SENATE MEMORIAL 23

54th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2019

INTRODUCED BY

Pete Campos

A MEMORIAL

HONORING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF COMMUNITY LEADER AND CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCATE JUAN JOSÉ PEÑA.

     WHEREAS, Juan José Peña, a recognized community leader and civil rights advocate from Las Vegas, New Mexico, died on June 11, 2018; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Peña was born in Hagerman, New Mexico on December 13, 1945, and his family moved to Las Vegas, New Mexico when Mr. Peña was a child; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Peña graduated from Robertson high school in 1964, where he played football, wrestled and competed in track and field events; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Peña received bachelor of arts and masters degrees from New Mexico highlands university, where he studied Spanish, literature and political science; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Peña played football for New Mexico highlands university and played semiprofessional ice hockey for what was then the Highlands hawks; and

     WHEREAS, after graduating from college, Mr. Peña was drafted and served in the United States army during the Vietnam conflict from 1969 to 1970; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Peña received numerous decorations, including the bronze star medal for valor, and Mr. Peña was the most dedicated member of the fourth infantry division when it returned to the United States; and

     WHEREAS, from 1972 to 1978, Mr. Peña served as a Spanish professor, coordinator of ethnic studies and director and professor of Chicano studies and professor of bilingual education at New Mexico highlands university; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Peña was a linguistics expert who spoke multiple languages, including English, Spanish, German, Portuguese, French and Vietnamese; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Peña worked as a supervisory interpreter for the United States district court for the district of New Mexico, retired after two decades of interpreting in 2005 and continued to work as a freelance interpreter after his retirement; and

     WHEREAS, in 1995, while working as an interpreter, Mr. Peña met his partner of twenty-three years, Ann Tran, when he drove her to court to interpret for a Vietnamese defendant; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Peña and Ann Tran were always by each other's side to offer love and support; and

     WHEREAS, from his college days on, Mr. Peña was a humanitarian, an activist and a warrior who represented the people; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Peña fought for the disadvantaged and disenfranchised and spoke for many who did not have a voice; and

     WHEREAS, during his tenure at New Mexico highlands university, Mr. Peña served as an organizer and leader for el partido de la raza unida de Nuevo Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, in 1976, Mr. Peña rose to become the national president of el partido de la raza unida national congreso de aztlan and met with world leaders such as Mexico's president, Vicente Fox, and Yasser Arafat, the chairman of the Palestine liberation organization; and

     WHEREAS, in his leadership roles, Mr. Peña often met with the "big four of the movimiento" - Cesar Chavez, Reies Lopez Tijerina, Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales and José Ángel Gutiérrez; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Peña also served as commander of local branches of the American GI forum, was active in the disabled American veterans and veterans of foreign wars organizations and was a founding member, chair and vice-chair of the Hispano round table; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Peña's tireless advocacy earned him numerous honors, including the city of Albuquerque human rights award; and

     WHEREAS, of all the issues Mr. Peña was invested in, he was most proud of the work he did to benefit veterans' causes, feeling that veterans had risked their lives and did not receive the help and support they deserved when returning home; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Peña was also an author who wrote numerous scholarly papers, short stories and poetry, many of which related to the history of Chicanos in the southwest, historical figures of the southwest and life in Chicano families; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Peña was preceded in death by his only son, Federico Peña; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Peña is survived by his partner, Ann Tran; his brother, Fernando Peña; his daughter, Margarita Aguilar and his grandchildren, Shar and Mariana;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that Juan José Peña be honored for his accomplishments as a community leader and civil rights advocate; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the family of Juan José Peña.

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