La Camara, 1939 - A “Mexican” Chamber of Commerce forms in Dallas

HISCEC’s Staff has been tracking different research papers that explain the foundations and principles of the first Hispanic Chambers of Commerce in the United States. We want to apply some of those principles into the virtual Hispanic Chamber of Commerce that we represent. Online Hispanics business owners need to work together in order to address the issues that limit the growth and development of their online businesses.

As we keep working towards HISCEC’s agenda, we will continue to learn from History in order to be able to deliver services that can provide benefits to HISCEC’s Members. We have taken some excerpts from the research paper written by Tatman to show you how the first generations of Hispanic business owners started to set the path for the current generations of Hispanic entrepreneurs, businessmen and businesswomen.

“La Camara’s genesis in Dallas is part of a movement started in 1928, with the Mexican Consular Service playing a prominent role. Mexican consuls stationed in the United States took an active role in trying to improve the lives of their citizens residing in the United States and Mexican Americans. Less known is the consuls’ sponsoring of more than one dozen Mexican chambers of commerce in Texas, New Mexico, California, and other states. The movement began in San Antonio, home to one of the nation’s most prestigious consulates during the first half of the
1900s.”

“…Consul General Enrique Santibáñez founded the San Antonio Chamber in 1928 and served as its first president. Like the Dallas Chamber, the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce survives and thrives today. The San Antonio model was used in 1939 in forming the Dallas Chamber.”

“…In 1939 eleven Hispanic small businessmen, one empresaria (female business owner), and Dallas’s Mexican consul formed a chamber of commerce. The founding was influenced by the social, political, and institutional isolation of the barrio, the default community leadership role of the local Mexican consul, and the greater chamber of commerce movement’s overall theme of providing protection to smaller businesses…”

“…The founding was influenced by the social, political, and institutional isolation of the barrio, the default community leadership role of the local Mexican consul, and the greater chamber of commerce movement’s overall theme of providing protection to smaller businesses. “La Camara Mexicana de Comercio de Dallas,” “The Mexican Chamber of Commerce of Dallas,” “The Dallas Mexican-American Chamber of Commerce,” “The Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce,” and “The Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce” are the chronological series of names of a continuing, sixty-seven year old voluntary association…”

“…The Mexican consul in San Antonio sponsored the founding of the first of more than a dozen Camaras Mexicanas de Comercio in the United States. Ten years later Adolfo G. Domínguez, Mexican Consul of Dallas helped twelve Dallas Hispanic business owners found La Camara Mexicana de Comercio de Dallas...”

“…The Mexican chamber of commerce movement and the founding of La Camara Mexicana de Comercio de Dallas reflected both the progressive ideals and founder anxieties seen within the greater chamber of commerce movement in the United States. La Camara’s barrio based founders joined with the consul to improve their own buying power by overcoming long-term abuses engaged-in by their vendors…Equally as important as the economic effect of the founding of the Chamber was the founders’ desire to improve the conditions of life in their community. Review of the chamber’s activities during the first ten years following its founding shows that community service initiatives and projects actually eclipsed business ones. While today’s robust and influential chamber is a powerhouse in providing resources to Hispanic business owners and budding entrepreneurs, effective community service continues to be key in their agenda. The founders’ dual goals were attained, then and now.” (Tatman, 2006)

If you are interested to read the complete paper written by Tatman, get your copy from the Journal of the West:

Tatman, Arthur T., “La Camara, 1939: A ‘Mexican’ Chamber of Commerce Forms in Dallas,” Journal of the West 45 (Fall 2006): 36--47.

Sincerely,

HISCEC Staff