Antonio Claudio Martínez

Antonio Claudio Martínez

Dominican Immigrants|Dominican Veterans|Dominicans in Politics|Dominicans in the United States|Rafael Leónidas Trujillo|World War II

CUNY Dominican Studies Institute

The Martínez Family

1926-1999

Edward De Jesús, Principal Investigator / Curator

Ruth Lizardi, Coordinator / Assistant Curator

Dr. Ramona Hernández, Director, CUNY DSI & Professor of Sociology, The City College of New York

Anthony Stevens-Acevedo, Assistant Director

Idilio Gracia Peña, Chief Archivist

Sarah Aponte, Chief Librarian

Jessy J. Pérez, Archivist

Jhensen Ortiz, Assistant Librarian

Groana G. Meléndez, Photography Editor

Norma Guzmán and Donald Mounts, Researchers

Dr. Tim Williams, Senior Editor

Mariel Acosta, Katie Duarte, Shaday Fermín, and Anthony Stevens-Acevedo, Editors

John P. Bimbiras, Edward De Jesús, Jhensen Ortiz, Jessy J. Pérez, Sophia Monegro and Natalie A. Studt, Biography Text Writers

Isabelia Herrera, Grant Writer

Javier Pichardo, Graphic Artist

Sponsor: CUNY Dominican Studies Institute

Sponsor: Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at The City College of New York

Sponsor: Latino Americans: 500 Years - National Endowment for the Humanities

Sponsor: American Library Association

Sponsor: New York City Council

Sponsor: Smithsonian Latino Center

Sponsor: Center for Puerto Rican Studies (Centro)

Sponsor: The Documentary Forum - CCNY Center for Film, Journalism, and Interactive Media

Sponsor: Dominican Students Association

24" x 36" panel

English

Antonio Claudio Martínez was born on September 7, 1926 in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. He lived there until he was six years old, when he migrated to the United States with his mother. He attended De Witt Clinton High School in the Bronx and after graduating in 1944, with World War II still raging, he enlisted in the U.S. Army.

On September 1, 1945, Martínez was deployed to Manila, Philippines where he served in the Headquarters of the Army Forces, Western Pacific for more that a year. He remained on active duty until December 26, 1946 when he was honorably discharged as a private First Class. Martínez was highly decorated for his service in the Army receiving various important awards, including the American Theater Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific theater Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Philippine Independence Medal, and Meritorious Service Unit Plague. After serving, he visited the Dominican republic in 1946. There he witnessed the oppression of the Dominican people under the Trujillo regime. Upon returning to New York he joined Dominican exiles in participating in anti-Trujillo rallies, writing articles against the dictatorship, and providing legal and immigration assistance to those who opposed and actively participated in the movement against Trujillo. In 1949, Martinez joined the Army Reserves. In January 1950, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in Economics from Hunter College.

By the time his contract with the Army Reserves ended in November of 1952, Martinez had risen to the rank of Sergeant. By then, he had also begun attending Brooklyn Law School, graduating in 1956. Martínez became the first person of Dominican descent licensed to practice law in New York State. With his law degree in hand, Martínez decided to practice immigration law, helping thousands of immigrants through the naturalization process for almost four decades of professional practice and civic involvement. Martínez succeeded in setting at least two legal practice and civic involvement. Martínez succeeded in setting at least two legal precedents in cases regarding U.S. immigration: Matter of Luna and Corniel-Rodriguez v. Immigration and Naturalization Service. Martínez died on December 16, 1999.