On Sunday September 23, 2007 from 4 – 6 P.M. on the front steps of the State Capitol in Austin the Defend the Honor Campaign will have an afternoon of remembrance and honor in tribute to the Latinos and Latinas of the WWII generation.

The event will note that the experiences of these men and women continue to be omitted from our nation’s historical narrative, including “The War.” This documentary, which airs on the same day, is being touted as the true and official version of WWII, but how true can it be when it omits the contributions of our Hispanic Veterans, the most highly decorated minority group of all.

We are not only concerned of being excluded from this film, but of history itself. Too often our history has been concealed or excluded and if we allow this current trend of exclusion to continue, we perhaps, may have no history at all.

Maggie Rivas – Rodriguez Ph.D, Associate Professor School of Journalism from the University of Texas will lead the line-up of elected officials and dignitaries that will speak.

The public and all veterans and veterans organizations are encouraged to attend. The public is asked to bring photos of their WWII veterans. There will be an open mike from 5 to 6 so they or their descendants may share their stories.

For more information contact:
Dan Arellano
Author
darellano@austin.rr.co m
512-826-7569

Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez
Assoc. Professor, School of Journalism
University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station, A1000
Austin, TX 78712

mrivas@mail.utexas.edu

Also, Director, U.S. Latino & Latina WWII Oral History Project

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/exhibits/ww2latinos/