The Two Views of One Man In 1947 Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales became a featherweight contender in the Professional Boxing Association. Gonzales was only twenty-six when his boxii ig career came to an end, He left the boxing ring with a total of seventy-five fights, sixty-three wins, eleven losses and only one draw. Gonzales had boxed his way to the top of the nations boxing ranks and out of what was considered the poorer and east side of Denver. He became a very well known individual because of his boxing legacy, not only in the city of Denver, but all across the nation as well. Gonzales would not only learn to use his fame effectively, but he would use this well-established fame to create equality with the Mexican-American community of Denver, as well as in the United States. Through boxing, the media and politics, Gonzales was viewed as almost two completely different people. Since the beginning of Gonzales’s boxing career in the early 1940's to the middle of his political career in the 1970's, a lot was changing in the world. Not only did the sport of boxing change, but the media along with politics was changing as well. These significant changes among boxing, politics and the media over the years, including the medias portrayal of Gonzales as a boxer and then as a political leader take huge turn in a way that people of all colors were now beginning to gain recognition for what they stood for. Not only would this media portrayal of Gonzales be affected and totally shifted, it would also change the way the people of Denver saw him.When Gonzales had retired from boxing, he went on to become a bail bondsman and to open what was called Corky's Bail Bonds service. Shortly after his bail bonds service, he opened a local sports bar titled Corky's Corner. It would only be a short while after opening both of these businesses that the young and motivated Gonzales was more interested in politics. After having this notion of taking on the political realm, Gonzales decided to take that next step in his desired political direction. While beginning this political climb, his first steps were to be small ones, but advantageous. He was first involved in such things as the neighborhood youth corps of Denver director, a chairman of Denver's war on poverty and later to be the creator of what is famously known as the Crusade for Justice. Not only did the media focus more on Gonzales’ Mexican American background and heritage during his political run, but they also took more of an aim at his racial and ethnical appearance than they did when he was viewed as a one of the top world-class boxers. When the word got out among the people of Denver, people such as Denver's youth and with the Mexican-American community, they could not help but see a rising former boxing star on his way to becoming a political leader. As Tom Romero says that “For an emerging Mexican American community leader like Gonzales, boxing and business success provided a prominent example of the realization of an “American future”."'Itis as if Romero is implying the idea that Gonzales was a symbol of hope for people of the Mexican-American Tom |. Romero ll, “Wearing the Red, White and Blue Trunks of Aztlin: Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales and the Convergence of American and Chicano Nationalism,” America: History and Life with full text, Aztlén 29:1 (spring 2004): pg.97, accessed March 12, 2012, http://0- eiournals.ebsco.com skyline ucdenver. edu/Journal2.asp2Journal 11483community, a symbol of hope that showed the success of one man and the possibility for others to have this idea of a successful American future. Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales was born on June 18%, 1928 in Denver Colorado. Before entering the ring as a young boxer, Gonzales had attended the University of Denver to try and pursue a degree in engineering. For a young man who was from what was known as the more poor and east side of Denver, getting into and accepted by the University of, Denver was a huge success. But this college success only lasted one semester due to the lack of his financial funds. He could then no longer pursue an engineering career or a college education, Gonzales would then shortly after move on to professional sports and find that he had a liking for boxing, Having never boxed before, he would now be getting into something that would change his life forever. -Boxing Career- While pursuing his boxing career, Denver's boxing scene was not in the best of shape. It was said to have been corrupt in the early 1940's by newspapers, boxers themselves as well as reporters. Like Jeffery T. Sammons said when he wrote his book Beyond the Ring "The misfortunes that plagued Denver's boxing were symptomatic of deeper and more serious ills infecting the sport.”2Hinting to the fact that Denver's boxing world was at one of the lowest states that it had ever seen before. When Gonzales was making his appearance in what was known in amateur boxing as the bantamweight division, he still had some hoops to jump through before landing in Denver's spotlight as one of the top and well known boxers of his day. It wasn’t until he had won two Golden 2 Jeffery T, Sammons, Beyond the Ring: The Role of Boxing in American Society (Urbana: University of Ilincis Press, 1988). Pg. 42.Gloves titles, one in 1946 and the other in 1947, that Gonzales would not only put Denver back on the map as a good boxing scene, but it was the start of his professional boxing career. It says and quotes in the Denver Rocky Mountain News April 15, 1947 of the sports section that “Gonzales last week became the first Colorado boy to win a national amateur title since the heyday of Eddie Egan.”* It was around this time that the name and face of Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales was starting to get recognition As Gonzales started to become a known face in the city of Denver and within the boxing world, he was in turn starting to get a lot of media coverage for these boxing achievements, such as the one just mentioned. The Rocky Mountain News even gave him the lead role in front of the other Denver boxers in a quote that reads “Corky Gonzales will lead the News-Elks team into action against the famed Cleveland Golden Gloves in the banner boxing show at City Auditorium next Wednesday night.”* It is news coverage such as this that gave Gonzales the boost he would later need when entering the political ring. It not only helped him in the boxing world for becoming a well leading prize fighter, but it also would help to give him a leadership state of mind for when he would enter into politics. Gonzales was on his way to becoming one of the world’s top featherweight boxing contenders, but before this took place, he would have some tough fights ahead of him to prove he was good enough to hold that title, Author Tom I, Romero II, in his article “Wearing the Red, White and Blue Trunks of Aztlan: Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales and the Tom |. Romero il, “Wearing the Red, White and Blue Trunks of Aztlin: Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales and the ‘Convergence of American and Chicano Nationalism,” America: History and Life with full text, Aztlin 29:1 (spring 2004): pg.88, accessed March 12, 2012, http://0- giournals.ebsco.com.skyline.ucdenver.edu/lournal2.asp?Journall=711483 “Rocky Mountain News, April 15", 1947Convergence of American and Chicano Nationalism,” argues that a fight between Gonzales and his opponent Charles Riley, that actually came to be one of Gonzales’ last boxing fights in August of 1951, would forever change the people of Denver's view of Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales. When Gonzales defeated Charles Riley, who had been in the number three spot of, the featherweight division of professional boxing, it had now put Gonzales where Riley once sat. Things could not have going in a better direction for the young Corky Gonzales. He was now starting to become a recognizable face that Denver fight fans and especially Mexican Americans could now look up to as a face of hope and inspiration. Romero says “Gonzales secured a measure of national respect that had not been given to a Colorado fighter in more than 20 years.”s This idea, given by Romero, would suggest that the people of Denver and throughout the nation would know for certain, that Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales was man of achievements. ‘After Gonzales had become a symbol of hope and of inspiration to the people of, Denver, including the youth and the Mexican American community, the media was starting to give him credit for the challenges and obstacles he had gone through to get to where he now was.. Chet Nelson, who wrote for the sports pages of the Rocky Mountain News, in 1947 said that “Gonzales became a boxer ‘the hard way,’ earning bumps and bruises in his, rise through the amateur ranks.”* This, among other writings and stories in the media, showed that the young Corky Gonzales was at where he was in the professional boxing level because of hard work and dedication; and did not take the easy way up. At this time STom I. Romero Il, “Wearing the Red, White and Blue Trunks of Aztlan: Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales and the Convergence of American and Chicano Nationalism,” America: History and Life with full text, Aztlan 29:1 (spring, 2004): pe.89, accessed March 12, 2012, htto://0- ‘elournals.ebsco.com.skyline.ucdenver.edu/Journal2.asp2JournallD=711483 * Rocky Mountain News, August 11, 1950and point of his career is where, people such as Tom Romero, say that Gonzales was starting to become a role model for the Denver boxing seen, that had shortly before been looked at with disappointment and shame. Not only was the Denver boxing commission looked down upon, but also not many boxers wanted to compete and take a chance of ending their careers. Ifa boxer were to take a certain amount of money to take a hit and fall in the second round, then that means that he was taking a chance of not knowing how hard another boxer may hit him and where. The boxers knew that to get hit in the right place at the wrong time while in the ring fighting, was an almost known way of injury. Not many fighters wanted to put at risk their careers or their lives in the poorly regulated Denver boxing rings. This was because, according to Jeffery T. Sammons “The ineptitude of the Colorado Boxing Commission and the absence of well-funded local fight promoters were minor nuisances compared to the widespread perception of professional boxing as virulently corrupt.” 7 Gonzales was one of the few boxers who had put notions such as the boxing commission.as being corrupt aside and continued fighting anyway. The media was also still giving him the credit for being such a renown boxer that any young person in America would desire at a young age. Also, according to writers such as Nelson, boxing was what “clean-cut, red-blooded American boys" did to not only stay out of trouble, but perhaps the idea that boxing was a sport that made a real man out of young boys who came from places such as the east part of Denver. It was quotes and headlines like these that would shape ‘Tom |. Romero Il, “Wearing the Red, White and Blue Trunks of Aztlén: Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales and the Convergence of American and Chicano Nationalism,” America: History and Life with fulltext, Aztlsn 29:1 (spring. accessed March 12, 2012, http://0- edu/Journal2.asp?iournall 11483and form Corky Gonzales to be viewed as this all American home-bred all-star. As if the color of his skin was not an issue and his Mexican American background had little to nothing to do with where he came from, where he grew up, or even what he may have personally thought he stood for. It was extremely rare that the media would pay respect and give credit to Gonzales’ nationality. The press or media might make comments that would hint to the idea that Gonzales came from a Mexican-American heritage, but never giving him the kind of credit that supported his heritage. Putting an emphasis on or hinting to the fact that he was a Mexican-American who had come from the east side of Denver, where the poor side of the city was in the 1940's, the media was also giving him a low label as if he was coming from near nothing but that of hope. Even Romero said that in the 1940's “Denver's mainstream press continued to portray the Mexican American community in a largely negative light.” So not only did the media throughout Gonzales’ boxing career choose not to touch on or make but few to no references of his Mexican American background or ethnicity, and if they did, they made it seem as though it didn’t matter for him. During his boxing career, the media chose to stay away from Gonzales’ Mexican heritage, but it was still sometimes present among readings in local newspapers that would refer to him as ‘Senor Corky Gonzales.’ As though they wanted to keep this certain image of him in light of an American Hero and as to speak of his ethnicity would lose the followings of white Anglo Americans. It was nowhere near the same as when he decided to play along in the ring of politics, because as seen over recent years, politics in the 1960's and 70's was more of a ring for the White Americans. When in boxing during this time of racialidentification in the United States, when people of a different skin color than white, had to fight for equal rights, author Tom Romero shows us “when a young man of color like Gonzales became professional, it represented something altogether different than when a white boxer decided to make the same move.” Hinting to the idea that young white men of this time who were involved in such sports as boxing, didn’t make as much news coverage as when a man of color, like Gonzales did. Instead the media portrayal of him was almost covering up the fact that he was a Mexican-American, Not only did Gonzales recognize this, he knew that what the media chose to portray him as was not actually who he was, but rather what he was doing, which was boxing and winning fights on and in American grounds. This was just the beginning for Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales of Denver Colorado and his rise to fame. Gonzales’ boxing career was the first of many stepping-stones that would be put into play and utilized as he began his political climb. Little did the media or such writers of the Rocky Mountain News as Chet Nelson know, that the fame Gonzales gathered from these news blasts were also paving the way for a young Mexican-American forever be remembered as world-class boxing hero who had put Denver boxing back to a form of respectable standards. Gonzales’s boxing record and stardom would go to show how the media relates his past of boxing with the current of politics. His portrayal within the media is not only based on who he was as a boxer and where he was from, but it also gives. Gonzales a certain appearance, as though he was and is a fighter, who doesn’t play games in "Tom |, Romero i, “Wearing the Red, White and Blue Trunks of Aztlén: Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales and the Convergence of American and Chicano Nationalism,” America: History and Life with full text, Atl3n 29:1 (spring 2004): pg.93, accessed March 12, 2012, http://0- elournals.ebsco.com.skyline.ucdenver.edu/Journal2.asp2/ournall =711483or out of the boxing ring. The media goes to also help construct a path in which Gonzales uses to help expand his political achievements and use them to his beneficial needs in order to get where he is determined to be, ata position where he can demand rights and equality for the Chicano people. Just as he did when he was a boxer, using specific methods and strategies against his opponents to get to where he felt he needed and wanted to be. -Changes in Media, Boxing and Politics- The sport of boxing has changed over the years and so has the game of politics. Like that of politics and boxing, the news and the media is also something that has changed and developed. The idea of people wanting to hear news about what is going on in the world hasn't changed, because not only has the idea of news and information about the world been around since one can remember, but people are always looking for some sort of entertainment. Not only is the news the source ofa lot or people’s information on what is happening in the world today, but when you have people writing for journals, newspapers and articles, the people behind the media and news have the notion that you want to read not only what they print, but take what has been printed and accept it for what it is and how itis said about something. News and bias within the news has always been and will always be. Some researchers at the University of Stanford have the opinion that because “major news organizations are owned by corporations, and the market for control should lead these corporations to maximize profits rather than follow personal views.”® This could lead some to believe that these organizations feed off of the demand of the public and try to make a * David P. Baron, “Persistent Media Bias: Theories and Measurement of Media Bias,” Graduate School of Business, ‘Stanford University (April 19,2005). Accessed March 2, 2012,10 profit from what they are selling as well. It could be safe to say that there are certain biases in almost all news corporations today. To agree that a person thinks or feels a certain way about or towards another human because of what they have read, have seen on television, heard on the news, or from what their family and friends have told them is a reasonable thought to have when people make certain statements or references about someone of a different color of skin or that of a different cultural background. There has been research done that shows “how stylistic variables act as stimuli to evoke reader responses."!0 Which goes to show us how when the media is feeding us certain information about someone with these stylistic variables, can persuade our way of judgment about someone, based on these variables. When a particular piece of information is from the media and a person believes almost every word that is being said about a group of people, maybe it is because of this specific chosen media that some people strongly believe what they do or choose to believe. “Newspapers can receive an identical signal about the truth and can slant their stories by omitting some of the information.” [tis possible that this is true for people of Latino/a decent. People like Rodolofo “Corky” Gonzales when he was making his political run for such positions as mayor of Denver, head of organizations as the war of poverty and head of the neighborhood youth corps. By Describing the color of a person's skin or their nationality within a broadcast or public documentation could be used to take aim at what the writer or media at hand is trying to focus on. In the case of Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales being a Mexican American whose parents had come from Chihuahua Mexico to start a new ** Donald 6. Elis, Michae! Burgoon, Rodney Reynolds, Terry Slater, Judee K.Burgoon, Bradley 5. Greenberg and Felipe Korzenny, “Statistical Analysis of Newspaper Portrayals of Hispanic Americans in Six Western US, Communities,"( April 1981). Pg 1. Accessed March 14, 2012, * David P. Baron, “Persistent Media Bias: Theories and Measurement of Media Bias,” Graduate School of Business, Stanford University (April 19,2005). Accessed March 2, 2012.a life in the United States, it was starting to become obvious that Denver news was beginning to focus more of their attention on his Mexican American, Chicano and political stand point. Authors like Luis Alvarez and Daniel Widener wrote an article entitled “A History of Black and Brown: Chicana/o-African American Cultural and Political Relations."12 This article shows that even in recent and current sporting events, the distinguishing of race or ethnicity in the media is still present. Referring to the famously known Chicano and African American boxers, Oscar de la Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. who fought on May 5 of 2007 not only got media coverage surrounding the fact that one is Mexican American and the other African American, but that these two types of racial identities are still in what was seen in the 1930's and 40's as the all American sport. When reporting on the fight, one un- known individual within Je said “he might as well have been asking what makes one an African American or a Chicana/o, whether racial and ethnic differences need always divide us, or whether it might function as the basis for a shared cultural and political history.”!5 As these tensions within the media were taking place not but four to five years ago, we can say that media coverage during and on the political leadership of Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales was just starting to make room for what is to be labeled as “Chicano Nationalism.” Even according to the studies and statements made by Widener and Alvarez “During the course of the last two decades, African American and Chicano studies alike have taken a profound internationalist turn.” These turns were capable and able to happen because of people like Corky Gonzales. ™ Luis Alvarez and Daniel Widener “A History of Black and Brown: Chicana/o-African American Cultural and political Relations, ” America: History and Life, with full text, Aztlan vol.33 Issue 1 (spring 2008) * See above2 Gonzales was first known as a boxer, but a fighter none the less, so his intention to fight for what he thought was the right and correct thing to do for the Chicano people of Denver and all over the nation was where he was compelled to be, For a short while in January of 1949, Gonzales even got the chance to write sports related articles in what is now called the Denver Rocky Mountain news. He saw this as an opportunity for him to make a difference and try to get young adult Chicanos off of the street and into a place such as the boxing gym. He writes “I received two truly great honors, one of them being my selection as sports writer for this paper, the other being made an honorary probation officer by the Honorable Judge Gillian (with badge and all!).” Atthis time, it was not fora “Mexi ican,” to be a writ local newspay wi as on wales had gotten such jobs as being a wri se of havin: jes amony 10 were initially fans of him asa boxer. He chose to use these ties to help the youth of Denver make something of themselves and help raise the ideas that because you are a Mexican American living in a more poor part of town does not mean you have to let things like the media dictate where you stand and how you portray yourself to be in life. He not only used the media and his sports writing to spread hope, hope by giving people such as the youth a chance to become something more than trouble, He also wanted to show cultural appreciation through his writings in the newspaper by giving the people who read the icle the idea that Mexican-Americans wer me thought of them to be, lazy. dirty. wand w enough “Denver's mainstream pré ealize th: Mexican American did exist,""*says Tom Romero, As Gonzales made his stand for the * Rocky Mountain News, no dateB hicana, gi eak more clearly, asking the question of what steps needed to be taken, so that his people of Mexico who now live in the United States could not only get the same education as everyone else, but so they could live in an equal opportunity lifestyle just as the others did within the country. Even though media has changed over the years since Gonzales was in a political seat, things still needed to change for the Chicana/o people Political Climb: Over the years, Gonzales’s view on the world had been changing and evolving, He was no longer a young Mexican American fighting to make a living, and who no longer needed to make a name for himself. Through his boxing accomplishments, he had already made a name for himself. The people of Colorado and of the boxing world had already gathered a particular image of Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales. This image for most was displayed through the media. By 1977, the view of Gonzales through the media had drastically changed from when he was a professional boxer. According to the Rocky Mountain News, Gonzales’ personal image as well as his political image was changing, but not by much. “Denver Chicano Leader- Corky Gonzales has changed little."'5 The headline of the Sunday September 11 Newspaper read. As to say that Gonzales had always been a Mexican American boxer who always supported his people and fought for a change in and out of the ring his whole career, Rather than a Colorado professional boxer, who was ranked at one of the top seats in the world who had helped shape the view of Denver's boxing scene when it was at an all-time low end. Making points throughout the article that * Rocky Mountain News, September 11, 197714 “Gonzales is still a professional fighter of sorts”, taking significant notice on the essence of his fighting career before becoming politically involved. Moya, who is the author of the article, describes the clutter that surrounds Gonzales’ office, the folding chair that Gonzales sits in when talking and the books that he has in his office. Books such as “Strangers in ‘Their Own Land” and “A History of Mexican-Americans’, to show a certain image of someone who is unorganized and who doesn’t know their role in society as well as one might think. He was now to be seen and viewed as a former bail bondsman and professional boxer because it is as if he came from a working class job to a political leader that was well-known, Before calling an end to his boxing career, Gonzales was known through the media and to others as a fighter. He was known as this fighter who in 1951 had been ranked as one of the top three fighters of the professional boxing world. Over the years, Gonzales's view on the world was changing. He was no longer this young Mexican American who had to fight to make a living. He had to rel n himself t moves in o1 make some changes for his career, ‘As Gonzales was making his move into the political world, he wanted to fight for Chicano rights, he also had some helping hands along the way. He had some key players within the justice system who were able to help make this political move possible. One of, these key players included Judge Philip Gilliam. Gilliam helped Gonzales take one of his first steps into the world of politics. He had gained friends such as Judge Gilliam, because of making a name for himself through boxing, which the media would make a great | “Rocky Mountain News, September 11, 197715, contribution to, Gonzales in a picture with Judge Gilliam of the Pan-American News headlines reads “Corky Gonzales being deputized on January 21, by Judge Philip Gilliam as the first youth probation officer in Denver."*” It was a way for Gonzales to help the youth of his neighborhood and the youth of Denver's troubled teens become better citizens of society. If Gonzales was going to make this move, he needed people he knew to help him. He also needed to start where he knew he could make the most change. Without knowing too much about politics, Gonzales was going to have to make a struggle in the next couple of years so that he could gain more of the political knowledge that he would soon need. With the newfound knowledge he will be able to fight for what right and what's wrong based on the American system. The pi the Neighborhood Youth Crops took place in January of 1949. This would also happen to be during the reign of Gonzales’s boxing legacy. It was the first step of many into the scene of ‘ure and the crowning of Gonzales as the head of politics for Gonzales, because from this point on was the beginning of Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales the political leader. After such events as these took place, the newspapers and media in general were beginning to take a negative view at the fact that Gonzales was a Mexican American. He was a Mexican American who was in the process of trying to make change in a world that was corrupted with that of racial tension. The fight to move up socially and politically is that of a narrow fight that would only be seen through the lens of the superior race. This was also a time when boxing, the media and politics were all on the verge of change. What had used to be seen as one of the top all-American home grown sports, boxing was slowly going behind the shadows of the more popular sports and started to fade away into the ” Pan-American News, Janurary 194916 ning to broadcast and starting to thing of the past. The media and the news were bey make their way on to television. This was also the time when the transition for the television set coming into the common household of the American citizen was also making its way into play. As for politics, Democrats had been in the white house for almost a quarter century until Eisenhower took the seat as a Republican in 1952. The significance of ted States were going major cha s in all aspects and this too was happening for Corky Gonzales, Gonzales wanted to take a stand in politics and show how Mexican-American decent were being seen and treated as not equal to those of white pigmentation. This was also a time that dealt with civil rights, where sooner than later people such as Martin Luther king were fighting for the rights of those of African Americans decent and the inequalities. Gonzales had shown that he was ready for the task of fighting for what he saw as equality. But before he could take a fight, he would have to train, as he did when he was a boxer. Denver Rocky Mountain News also believed that he to prepare for a fight, “As in his boxing career, Gonzales had to prove himself in the political ring,” This was true on many levels, but taking that first step into the political ring as head of the youth probations officer of Denver was just the beginning of how Gonzales began his personal and public endeavor. In 1957 Gonzales became the first Mexican American to become the Democratic District Captain of Denver. While earning two thousand less votes than a previous Colorado state representative who was running for Mayor, the Democratic leaders then asked Gonzales to lead a political drive. Before he was able to make much progress in the * Rocky Mountain news, (no specific date), 1958 * Rocky Mountain News, July 26, 19587 political sphere and as the newly democratic district captain of Denver, Gonzales had gotten arrested for beating an off duty police officer at a Denver nightspot. This was the chance for the local media to negatively broadcast the fact that Gonzales was a Mexican American who had physically hurt a police officer. Using Gonzales's ethical background as a minority, the media was acting as a tiger and ready to attack. The headline for the incident of the 1958 Rocky Mountain News on July 26% read “Democratic Captain Jailed Following Brawl in Tavern.” This incident would lead to not only have the media bringing up his political stance, but his boxing past as well. “Gonzales, at one time a ranking featherweight boxer, is the Democratic Captain in North Denver District No.3.”2° This allows him to put his foot in the door into a different realm due to his ties to his previous career. The media would also make analogies like “Gonzales in ‘Ring’ With Jury.”*! Gonzales was not alone in the courtroom when being accused of beating an off duty policeman. He was far from alone. He had Democrats such as Charles F. Brannan, who was the former secretary of agriculture, William E. Doyle, who was a future Colorado Supreme Court federal judge and a state house leader Robert Allen. His fellow supporters were all in Corky's political corner when the trial took place. It seemed to be that Gonzales was a young up and comer in the political spotlight with nothing but friends to call on when needed. This goes to show as Romero highlights that “Gonzales's boxing past proved to be a tremendous asset in press representations.”22 In 1960 while still being part of the Democratic party of Denver, Gonzales began to run a campaign entitled “Viva Kennedy.” This was in order to pull votes in the Mexican * Rocky Mountain news, no date ® Rocky Mountain News, no date * Rocky Mountain News, no date.18 ‘American community to help get John F. Kennedy elected president“ While Kennedy did not fulfill the hopes of many Mexican American leaders, their sprits were raised when yndon B Johnson became president.” 3 The Mexican-Americans supported LB] because he was able to give the community hope through his speeches that inspire them to vote for him for President in 1964. People such as the up and coming political leader Rodolfo Gonzales was neither happy nor satisfied with how things had turned out. He would then seek to find a way to take matters into his own hands. Gonzales tried to make a stretch and run for a seat for the Colorado House of Representatives, By pursuing the house seat, Gonzales would have media saying things as “First Round Lost by Corky Gonzales-Denver bail bondsman can legally run for Colorado House of Representatives.” It was a no brainer that they were using his previous career to bring him down from the spotlight, When Tom Currigan became the new Denver Mayor, he had put Gonzales as the director of the Neighborhood Youth Corps (NYC) in 1965. The ‘media did not hesitate to jump on the newfound news. The media not only wanted their hands on Gonzales becoming head of the youth corps, but Gonzales had also shortly before became the chairman of Denver's War on Poverty. He had been selected by the Denver Poverty Board. The two organizations were linked together. They were two posts that Gonzales had not only accepted, but saw as a way into making a change for Mexican Americans in Denver. On April 18, 1969 a Rocky Mountain News sub heading reads “Elusive Term ‘Chicano’ Is Defined at Conference.” Not only is the term Chicano and * Tom L Romero il, "Wearing the Red, White and Blue Trunks of Atlin: Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales and the Convergence of American and Chicano Nationalism,” America: History and Life with fulltext, Aztlan 29:1 (spring 2004): pe.102, accessed March 12, 2012, http://0- ‘ejournals.ebsco.com skyline ucdenver.edu/Journal2.asp2Journall=711483,19 Chicano Nationalism widely used today, but because of this, the reference to Mexican Americans would forever change from this day forward. The paper underlines the question of what it means to be a Mexican American and reads “Is being a Chicano different than being a Mexican-American? Is it different than being an American? The answer is both yes and no, because there is no simple meaning of “Chicanismo’’- itis a concept and a feeling that bears many definitions.”* The media would go on to interpret such words as Chicano and the idea of the Mexican Ame in on what it means to be a Chicano living in the United States. It is almost as if the media is going to show that being a Mexican American who is proud of themselves and their people is something that has never been seen before. To label Mexican Americans as being so much different from the average white American by having a different skin color and a different cultural heritage puts a questioning figure on those who are white and speak English, With Gonzales directly fitting this given label. it hinders his image. Taking a note on that fact that when Gonzales was elected for both the war on poverty, as well as the youth corps, the press made it known that before coming into these positions, Gonzales was a professional boxer, along with sports bar owner and a local bail bondsman. As to say that Gonzales does not belong within the political spotlight. Moreover the fact that Gonzales is a better fit among such people who are bartenders, bail bondsman’s and boxers. Which is to say thathe fits along the lines of anything but the white American male in a suit and tie persona, While attending his job as a war on poverty chairman, Gonzales was chosen to lead a picketing demonstration in Pueblo, shortly after he was chosen as a delegate for the democratic party, says Jack Gaskie of The Rocky * Rocky Mountain News, No date20 Mountain news’. He and his followers were concerned with the fact that war on poverty board of pueblo “chose an Anglo over a Spanish-named person as head of their battle."26 There soon after, Gonzales was fired from his position as head of the youth corps by Mayor Currigan. Currigan said the reason he fired Gonzales was because “Gonzales failed to realize that as a public official he had to conduct himself with dignity after working hours."27 .eded to rofessional eat all time. Gonzales and others among the local community did not take the situation lightly. Some individuals among the community demanded to hear reasoning on why the firing of Gonzales even took place. For the local community, the quote that Currigan presented them with was not acceptable and was just not good enough. “Youth Walk Out as Mayor Explains Firing of Gonzales.” This is a headline and an example of how some of these local community protesters took mayor Currigan’s decision. Not too many among the local Chicano community took this firing of Gonzales well. Thereafter, in 1966 Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales founded an organization entitled “The Crusade for Justice.” The Crusade for Justice was a civil rights organization advocating Chicano nationalism and substantive social change. ‘This was the chance for Gonzales to make the change for equality he had hoped to make between Denver and the nations Mexican-American communities. While in development of the organization and while taking focus on the idea of helping the Mexican-American youth and population in general, Gonzales said “The people identify with me. If someone—if a newspaper takes a crack at Rocky Mountain News, No date * Rocky Mountain News, April 29, 1965 ”’ see above ® News, December 26, 199121 me, they take a crack at them. They know I am on their side.”3° When beginning his role as, being leader of The Crusade For Justice and while still maintaining his position as head of Denver's War on Poverty, people started to get suspicious and concerned with what Gonzales’s intentions were. His intentions as being a chairman of the war on poverty and his position as leader of the Crusade for Justice were starting to clash while sending mixed signals to such viewers as the media. On April 22, 1966 the Denver Rocky Mountain news posted an article that showed Gonzales wanting to make a better stand for more Spanish- ‘American peoples. He was acting like “quite a wild man,"one of these articles read. He was also, according to the Rocky Mountain News doing “militant activities on behalf of. Spanish-Americans.” The media, it seemed, was showing Gonzales as focusing a lot more on the newly founded Crusade for Justice organization rather than acting as his duty as chairman on Denver's war on poverty stand. The media was starting to shy away from the issue in a way that for the idea of putting the rights of Chicanos before or while attending Denver's war on Poverty was exactly what some did not want. People among the political realm did not want to see Gonzales putting his own nationality above all else before pertaining his responsibilities to ig a fight that he could not win alone and Denver's War on Poverty, Gonzales was begin would continue to be fought long after he was no longer around. Fighting was what Gonzales was taught to do. Whether it was during his boxing years, or whether it was while making his political leadership witnessed and known. As the media was beginning to question Gonzales's faithfulness and loyalty to Denver's War on Poverty, he had some plans * Rocky Mountain News, September 29, 1965 Rocky Mountain News, April 22, 196622 of his own to answer their concern. He was known to organize rallies and picketing demonstrations to make sure that people within the media and in the political sphere, like ‘Tom Currigan, would get the point of what he was trying to do. Getting places like Denver and all over the nation to understand that the War on Poverty was only a part of the battle that tied in with inequality. Gonzales had gone about acknowledging these other battles by doing such things as giving speeches at demonstrations, where he quoted phases like “We "22 in 19 inform th wre un-aware e situations. This was, the new and improved movement of Chicano Nationalism, becoming something that no one in the city of Denver, or the nation would be able to ignore. The news and media would also find ways in the future to use these types of quotes and statements against Gonzales, as well as other things of his past. Trying to make Gonzales i though it was n i re than barbaric and mili intenti rican societ becoming this known political leader and Chicano activist, some within the media and of the political spectrum, would see this action as disappearing from his duties to Denver's war on poverty and its local needs. News articles would say things like "Street fighter, stoop laborer, professional boxer, bail bondsman, organizational politician, poet, political rebel, playwright, minority group member. And candidate for mayor. That's Rudolph Gonzales, Or Rodolfo Gonzales. Or Corky Gonzales. He’s known by all three names. Known, and glared at or applauded, depending upon the company he’s in.” ® Rocky Mountain News, April 22, 1966, * Tom |, Romero il, “Wearing the Red, White and Blue Trunks of Aztlén: Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales and the Convergence of American and Chicano Nationalism,” America: History and Life with fulltext, Aztlin 29:1 (spring 2004): pg., accessed March 12, 2012, http://0- eiournals.ebsco.com.skyline.ucdenver.edu/Journal?.asp2JournallD=711483,23 By the media starting to label the Crusade for Justice organization as that of one which is militant was suggesting that because they would attend and start protests or crowd demonstrations, they were an organization associated with violence, By taking shots at Gonzales the media was also enabling him to get his point across to all those who were listening. He was setting the stage for something much bigger than himself and others, but he was setting the stage for the future of the Mexican American. Having the media take swings at the idea that he was putting the nationalism of the Chicano above such things as the war on poverty made it easier for Gonzales to make headlines as a representative of his people. Gonzales was taking a stand for something that was starting to get worse and worse as the years past. “Gonzales Appeals to ‘Own People” Denver Post editorial writer Art Branscombe wrote. “Most Denverites paid little attention to the gathering last week of some 2,500 Hispanos, most of them young, from all over the Southwest at the second annual Chicano Youth liberation Conference, led by Denver's charismatic Hispano leader Rodolfo (Corky) Gonzales.”3+ The concern that Gonzales, along with other fellow members of the Crusade for Justice, as well as the Mexican-American community, had for their equality in American society had to be fought for and recognized through demonstrations and gatherings such as these, -Conclusion- i r jolfo “Corky” Gi as stood for and left behind for the equal hi will alws e remembered when the term Chicano is used, Although the media gave two different portrayals of Gonzales, one as a young home grown American boxer, who stood for | Roca Mountain News, Mareh 22,196924 ‘numerous accounts of heroism for the Mexican-American community and for the troubled nver; and t} sxican-Al ical leader ma side of Denver wl lity an ortraye “Corky” images the) im_as we boxer and as a political leader, Gonzales would be molded by the cases in which the media rate him, jing hea rican ideal, tot who gave ne they «1 mn_and loo! change and equality.