Dr. Clotilde Pérez García was one of the most influential people in the United States that you’ve probably never heard of. García shaped politics and policy for Latino communities during the Chicano civil rights movement, was one of a few Mexican American women in the medical profession in Texas and was recognized for preserving Mexican American history nearly erased under the weight of time and racism. “She had this ability to be close to people and to connect with people. I’m talking about Mexican American people there,” Néstor Rodríguez, sociology professor at the University of Texas Austin, said. The García family immigrated from Mexico to escape an attack on their town during the Mexican Revolution. The patriarch demanded excellence from his children, which urged Clotilde and her siblings to become doctors. As a collective, the Garcías promoted assimilation: becoming U.S. citizens, voting, effecting change in education, health care access and infrastructure. Discrimination against people of Mexican descent grew rampant in Texas in 1836 and continued for more than a century, according to historical accounts. Though Jim Crow laws primarily targeted Black people, Mexican Americans were also bound by the laws on the premise that they were “an inferior and unhygienic people,” according to the Texas State Historical Association. Despite setbacks, García became a prominent figure for many people in her community. Read more by clicking the link in our bio! 📸 : Angela Piazza, Caller-Times; Mary and Jeff Bell Library, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi