Alicia Dickerson Montemayor
| Alicia Dickerson Montemayor | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Alice Dickerson August 6, 1902 Laredo, Webb County Texas, United States |
| Died | May 13, 1989 (aged 86) |
| Resting place | Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Laredo, Texas |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Laredo Junior College |
| Occupation |
Political activist Community organizer |
| Known for | Vice President of the League of United Latin American Citizens |
| Spouse(s) | Francisco Montemayor, Sr. |
| Children |
Francisco Montemayor, Jr. |
Francisco Montemayor, Jr.
Alicia Dickerson Montemayor (August 6, 1902 – May 13, 1989) was an American civil rights activist from Laredo, Texas, the first woman elected to a national office not specifically designated for a woman, having served as vice president general of the interest group, the League of United Latin American Citizens. She was the first woman to serve as associate editor of the LULAC newspaper and the first to write a charter to fund a LULAC youth group. Montemayor urged the inclusion of girls and women into Latin American activism and also promoted the interests of middle-class Mexican-Americans. and she is a designated honoree of Women's History Month of the National Women's History Project.
Dickerson was born in Laredo to John Randolph Dickerson and the former Manuela Barrera. She was of Irish and Hispanic heritage and was reared bilingual, a rarity in many La Raza homes at the time. In 1924, she graduated from the former Laredo High School, since Martin High School. After graduation, Montemayor attempted to study law, but after the death of her father, she remained in Laredo with her mother. For a year, she attended Laredo Business School in the evenings. On September 8, 1927, she married Francisco Montemayor; they had two sons, Francisco and Aurelio Montemayor.
In 1934, Montemayor became a social worker for Webb County, where she investigated cases to place Mexican-Americans on welfare during the Great Depression. Upon starting this position, she was denied a key to the office and had to labor under at tree. Some of the Caucasian clients refused to work with her, and at one point she was provided a bodyguard for safety. In 1947, she enrolled in and attended classes for two years at the newly established Laredo Junior College. She cited the women who had influenced her as Marie Curie, Amelia Earhart, Carrie Nation, Frances Perkins, Eleanor Roosevelt, Helen Hayes, and Irene Dunne.
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