Valor

James B. Lane, Rogelio "Roy" Dominguez

Description

The inspiring autobiography of a Hispanic leader

The son of Hispanic immigrants, Rogelio "Roy" Dominguez grew up in gang-plagued Gary, Indiana. With strong family support, he managed to beat the odds, graduating with distinction from Indiana University, finishing law school after a rough start, and maturing into a successful attorney and officeholder. Yet there was more in store for Roy. Ready to start a family and embark on a career as a deputy prosecutor, he was stricken with Guillain-Barré syndrome. How he coped with and eventually overcame this debilitating affliction is a compelling part of his story. The experience steeled him to meet future crises with wisdom, perspective, and grit. An inspiring true story, Valor is also a significant and original contribution to the social, ethnic, and political history of Indiana.

Foreword by Evan Bayh
Preface
Chapter One: Roots
Chapter Two: Growing Up
Chapter Three: Teen Years
Chapter Four: Work and College
Chapter Five: State Trooper and Law Student
Chapter Six: Advances and Setbacks
Chapter Seven: Evan Bayh and Statewide Office
Chapter Eight: 1990s Political Campaigns
Chapter Nine: Becoming Lake County Sheriff
Chapter Ten: Triumph and Tragedy
Chapter Eleven: Second Term
Chapter Twelve: Dreaming Big
Conclusion: Core Values
Afterword by James B. Lane

Sujets

• Law Enforcement
• Political
• Lettres et linguistique
• Biography
• Politics
• Autobiography

Informations

• Publié par: Indiana University Press
• Date de parution: 12 juillet 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780253005953
• Langue: English

Extrait

Valor
The American Odyssey of Roy Dominguez
Valor
Rogelio Roy Dominguez
AS TOLD TO James B. Lane
FOREWORD BY Evan Bayh
INDIANA UNIVERSITY PRESS Bloomington Indianapolis
This book is a publication of

INDIANA UNIVERSITY PRESS 601 North Morton Street
Bloomington, Indiana 47404-3797 USA

iupress.indiana.edu

Telephone orders 800-842-6796
Fax orders 812-855-7931

2012 by Rogelio Dominguez and James B. Lane

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The Association of American University Presses Resolution on Permissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition.

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences-Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z 39.48-1992.

Manufactured in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Dominguez, Roy.
Valor : the American odyssey of Roy Dominguez / Rogelio Roy Dominguez as told to James B. Lane ; foreword by Evan Bayh.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-253-00232-7 (cl : alk. paper) - ISBN 978-0-253-00595-3 (eb) 1. Dominguez, Roy, [date] 2. Guillain-Barr syndrome - Patients - Indiana - Biography. 3. Lawyers - Indiana - Biography. 4. Indiana - Officials and employees - Biography. I. Title.
RC416.D66 2012 616.85 6 - dc23
2011047320

1 2 3 4 5 17 16 15 14 13 12
To my forebears, who fought hard to make a better life on this continent for their families.
To my parents, for their courage and sacrifice on behalf of their children.
To my siblings, for their help and guidance.
To my beloved wife, Betty, daughters, Veronica and Maria, son-in-law, Jason, and grandson, Dominic, who make my life fulfilled.
And a special thanks to Professor James B. Lane, whose assistance was invaluable.
Contents
FOREWORD Evan Bayh
PREFACE

1 Roots
2 Growing Up
3 Teen Years
4 Work and College
5 State Trooper and Law Student
6 Advances and Setbacks
7 Evan Bayh and Statewide Office
8 1990s Political Campaigns
9 Becoming Lake County Sheriff
10 Triumph and Tragedy
11 Second Term
12 Dreaming Big

CONCLUSION: CORE VALUES
AFTERWORD James B. Lane
EVAN BAYH
Foreword
I FIRST MET ROY DOMINGUEZ IN THE MID-1980S WHEN I WAS deciding whether or not to run for the office of Indiana secretary of state. He seemed to be a bright, articulate young man with an interest in good government whose encouragement I much appreciated. I got to know him during that campaign and when I ran successfully for governor in 1988. Even though he had been stricken with Guillain-Barr syndrome, a potentially debilitating muscular disorder that limited his mobility, he did not allow that to prevent him from having an active, vigorous life. Admiring his tenacity and devotion to public service, I appointed him chairman of the Worker s Compensation Board, the first Hispanic to head an Indiana state agency. His charge: to overhaul the rules and regulations of a board that had ceased to serve properly those in need of its services. With skill and patience he forged a consensus that modernized worker s compensation and made the agency responsive to those to whom it ministered. After Roy returned to northwest Indiana, I followed his political career with interest.
Reading Valor, Roy Dominguez s absorbing life story, reinforced my admiration for him and his parents, whom I was honored to meet when he was sworn into office in 1989. It is a fascinating story that not only will serve as an inspiration to Hispanics and others from working- class backgrounds but is a truly American odyssey of one who seized upon the country s unique opportunities and made the most of them. I recommend Valor to young people who aspire to a life of public service.
The center of everyday life was the family-household and the proximate community. It was here that past values and present realities were reconciled, examined on an intelligible scale, and mediated.
JOHN BODNAR , The Transplanted
The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics, whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men [and women] who can dream of things that never were.
PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY , in Dublin, Ireland, June 28, 1963, addressing the Irish Parliament
Preface
In Spanish the word valor means not only courage but also values and worth. Summers, when my Texas relatives arrived in Indiana to pick crops, I d sometimes go with them into the fields. Looking back, the experience seems spiritual, almost sacred, connecting me with my roots and teaching me to appreciate not only the hardships and sacrifices of those who came before me but also their love, devotion, and practical wisdom. One day my maternal grandfather turned to me and predicted that his way of life was ending and that in the future young people would need a good education in order to provide for their families. It was a lesson I never forgot. During more than half his working life, he was in constant pain and experienced asthmatic difficulties while doing manual labor, but he always gave an honest day s work. His valor was an inspiration to me.

In selecting a title for this autobiography, I sought to convey a quality of spirit that paid tribute to the sacrifices of my forebears and that might provide a moral compass for those moved by my life story. In Spanish the word valor is usually said with pride and emphasis, but I do not mean it in an egotistical sense. Rather I wish to honor those such as my parents whose strong heart and generous spirit made possible my own odyssey from Texas to Gary, Indiana.
On Friday, April 24, 2009, I spoke at Valparaiso University s Multicultural Center at the invitation of the minority law students. I had received a juris doctor (J.D.) degree from that institution s law school, so the day was full of memories for me. I told the students a little about myself and how fortunate and honored I was to be an alumnus of our law school. Recently the center had been defaced with racial epithets and vandalized by arsonists. The theme of my speech was, Don t let racially insensitive people make you fearful of pursuing your dream. Earlier that day, I had met with lawyers representing labor organizations around the state, exploring their reaction to a possible bid on my part to pursue a candidacy for governor of Indiana in 2012. I was pleased by their encouragement since unions are major supporters of the Democratic Party in terms of day-to-day support and campaign financial contributions. So, driving back from Indianapolis on I-65 on the day of the speech, I was feeling tired but enthusiastic.
I made mention to the students of the sacrifices others had made on behalf of civil rights for women and minorities and the heroes who fought during two world wars. I mentioned the hard times millions faced during the Great Depression and explained my parents struggles on behalf of their children. I told them about my ambitions to become a state trooper, a law school graduate, attorney, and sheriff. At each turn there were those who doubted I d ever reach my goal. Then I said I was going to let them in on a little secret - that my next hope and dream was to be governor of the State of Indiana. Suddenly the audience of three hundred students broke out in applause, which was very humbling and inspiring.
It so happened that a Post-Tribune contributing columnist, Jim Wolf, was present, as well as Mike Puente from National Public Radio. I told them afterward that I was not ready to announce my candidacy but was traveling around the state listening to others and exploring the possibility. Nonetheless, the story appeared on page one of the Post-Tribune and on National Public Radio and was picked up by the AP wire service. I started getting telephone calls and e-mails from all over the state encouraging me to run for governor. It was amazing and encouraging.
When talking to the Valparaiso law students, I thought about those persons who had given me guidance along the way - my family first and foremost, and then other mentors such as Indiana Senator Evan Bayh, First District Congressman Adam Benjamin Jr., Indiana University Northwest counselor Elsa Rivera, Lake County chief of police Gary Martin, longtime adviser John Key, teachers, professors, and many others. I can never repay them, but I can continue to give hope to others as they would want me to do.
I was inspired to write this book by my family, past and present, and for those yet to be born, as well as to those who gave their lives for our country either in the military or as public servants so that we may enjoy the fruits of American liberty. The United States has been and will be the beacon of light for the world. We should never forget those patriots who fought to preserve our freedom, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice and left behind loved ones who had to continue life without the touch of their dearly beloved. Let us go forth with life s passion, with animosity toward none and always mindful that we are One Nation under God.
Valor
God offers to everyone his choice between truth and repose. Take which you please - you can never have both.
RALPH WALDO EMERSON
We [Hispanics] are of a different variety simply because, unlike previous immigrants, most of us didn t come to America; instead America came to us.
ILAN STAVANS , The Hispanic Condition
ONE
Roots
My parents met in 1947 while both were working at a vegetable packing plant in Mercedes, Texas. My mother was a couple years older and more extroverted than Dad. She called him a ranchero, a reference to those who stayed on the farm and didn t go out on the town. His buddies, who were worldlier, had to coax him out of a truck to go