American GI Forum of the United States is a civil rights organization for Mexican American military veterans and their families. It fights discrimination against Mexican Americans in education, employment, and housing.
Héctor P. García, a World War II (1939-1945) Army medical officer, founded the organization in 1948 in Corpus Christi, Texas. García and other veterans organized the American GI Forum of the United States to aid needy and disabled veterans who encountered prejudice after the war. The group sponsors programs to help Mexican Americans obtain employment, medical services, and scholarships.
The American GI Forum of the United States has local chapters in nearly every state. Its national headquarters are in Denver, Colorado.
