The palm card is one of the political communication tools that has been lost as voters bought automobiles and stopped commuting to work on streetcars.
The palm card is a 2 x 3 inch mini-leaflet that literally fit into the palm of your hand.
This two-sided palm card was distributed as part of Richard Ibañez’s campaign for judge in Los Angeles in 1948. It is packed with information.
The front side of the card included the candidate’s name, photo, office sought, and campaign theme.
Richard Ibañez emphasized his broad-based appeal by listing a diverse collection of supporters on the backside.
The list included Congressman Will Rogers, Jr., the son of America’s cowboy poet; Edward Roybal, who would later become California’s first Mexican American congressman; and Augustus Hawkins, who would later become the state’s first African American congressman.
Endorsers also included Frank Fouce, who owned a number of theaters that showed imported Mexican films, and Maria Duran, a leader in the Community Service Organization (CSO) and the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union (ILGWU). Writer and former state official Carey McWilliams worked with the Mexican American community.
The campaign theme of “Justice for All” was reinforced with this powerful message: “A Vote FOR Ibanez is a Vote AGAINST Restrictive Covenants, Anti-Labor Injunctions, Discrimination Against Minorities, Police Brutality.”
Richard Ibañez lost the 1948 judicial election, but was appointed to the bench in the 1960s by California Governor Pat Brown.
