The Biography of Casimiro Barela

By Jose E. Fernandez

"Barela's record as lawmaker and his active participation in the development of Colorado suffice to make his story worth telling. The Barela biography is the record of a legislative and political career filled with firsts for Mexicanos, a fact Fernandez underscores repeatedly when showering his subject with the epithets: "Perpetual Senator." "Father of the Colorado Senate," and "Forty Years a Legislator." Among Barela's accomplishments are his election as President Pro Tempore of the Colorado Senate in 1893, his appointment by the Mexican Government as Consul in Denver, and his appointment to a similar post by the government of Cosia Rica in 1897. Above all, Barela is shown to be a steadfast advocate for the Spanish-speaking community of southern Colorado, a noteworthy accomplishment considering that Colorado was a place where anti-Mexican sentiments ran high and often resulted in intimidation and open violence against the Spanish-speaking. Barela often asserted that 'Al tratarse de mi raza, especialmente si se trata de discriminar, abdico mis ideas en politica y me dedico a su defensa en todo tiempo y lugar.' [If it concerns my race, especially if it is a matter of discrimination, I abdicated my political ideologies and dedicate myself to its defense at all times and at all places]." Book jacket.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0826328806
• ISBN13: 9780826328809
• Release Date: December 2003
• Publisher: University of New Mexico Press
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.53 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.1" x 9.5"