Letter
Under separate cover we are sending you a copy of SLEEPY LAGOON MYSTERY by Guy Endore — the story of the Sleepy Lagoon case.
The case itself, we believe, is of great importance. Our primary concern, of course, is to see to it that the defendants in the case secure a reversal of the judgement of conviction - a judgment which represents an extreme miscarriage of justice. But we are also interested in the wider implications of the case.
Residing in Los Angeles County is a large minority group - our so-called Mexican minority. Not only is this the largest minority in our midst, but the resident Mexican population constitutes the largest urban Mexican population outside of Mexico City. As a consequence, everything that adversely affects this minority has immediate and widespread repercussions throughout Mexico and Latin-America. In a very real sense, therefore, a large measure of responsibility for the continuing success of the Good Neighbor policy rests upon the citizens of this community.
To discharge our enormous national and international responsibilities in the post-war period, it is imperative that we secure the largest possible measure of unity. If full employment is to be maintained, if a real world organization for peace and security is to be established, it is vitally essential that divisive tactics should not threaten our internal security and capacity for cooperation.
It is for these reasons that we are sending you a copy of SLEEPY LAGOON MYSTERY. We want your interest, support and backing.
National Chairman
Courtesy of Dept of Special Collections/UCLA Library, A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library, 405 Hilgard Ave, Box 951575, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575; http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/special/scweb/
http://content.cdlib.org/view?docId=hb5h4nb6wz&brand=oac4
Title: Letter, Los Angeles, Calif. to Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee supporters
By: McWilliams, Carey, 1905-, Correspondent, Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee, Sponsor
Date: 1943 or 1944
Contributing Institution: Dept of Special Collections/UCLA Library, A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library, 405 Hilgard Ave, Box 951575, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575; http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/special/scweb/
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Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee
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