MSS 009 Hector Garcia Collection MSS 0093 Alfonso Vazquez

Home , Ben Reyes, Felix Tijerina, Huelga schools (Houston), Jim McConn, La Voz de Houston, Mutualista

Hispanic Archival Collections

Please note that not all of our Finding Aids are available online. If you would like to know about an inventory for a specific collection please call or visit the Texas Room of the Julia Ideson Building. In addition, many of our collections have a related oral history from the donor or subject of the collection. Many of these are available online via our Houston Area Digital Archive website.

MSS 009 Hector Garcia Collection

Hector Garcia was executive director of the Catholic Council on Community Relations, Diocese of Galveston-Houston, and an officer of Harris County PASO. The Harris County chapter of the Political Association of Spanish-Speaking Organizations (PASO) was formed in October 1961. Its purpose was to advocate on behalf of Mexican Americans. Its political activities included letter-writing campaigns, poll tax drives, bumper sticker brigades, telephone banks, and community get-out-the- vote rallies. PASO endorsed candidates supportive of Mexican American concerns. It took up issues of concern to Mexican Americans. It also advocated on behalf of Mexican Americans seeking jobs, and for Mexican American owned businesses. PASO produced such Mexican American political leaders as Leonel Castillo and Ben. T. Reyes. Hector Garcia was a member of PASO and its executive secretary of the Office of Community Relations. In the late 1970's, he was Executive Director of the Catholic Council on Community Relations for the Diocese of Galveston-Houston.

The collection contains some materials related to some of his other interests outside of PASO including reports, correspondence, clippings about discrimination and the advancement of Mexican American; correspondence and notices of meetings and activities of PASO (Political Association of Spanish-Speaking Organizations of Harris County.

The Finding Aid for this collection is available online! http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/houpub/00132/hpub-00132.html

MSS 0093 Alfonso Vazquez Collection

Alfonso Vazquez was a professional photographer and political cartoonist. He was also a member of the Civic Action Committee, established in 1958 as an organization to support the candidacy of State Senator Henry B. Gonzalez for Governor of Texas.

This collection contains photographs of and related clippings about the Mexican American community in Houston through the 1960s and 1970s. Involved institutions include PASO, La Raza Unida, and the G. I. Forum. A main figure in the Minimum Wage March of 1966 was Father Antonio Gonzalez, and the collection contains many pictures of him. Photographs of Mexican American Community of Houston, P.A.S.O. Leaders, La Raza Unida, G.I. Forum, Political Cartoons, Minimum Wage March of 1966, Father Antonio Gonzalez leader of the Minimum Wage March 1966, P.A.S.O. Programs, El Sol 2 issues 1966, The Texas Observer 1966, clippings re politics, flyers re P.A.S.O., G.I. Forum 1969-1973, The Cougar, University of Houston 1973, El Mexica, 1977, Para la gente, 1977, Tejanos de Houston flyers 1970s.

MSS 0094 Chairez Family Collection

Feliciano Chairez and family founded a drama group at Magnolia Park, ca. 1929. He also was one of the founders of Sociedad Mutualista Benito Juarez in 1921. Feliciano Chairez' son, Francisco Chairez graduated from Rice Institute in 1928.

The collection contains a history of the Chairez Family settling at Magnolia Park neighborhood in 1919, Biographical data, clippings, photographs, correspondence, typescript on Francisco Chairez 1920-1970s, Clippings re Mimi Ypina vocalist 1920s, Club Recreativo Mexico Bello, clippings 1935, Mutualista Benito Juarez membership, 1919, clippings and photographs re Francisco Chairez, the first Mexican American to graduate from Rice Institute 1928, Albino Torres Memorias by Joaquin Lorenzo and Maria C. Puente, Mexico Bello Scrap Book 1930s, Certificates of Sociedad Mutualista Mexicana Union Y Progreso 1923, Sheet Music entitled "Palabras de Amor" (vals), Evangelina, (vals) by M. P. Fraga, Handbills advertising Spanish plays at "Salon del Campo" theater in Baytown, Texas, in 1929.

The Finding Aid for this collection is available online! http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/houpub/00121/hpub-00121.html

MSS 0099 Rodriguez Family Collection

Victoriano Rodriguez settled in Houston during the 1920s, his son Salvador Rodriguez was born in Houston. He was president of a Mexican American Club in Conroe, organist and choir director of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Houston, Chief anesthetist at Montgomery County Hospital in 1967.

The collection contains letters to Victor Rodriguez from relatives in Mexico, Personal documents of Abdon Rodriguez as president of the Partido de la Revolucion Mexicana in Topezala, Mexico,

booklets about Masonry 1960, booklet about religious topics 1929, book about agriculture in Mexico 1933.

MSS 0101 Gregorio Torres Valerio Collection

Gregorio Torres Valerio was a Houston professional photographer who captured in his pictures the everyday life of postwar Mexican American community.

MSS 0103 Ben T. Reyes Collection

Ben Torres Reyes, state and city lawmaker, was born on February 16, 1947 in Burton, Texas. After serving three years in the Marine Corps, 1966-1969, with a tour of duty in Vietnam during the War, Reyes was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1972, representing District 89 (D), and then won reelection three times, receiving over 96% of the vote in 1976. He served on the Labor, Human Resources, Reapportionment, and Judicial Affairs committees, was vice chairman of the Liquor Regulation Committee and chaired the Rules committee. He attended the University of Houston and Texas Southern University in 1977. After completing four terms in the House he was elected in 1979 to Houston City Council, representing District I, and served for sixteen years, leaving because of term limitations. He became well known for tearing down abandoned houses, which had become havens for illegal activities. His efforts in this area were sometimes controversial. His 1992 run for Congress fell short by 180 votes out of 30,000. Hispanic groups are represented in the Ben T. Reyes collection by such organizations as LULAC, the United Farm Workers, the Mexican American Urban League, and Union y Progreso. These organizations were concerned with the welfare of Hispanic people at the labor, political and social levels. As a Houston City Council member, he dealt with local organizations, such as Metro, Public Works, the Houston Independent School District, and the Houston Police and Fire Departments. He was also a cofounder of the Houston International University.

The collection contains political campaign papers, campaign contributions & expenditure, statements, correspondence 1974, correspondence on industrial districts, MALDEF 75-77, Harris County correspondence, Houston-Galveston area council, governor, city controller, civil service, research, newsletters, Ben's bills 63rd legislature, liquor regulation, democratic national committee 1974-1976, correspondence, 1978, police community relations 1977-1978, House of Representatives 65th Legislature 1977, election results 1976-1978, SER Job for Progress

1978,Houston Council on Human Relations 1978, LULAC 1978, State voters registration 1978, Houston Higher Education 1978. The collection covers the time span of 1970 thorough 1988, although Mr. Reyes served on Houston City Council through 1995. Reyes’ service in the House is documented in boxes 1 through folder 12 of box 8. The remainder of the collection is concerned almost entirely with his service on City Council. The primary format is correspondence but also includes address lists, affidavit of substantial interest, applications, brochures, city ordinances, financial statements, graphs, lawsuits, legal motions, magazines, maps, newsletters, newspaper articles, notes, photographs, reports, requests for council action, subcommittee minutes, and voter analysis spreadsheets.

The Finding Aid for this collection is available online! http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/houpub/00094/hpub-00094.html

MSS 0107 Ernesto Rodriguez Collection

Ernesto Rodriguez was a carpenter and entrepreneur. In 1916 he came to Houston from Piedras Negras, Mexico. Circa 1930 he owned a grocery store in Houston later he bought a furniture factory.

The collection contains family photographs, financial documents, Emerson Radio dealer franchise 1948, Money orders, Handbills advertising "La Casa Verde" grocery store, photographs, negatives.

MSS 0108 Felix Tijerina, Sr., Family Collection

Felix Tijerina (1905-1965), son of an itinerant farm worker, had no formal education but was motivated to learn English as a teenager in Sugar Land, Texas. He became a highly successful Mexican American restaurant owner, civic leader, and champion of education for underprivileged Mexican American children. One of Tijerina's greatest achievements was his sponsorship of the ""Little School or the 400"" in the late 1950s, in which Mexican American children were taught 400 basic words to help them in English-speaking schools. This activity began through Tijerina's involvement in the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). He served as the national president of this organization for four consecutive terms beginning in 1956.

Janie Gonzales was born in Sandyfork, Texas, on December 20, 1908. In 1928 she moved to Houston and in 1933 married Felix Tijerina. Together they developed a successful restaurant business, became involved in civic activities, and were leaders of Houston's Mexican American

community. After the death of her husband, Janie Tijerina established a scholarship foundation in Felix's memory to help students attend college. She continued to be an active participant in civic and business groups."

The collection contains papers such as correspondence, publications, articles, minutes, and programs that detail the varied activities of Felix and Janie Tijerina. Material on the ""Little School of the 400"" represents a large portion of the collection. Other areas covered include the restaurant business, civil rights, LULAC, the Republican party, the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects, and the Rotary Club.

The Finding Aid for this collection is available online! http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/houpub/00012/hpub-00012.html

See digitized items from this collection! MSS 0108 Felix Tijerina Sr. Collection

Timeline: http://digital.houstonlibrary.org/timeline/tijerina.html

MSS 0122 Felix H. Morales Collection

In response to refusal by the city to allow Mexicanos to be buried in cemeteries within the city limits, Felix H. Morales and his wife Angelina established the Morales Funeral Home in 1930 on Canal Street near the Houston Ship Channel. In 1935 he established a notary public service which assisted the Spanish monolingual community in translating official documents and minor legal work. This service was quickly incorporated as part of the funeral home business. Mr. and Mrs. Morales also founded a mutual aid society in 1940, La Sociedad Union Fraternal. This organization provided death benefits to survivors of deceased members of the community as well as to survivors of war casualties to help defray the expenses of burial. Within a few years the organization took on a more civic-minded complexion, sponsoring English and citizenship classes and becoming actively involved in a number of causes such as protesting the continued segregation of Mexican children in the public schools. In 1950 the Morales' applied for and were granted a broadcasting license under the call letters KLVL. This was to become the first Spanish-speaking radio station in the Gulf Coast area.

The Morales Collection contains approximately 500 pictures that include family, business, travel, hunting and fishing, KLVL radio station, religion, the Morales funeral home in Houston and areas that pertain to the childhood of Mr. and Mrs. Morales. There are also documents pertaining to the family business, the Morales Funeral Home and the notary public service, to Union Fraternal and to KLVL.

MSS 0123 Lydia Mendoza Collection

Popular singer and guitarist Lydia Mendoza was born in Houston in 1916. She began her career as a singer at an early age. From 1927 she traveled with her family around the United States performing for Mexican Americans. During the 1930's she performed in several Houston theaters and clubs. She was acclaimed in presidential inaugurations as well as in the barrios. Popular American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Lydia Mendoza was born in Houston on May 21, 1916. She grew up in the Heights where she taught herself to play the guitar and began her career as a singer at an early age. Since 1927 she traveled with her family’s band around the United States performing for Mexican Americans. Like most other Mexican American families during the 1920s and 1930s the Mendoza’s were also part of the migrant trail. Traveling north across the United States to look for work; avoiding the growing discrimination and repatriation efforts of the time. The family returned to Houston and began to focus all energies on the family band. During the 1930’s, Mendoza began her career as a solo artist performing in several Houston theaters and clubs. Her first solo single in 1934 “Mal Hombre” became her signature song. Mendoza played tejano and conjunto music among other styles and she came to be known by many names such as The First Lady of Tejano and La Alondra de la Frontera (the Meadowlark of the Border). During the 1940s and 1950s she became a sensation in Mexico and throughout Latin America, performing with many famous Mexican entertainers of the time. In the 1970s she performed in folk music festivals across the United States and was recognized in a classic documentary about border music titled “Chulas Fronteras.” Her popularity spanned generations and social classes; her music was celebrated in presidential inaugurations as well as in the barrios. With a career that spanned over 60 years, Mendoza received many accolades as a Tejana artist including the National Medal of Arts in 1999. Mendoza recorded over 50 LPs and roughly 200 songs. She died in 2007 at the age of 91. At the time of Lydia Mendoza’s rise to fame Mexican and Mexican American female solo performers were rare. Mendoza paired her voice with only her signature 12-string guitar and nothing more. She was also known for singing in the vernacular and quickly earned the nickname La Cancionera de los Pobres (the Songstress of the Poor). She was not a trained vocalist; instead she sang the way the working class sang. These unique qualities about her performance made her a relatable and iconic figure for both Mexican and Mexican American people. It is also important to note the discrimination towards Mexicans and Mexican Americans that was prevalent in the United States at the time Mendoza was growing up and during the early years of her career. According to interviews published in the book Lydia Mendoza: A Family Autobiography, the Mendoza family slept in churches and cooked their own meals while touring in order to avoid the discriminatory practices of hotels and restaurants.

The collection contains photographs of Lydia Mendoza and Mexican American artists, interview with Lydia Mendoza 1979, clippings, programs, handbills 1930-1940, poems dedicated to Lydia Mendoza 1930's , letter of appreciation from President J. Carter to Lydia Mendoza 1979, contracts, letters from fans. The collection spans from 1933 to 2001 with the bulk of the materials dating from

1933 to 1979. It consists of 3 boxes arranged in the following series’ Awards, Contracts, Correspondence, Interviews, Newspaper Articles, Performances, Miscellaneous, Photographs, and Oversized Materials. The first box holds 36 folders of documents and records; these include recording company contracts, correspondence from fans, oral history interviews, newspaper articles, and 30 folders of advertisements, programs, and handbills for performances by Lydia Mendoza. The second box consists of 75 photographs. Scanned black and white copies are available for most photographs. The third and largest box contains 16 individual oversized items. These include publications, large advertisements and handbills for performances by Lydia Mendoza, as well as albums by Mendoza from various recording companies. Patrons will also find scanned copies for a significant number of documents and records in this collection.

Specific items of interest in this collection include: Letter of appreciation from Jimmy Carter (B. 1, F.5), Letters to Lydia Mendoza from fans (written in Spanish) (B.1, F.4), Oral History Interviews with Mendoza, 1978-1979 (B.1, F.7-8), Partial note possibly written by Lydia Mendoza (B.1, F.31), Scripts written about Lydia Mendoza for television (B.1, F.34), Poems written in tribute to (B.1, F.36), and Photographs of various entertainers. Many of these are signed by the artist with notes to Lydia Mendoza (B.2, F.52-67).

MSS 0130 Mariano Rosales y Pina Collection

Mariano Rosales y Pina was born in 1893 in Chihuahua, Mexico, and married Esperanza Gutierrez in November of 1918. He departed San Luis Potisi, Mexico, on July 29, 1920 and entered the United States on August 2, 1920 in Laredo, Webb County, Texas. A resident of Houston, Texas beginning in 1921, Mariano was employed by the Southern Pacific Railroad originally in the capacity of a machinist. His brother, Gustavo R. y Pina (also written Gustavy R. Ipina) owned a jewelry sales and repair business located at Preston and Fannin streets in 1931. Mariano R. y Pina and his wife, along with David Casas and his wife Irene P. Casas, founded the Club Familias Unidas in 1949 for the progress and culture of the Mexican American youth of the community. The club is a social organization that promotes native Hispanic religious, political, social, and economic philosophies by organizing activities such as flag raising ceremonies for Mexican Independence Day and Mothers' Day Galas where they honor a mother of the year. Additionally, the club holds annual dances for graduating students and 15-year-old debutante females. Mariano Rosales Ypina, an employee of Southern Pacific, came to Houston from Mexico in the early 1920s. He and his wife Esperanza Rosales, David Casas and Irene P. de Casas founded in 1948 the club "Familias Unidas", a social and cultural club for the Mexican American Community of Houston.

The Mariano Rosales y Pina collection contains newspaper clippings, Club Familias Unidas correspondence, personal and work correspondence of Mariano and his family members, work affidavits and request for residency for family members from 1919 to 1931. Also included are a baptismal certificate for his daughter Anna Laura Rosales and a baptism announcement for his son

Federico Lamberto Rosales. The collection contains one folder of photographs dating 1956-1971, 32 postcards and a selection of travel guides and maps for Mexico and Texas from 1961-1975. The largest series in the collection are the greeting cards of which there are 12 folders with cards for various occasions dating from 1920-1978 with the bulk from the period 1953-1978. Rosales Ypina Family personal papers, correspondence, poems, invitations cards, defunction cards, financial documents, Club Familias Unidas Statutes, 1972, postcards, letters, "El Sol" clippings, 1972, re LULAC Council.

The Finding Aid for this collection is available online! http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/houpub/00135/hpub-00135.html

MSS 0133 Teodoro Castro Family History Collection

The Castro Family settled in Houston in 1903.

Collection contains Castro family photographs.

MSS 0135 Melesio Gomez Family Collection

Melesio Gomez (1989-1968) arrived in Houston from San Luis Potosi, Mexico in 1919. His wife Sergia Martinez Navarro Gomez followed in 1920 along with his sister Filiberta Gomez Alvarado. Melesio and Sergia Gomez had three daughters Elvira Gomez Coronado, Estella Gomez Reyes Quintanilla, and Mary Anne Gomez. Melesio Gomez worked for Southern Pacific Railroad and played in the Southern Pacific band. He was also a member of the Woodmen of the World (WOW) organization. A significant member of the Mexican entrepreneurial community in Houston, The Melesio Gomez family owned three businesses located on the 1700 block of Washington Avenue. La Nacional Tortilla Factory, the 1st tortilla factory in Houston, opened in 1929 (and closed in 1969). Melesio Gomez supplied tortillas to Weingarten, W.T. Grants, Junior League, Kress, Henke and Pillots. Before the tortilla factory, the family owned La Nacional Abbarrotes; a grocery store that closed soon after opening due to the Great Depression. Gomez decided to keep the same name when he opened the tortilla factory. La Consentida Café opened in 1930 and later added a dance hall. It was sometimes the gathering place for WOW meetings as well as events for the Club Chapultepec and Mexico Bello. The restaurant was run by Gomez’s youngest daughter Mary Gomez. It closed in 1967 when she died. The Mexican Products and Curio Shop was started by Estella Gomez Reyes Quintanilla in 1937. It was recognized in the 1950s as being the only manufacturer and vendor of piñatas in Houston. Estella was one of the first Mexican Americans in the city to graduate high school during the 1920s. She was also a member of the Club Femenino Chapultepec, a club associated with the Y.W.C.A. Melesio Gomez’s eldest daughter Elvira Gomez Coronado was

Houston’s Fiestas Patrias Queen in 1924. She moved to Minnesota soon after marriage and opened La Casa Coronado restaurant in the late 1940s. La Casa Coronado was very successful and remained in business for several decades. It is important to note that Melesio Gomez’s tortilla factory was a very new concept to Houston at that time. The Mexican population was not used to the idea of purchasing tortillas, nor was the Anglo population fully educated in Mexican food products and customs. La Nacional Tortilla Factory led tours of its facility for school children and Girl Scout troops, offering samples of foods that could be made with the tortilla; tacos, enchiladas, and tamales.

The collection spans from 1919 to 1982 with the bulk of the materials dating from 1930 to 1959. It consists of 3 boxes arranged in the following series’ Personal Records of Melesio Gomez, La Nacional Tortilla Factory, La Consentida Café/Restaurant, Mexican Products and Curio Shop, Personal Records of Estella Gomez Reyes Quintanilla, Personal Records of Mary Anne Gomez, Personal Records of Elvira Gomez Reyes Quintanilla, Miscellaneous, Photographs, and Oversized Materials. The first box holds 39 folders of documents and records; these include identification and passport records, correspondence, contracts, receipts, newspaper clippings, and a scrapbook. Patrons will find scanned copies archived with the originals for a significant number of documents and records in this collection. The second box consists of 121 photographs. Contact sheets and scanned black and white copies are available for each photograph. The third and largest box contains 10 individual oversized items. These include large photographs, restaurant flyers, newspaper clippings, and correspondence. Specific items of interest in this collection include: Letter of support from Estella Gomez Reyes Quintanilla for the Morales radio station (KLVL), August 20, 1946, Letter by Club Chapultepec regarding the status of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in Houston, June 11, 1937, Club Chapultepec history (possibly written by Estella Gomez Reyes Quintanilla), Speech written by Estella Gomez Reyes Quintanilla (re: proposition to name a leader (lawyer/consultant) to cooperate with the Mexican Consul in Houston to represent, protect, and defend the rights and interests of Mexicans in Houston). This was to be given at the annual convention of the Federation of Mexican and Latin American Societies. August 18, 1941, and Newspaper clippings about Mexican American soldiers from Houston during World War II, as well as activities in the Mexican American community at this time.

MSS 0147 Leonel J. Castillo Collection

Houston City Controller, President of Houston International University, Board Member and founder of the Diocesan Catholic Credit Union, Member of Board of Directors of American Red Cross, Board Member of Bread for the World, Member of the Advisory Board of Houston Business Journal.

The collection contains resumes of Hispanic Community Leaders, Correspondence 1970's, Working File, Job Studies, Organizations; Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Council on Municipal Performance, Democratic Party of Harris County, University Without Walls, Houston Federation of

Teachers, Manpower Education and Training, Municipal Finance Officers, SER Minority Business & Trade Associations Developers, Texas Catholic Conference on Community Religion, Texas Association of Chicanos Higher Education, United Fund, Financial Accounting System, Federal documents, clippings, Current Projects 1977, Department of Justice Employment 1976.

The Finding Aid for this collection is available online! http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/houpub/00013/hpub-00013.html

MSS 0159 Alfred J. Hernandez Collection

Alfred J. Hernandez was born in Mexico City in August of 1917. At age four, his parents immigrated to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas as farm workers. He graduated from high school and during World War II enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving in the African and European war operations as a technical sergeant. Hernandez received his American citizenship while he was serving in Europe. On his return to the United States, he enrolled at the University of Houston, where he studied pre- law and obtained an LLB degree from South Texas College of Law in 1953. He married the former Minnie Casas and they have two sons, Alfred Jr. and John Joseph, and a daughter, Annie Marie. Hernandez was president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) from 1965-1967 and became a civil rights leader, working for the improvement of the social and economic conditions of all American citizens of Spanish-speaking descent in the United States. On March 28, 1966, Judge Alfred J. Hernandez, together with delegates of LULAC, organized the "Albuquerque Walkout" in protest of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) discriminatory hiring practices against Mexican Americans. He also was one of the organizers of the Selma (Texas) Minimum Wage March of 1966, a two month trek from the Rio Grande Valley which began as a labor strike of the United Farm Workers Association against local agri-business and ended in a confrontation with Governor John Connally on the highway near Braunfels. The march to Austin received national coverage and brought national attention to the social conditions of Mexican Americans. Judge Hernandez was chairman of the Board of Project SER (Jobs for Progress, Inc.) created in 1965 as a job training center for unemployed Mexican Americans. He also served in the GI Forum Job Opportunity Program and was a member of the Houston Crime Commission.

The Alfred J. Hernandez Collection consists of private and organizational records dealing with Judge Alfred J. Hernandez's life and civic activities; LULAC's organization, Reports, Projects, and documents concerning the welfare, health and education of Mexican American citizens in the United States. The collection also includes photographic materials of Judge Alfred J. Hernandez and LULAC's membership.

Collection available on microfilm.

The Finding Aid for this collection is available online! http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/houpub/00137/hpub-00137.html

MSS 0160 John J. Herrera Collection

John James Herrera was born on April 12, 1910, in Cravens, Louisiana. He died on October 12, 1986, in Houston, Texas, at the age of 76. John Herrera practiced law in Houston from 1943 to 1986 and was a leading civil rights advocate for Mexican Americans in Texas. In 1948, he was a member of the legal team in the case of Minerva Delgado vs Bastrop Independent School District, which ultimately led Texas courts to rule that separate schools for Mexican American children were illegal. In 1954, Herrera authored briefs against the State of Texas in the Pete Hernandez case that resulted in a United States Supreme Court ruling that declared that the systematic exclusion of Spanish- speaking citizens from service on juries was unconstitutional. During World War II, Herrera was involved in protesting employment discrimination against Mexican Americans in Houston shipyards. John Herrera was especially prominent in the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in which he served as national president from 1952-1953. He joined LULAC in 1933 and became convinced of the organization's potential for helping in the advancement of Hispanics. In the late 1970s, he was appointed national legal counsel for LULAC and served in that capacity into the early 1980s. He achieved the status of "lifetime distinguished member" in LULAC. Herrera was a lifelong Democrat and politically active throughout his life. In the 1950s, he ran unsuccessfully for the Texas legislature. In the early 1960s, he was an active supporter of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Herrera relates that one of the most memorable nights of his life was on November 21, 1963, when he introduced President John F. Kennedy to a group of LULAC members gathered at the Rice Hotel for a reception. (Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on the following day.)

The materials in this collection document John J. Herrera's civic, legal, and political activities through correspondence, speeches, and other records. The largest portion of the collection concerns his involvement with LULAC.

The Finding Aid for this collection is available online! http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/houpub/00009/hpub-00009.html

See digitized items from this collection! MSS 0160 John J. Herrera Papers

MSS 0161 Juvencio Rodriguez Collection

Juvencio Rodriguez came to Houston in 1908; he became a civic leader for the Mexican American Community. He was a founding member of the Latin American Club of Harris County (LAC) formed

in 1935 and headed by John Duhig. LAC took on political overtones as it endorsed candidates and tried to register the city's Latin voters. Later, he became Chairman of the Tuberculosis League Drive, and organized a protest against the Social Security Office discrimination of Mexican Americans. He was the first Mexican-American citizen hired by the Civil Service to work for the City of Houston.

The collection contains correspondence regarding the Protest of the Latin American Club Committee of Houston against the practice of classifying Latin-American citizens into a color by the Social Security Office, 1936; Constitution of Latin American Club, 1935; Militar documents, Democratic Party of Texas, documents, 1941; Juvencio Rodriguez resume, Programs of Sociedades Mexicanas 1944.

MSS 0167 Navarro Family Collection

Gabriel Navarro, originally from Michoacan, Mexico, came to The United States in 1915. Some of his children settled in Texas. Porfirio Navarro, an artist, was a Houstonian who served in several wars.

The collection contains copies of document certifying the participation of Francisco Salinas in the Revolution which separated Texas from Mexico, Bexar, Texas, 1862, Correspondence 1957, Genealogy of Gutierrez Family, Marine Corps documents of Porfirio J. Navarro, Copies of Porfirio J. Navarro drawings, 1943.

MSS 0179 Houston Mexican American Family History Collection

Consists of papers written for a class taught by Dr. Cary Wintz, Texas Southern University, 1981.

The collection consists of papers written for a class taught by Dr. Cary Wintz, Texas Southern University, 1981. They are generally the product of interviews with students' family members about their family history in Mexico and as immigrants; a few by senior students are about their own lives. The papers contain descriptions of the challenges and daily activities experienced by Mexican-Americans.

MSS 0189 John Coronado Collection

John Coronado founded the Houston Mexican Chamber of Commerce in 1963. He served as editor of the "Latin Observer" and "Cinco Revista Historica" and as president of the Spanish News Bureau.

This collection contains two letters to John Coronado concerning the Human Relations Committee and the Latin Scholarship Group (1970-1971); several copies of "Cinco Revista Historica" (May 5, 1991); back issues of the "Latin Observer" (1965-1969); a City of Houston historical brochure (1969); and letterhead from the Spanish News Bureau.

MSS 0191 Eloy Perez Family Collection

Eloy Perez was a Mexican American musician who helped introduce Tex-Mex music in Houston. Eloy Perez and the Latinaires played at weddings, ballrooms, farms and for benefit societies. The youngest of four brothers in the original orchestra developed after the war, Eloy Perez toured his group across Texas and the Southwest, influencing an entire generation of Mexican American musicians. Eloy Perez' grandfather founded a school for Mexican Americans in Bastrop County, Texas.

The collection contains The History of Perez Family, by Alice Perez Moreno, 1981, school records of Perez children, clippings, and photographs.

MSS 0194 Carmen Cortes Collection

Carmen Garza Cortes was born in 1913 in Mission San Juan, San Antonio, Texas. After her father Bartolo died in 1914, her mother Victoria married Julio Reyes, a farmer from McQueney, Texas. Carmen and her older sister grew up with Reyes' three daughters from his first marriage. Later, Reyes moved to Houston where he owned a grocery store on Avenue K in Houston's Magnolia Park subdivision. Carmen attended a local business college after high school. In 1933 she married Melicio Cortes, who owned a produce store in Houston. In 1940, Carmen Cortes was the first Mexican American hired to work in a white-collar position at the courthouse. She was active in LULAC in the 1950s."

The collection comprises 5 boxes. Box 1 and 2 are photographs of family, extended family, and friends, including a number for LULAC social events. Box 3 is a personal photo album of Ms. Cortes' from the 1920's and 1930's. Box 4 contains programs and resolutions from LULAC conventions and issues of the LULAC News from 1950 through 1966. Box 5 contains LULAC correspondence fron or to Carmen Cortes, souvenirs and documents from Hispanic groups and family papers from the

Reyes-Martinez and Cortes families. The over 300 photos are arranged chronologically by family/subject group. Each photo is identified. Gutierrez-Garza photographs, 1900-1960, Reyes and related family photographs 1900-1920s, 1970s, Garza Cortez photographs, 1930s-1950s, Cortez Family/LULAC photographs 1950-1960s, Martinez / U.S Army WWII, Korea photographs 1940s- 1950s, Navarro-Family photographs WWII 1910-1940s, Cruz Family photographs c. 1910s, scrapbook photograph identification.

The Finding Aid for this collection is available online! http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/houpub/00157/hpub-00157.html

MSS 0202 Frank and Ventura Alonzo Collection

Frank and Ventura Alonzo (husband and wife) were longtime residents of Houston and Magnolia Park. They were big band musicians from the 1930s until they retired in the late 1960s. Originally from San Antonio, Texas and Matamoros, Tamaulipas respectively, they met in Houston and married in 1931. Discovering a mutual love for music, they began their first band in the late 1930s and played for local gatherings in Magnolia Park. Frank played guitar and Ventural played the accordion. Their orchestra developed into "Alonzo y Sus Rancheros" during the 1940s with Frank as the leader and Ventura as lead vocal. From the 1940s through the 1960s the band was popular in Houston as well as in many other areas of Texas where they traveled to perform. They specialized in "musica ranchera," a form of music from Texas roughly equivalent to a Mexican American country western sound. Over these three decades few Mexican American dance bands enjoyed the popularity and acclaim of "Alonzo y Sus Rancheros."

The collection is mainly composed of photographs with a folder of biographical data compiled by their granddaughter Linda Alonzo Saenz and Thomas H. Kreneck, and a handbill announcement and page from a Woodmen of the World publication. Some of the photos deal with their sons, Frank Jr. and Alonzo Alonzo, and various community activities in which the family participated. There is also an oral history with Frank and Ventura Alonzo in the oral history collection under number OH 344.1.

The Finding Aid for this collection is available online! http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/houpub/00170/hpub-00170.html

MSS 0208 John E. Castillo Collection

John Castillo was very involved in the Mexican-American movement. He was a member of the Harris County PASO (Political Association of Spanish Speaking Organizations), and was made recording secretary in 1967. Castillo was involved with voter registration and Project VER (Voter Education Registration), which was a project to get people out to vote. They wanted to support

politicians who were going to help the Mexican-American community. Castillo was also a part of various other groups including Opportunities for Leadership Education (OLE), Coalition for Better Government, Raza Unida, Joint Conference of Mexican-Americans, and the National Spanish Speaking Management Association (NSSMA).

The collection contains private and public documents dealing with the activities of John Castillo. PASO represents a large portion of the collection. Voter Registration, campaign/election information, and community events are also covered. Mary Castillo headed the Education movement, which is also covered.

The Finding Aid for this collection is available online! http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/houpub/00175/hpub-00175.html

MSS 0228 J. A. `Tony' Alvarez Collection

J. A. “Tony” Alvarez was a successful Houston businessman who became involved with the League of United Latin-American Citizens in 1965. By 1966, he had met with Vice-President Hubert Humphrey in Washington, D. C. regarding Mexican-American concerns and been named LULAC’s Man of the Year. Alvarez was instrumental in the planning of Project SER, a Latin-American jobs program. A PASO supporter, Alvarez also participated in the Minimum Wage March of 1966.

The collection contains: Assorted newspapers, LULAC news, La Prensa, Enterprise of Beaumont, Caller from Corpus Christi, El Sol, photographs of the Minimum Wage March in 1966 and President John F. Kennedy's last night in Houston at a LULAC function at the Rice Hotel.

The Finding Aid for this collection is available online! http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/houpub/00207/hpub-00207.html

MSS 0237 William Gutierrez Collection

Major Fred Hofheinz appointed William Gutierrez as Coordinator of community activities for the mayor's Citizen’s Office. Gutierrez was director of SER Educational Talent Search, Director of Wesley Community Center, District director of LULAC.

MSS 0255 Alex Arroyos / John Kennedy Collection

Collection consists of 8x10 black and white photographs taken by Alex Arroyos of President John F. Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, Vice President Lyndon Johnson, and LadyBird Johnson attending a meeting of LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) at the Rice Hotel in Houston on the night of November 21, 1963. President Kennedy was assassinated the following day in Dallas, Texas.

The Finding Aid for this collection is available online! http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/houpub/00054/hpub-00054.html

See digitized items from this collection! MSS 0255 Alex Arroyos/ John F. Kennedy Collection

MSS 0256 Maria Reyna Collection

A Mexican American journalist, businesswoman and civic leader, Reyna participated in Mexican Patriotic Committees during the 1950s through the 1970s and mothers' clubs in the Magnolia Park neighborhood of Houston.

MSS 0278 Mexican American Oversize Collection

This material is comprised of miscellaneous, over-sized items artificially assembled from various donors and from other collections into an over-sized container. This procedure was followed for proper storage and preservation of the individual materials. The collection contains items that pertain specfically to Mexican Americans. MSS 0282 Mexican American Family and Photograph Collection

The Mexican-American Family and Photo Collection includes mostly photographic collections, with studio and candid photographs of people and organizations related to the Mexican-American experience in Houston. Several of the collections also contain documents and ephemera related to the subjects, such as letters, diplomas, and advertising material. Individual collections may contain more items than listed here, and more collections may be added. This collection consists of a variety of small donations, each usually a folder's worth of material.

See digitized items from this collection! MSS 0282 Mexican American Family and Photograph Collection

MSS 0284 Luis Cano Collection

Luis Rey Cano was born on August 25, 1948 in Corpus Christi, Texas. He received his Bachelors of Science in English and Secondary Education from North Texas State University in 1970. In 1973, he received his M.A. in Guidance and Counseling from Texas Southern University. While working on his masters degree, Cano taught English in the Houston Independent School District, where he designed and implemented a Mexican-American Studies Program. During this time he also served as chairman of the Hispanic Teachers Caucus in Houston. After receiving his M.A. from Texas Southern, Cano completed a doctorate program in 1981 from the University of Houston, where he earned a doctorate in Administration of Public Education. While working on his Ed.D., Cano founded a private community based alternative school for at-risk students. This school, George I. Sanchez, was later incorporated into HISD and continues to address the needs of marginal students. Cano's honors include Eagle Scout and Who's Who in Texas. His memberships reflect the breath of his many and varied interests, such as bilingual education, alternative schools, and Chicana/o studies. Luis Cano is married to Amelia Araiza with whom he has two children, Victoria and Veronica.

The collection spans from 1968 to 1986 with the bulk of the materials dating from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s. The collection contains private and public papers detailing the many and varied interests of Luis R. Cano. The major sections of this collection include papers on the Assocation for Advancement of Mexican Americans, the National Council of La Raza, the Housing Authority of the City of Houston, CETA, bilingual education, discrimination and segregation in HISD, thesis and dissertation materials, as well as general reports and publications. The collection contains one box of photographs.

MSS 0294 Mamie Garcia LULAC Collection

Mamie Garcia was born on August 8, 1941. She married Julian Garcia and had three children, two of whom are Carolyn Ortiz and James Richard Ortiz. Mamie graduated from Jefferson Davis High School in 1959 and then from Durham Business College in 1965. She then became a teacher for Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral Church. Mamie was also president of the Better Neighborhood Development Corporation to promote Housing for Senior Citizens and was appointed secretary for Familias Unidas of Second Ward. More community involvement included her volunteer work at Ripley House, Casa de Amigos, the Latino Learning Center, and the Macario Garcia Center. Mamie's first involvement in the League of the United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) began in 1964 when she became a member for Council #402. From 1966-1968, she was elected as secretary and from 1970-1971 was the treasurer and chairwoman for the fundraising committee. In 1972, Mamie was appointed as coordinator for the First State Women Affairs Committee and later appointed State Chairwoman of Women Affairs Committee. The Women Affairs Committee (WAC) of LULAC was

established from the liaison between LULAC and Women In Community Service, Inc. (WICS). She was elected Deputy District Director for District 8 in 1974 and then elected as District 8 Director for 1976 and 1977. Mamie also participated in Fiestas Patrias as the chairwoman for the beauty pageant and as a member of the Publicity Committee for LULAC News. Mamie's awards consist of Woman of the Year for Council #402 from 1967-68 and Woman of the Year for District 8 in 1972. She also received the Sarzosa Award for Outstanding State Chairwoman of Women Affairs Committee in 1971-72."

This collection contains personal papers of Mamie Garcia as well as her correspondence. There are also documents from Women in Community Service, Inc. (WICS), Women Affairs Committee of LULAC (WAC), and League of the United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) that are dated during Mamie's involvement with them and at the end of the collection is a folder which has four (4) photographs. A list of Houston Chronicle newspapers are included at the end of the container list because they were taken out but they did not contain any particular information that dealt with Mamie, WICS, WAC, or LULAC. MSS 0306 Fernando Salas A. Collection

A native of Chihuahua, Fernando Salas A. was a Mexican American Jeweler who was an expert on diamonds. He won international recognition with his jewelry designs. He was a member of LULAC and in August 1944 became the first Mexican American to become a member of a Harris County Grand Jury.

MSS 0320 Luz Vara Collection of Early Mexican-Texan History

The Luz Vara Collection of Early Mexican-Texan History contains baptism, marriage, and burial records for the San Fernando Church, the Mission San Jose, the San Miguel De Aguayo, the Mission Nuestra Sra. De La Concepcion, the Mission San Francisco De Solano, the Mission San Ildefonso, and the Mission San Antonio De Vallero Burials between the years of 1703 and 1860. MSS 0321 Augustina (Tina) Reyes Collection

Augustina Reyes was elected to the Houston Independent School District Board of Trustees in 1981, 1983 and 1985. In 1984 she served as President of the Board. Tina Reyes received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Dominican College in Houston, Texas and a Master of Arts degree from Harvard

University. In addition to her responsibilities as a member of the Board of Education, Ms. Reyes was a member of the Houston Community College System Board of Trustees, representing District 8. She was also a member of the Texas Association of School Boards, the Gulf Coast Area Association of School Boards, the Texas Association of Community Junior Colleges and served as a member of the American Leadership Forum. In 1987, after being elected to the Board a third time, Tina Reyes filled the position of Secretary of the Board of Trustees until the end of her term. Augustina Reyes served as Secretary of HISD Board of Education and head of HISD's Bilingual Program. She was a member of the Houston Community College System and was elected to the HISD Board of Trustees representing district #8 in 1981 and again in 1983. In 1984 she became President of the Board. Augustina Reyes earned a Master of Arts degree from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She was a recipient of a Kellog National Fellowship Grant and a member of Texas Association of School Boards.

The collection consists of documents extending from 1982 through 1987. The bulk of the material centers around Reyes’ tenure as President of the Board, 1984.

The Finding Aid for this collection is available online! http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/houpub/00056/hpub-00056.html

MSS 0328 Ernest Eguia Collection

Ernest Eguia was a member of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Council #60 starting in the late 1940's. He participated in the council's Ways and Means Committee and was president of the Board of Trustees of LULAC. He served as secretary from 1950-1951 and as treasurer from 1964-1965. Mr. Eguia was also elected as Vice President of LULAC Council #60 in 1958. In 1974, he was appointed to a committee, along with David Adame, to investigate if Juvencio Rodriguez would have been a good candidate for LULAC's outstanding members list.

MSS 0330 Isidro Garcia Collection

Isidro Garcia was a civic leader and member of LULAC. Since the 1920's, Club Cultural Recreativo Mexico Bello has been an important part of the Mexican-American community in Houston. Many community events have been held there, including dances and parties.

This collection contains photos of some of the events that were held at the club. The photographs had belonged to Isidro Garcia, a long-time club member, and were donated by his widow.

MSS 0340 Juan P. Rodriguez Collection

Juan P. Rodriguez was a laborer for Southern Pacific Lines, from which he retired. He was a naturalized citizen, and had a son Ralph Rodriguez who was in the navy during the 1940's. The Juan P. Rodriguez collection contains newspaper pages and clippings, advertisements, post cards and post card booklets, check stubs, personal correspondence, a payroll deduction authorization, a union card, prayer cards, receipts, a naturalization certificate, tax documents, railroad retirement board certificates, work recommendations, a bicycle license, certificates, verses, and photographs of events and school class photographs from the 1900s to the 1950s. Documents are in Spanish and in English. MSS 0352 Mexican American Small Collections

This collection consists of a variety of small donations, each usually a folder's worth of material.

See digitized items from this collection! MSS 0352 Mexican American Small Collections

MSS 0355 1910 Census of Harris County Hispanics Collection

The 1910 Census of Harris County Hispanics contains completed census forms from the 1910 census.

MSS 0356 1900 Census of Harris County Hispanics Collection

The 1900 Census of Harris County Hispanics collection contains census forms from 1900 and notes and articles written in the 1980s on the Hispanic population in 1900.

MSS 0358 Abraham Ramirez, Jr. Collection

Abraham Ramirez, Jr., was the spokesman and legal advisor for the Mexican American Education Council (MAEC). He worked in Houston as an attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF). He was also a municipal judge. Ramirez, along with MAEC, called for the boycott against the Houston Independent School District for the district's plan to desegregate

by busing between black and Hispanic schools. The ensuing court case was known as Ross v. HISD. Judge Ben C. Connally's ruling on the case created the Bi- Racial Committee, later the Tri-Ethnic Committee, to monitor the racial desegregation procedures and plans of HISD.

This collection contains documents dated from the decade of the seventies. These documents consist of newspaper clippings which discuss the boycott against the Houston Independent School District (HISD) by the Mexican-American community. Documents from the Mexican American Educational Council (MAEC), Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), and many other organizations, such as the Tri-Ethnic Committee, are also included. Legal documents from Ross vs. HISD and the proposed Westheimer Independent School District (WISD) to other legal cases from different cities are accounted for. Materials from HISD, including a map of school sites from that district, have been included.

MSS 0360 Tony Campos Collection

Tony Campos was a member of LULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizens, and played a part in establishing a preschool for non-English speaking children. He was also the Decorations Chairman in the 1964 John Connally for Governor campaign.

The Tony Campos collection contains a Beatles record album, newspapers and clippings, LULAC programs, correspondence both personal and political, homemade flash cards, information on the establishment of a non-English speaking preschool, LULAC constitution and bylaws, nametags, TX governor inaugural invitations, negatives, and photographs. The collection covers years from the 1960s to the 1980s. Most of the collection is centered on involvement in political campaigns and LULAC. MSS 0363 Ruth T. Bello Collection

Ruth Bello has written several papers on Mexican American Presbyterianism.

The Ruth Bello Collection contains photographs, negatives, correspondence, and articles on Presbyterianism covering the 1900s. MSS 0366 Constable Raul C. Martinez Collection

Born in 1924 in Goliad, Texas, Raul C. Martinez was one of thirteen children of sharecropper Placido Martinez. Raul and an older brother, Ramon, lived with their grandmother in Goliad for seven years and attended the Goliad Mexican School. On weekends during the Depression years, he and his brother returned to the farm to help raise cotton. With the aid of LULAC members, Raul and Ramon

obtained their secondary education at Goliad High School where they learned English. Martinez enlisted in the U.S. Army in October 1942 in Victoria, Texas and received an honorable discharge as PFC on November 20, 1945. Following his military service he moved to Houston where he met and married Lucy Cortez. Eventually, Martinez obtained his G.E.D., and after various jobs -- such as longshoreman and barber -- in May 1950 he applied for an appointment and was accepted as a candidate to the Houston Police Academy. The first Mexican American in the Houston Police Department, beginning on July 11, 1950 Martinez served 23 years before retiring. He was appointed Constable of Precinct 6 of Harris County in July 1973 and was re-elected in 1976, 1980, and 1984. Martinez earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Police Administration from the University of Houston and a Master of Arts degree in Sociology from Sam Houston State University. He was named the 1979 ""University of Houston Amigo of the Year"".

The Constable Raul C. Martinez collection contains a guest registry book, a pocket calendar, correspondence, campaign brochures, one sesquicentennial magazine for the Tejano community, newspaper clippings and photographs. Items in the collection date from 1950 to 1988 and the largest of the series are the photographs and newspaper clippings. The collection has a total of eight folders, a large package of unidentified family photographs and one 11x17 photograph from 1950. The papers are arranged into five series: Newspaper clippings, Photographs, Correspondence, Campaigns, and Memorabilia. The majority of the photographs are unidentified and grouped by subject whenever possible. One set of photographs relates directly to a campaign for re-election and has been kept in original order.

MSS 0367 Ramon and Delfina Villagomez Family Collection

Ramon and Delfina Villagomez, originally from Morelia Michoacan, were some of the first Mexican Americans to settle in the Magnolia Park neighborhood. Mary Villagomez became a sister of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. Maria Villagomez was born in Morelia, Mexico, in 1911. Her family moved to the United States in 1918 because of the turmoil of the Mexican Revolution. They made their way to Houston, which at that time had a Mexican population of approximately 2,000 people. The family settled in Magnolia Park, at that time a separate community, living in three houses off Harrisburg Boulevard. When the family first arrived, they attended Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Magnolia Park. The church was segregated; Anglo families rented pews in the front, while Mexicans had to sit in the back two rows. Mexican children were not allowed to attend the church school. The Villagomez family started attending Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. Although it was located far from where the family lived, this church had been established to minister to Mexicans. In 1925, Immaculate Heart of Mary Church was founded in Magnolia Park for the Mexicans living there. It was started by one of the fathers from Our Lady of Guadalupe, Father Anastasio Perez.

This collection contains manuscripts and photographs relating to the Villagomez family, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, and Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. Some of the items pertaining to the Villagomez family include programs from events held by organizations that family members belonged to, a handwritten reminiscence (in Spanish) and family photographs.

MSS 0369 Gregorio Salazar Collection

Gregorio (Gregory) Salazar was a member of the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO), and Chicano activist who promoted Mexican American civil rights during the 1960s and 1970s.

MSS 0411 Joe Orlando / LULAC Collection

Joe Orlando was a prominent member of the Mexican-American community in Houston. Among his many activities, he served on the board of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).

This collection contains items Joe Orlando gathered during his association with LULAC. Included are convention materials, miscellaneous financial records, meeting minutes, correspondence, and various publications. While not comprehensive, it is supplemental to collection RGE 21, the LULAC Council 60 collection.

MSS 0911 Mexican American WWII Honor Roll Collection

Large book signed by Mexican American World War II veterans, created by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Council 60.

MSS 1014 Mexican American Political Campaign Collection

The Mexican American Political Campaign Collection contains correspondence, pamphlets, posters, newspaper clippings and other campaign materials for Mexican Americans who ran for political office in Houston, Texas including state representative, constable, and city council member. The collection includes materials about Larry Ybarra, John E. Castillo, Raul Martinez, Al Luna, and Victor Trevino. Additionally, there are Hispanic Voter Guides for the years 1982, 1984, and 1988.

MSS 1316 Edith Gutierrez Collection

Edith Gutierrez comes from a musical family, and has taught music for much of her life. Both of her parents were musicians, and her daughter, Pauline Oliveros, is a world-famous composer. She has lived in Houston her entire life, and has been deeply involved in the Houston music scene. Her late husband, Patricio Gutierrez, played the piano professionally for many years.

This collection contains correspondence of Edith Gutierrez, her mother, Pauline Gribbin, her grandmother, Pauline Viglini, and other family members. There are assorted items collected by Edith Gutierrez throughout her life, including poetry that she wrote and items she acquired on trips to various places. There is also information pertaining to her daughter, Pauline Oliveros.

The Finding Aid for this collection is available online! http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/houpub/00050/hpub-00050.html

MSS 1395 Gracie Saenz Collection

Graciela Saenz, nee Guzman, is a native-born Houstonian, who received both her BA in Spanish and JD degrees from the University of Houston in 1978 and 1986, respectively. Married to now retired Houston police sergeant Eloy Saenz since 1978, she worked to finance his education. When his education was completed, he helped with financing her education. After law school, Saenz was employed by the Harris County District Attorney’s office from 1986-1990. Later she moved on to the firm of Burkhardt and Saenz, 1990-1992, joining Broocks, Baker and Lange, L.L.P. in 1992, and leaving in 2000 for Oppel, Goldberg & Saenz. Her legal practice has emphasized administrative law, and commercial and international business transactions. Her interest in international business was evident during her tenure on Council as she was president of Houston International Initiatives, a City of Houston organization, which encouraged international trade. As Council Member from 1992 through 1998, she chaired three committees: Council Rules, Ethics, and Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprises while serving on nine other committees. She also served on the Joint City/County Commission for Children and Youth, 1993-1997. Saenz was the first Hispanic and woman to be elected to the position of Mayor Pro-Tem, 1996-1997. Her private activities included service on the Board of Directors of the YMCA, support of Houston Grand Opera, the Boy Scouts of America and the United Way. She has three children and a grandchild. For additional information, see the attached biographies.

The collection covers primarily the three terms—six years—that Graciela Saenz served as Houston City Council Member At Large Place 1, 1992-1998, and an unsuccessful campaign for Mayor in 1997. Saenz was the first Hispanic and woman to be elected to the position of Mayor Pro-Tem, 1992-1997. Council Member Saenz took office at the same time as Mayor Bob Lanier who, like

Saenz, served three terms and left office because of term limitations. Lanier won election on a platform of increased police protection for Houston citizens who were significantly concerned about public safety. The economy of the city was also a concern, still recovering from the oil bust of 1982-1984. A major portion of the collection’s council records are concerned with the Joint City/County Commission on Youth, 1993-1997, which was concerned with crimes committed by youths, among other issues. The collection covers the period 1992-2000, which includes the years that Saenz served on Houston City Council, with address lists, agendas, appointment calendars, bank statements, brochures, checks, correspondence, greeting cards, invitations, mechanical copies of fax transmissions, memos, message logs, meeting minutes, news releases, newsletters, newspaper articles, note pads, publications, questionnaires, receipts, reports, requests for meetings, schedules, and voter analysis printouts. The collection describes the public and private service of Graciela Saenz as Council Member and involved citizen. The mechanics of the Mayoral Campaign of 1997 are described by invitations, questionnaires, and answers to issues. Some post- City Council items are included.

The Finding Aid for this collection is available online! http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/houpub/00046/hpub-00046.html

MSS 1396 Sarah Cortez Collection

Teacher, poet, and police officer, Sarah Cortez divides her time between diverse professions in Houston, the city of her birth and a place she holds close to her heart. Cortez blends together her different careers by teaching poetry and creative writing and allowing her occupation as a police officer to influence her literary style. The title of her first published collection of poetry, How to Undress a Cop (Arte Público Press, 2000), is a testament to this truth. Cortez teaches writing at the University of Houston as a Visiting Scholar. The class that she will be teaching during the Spring 2002 semester is Latino Visions of the City, a unique writing course that will offer students the opportunity to examine urban related poetry and create their own poetic expressions. She also teaches Writing the Memoir, a Wednesday evening course at the C.G. Jung Educational Center located in Houston's museum district. Cortez received the 1999 PEN Texas Literary Award in Poetry and placed as a semi-finalist in the 2000 Fourteenth Annual Louisiana Literature Prize for Poetry. For the present year, one of her poems, "Glance," was chosen to be featured in Houston METRO buses as part of the nationwide program, "Poetry in Motion."

The Sarah Cortez Collection consists of 6 boxes of her writings, including poetry, stories, journal articles, newspaper clippings, publications, published books, her master’s thesis, as well as her personal correspondence from the 1970s to the 2000s. Many of her works reflect her experiences as a police woman in Houston, Texas. A significant portion of the personal correspondence is between Sarah Cortez and Susan H. Lee. Also included in the collection are photographs of Sarah Cortez and a cassette tape of a radio appearance.

RG D 0036 A. D. Salazar Printing Co.

This collection contains issues of "El Puerto" newspaper from 1935 and 1938, and advertising materials for businesses and community events, all published by the A. D. Salazar Printing Company.

RG 1013 OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CHURCH

The parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church was opened along with the school in 1912 in Houston’s Second Ward. Guadalupe Church was founded specifically to serve Houston’s Mexican and Mexican American population due discriminatory practices by other Houston Catholic churches. By 1930 it was considered the city’s first and only “Mexican” church.

This collection contains pamphlets, church bulletins, articles, newspaper clippings, invitations, and manuscripts from the 1900s concerning the church and its associated school.

RG 1394 MECA COLLECTION

MECA, Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts, began in 1977, growing out of the St. Joseph Fun ‘n Food Fest, the first citywide celebration of the various cultural groups that lived in Houston. MECA received 501(c)(3) status and was incorporated in 1979; in 1993, MECA moved to its current home in the historic Dow School building in the Old Sixth Ward.

RG E 0053 CHICANO FAMILY CENTER (FORMERLY CHICANO TRAINING CENTER)

The Chicano Training Center (CTC) Inc., established in July 1971, is a non-profit agency with an emphasis in educational and social services and research. It is chartered by the state of Texas and classified by IRS as a 501(c)3 organization. It is governed by a fifteen-member board of directors representing such disciplines as psychiatry, business, law, juvenile justice, social work and education, as well as groups such as consumers and lay community. It is governed by a board of directors that is 90% Chicano and is staffed by a professional and para-professional staff comprised

of Hispanics and bilingual/bicultural non-Hispanics. The agency perceives itself as a private non- profit service delivery organization of programs and projects designed to enhance the quality of life through the provision of services that meet the needs of the community. Their goals include the development and /or implementation of programs and projects that: 1) support the functioning of individuals and families; 2) serve the interest of the target neighborhoods; 3) promote education; 4) foster interpersonal and intergroup relationships, and; 5) enhance the understanding of culturally relevant intervention. The CTC Clinica program provides counseling services to families with problems in mental health, family and individual dysfunction, catastrophic circumstances and community education."

RG G 0003 HUELGA SCHOOLS OF HOUSTON

On August 31, 1970, a three-week-long strike was initiated by the Mexican American community in protest to Houston Independent School District's (H.I.S.D.) pairing plan. The plan paired black and white elementary schools, with students to be bused between the paired schools in order to achieve court-ordered integration in the district; however, H.I.S.D.'s so-called white students were mainly Mexican Americans. The strike was called for by the Mexican American Education Council (MAEC) and was intended to keep the Mexican American elementary students from attending H.I.S.D. schools. The school district officials negotiated with MAEC and brought an end to the strike in September. Nevertheless, just as everything was in order, H.I.S.D. presented another version of the original pairing plan in January 1971 which was also disapproved by MAEC. In response to the plan, MAEC renewed the strike. In February, the strike evolved into a boycott when MAEC created the Huelga schools. These schools were held at three churches where volunteer teachers, along with room mothers, helped teach the Mexican American students. The huelga school at Juan Marcos Presbyterian Church was headed by Jose Torres, who was later appointed as the superintendent of the huelga schools. The other two were at Denver Harbor Presbyterian Church and El Mesias Methodist Church. The boycott would eventually go on until the end of the 1972 school year.

RG I 0017 CASA JUAN DIEGO

Inspired by the work of legendary pacifist and co-founder of the Catholic Workers Movement, Casa Juan Diego opened in 1981 at 4309 Washington Avenue. The collection consists of copies of the "Houston Catholic Worker" newspaper from May 1981 to February 1990. None of the years are complete and there are duplicate copies of some issues. There are two issue of "Trabajador Catolico de Houston" for September and November 1984 in Spanish.

MSS 0353 LULAC REGIONAL COLLECTION

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Regional Collection contains correspondence, programs, runoff records, newspapers, and membership lists from the 1960s to the 1990s.

MSS 1389 NUESTRA PALABRA COLLECTION

Nuestra Palabra is a Latino literary movement started in Houston, Texas in 1998. The organization held monthly showcases from February to July which highlighted Latino writers in entertaining and informative forums.

This collection is comprised of photographs, magazine clippings, publications, press releases, showcase documents, and programs relating to Nuestro Palabra and Latino writers in general such as Houston Latino Book and Family Festival, which in 2012, was the largest Latino book festival in Texas. An item of note includes a 1999 proclamation of "Nuestra Palabra Day" by Mayor Lee Brown.

RG 1322 OLGA SOLIZ/HOUSTON HISPANIC FORUM COLLECTION

The Houston Hispanic Forum was conceived in 1984 under the name of Houston Hispanic Roundtable, in a meeting with Manuel Sanchez III, Rey Gonzalez, Lupe Fraga, Dr. Dorothy Caram, and Olga Soliz for the purpose of focusing on issues important to the Hispanic community. The Houston Hispanic Forum is a nonprofit organization whose primary objective is to promote awareness, understanding and communication about issues affecting the Hispanic community. Since its inception, the Forum has undertaken projects aimed at providing leadership, vitality, and unity, with the Career and Education Day being its annual highlight. Houston Hispanic Forum is an objective, non-partisan group of concerned individuals and institutions committed to providing leadership and promoting cordial relations and unity among Hispanics, foster the growth and development of individuals, encourage Hispanics to develop their strengths and abilities to serve each other and the community at large, encourage continued attainment of educational goals, and help resolve extraordinary problems and issues affecting the Hispanic community as they may arise."

The Finding Aid for this collection is available online! http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/houpub/00045/hpub-00045.html

RG E 0015 POLITICAL ASSOCIATION OF SPANISH-SPEAKING ORGANIZATIONS (PASO)

In 1961 The Civic Action Committee organized PASO (Political Association of Spanish-Speaking Organizations) with Genaro Flores and John Castillo as a chairman and vice-chairman.

RG E 0021 LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS (LULAC) COUNCIL 60

Council #60 was founded in 1934 as the first LULAC Council in the Houston area and has a distinguished record. It developed as a response to the trying conditions faced by the Hispanic Community during the first part of the twentieth century. At that time the Houston Mexican American populace suffered from many of the problems encountered by Hispanics across the United States. In particular, prejudice and discrimination placed numerous obstacles in the path of Hispanic advancement. Mexican Americans found little access to public facilities as well as the private sector where they found barriers to housing and equal employment. Likewise, the language barrier and lack of education stood in the way of Mexican American advancement. So it was that in 1934 a group of men from Houston and Magnolia Park, a predominantly Mexican American suburb of the city, founded Council #60 just a few years after LULAC began in Corpus Christi. This early group of men was determined to do their best to facilitate the full participation of their people in the wider society. LULAC Council #60 became their vehicle for civic action. The goals of LULAC became the code they would live by. By the end of the 1930s, Council #60 was already widely known in the LULAC organization. In 1937 it hosted the first LULAC National Convention, held in Houston. It would later host national conventions in 1946, 1966 and 1979, the golden anniversary of LULAC. The council has helped to foster the proliferation of LULAC chapters in the Texas Gulf Coast. LULAC Council #60 has produced many community leaders on the local, state and national levels. Four national presidents come from its ranks: John J. Herrera, Felix Tijerina, Alfred J. Hernandez and Roberto Ornelas. These men each in their own way symbolize Council #60's commitment and struggle to foster education, employment and civil rights for the Hispanic community. Council #60, now over a half-century old, is proud of its history and hopeful for the future.

RG 1314 LULAC NEWS

The Finding Aid for this collection is available online!

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/houpub/00021/hpub-00021.html

RG E 0024 CLUB MEXICO BELLO

Club Cultural Recreativo Mexico Bello (or Mexico Bello) began in Houston in 1924 as a social, recreational and civic outlet for individuals of the Houston Mexican American community. It was composed primarily of aspiring, upwardly mobile young adults from across the city. Although it was a men's group, it soon developed a women's auxiliary which was composed mainly of member's wives. The membership was exclusive and the number limited. Membership in the organization was highly sought after by people in the Houston community. Mexico Bello functioned as a social and civic group as it sponsored dances and many forms of community interaction, including the annual "blanco y negro" ball. It also developed other affairs such as the yearly quinceañera. In addition, the club was very interested in cultural preservation as its motto stressed "Patria, Raza, Idioma." From its inception the club was prestigious and counted in its membership many of the leaders of the Houston Hispanic community. They stressed a wider civic consciousness among the Houston colonia and endeavored to create a positive image of the Mexican American people in the minds of the larger Houston community. Mexico Bello has over the years worked with other organizations in the Hispanic community, as many of its members have been active in other groups as well.

RG E 0025 HARRIS COUNTY HISPANIC CAUCUS

In 1978, The Mexican American Hispanic Advisory Council was organized by the Harris County Hispanic Caucus (HCHC) to discuss with Houston's mayor, Jim McConn, employment, economic and political problems that the Hispanic Community faced in Texas.

RG E 0084 Tejano Association for Historic Preservation

Tejano Association for Hispanic Preservation is a non-profit organization which strives for the preservation of sites that have Tejano / Mexicano historical significance and that are in danger of being lost due to natural or human causes.

RG Q 0001 MEXICAN AMERICANS FOR BETTER TRANSIT

Mexican Americans For Better Transit was created in 1978, to mobilize support of the Mexican American community for the passage of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, and to emphasize better transit services for the Mexican American Community.

MSS 0205 LITTLE SCHOOL OF THE 400 COLLECTION

The "Little Schools of the 400" was founded by Felix Tijerina in 1957. Tijerina became national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in 1956 and under his direction LULAC inituated the "Little Schools of the 400" as a pioneer effort in Mexican American education. The program intended to teach Spanish-speaking preschool children four hundred basic English words so that they could deal adequately with the first grade. In this manner, its advocates reasoned, Mexican American children would not fall behind in their early school years, become discouraged, and ultimately drop out at the alarming rate which characterized the Texas Mexican community at that time. The pilot projects were established in the Texas towns of Ganado and Edna in 1957, and by the following year had spread to other places in the state. The overwhelming majority of the project's preschoolers went on to sucessfully finish the first grade, a dramatic contrast to the apalling failure rate of children who did not receive such instruction. The "Little Schools of the 400" were consistent with LULAC's traditional emphasis on education as a primary focus for Mexican American advancement. Tijerina's own non-confrontational approach in dealing with Anglo society represented a principal tactic of the late 1940's and 1950's, especially during the Eisenhower years. In 1959, Tijerina's friendly persuasion convinced the parsimonious Texas State Legislature to adopt and fund the concept as the Preschool Instructional Classes for Non-English Speaking Children. Tijerina and LULAC worked to spread the program across the Southwest. Ultimately, it became a model for Project Headstart under the administration of Lyndon B. Johnson. Felix Tijerina's approach made Houston a focal point of state and national attention on Mexican American issues. Such periodicals as the Saturday Evening Post and Time magazine featured articles on Tijerina and the plight of Latin American education. Guadalupe Quintanilla is an educator and a civic leader active in the Mexican American community. Her 1976 dissertation was written on the "Little School of the 400." "Little School of the 400" was a program specifically designed to acquaint the Latin American children of this state with the basic English vocabulary necessary for them to enter their first year in school with greater ease and confidence. Advocates reasoned Mexican American children would not fall behind in their early school years and become discouraged and drop out at the alarming rate which characterized the Texas Mexican community at that time. Pilot projects were established in the Texas towns of Ganardo and Edna in 1957 and by the following year spread to other places in the state. The overwhelming majority of the project's preschoolers went on to successfully finish the first grade, a dramatic contrast to the appalling failure rate of children who did not receive such instruction. The name was derived from a list of 400 vocabulary words deemed necessary for basic English skills. Felix Tijerina was chairman of the LULAC Educational Fund, Inc. through which the "Little School of the 400" was run. Tijerina and LULAC worked to spread the program across the Southwest and ultimately it became a

model for Project Headstart under Lyndon B. Johnson's administration. The materials in this collection were collected by Dr. Guadalupe C. Quintanilla, Associate Provost of the University of Houston and a representative of many successful Mexican Americans in higher education, when she was writing her doctoral dissertation in 1976. A school dropout at age fourteen, she reentered the educational system as an adult, and against much adversity, eventually earned a doctorate. Quintanilla moved beyond the campus, involving herself in a legion of civic affairs. She pioneered teaching Spanish language and Hispanic culture courses to Houston police officers. Nationally, she served for a time on the United States delegation to the United Nations during the Reagan administration. The collection contains copies of pages from David Adame's registration book and correspondence from Jake Rodriguez, Executive Director of "The Little School of the 400". There are also financial reports by the LULAC Educational Fund, Inc. from 1958 through 1962. Copies of lists of the schools that were qualified for the "Little School of the 400", Spanish program radio stations, and LULAC councils in the state of Texas are also in the collection.

The Finding Aid for this collection is available online! http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/houpub/00171/hpub-00171.html

BELOW IS A LIST OF OUR HISPANIC NEWSPAPERS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER. NOTE: THESE ARE NOT ALWAYS COMPLETE RUNS.

N/A La Prensa (San Antonio) Spanish 1916-1928 RG D 0082 Gaceta Mexicana Spanish 1928 RG 1314 LULAC News English 1932-2012 RG D 0025 Compass Bilingual 1967-1972 RG D 0080 El Sol Bilingual 1968-1991 RG 0945 La Raza Bilingual 1970-1971 RG D 0043 Papel Chicano Bilingual - Mostly English 1970-1973 RG 0944 Con Safos Bilingual - Mostly English 1971 RG D 0027 La Vida Latina Spanish 1971-1979 RG D 0031 La Cronica de Texas Bilingual 1974-1975 RG D 0020 El Mexica Bilingual - Mostly Spanish 1974-2002 RG D 0030 La Grafica Spanish 1976 RG D 0022 La Voz Del Barrio Bilingual 1977-1978 RG D 0021 La Prensa Bilingual 1978 RG 0943 Tejas News English May 14, 1978 RG 1400 La Voz de Houston Spanish 1980-2004 RG 1392 Viva Magazine English 1989-1994 RG 1402 El Dia Spanish 2002 RG 1403 Semana Spanish 2002 RG 1406 La Prensa de Houston Spanish 2002

Below are historical and biographical details for some of the above publications. RG D 0080 El Sol

El Sol is a Mexican American newspaper that operated from 1966 to 1989 in the Houston area. It was published by several people including Moe Sanchez and Lynn Montgomery. El Sol was aimed at Mexican Americans with an estimated circulation of 17,000 in 1968. El Sol’s objective was to educate Mexican Americans and to address issues of poverty in this community. The topics covered include: general news, social news, politics, and editorials.

El Sol is arranged chronologically. The earliest editions are bound.

Material related to El Sol can be found in the MSS 0352.033 Mexican American Small Collections in folder 7 “Houstonians of Mexican Ancestry.” This folder contains four detailed reports on the living conditions of Houstonians of Mexican Ancestry particularly those who live in “El Barrio”. Report 4 briefly mentions El Sol by including a quote that was taken specifically from one of their issues: “The government can give us opportunity within certain limits,., but in the end it is the individual that will determine if he succeeds or fails. One thing Washington cannot give us is character.” Report 5 includes a history of El Sol and its importance within the Mexican American community

RG D 0043 Papel Chicano

The English-language newspaper Papel Chicano was started in 1970 by a group of Mexican American youth activists in Houston who created the Mexican American Cultural Corporation, an affiliate of the Chicano Press Association. The staff included Johnny Almendarez, Carlos Calbillo, Leo Tanguma, Kris Vasquez, Enrique Perez, Al Duran, and others. Papel Chicano was headquartered in Houston's Magnolia Park subdivision, which had a large Mexican American population. The paper was part of the Chicano Movement, taking a militant political stance. The paper reported on grassroots activism, protested discrimination (from individual incidents to the lack of city services in the barrios), and freely criticized both Anglo politicians and more conservative Mexican American groups.

The major subjects in this newspaper series include: Houston; Mexican American Politics and Community Affairs; the Chicano Movement; the Chicano Moratorium; the Huelga Schools; the Mexican American Youth Organization; the Mexican American Education Council, the Brown Berets, La Raza Unida, and the United Farm Workers movement. This newspaper also highlights some important male figures in the Chicano Movement: Reies Lopez Tijerina, Corky Gonzalez, Jose Angel Gutierrez, and Cesar Chavez.

Several issues have articles on the local as well as national Chicano Movement, the meaning of a brown/mestizo identity as well as fiesta patrias (patriotic festivals) celebrations, welfare rights and food stamp application information, Chicano studies, Chicana-specific concerns and involvement in the Chicano Movement, immigrants, police brutality, electoral politics, the broader Latino community (Puerto Ricans), and the Native American Civil Rights Movement. Volume 2, Issue 6 is a special reprint of the newspaper El Grito Del Norte, a Chicano Press Association newspaper that was headquartered in New Mexico.

The collection is also preserved via microfilm.

RG D 0027 La Vida Latina

La Vida Latina was a bilingual, Houston publication produced by Johnny P. Hernandez. Columnist Jose M. Falconi presented historical information, linguistic facts and jokes in his column “Falconerias. Guadalupe “Lupe” Quintanilla, professor at the University of Houston, contributed the column “Rinconcito Universitario.” Bishop Patricio Flores also contributed a column to La Vida Latina. La Vida Latina included a section titled “Houston People” where they displayed photos of Hispanic Houstonians. Additionally there existed the column “Nosotras las Mujeres” which featured successful Houston Hispanic women.

This collection is arranged chronologically and contains an incomplete run of La Vida Latina.

RG D 0031 La Cronica de Texas

La Cronica de Texas was a bilingual newspaper from Houston Texas. It is unclear who published it. Based on an anniversary issue it can be inferred that that the newspaper was established on March 7, 1974. La Cronica was operated by three individuals: Frank Gibler (Director Editor), Guillermo Aguayo (General Director), and Manuel Lozano ( President). The newspaper served to inform the Mexican American community on political issues, entertainment, Hispanic events and more.

La Cronica de Texas is housed in one box. This collection is comprised of 5 complete issues (Vol 1 #s 36-40), several issues that are missing pages, and a few loose pages. After issue # 38, the newspaper changes to a larger size of paper and the number of pages is decreased from 12 to 8. One issues of interest features Henry B. Gonzalez attending an event that La Cronica covered, among those who were also at the event include the Mayor of Monterrey, Mexico.

RG D 0030 La Grafica

La Grafica is a Spanish- language newspaper published in Houston by Jesus G. Olivares. Other members of the publishing staff included Guillermo Aguayo, editor, and Alberto Caballos Lara.

This collection of newspapers contains general news, advertisement and supplements. La Grafica reported the social activities of Hispanic Houstonians including Club Mexico Bello and Club Familias Unidas activities and receptions. The publication included local businesses articles, and advertisements, as well as articles of Mexican and Hispanics Artists. Among the subjects covered on the general news you can find: local, national, and international news, with an emphasis on Mexican and Hispanics politics and politicians. La Grafica also gave special attention to Mexican American sports, like the charreria and charros.

RG D 0022 La Voz Del Barrio

La Voz Del Barrio is a bilingual newspaper that was established by Macario Ramirez. La Voz generally circulated on a monthly basis.. Macario created the newspaper to inform Mexican Americans on political issues, the importance of voting, and the keeping of Mexican culture.

Several editors worked with Ramirez including: Dr. Luis Cardona, Dr. Ricardo Ontivaros, Lucila Willingham, Luis Soliz, Jensy Mcgraw, Gloria Reyes, Raul De Anda, Odalmira García, Luis Delgado, Sam Bell, Eduardo López, Norma Pérez, Yolanda Feores, Janice Beue, and Carlos Calbillo. Several of the aforementioned contirbutors to the newspaper were political and social activists in Houston. After the newspaper shut down, Ramirez went on to establish Casa Ramirez Folk Art Gallery in the Heights neighborhood of Houston. To this day, Ramirez continues to serve his community as a political and social activist. Ramirez received the 2013 Mayor’s Hispanic Heritage Award on October 9, 2013 for his commitment to promoting Mexican art in the Houston community.

This collection is housed in the same box as RG D 0021 (La Prensa). It is arranged in chronological order in accordance with the Volume and Number of issue. There are several copies of each newspaper.

RG D 0021 La Prensa

La Prensa was a local Mexican American, bilingual newspaper printed in Houston, Texas in 1978 over a period of nine months. Under the direction of Fernando De la Vega as its editor, Luis Mier as director, and Rosa Amércia Cotto as assistant director, La Prensa informed Mexican Americans on various subjects including: politics, community activities, entertainment, and religion. La Prensa’s

distribution center was located in the East End region of Houston next to the Leonard’s department store. La Prensa stopped publishing in November 1978 after several key staff members left to work on other newspapers throughout the area and the country. Ms. Cotto was originally from Central America and worked alongside two other staff writers who also originated outside of Houston. John Peñas was from New York and Orlando Boudini was from Argentina.

Several issues of La Prensa are dedicated to the murder of Jose Campos Torres and the trials associated with him. Torres, a Vietnam War veteran, was arrested at a bar and then murdered by Houston police officers in 1977.

This collection contains a complete run of La Prensa newspaper and is arranged chronologically. It is housed with RG D 0022 La Voz Del Barrio.

RG 1392 Viva Magazine

Publisher/editor Blanca Hernandez originally envisioned Viva Magazine when she took over the organizational newspaper of the Houston Coalition of Hispanic Women and decided to expand it to a wider audience. Launched from her home on September 1, 1989, Blanca did all the work to produce Viva Magazine--from selling ads to writing stories--with the personal mission of dispelling the myth that Latinos were a dormant minority community by spotlighting the many accomplishments of the Hispanics in the greater Houston area.

Viva Magazine’s primarily English-language articles focused on education, community affairs, entertainment, electoral politics, immigration, sports, and businesses. In September, 1990, Blanca agreed to have Viva Magazine distributed in the Houston Post as a Friday supplemental and expanded the readership from 50, 000 to 200,000 by 1991 and to 300,000 by 1993. The contributors to the magazine wrote articles that encompassed moderate to leftist points of view.

The major subjects in this newspaper series include: Houston Latino Politics and Community Affairs; Latino Culture; Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans; Chicano Family Center; KQQK Tejano Radio; Hispanic Police Officers; Multicultual Education and Counseling through the Arts; Houston Area Women’s Center; Talento Bilinque de Houston; LULAC, Latino Learning Center; Tejano Center for Community Concerns; and Society of Mexican American Engineers and Scientists. The newspaper also highlights important local and national Latino figures: Cesar Chavez; Ninfa Laurenzo; Ben Reyes; Selena; and Raul Marquez. Volume 7, issue 9 has the front cover signed by Tejano musician Freddy Fender.

Several newspapers issues focus on Latino health (AIDS/HIV and Diabetes), Chicano Studies and charter schools, Mexican American cultural celebrations (Dia De Las Madres, Dia de Los Muertos, Cinco de Mayo), NAFTA, and debates about ethnic labels.

MSS 0326 Arnoldo De Leon Manuscript Collection

This collection contains the research files of Arnoldo De Leon for his publication Ethnicity in the Sunbelt – Mexican Americans in Houston. MSS 0907 Del Pueblo Collection

This collection contains the research files of Thomas Kreneck, former archivist for the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, for his publication Del Pueblo – A History of Houston’s Hispanic Community. MSS 1394 Guadalupe Quintanilla Collection

This collection contains the research files of Guadalupe Quintanilla for her PhD dissertation: The Little School of the 400 and Its Impact on Education for the Spanish Dominant Bilingual Children of Texas. MSS 1415 Roberto Trevin o Catholic Oral History Collection

This collection contains the research files of Roberto Trevino for his publication The Church in the Barrio – Mexican American Ethno-Catholicism in Houston.

MSS 1466 Moody Park Riots Papers

This collection contains the research files of playwright Alex Saar Rios for his play about the Moody Park riots. The riot was a reaction to the murder of Vietnam veteran, Jose Campos Torres, by Houston Police officers a year earlier in May of 1977.