On The Shoulders of Giants

The cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead asserted that it is the grassroots citizen, the common everyday hero, who is the only hope for bringing about change in society. This biography of Angel Guerrero Diaz illustrates the truth in Mead's assertion. Angel Diaz was born to a Mexican American migrant family in the early 1930's. Despite his early years as a migrant child, Angel managed to receive a functional education and attain personal success. This biography, however, focuses on the years of service that Angel gave to his community at a time when Mexican Americans were making headway in the social and political arena. A major theme of the biography is the influence of the many who through their commitment and perseverance helped to shape Angel's passion for service, as expressed in the title of the book, On the Shoulders of Giants, The Story of Angel Diaz. Opening chapters introduce the Mexican American pioneers who first came into the Delano area, including his father whose years of sacrifice and hard work illustrate attributes that inspired Angel's work ethic and value system. The stories of these people influenced Angel's sense of justice - that the rights of all be respected, preserved, and guarded. The chapters that follow serve to lay a foundation for Angel's proactive participation in education, veterans' affairs, political and social action, and business opportunities for minorities. In the 1970s, a good friend encouraged him to get involved in the political process, in particular leadership on the local high school's board of trustees. When he hesitated, she asked him to come to "just one" district board meeting and witness the apathy toward tackling issues that directly effected minority students. One meeting was all it took to activate Angel's sense of justice. He ran for and won a seat on the Delano Joint Union High School District Board of Trustees, thus serving a school that had a reputation for abysmally low scores on standardized tests and an exceptionally high dropout rate, especially among minorities. With the focused and sometimes controversial leadership strategies employed by the elected school board, great strides were made. Delano High School evolved from being labeled one of the "worst schools in the nation" to a California Distinguished School. Angel's interest in establishing minorities as homeowners, business owners, and investors is highlighted. As a vice president of Presidio Savings and Loan, Angel was able to see this goal come to fruition. Unfortunately, during the recession of the 1980s, this endeavor was curtailed by federal regulators who closed Presidio, the only Hispanic-owned Savings and Loan in the nation at the time. Angel was recently exonerated from the accusations flung at him and fellow directors by the federal government and the experience served to caution him as to the all-encompassing power of the government and the importance of being politically involved. Angel's friendship with and support of Cesar Chavez, the leader of the Grape Strike in the 1960s, is explored. The Strike polarized the community and the challenges Angel faced during these years served to strengthen his resolve even if it meant years of financial struggle. A primary theme throughout the narrative is the passion that Angel has for the power of the vote and his gratitude to the giants who paved the way for him and fellow political activists. One of the strengths of the book is the supporting historical information. The themes in this story serve as a microcosm of the social history of the Mexican American in the Southwest. The goal of this book is to present a call to action with the hope that future generations will carry the baton passed on by the social giants of Mexican American history - inspiring and motivating those who read it to confront the apathy that seems to permeate the present culture.