Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales | Rodolfo Corky Gonzales Google Doodle. | i am joaquin poem Rodolfo Gonzales.
Who was Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales?
Google Doodle honors Rodolfo ‘Corky’ Gonzales, boxer, poet, and activist. Rodolfo ‘Corky’ Gonzales Google Doodle slideshow celebrates life of Rodolfo Gonzales and his poem Yo soy Joaquín (“I Am Joaquín”).
On 1 October in 1970, the Escuela Tlatelolco Centro de Estudios, founded by Corky and his family, opened its doors as the first private school in United States history with a focus on Chicano/Mexican-American cultural studies.
When was Rodolfo Corky Gonzales born?
Rodolfo Gonzales was born on June 18, 1928, in Denver, Colorado.
As depicted in the early slides, Rodolfo and his siblings all worked in the fields, while his father was a coal miner, with each member of the family doing their part to survive during the Great Depression. Gonzales continued to work in beet fields even in high school, graduating at age 16.
Around this time, Gonzales’s uncle took notice of Rodolfo’s bursts of emotion and attitude, giving him the nickname “Corky” for his tendency to pop “like a cork.” In his teen years, Gonzales also found a passion for boxing, which he later turned into a career. Upon retiring from being a featherweight boxer in 1955, he managed a record of 65 wins, nine losses, and one draw.
In 1966, Gonzales organized a protest against a newspaper that printed racist commentary, an act which cost him his position as director of the local Neighborhood Youth Corps.
That same year, he founded an organization called Crusade for Justice, which helped provide food and job training as well as spread the word about the injustices being done to the Chicano community. Crusade for Justice was a significant part in the growing Chicano movement, which also taught people to be proud of their cultures and their differences.
#RodolfoCorkyGonzales
#RodolfoGonzales
#Rodolfo_Gonzales
#GoogleDoodle
What is the poem I Am Joaquin about?
His poem Yo soy Joaquín — translated “I am Joaquin” — which speaks to the inner struggles with identity that many faced while struggling to find their place in America. The poem covers an incredible swath of Mexican and Mexican-American history, intended to remind a younger generation of their culture and introduce others to the conflicts and complications of this heritage.
Where was Rodolfo Corky Gonzales born?
Denver, Colorado United States.