54	sought to root out injustice and illuminate the richness of
55	55	Mexican American heritage, and although he will be deeply missed
56	56	by all who were privileged to know him, they will treasure their
57	57	memories of his wisdom, compassion, and wry sense of humor; now,
58	58	therefore, be it
59	59	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th
60	60	Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life
61	61	of Ramon Vasquez y Sanchez and extend sincere condolences to his
62	62	family, to his many friends, and to all who mourn his passing;
63	63	and, be it further
64	64	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be
65	65	prepared for his family and that when the Texas Senate adjourns
66	66	this day, it do so in memory of Ramon Vasquez y Sanchez.
67	67	Menéndez
68	68	________________________________
69	69	President of the Senate
70	70	I hereby certify that the
71	71	above Resolution was adopted by
72	72	the Senate on June 15, 2023, by a
73	73	rising vote.
74	74	________________________________
75	75	Secretary of the Senate
76	76	________________________________
77	77	Member, Texas Senate