Pioneers

Two great New Mexico Pioneers passed away this weekend.  Dr. Henry Casso and Vicente Ximenez were in the vanguard of the civil rights movement in this country and helped Latino citizens realize their full rights.  I was fortunate to know them both.

I met Dr. Casso many years ago when he was working in public relations and I was a newsman at Channel 7.  Little did I know then that many years later I would hire his daughter Luisa as communications director for the Mayor's office.  She is now an executive with the Coca Cola Company.

I grew up knowing Vicente Ximenez.  He and his family lived just a block away from us in the close northeast heights of Albuquerque.  We were playmates of his children and saw him often.  Vicente was a founding member of the American GI Forum along with my uncle, Deacon Jaime Baca.  They fought hard for Latino war veterans rights and civil rights in general.

You can read Vicente's obituary here.   You can read Henry's obituary  here.