Interpreting the Evidence
Vote for Javits (Jacob Koppel Javits), United States Senate, in Spanish, 1968
Suggested Teaching Instructions
Document Description
Flyer supporting Jacob Koppel Javits for re-election to the United States Senate, from "El Diario—La Prensa," in Spanish, 1968.
Historical Context
Translation from Spanish:
"Vote for Javits, He Votes for You
Senator Javits has fought
In favor of:
- tenants
- more anti-poverty funding
- better education and better jobs
And against:
- the Viet Nam War
- discrimination
- “organized crime”
And he has fought for the rights of Boricuas (Puerto Ricans):
• Co-author of the April 9, 1965 Voting Rights Amendment allowing for proof of literacy in Spanish to qualify for voting in U.S. elections.
• Co-sponsor (June 24, 1965) of legislation to prolong the tenure of the U.S.–Puerto Rico Commission on the Status of Puerto Rico.
• Co-author with Senator Robert F. Kennedy (July 13, 1965) of a joint resolution to declare July 25 as Puerto Rican Day.
• Co-sponsor of a $7.5 million bilingual education law to provide Hispanics with academic instruction without neglecting their cultural heritage.
• Sponsored the 1960 amendment providing federal unemployment insurance for Puerto Rico.
• Nominated the first Puerto Rican page in the U.S. Senate.
Now we ask each Puerto Rican to vote for Senator Javits, a great New Yorker, a great senator.
Let’s vote for the senator — re-elect Javits"
Born in a tenement on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Jacob Koppel Javits was the son of Jewish immigrant parents. As a liberal New York Republican sympathetic to labor and the poor, Javits served three terms in the House of Representatives and four terms in the U.S. Senate.
Starting in the 1940s, his rich and varied career in government spanned the administrations of seven presidents. The breadth and scope of his public policy interests and his support for civil rights and economic justice, as well as his ability to build multi-ethnic coalitions, allowed Javits to enjoy electoral success in a predominately Democratic city. In addition to promoting racial integration and reaching out to Hispanics and other minorities, Javits became the ranking minority member on the Foreign Relations Committee, while accruing greater seniority than any other New York senator. Javits led efforts to promote Latin American development during the 1960s by sponsoring congressional hearings on a Latin American Common Market.
Javits was not deterred from running for office when he was struck by the debilitating, and ultimately fatal, Lou Gehrig’s Disease. However, he lost his party’s support to Al D’Amato, ending his long and distinguished career in 1981.
"Vote for Javits, He Votes for You
Senator Javits has fought
In favor of:
- tenants
- more anti-poverty funding
- better education and better jobs
And against:
- the Viet Nam War
- discrimination
- “organized crime”
And he has fought for the rights of Boricuas (Puerto Ricans):
• Co-author of the April 9, 1965 Voting Rights Amendment allowing for proof of literacy in Spanish to qualify for voting in U.S. elections.
• Co-sponsor (June 24, 1965) of legislation to prolong the tenure of the U.S.–Puerto Rico Commission on the Status of Puerto Rico.
• Co-author with Senator Robert F. Kennedy (July 13, 1965) of a joint resolution to declare July 25 as Puerto Rican Day.
• Co-sponsor of a $7.5 million bilingual education law to provide Hispanics with academic instruction without neglecting their cultural heritage.
• Sponsored the 1960 amendment providing federal unemployment insurance for Puerto Rico.
• Nominated the first Puerto Rican page in the U.S. Senate.
Now we ask each Puerto Rican to vote for Senator Javits, a great New Yorker, a great senator.
Let’s vote for the senator — re-elect Javits"
Born in a tenement on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Jacob Koppel Javits was the son of Jewish immigrant parents. As a liberal New York Republican sympathetic to labor and the poor, Javits served three terms in the House of Representatives and four terms in the U.S. Senate.
Starting in the 1940s, his rich and varied career in government spanned the administrations of seven presidents. The breadth and scope of his public policy interests and his support for civil rights and economic justice, as well as his ability to build multi-ethnic coalitions, allowed Javits to enjoy electoral success in a predominately Democratic city. In addition to promoting racial integration and reaching out to Hispanics and other minorities, Javits became the ranking minority member on the Foreign Relations Committee, while accruing greater seniority than any other New York senator. Javits led efforts to promote Latin American development during the 1960s by sponsoring congressional hearings on a Latin American Common Market.
Javits was not deterred from running for office when he was struck by the debilitating, and ultimately fatal, Lou Gehrig’s Disease. However, he lost his party’s support to Al D’Amato, ending his long and distinguished career in 1981.
Essential Question
How do political leaders influence a society?
Check for Understanding
Identify the purpose of the poster and evaluate the significance of this document in encouraging civic participation by new immigrants.
nterdisciplinary Connections
Foreign Language: Translate the flyer into English.
Art: Create a campaign poster for Javits.