The Best Source of News $2.25 La Politiquerand Views on La Razaa en Tejas El Periódico Que No Se Queda Callado Vol # 20 Number 1 An Equal Opportunity Offender February, 2009 Latina Legislators in Texas Judith Zafarinni Leticia Van de Putte Carol Alvarado Norma Chavez Jessica Farrar Veronica Gonzales Yvonne Gonazalez - Toureilles Ana E. Hernandez Diana Maldonado Marisa Marquez Dora Olivo Tara Rios Ybarra Page # 2 La Politiquera - February, 2009 People in the News Prior to being named the Presi- Manuel Castillo Zamora Publishes New Book dent of UT Pan American, she Passes Away in was a dean at the University of Tracing Mexican Workers Employ- Texas at San Antonio. She San Antonio, Texas earned her doctorat in 1974 from ment Opportunities During WWII the University of Massachu- Manuel setts at Amherst.After receiving Castillo, Jr., Professor Emilio Zamora her doctorate, Cárdenas went to Executive Di- continues his longstanding Washington to serve as a com- rector of San missioner in the U.S. Department Anto Cultural scholarship on Mexican-origin Sylvia Camarillo of Health, Education and Welfare Arts passed workers, civil and labor rights New Executive and later took a position as dean away on Janu- during World War II with the Director of of the College of Education and ary 6, 2009 af- publication of a new book en- Human Development at the Uni- titled Claiming Rights and Travis County ter a short versity of Texas at San Anto- battle with cancer. He was 40 years Righting Wrongs in Texas, nio. Democratic Party old. Mexican Workers and Job Poli- A graduate of Holy Cross High tics during World War II with Sylvia Camarillo was named School in San Antonio, Castillo Texas AandM University Press the new Executive Director of the started his cultural arts organization (January 2009). Travis County Democratic in 1994 as a way help young people The book covers Mexican Party. Prior to her appointment, realize they had talent. Over the workers fight for equal rights in she was the Director of Hispanic years the organization sponsored a transnational settings, an enter- Outreach for the Travis County prise that has allowed him to Democratic Party during the 2008 number of programs and projects make recognized contributions election cycle. Sylvia grew up in including a Community Mural Pub- in various fields, including Mexi- Austin and previous worked for lic Arts Program, a community based Texas State Senator Gonzalo newspaper called El Placazo, and can American, Texas, labor and Barrientos for many years. She a Video Oral History History Pro- Mexico history. is also a member of the Austin gram that taught film and video pro- In Claiming Rights and Right- Tejano Democrats. To contact Houston ISD Chief duction skills through the production ing Wrongs in Texas, Zamora traces the wartime experiences of Mexican Sylvia, please call: (512) 477- workers as they moved from rural to urban settings in search of improved Preparing to Leave of oral histories and documentary 7500. programs focusing on the history, employment opportunities. Zamora contends that although the expanded Post Soon culture and community of San An- wartime economy allowed many of them to improve their occupational tonio, specifically the Westside standing, discrimination slowed their movement from agricultural to nona- Houston Independent community surrounding San Anto gricultural employment and reinforced inequality. School District Superintendent Cultural Arts. Zamora also points out that the fight against discrimination and inequal- Abelardo Saavedra también se To help raise funds for all of the ity—a historic concern in the Mexican com- esta preparando su salida. After munity—achieved added importance dur- about four years on the job, this programs and projects, Manny ing the war years in large part because just catch up to you dicen unos helped organize the annual Huevos they energized Mexico’s advocacy policy of por alli. El Abe se vino del Distrito Rancheros Breakfast Gala and Mexicans in the exterior and prompted the Escolar de Corpus Christi. Art Auction. Held in mid October, State Department to promote the Good Obtuvo du doctorado en el Uni- the event proved to be very suc- Neighbor Policy prin- ciples of wartime un- versity of Michigan at Ann Arbor cessful. Another community event y luego regreso a Tejas para that drew wide support in the derstanding and good will in the domestic empezar su carrera de educator. Westsideof San Antonio was the arena. San Anto Cultural Arts (SACA) Dia Inserting the cause for equal rights among De Los Muertos Barrio Proces- Mexicans as a defining concern in intergov- sion and Community Altar. ernmental relations meant that race had It was a peaceful event intended assumed hemispheric importance. Texas, according to Zamora, became Dr. Blandina to bring together people of all walks a point of contention as Mexico isolated it as a test site for the application Cardenas Tenders of life, and is a time and place cre- of a Good Neighbor Policy and the State Department rendered aid and advice to policy makers in Texas to win the favor of the U.S.’s principal ally Resignation as ated to remember and pay homage to friends, family and even enemies in the Americas. President of UT who have passed on. Hundreds The State Department’s response to Mexico’s interventions included an Pan American would turn out for this yearly event. inter-agency focus on Mexicans in the United States that Zamora assesses Manuel Castillo, Jr. ya se fue. with an examination of the work of the Fair Employment Practice Commit- Dr. Blandina Cardenas is hang- Nacido en San Antonio en el año tee (FEPC) in Texas. Although the FEPC’s efforts at enforcing the nation’s ing it up. The Del Rio, Texas na- 1968, el año del Hemisphere, y nondiscrimination policy in wartime industries did not achieve great suc- tive announced her retirement on pizotó la tierra por 40 años. cess, they stood in contrast to the policy of the United States Employment January 20 due to health reasons. Service to discourage the movement of Mexicans out of agriculture. La Politiquera - February, 2009 Page # 3 PRODUCTION Editor and Publisher ¡Regresamos! We are Back! Editorial Alfredo Rodriguez Pues, primeramente, quiero decirte Bottom line we started La Politquera Santos c/s que . we are back! No, I wasn’t in jail because there was a need to keep the con- como mi primo. El se fue solo. Yo andaba versation going about what was going on Associate Editors en la campaign de Rick Noriega y luego in the Chicano community in Houston, Edna Campos he estado trabajando en un libro que se Texas. So here we are almost 20 years llama, The 2009 Austin Hispanic Alma- later and more than 20 pounds heavier, nac. More about this later. (alalva!) producing La Politiquera. Telephone and FAX Mucha gente me han preguntado, hey, (Después les digo porque le pusimos La (512) 291-9060 donde está La Politiquera? Y pos yo, con Politiquera.) mucha pena, me agacho la cabeza y Today I am living in Austin, Texas go- Publisher’s contesto, al rato sale. Pues ya eso de que ing to “gradual school” instead of gradu- al rato sale se puso viejo. En realidad fue ate school as Dr. Angela Valenzuela calls. Statement cuestion de tiempo. So aquí estamos y no Edna Campos, our Associate Editor lives Alfredo R. Santos c/s nos vamos! in North Carolina but spends a lot of time Editor and Publisher La Politiquera is a monthly pub- Dejame empezar con unos reflexiones. lication of Compadre Commu- in Houston. We a number of people Latino Candidates who ran in 2008 nications. The editorial and busi- Cuando empezamos La Politiquera en around the state who act as corespondents Primary Election by party and gender ness address is P.O. Box 19457 1990 en Houston, Texas, fue con la and provides tips and leads for stories. But Austin, Texas 78760 The tele- intención de no dejar cayer la bandera de we are still looking for more people who Republican Democrat phone number is (512) 291-9060 Fernando Perez de Rio. If you might re- would like to make journalistic contribu- and the fax number is the same. Male 11 95 The views represented here are call, he had a radio talk show in Houston tions. When you hear of something que our own of course. The use, re- at noon that was the hottest thing in town. tal vez será de interes a los demas, don’t Female 4 36 production or distribution of any Everybody called in and shared a lot of be shy about shooting us an email. If you part of this publication is strongly inside information on the school district, 15 131 146 encouraged, but do call and let us want to write a story or have a column know what it is you are using. If city council y que se yo. The bottom line about your city or town, también, Asi que, we put the women on the cover because for some reason you do not like was that for community activists in Hous- mandamos un email and we can talk about it is important to realize that they are running for of- what we are printing in this pub- ton at the time, the Fernando Perez del it. fice and in some cases even beating Latino office lication, you have two choices; do Rio radio program was a must listen. k, ya se acabo los reflections. Vamos nothing, in which case we will O holders who have been around for a long time. Ex- never know the difference, or, But as with all good things, there comes a lo que esta pasando.