 "Photo: Olivas Thomas")
The landmark Supreme Court case Hernandez v. Texas has implications for the civil rights of Mexican-Americans today, author Michael Olivas said at a Tuesday discussion at the Texas Union.
Olivas said that although the case is often overlooked because of its timing right before the Brown v. Board of Education case in 1954, it was the first and only Mexican-American civil rights case ever taken to the Supreme Court.
"This was a significant case," said Deborah Duval, community relations specialist at UT. "It opened doors for Hispanics to serve on juries and to have civil rights."
Pete Hernandez, who was convicted of murder in a court in Jackson County, Texas in 1954, believed that his trial could not be impartial until members of other races were represented on the jury. Olivas said Texas had not summoned a Mexican-American jury member in 25 years, since Mexican-Americans were considered to be white. The court concluded that Mexican-Americans and all other racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. had equal protection under the 14th Amendment.
"The point of the case was never about guilt or innocence, but the participation in the process," Olivas said.
Olivas' book also says that the Latino population in the Texas jury system is still underrepresented. Though 25 percent of Texans are Mexican-American, only 6 percent participate in jury duty, he said.
"This trial has shown us many life lessons," he said. "You never know when these opportunities will come your way. We are all better off because of Hernandez."
Gustavo Garcia and Carlos Cadena, two of the main lawyers who defended Hernandez, graduated from the UT School of Law.
"The trial has deep UT roots," Olivas said. "Coming here to speak is like repaying the debt that these men gave."
The Division of Diversity and Community Engagement funded the event as part of an annual series on civil rights at the University, Duval said. Olivas also participated in a book signing and reception Tuesday night to celebrate the grand opening of the Mexican-American Cultural Center.
"When you read this book, you will think this case is more magnificent than Brown," Olivas said.
