Julian Samora

Dr. Julian Samora (March 1, 1920 – February 2, 1996) was a Mexican American teacher, scholar and community activist who helped to pioneer the field of Latino Studies.

Samora was the first Mexican American to ever receive a doctorate in sociology; and, by the end of his academic career, he was named Professor Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame.

Julian Samora is noted as an activist scholar in the Mexican-American community who fought for social justice for himself and his fellow Mexican-Americans. Speaking about his social justice activism he said “I think the thing that has gotten me going is discrimination. I tried to be equal to, and as good as, the Anglos. I wanted to make as much money, speak as well, and have all the goodies as the dominant society. But no matter what I did, I was always a ‘Mexican’.“

He was forced to repeat first grade without benefit of testing because Spanish was his first language. All Spanish-speaking kids were forced to repeat first grade presumably to gain sufficient skills in English to succeed in school. When he was cast as the lead in the high school play, Anglo cast members threatened to quit so the teacher deferred to them. When asked how he felt about that he said, “Oh, it hurt so much.” He ran for student body president his senior year in college and lost by one vote. His roommate had cast the deciding vote against him. Years later, Julian quoted his roommate as saying, “Well Julian, I couldn’t vote for a Mexican.”

All the Spanish-speaking men he knew were laborers. He had no one to model how to reach his goal as no one in his family had finished high school much less college. It was remarkable that he graduated high school. In 1938, along with 582 other Colorado students, Julian applied for the Frederick G. Bonfils Foundation scholarship, sponsored by the Bonfils family who owned the Denver Post. Julian was one of twenty-nine students that were selected, allowing him to go to Adams State Teacher’s College in Alamosa, Colorado where he graduated in 1942 with a degree in history and political science.

When he traveled to Fort Collins, Colorado to interview for graduate school, he was turned away from lodging by signs that read “No Dogs, Indians or Mexicans Allowed.” He was finally admitted to a fifth-rate hotel by the owner who mistook him for a traveler from India.

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