Sunday, October 31, 2010

González Honored As UMOS Woman Of The Year During 30th Annual Awards Banquet

Gloria González
Bilingual Community Liaison
Milwaukee Public Schools (Photo by HNG)

United Migrant Opportunity Services recognizes Latinos for their contributions to the community at their UMOS 30th Annual Awards Banquet over the weekend.

By H. Nelson Goodson
October 31, 2010

Milwaukee - On Saturday, Gloria González, Bilingual Community Liaison from Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) was honored as the Hispanic Woman of the Year for 2010 during the 30th Annual United Migrant Opportunity Services (UMOS) awards banquet at the Italian Community Center. UMOS also recognized Salvador Carranza as the Hispanic Man of the Year, Alejandro Cortes, as the Hispanic Youth of the Year, and Juan and Martha Andrade as Hispanic Family of the Year.
During the banquet, González was picked by UMOS for her community involvement and everywhere I go, I see Gloria, said Lupe Marinez, President and CEO of UMOS. Gloria during her acceptance address said, she got her inspiration from her mother Enriqueta González a former MPS teacher. Gloria recalled a time when a family needed some help and she didn't know what to do and came home crying. She told her mother about it after she stopped crying. Her mother then told her, "Ok" you stopped crying now...now what are you going to do about it because crying isn't going to solve anything. At that moment and afterwards, I began to help people when in need. That's why I've been involved in so many organizations and groups trying to help people as my mother did. She also recognized her supervisor Jesús Santos, Director of MPS Bilingual Division for his support and making the department at MPS a success.
González is the proud daughter of the late Enriqueta González who was a former teacher for MPS. Enriqueta was involved in the August 27, 1970 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) Chapman Hall takeover during a peaceful protest against a discriminatory policy that prevented Latinos from enrolling. Her instrumental leadership role along with Marla O. Anderson, Jesus Salas, Dante Navarro, Ernesto Chacon, Reberto Hernández and Armando Orellana helped strike down the education barrier that kept Hispanics from higher education. The Spanish Speaking Outreact Institute (SSOI) was established to help recuit, advice and retain students at UWM. In 1996, SSOI was renamed the Roberto Hernández Center.
In 1970, only 14 Hispanic students were enrolled at UWM compared to 25,000 White students and UWM had no Latino faculty. Today, at least 1,400 Latino students attend UWM per semester and 30 Latino falculty work at the university.
Enriqueta González along with Anderson, Salas, Navarro, Chacon, Hernández, Orellana and other participants during the peaceful takeover at UWM led to thousands of Latinos graduating from the UW-System in Wisconsin.
In the late 1960's, Enriqueta González, Marla O. Anderson, Tony Baez and others were also instrumental in helping to create the MPS Bilingual/Bicultural Education Program in Wisconsin, which later became the model for other states to follow.
The Bilingual Program in Pulaski High School posted that in 1969, the MPS Bilingual/Bicultural Education Program was one of 64 bilingual education programs to be funded under Title VII, ESEA. The MPS program began at Vieau Elementary, South Division High School and Lincoln Junior/Senior High School.
The MPS Bilingual/Bicultural Education Program, one of the first in the nation, is founded on these legislative landmarks: 1974 - U.S. Supreme Court Decision, Lau vs. Nichols: Special educational services must be provided by the schools to ensure a high quality of educational opportunity for language minority students.
1976 - The State of Wisconsin passed the Bilingual Education Act (Chapter 115, Subsection VI), mandating school districts in the State with 10 or more limited English-speaking students in grades K-3 or 20 in grades 4-12 to begin transitional bilingual/bicultural programs.

Click to enlarge the following UMOS banquet program images for information about awards recipients.

Glori González, Hispanic Woman of the Year

Salvador Carranza, Hispanic Man of the Year

Alejandro Cortes, Hispanic Youth of the Year

Juan and Martha Andrade, Hispanic Family of the Year

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