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Show INTERVIB : Cuellar Page 7 which is only six years later, SER is almost probably very unique, the only organization in the country that has such a significant backing, such a significant momentum for many reasons. One of them is that it has the means by which it can operate, it has a budget of over 20 million dollars. Probably the biggest amount of money .that any Spanish-speaking organization eve r had historically. It has two organizations, LULAC and GI Forum, behind ·it to give it the community input, the gras.sroot appeal, the politfcal force to keep it going. It has goals which were established tor institutionalization, and Mejicanos, Chicanos, Mexican-American, Spanishspeaking have never known an institution in the United States to look up to. They have seen the church, which in many instances are not Mexican-American, they are something else. Religions are Anglo. They see the schools which are Anglo; they see the federal government which is Anglo; they see everything they see in their own towns has been Anglo and they never have had any MexicanAmerican to look up to. So here is an organization that is strong, that is funded, tha t has a base from which to take off and I hope we don't lose that opportunity also. So it is an evolvement. Now, whether SER is part of the GI .Forum or LULAC I think is immaterial. The point is that there is the existence of a national effort, a national structure that can be utilized for a lot of reasons. |
