SOURCES - RESTROSPECT
1. I want to express my gratitude to Alberto Mijangos’ children Laura, Isabel, Renee, Alberto, and Mario, and to his wife Kay Mijangos, for their generosity and permission to access the artist’s archives.
2. Form letter produced by Alberto Mijangos on September 24, 1966 and sent to Saint Phillips College, San Antonio College, L.W. Fox Tech School, Our Lady of the Lake College, Trinity University, and St. Mary’s University where Mijangos encloses a copy of the Institute’s class schedule for the fall semester and introduces the faculty: Alma Rosa Martínez teaching Mexican Folklore, José Guadalupe Guardiana teaching painting, Alberto Mijangos teaching drawing, Jorge Martínez Zapata teaching music, Efrain G. Dominguez teaching Spanish language, and Rosalio Ortega teaching modern ballet. “Correspondencia copias, 1963-1966.” Mijangos Family Archive.
3. Mijangos’ archive is currently held in the Mijangos Family Trust, San Antonio, Texas.
4. México de Hoy June (Mexico: Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores, 1972) np. Mijangos Family Archive.
5. San Antonio Express/News Insight, Section H, pages 1-12. Mijangos Family Archive.
6. M. Ruiz Ibanez, “Art, Culture Links Cited In U.S.-Mexico Friendship,” San Antonio Express News, nd. Newspaper clipping in Mijangos Family Archive.
7. Gerald Ashford, “Exhibit of Mexican Art Opens Sunday,” nd. Newspaper clipping in the Mijangos Family Archive.
8. See the exhibition catalogue Arte de México a traves de los siglos (Mexico City: Librería Madero, 1960).
9. See the hefty exhibition catalogue Mexico: Splendors of Thirty Centuries (New York City: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1990).
10. Newspaper clipping in the Mijangos Family Archive titled “Arts,” nd. A second exhibition organized by Mijangos, 9 pintores contemporáneos de San Antonio, Tejas traveled to the Palacio de Bellas Artes in July of 1965. The artists were photographed by the Mexican daily Excelsior gifting a painting to President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz.
11. Press Release crafted by Alberto Mijangos on March 14, 1964. Mijangos Family Archive.
12. See “Memorandum,” official correspondence from Alberto Mijangos to Ambassador Álvarez Acosta where under the subtitle “Metas del Instituto” Mijangos lists these seven goals.
13. Press Release crafted by Alberto Mijangos on March 14, 1964 in which he states, “El Sr. Embajador Miguel Alvarez Acosta, Director del Organismo de Promoción Internacional de Cultura, Perteneciente a la Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores, concibió la formación de un grupo de danzas folkloricas de México y Estados Unidos para que ellos saludarán a los miles de visitants del sur y del norte, y para que sus presentaciones dieran el mensaje de paz, cordialidad y Amistad que nuestros mandatarios desean para el mundo,” in “Correspondencia copias” from 1963-1966. Mijangos Family Archive. Author’s translation.
14. Manuel Ruiz Ibañez, “Youth Fulfills Dream by Joining Mexican Ballet,” The Sun 6.10(December 29, 1970), Page 1.
15. Notably, on April 26, 1965 Mijangos wrote to Ambassador Álvarez Acosta to comment on unoccupied buildings within the HemisFair ’68 perimeter along the San Antonio River. That the buildings demolition would not occur for some time, Mijangos suggested renting one of the spaces for the Institute’s activities, to make their presence better known to the HemisFair planners. Mijangos inquiries were redirected in March by Carlos Feymann to Bill Jackson of the Urban Renewal Agency. Mijangos’ could not advance the petition. On January 28, 1966, however, he accepted the invitation from Cyrus Wagner to join the Arts Council Advisory Committee for HemisFair 1968.
16. A letter from Mijangos to Ambassador Álvarez Acosta dated August 20, 1968 informs the Ambassador that Allison Peery has just notified the Institute that their petition to move into the Mexican Pavilion has been approved. Mijangos Family Archive, “Correspondencia, copias, 1968 in chronological order.” In 1969 Mijangos produced a document “Breve resumen historial sobre la trayectoria ascendente, progresiva y de expansion de las actividades del Instituto Mexicano Americano de Intercambio Cultural,-Desde su iniciación a la Fecha-,“ where he concludes on page 3 “En Septiembre de 1969, se inauguró con una exposición variada de las Artes de México, la aperture del Instituto en el anteriormente Pabellón Mexicano, firmándose diferentes contratos por un término de 5 años, con la ciudad de San Antonio, estableciéndose en forma simbólica, una renta de Dls. 1.00 por año.” Mijangos Family Archive.
17. See “Lista de diversas organizaciones y universidades que han colaborado en las actividades del Instituto Mexicano Americano de Intercambio Cultural desde el año de 1960 a la fecha,” p. 1-2. Mijangos Family Archive.
18. “Salute to Mexico in Drama, Music,” San Antonio Express News (April 5, 1970), 1B. Mijangos Family Archive.
19. See “John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum: Alliance for Progress (Alianza para el progreso)” https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/alliance-for-progress. Accessed October 1, 2019.
20. See “John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum: Remarks of Senator John F. Kennedy Democratic Dinner, San Juan, Puerto Rico, December 15, 1958” https://www.jfklibrary.org/archives/other-resources/john-f-kennedy-speeches/san-juan-pr-19581215. My emphasis. Accessed September 28, 2019.
21. Miguel Berry, “Ethnic Culture Rebirth Pushed,” San Antonio Express (October 28, 1970), p. 1A, 20A. Mijangos Family Archive.