Anita Martinez

Anita Nanez Martinez (born December 8, 1925) is the first Mexican-American member of the City Council of Dallas, Texas.[1] Elected in 1969, she served the City Council for four years[2] and continues to promote Hispanic pride and knowledge in youth throughout the United States, most notably through the Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico.

Honorable
Anita Nanez Martinez
Councilor, Dallas, Texas
In office
1969–1973
ConstituencyWest Dallas, Dallas, Texas
Personal details
Political partyRepublican
SpouseAlbert Martinez

Biography

Anita Martinez was born on December 8, 1925, in a poor area of Dallas, populated heavily enough with Mexican nationals to earn the sobriquet "Little Mexico".[3] After completing high school, Anita married Alfred Martinez and raised four children, while volunteering for organizations such as the Dallas Metropolis YWCA and the Jesuit Parents' Club.[4] At the same time, she supported her husband's restaurant business, El Fenix, by joining, and eventually becoming the program director of, the Dallas Restaurant Association Auxiliary.[5] From 1969 to 1973, Mrs. Martinez served as West Dallas' Republican City Council Woman.[3] In 1969 she ran for City Council as a candidate for the Citizen's Charter Association, a largely white male establishment that had strong influence over city government, and won 52 percent of the vote, making her the first Mexican-American to hold an elected government position in the city of Dallas.[6] In 1975, she began the Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico as a volunteer program aimed at connecting Hispanic youths to their native culture.[3] She also assisted in the opening of the Anita Martinez Recreation Center in 1976 as a haven for children in West Dallas, an establishment she advocated for while on the City Council.[7] The Recreation Center and the Ballet Folklorico are still around today.

Accomplishments

Martinez began her role as a councilwoman with the goal of using politics to correct faults and vices she saw within her community, namely "crime, narcotics, and misfit teenagers".[8] However, her accomplishments in this area formed only a part of her agenda while serving as a member of the City Council. Other efforts included the implementation of streetlights, paved roads, and sidewalks in her constituents' neighborhoods.[7] After her service as councilwoman ended, she successfully established institutions whose stated aim was to "remove adolescents from the influences of corruption on the streets", including the Ballet Folklorico and her Recreation Center. In addition to employing youths in Dallas, the Ballet Folklorico has inspired more Folkloricos to form, spreading Hispanic pride and culture throughout the country.[9] Martinez has received numerous awards for her volunteer efforts, including the Zonta Award for Constructive Voluntary Contribution to Community and Civic Affairs and the J C Penney Golden Rule Award for Volunteer Service.[3]

References
  1. "City Secretary's Office, Dallas Municipal Archives - City Firsts", Dallas City Secretary's Office, (accessed January 21, 2016).
  2. U. S. Department of Transportation, Advisory Committee Candidate Biographical Information Request Form DOT F 1120.1, 2006. [Anita N. Martinez papers, A1195.2006] Degolyer Library, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas.
  3. "Anita Martinez Collection", Dallas Public Library, (accessed September 26, 2010).
  4. “Women News-Shapers For 1968” The Dallas Times Harold, February 5, 1969. [Anita N. Martinez papers, A1195.2006x] Degolyer Library, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas.
  5. Maggie Kennedy, “Women Also Feed Mind” The Dallas Time Harold, June 11, 1967. [Anita N. Martinez papers, A1195.2006x] Degolyer Library, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas.
  6. Palomo, Teresa; Winegarten, Ruthe (2003). Las Tejanas: 300 Years of History. Austin, TX: The University of Texas Press. p. 258. ISBN 0-292-74710-1.
  7. Irasema Coronado and Patricia A. Jaramillo and Patricia Madrid and Sonia R. Garcia and Valerie Martinez-Ebers, Politicas: Latina Public Officials in Texas, (Texas: University of Texas Press, 2008), 123.
  8. "Mrs. Martinez Earns Worthy Woman Award", Oak Cliff Tribune, July 23, 1969. [Anita N. Martinez papers, A1195.2006x] Degolyer Library, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas.
  9. Becky Chavarria Chairez, "Ballet Folklorico", Hispanic Life, June 1992. [ artinez papers, A1195.2006x] Degolyer Library, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas.
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