Texas. Good Neighbor Commission

A good neighbor policy was first established in Texas in 1943. The 48th Legislature passed House Concurrent Resolution 105, which called for equal treatment of Mexicans and other Latin Americans residing in or visiting the state. Based on this resolution, in June of that year Governor Coke Stevenson issued a proclamation establishing a good neighbor policy between Texas and Mexico, emphasizing equal treatment for Latin Americans in Texas. Following this move, the state was eligible for federal funding to put such a policy into effect. Later that same year, the Governor appointed the first Good Neighbor Commission, an unofficial seven-member commission, to carry out the good neighbor policy--generally correcting the undesirable conditions existing for individuals of Latin American descent in the state. In 1945 the 49th Legislature passed House Bill 804, establishing the Texas Good Neighbor Commission (GNC) as a temporary state agency. The Commission was composed of nine members, each appointed by the Governor with Senate approval to two-year terms. In 1947, the 50th Legislature, through House Bill 468, made the Good Neighbor Commission a permanent state commission. The members were now appointed to six-year, overlapping terms. A chair was elected by the members. Administrative duties were carried out by an Executive Secretary, later the Executive Director. The Commission was to meet annually in Austin, and otherwise as directed by the chairman. Eventually, the Commission met quarterly.

The initial mandate of the GNC was to promote inter-American goodwill, advance inter-American relations, and improve the conditions of Mexicans and those of Latin American ancestry in the state. During the early years, the Commission largely dealt with discrimination and related problems, such as school and housing segregation, and the treatment of braceros and migrant laborers. The Mexican government refused to allow the import of Mexican nationals for labor into areas with discrimination problems. This put a strain on several areas of the state needing unskilled laborers, especially for agriculture. To combat these problems, the GNC worked with local governments to establish local good neighbor or human relations councils which could deal with all but the severe discrimination cases. When a particular city/county had successfully resolved its discrimination problems the GNC would contact Mexican officials requesting removal of the area from the blacklist. The Good Neighbor Commission also launched a public awareness campaign to make Texans aware of such situations and measures taken or needed to improve conditions.

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