Vicente Ximenes, LBJ's Great Society, and Mexican American Civil Rights Rhetoric

Beginning as a grassroots organizer in the 1950s, Vicente Ximenes was at the forefront of the movement for Mexican American civil rights through three presidential administrations, joining Lyndon B. Johnsons Great Society and later emerging as one of the highest-ranking appointees in Johnsons administration. One of the most influential government representatives of Mexican American issues in recent history, Ximenes succeeded largely because he could adapt his rhetoric for different audiences in his speeches and writings. In Vicente Ximenes, LBJ's Great Society, and Mexican American Civil Rights Rhetoric, Michelle Hall Kells elucidates Ximeness achievement through a rhetorical history of his career as an activist. Kells draws on Ximeness extensive archive of speeches, reports, articles, and oral interviews to present the activists rhetorical history and begins each chapter with an excerpt from the collection that showcases Ximeness ability to negotiate multiple public spheres. Exploring Ximeness legacy against the backdrop of the Cold War era, Kellss analyses illustrate how Ximenes effectively agitated for open, inclusive, and pluralist democracy at regional and national levels. After a discussion of Ximeness early life, the author focuses on his career as an activist, examining Ximeness leadership in several key civil rights events, including the historic 1967 White House cabinet committee hearings on Mexican American Affairs, and highlighting his role in advancing Mexican Americans and Latinos from social marginalization to greater representation in national politics. Kells concludes by reflecting on the later years of Ximeness life and his contributions to the post-World War II civil rights movement. Vicente Ximenes, LBJ's Great Society, and Mexican American Civil Rights Rhetoric shows us a remarkable man who dedicated the majority of his life to public service, using rhetoric to mobilize activists for change at the grassroots level as well as at the highest levels of government to secure civil rights advances for his fellow Mexican Americans.