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