La Raza Unida Party Reunion July 6th & 7th 2012 Austin, Texas Cover photo by Alan Pogue Page 2 La Raza Unida Party Reunion Program Book - 2012 Juan, Martha y Marí Eugenia Cotera Familia Zamora-Valenzuela SALUDAN Emilio, Angela, Clara, Luz, a todos sus compañeros de la Raza Felix, Feliciano Salute all those who are coming to the reunion Julio 6-7, 2012 La Raza Unida Party Reunion Program Book - 2012 Page 3 La Raza Unida Party Reunion Table of Contents Editorial . 4 La Raza Unida Reunion Program . 6 & 7 Un Breve Historia del Partido de La Raza Unida . 10,11,12 Cometarios de los estaba allí . 14 & 15 Memorial Page . 17 Special Recognition para Little Joe y La Familia . 18 Texas Population Overview . 20 & 21 Lista de los candidatos del partido . 24 & 37 Planning Committee . 39 Page 4 La Raza Unida Party Reunion Program Book - 2012 ¿Quién Son? Who are they? PRODUCTION La Raza Unida Party Reunion Program Book - 2012 Page 5 PRODUCTION Editor & Publisher What Happened to Us? AlfredoEditor Santos c/s Editorial Alfredo Santos c/s Managing Editors Pus ya llego el dia. Aquí estamos en otra reunion de activistas. Some of you may have attended the 20th ContributingYleana Santos Writers Kaitlyn Theiss year anniversary in 1989 en San Antonio, Texas. Pablo Avila Tal vez otras fueron al reunion en Dallas, Texas en Modesta Treviño Graphics 2009. De todas maneras, it is great to see everyone MarthaJuan Cotera Gallo here in Austin, Texas. Maria Elena Martinez LindaDistribution Del Toro While some have been calling this reunion “el ErnestoEl TCalderoneam utlimo adios,” otros estan diciendo que “la revolución no ha terminado.” Yes, it is true we have Ruby T. Calderon Contributing Writers not seen the kind of activity that once had us in front Alfredo R. Santos c/s Ricardo Chavira of TV cameras and on the front page of newspapers Planning Committee AlmaW Vaynealdez in the 1960s and 1970s. And yes, many of us have La Raza Unida Party Reunion Dr.Hector Emilio TijerinaZamora reduced our profile to raise families, earn a living or Austin, Texas Marisa Cano focus on a career. PUBLISHER’S STATEMENT But there are still some of us, who like that Japanese soldier at the end of World War II, PUBLISHER’S who have refused to give up or stop being activists. Some of us, like the Japanese La RazaSTA UnidaTEMENT Party Re- soldier, have not heard the news that the war is over. Seguimos peleando la causa. ¿ union program book is Por qué?¿Qué fue la causa? workLa Voz in de progress Austin is ina monthly that publication. The editorial and we are still looking for all hen we look around us, we still see the same poverty, injustice, discrimination and business address is P.O. Box W the names of those who 19457 Austin, Texas 78760. bad education that we once stood up and denounced. Granted it, it is not the same ran for elective office bajo The telephone number is (512) people who are poor today. But what is the same is the injustice, discrimination and the el nombre del partido. 944-4123. The use, reproduc- bad education. 40 years ago the high school dropout rate for Chicanos was terrible! Readers are encouraged tion or distribution of any or Today the dropout rate hovers around 40%. Is that terrible? topart contact of this the publication staff with is namesstrongly encouraged.and leads Buton do While it is true that more and more Latinos are going to college and becoming profes- peoplecall and wholet us should know what be in- you sionals, it is also true that more and more Latinos are leaving school, filling the prisons cludedare using. in anLetters official to the list editor of and jails and stuck in poor paying jobs. Where is the outrage? Where is the coraje that allare those most welcome. who were Raza once led us to fill the streets with protest signs and gritos? Unida Party candidates. The contact information is What has changed? Did we, who were once the proud Chicano activists change? Or Alfredo Santos c/s P.O. did society change? Does history truly move in cycles and thus the activism that we were Box 19457 Austin, Texas once were a part of in the 1970s something that shall return at a future date? 78760. The telephone number is (512) 944-4123. I am sure there are many here today who ponder these questions often. I am sure there are those who still struggle with how far to push the envelope in their respective cities Por cualquier and town today. While this event here in Austin, Texas is a reunion, I am sure there are pregunta, those who will be exploring and listening to see how others feel about the times in which llamanos: we are living. And the age old question of what is one willing to do will be raised again because there are still some Japanese soldiers still out there. (512) 944-4123 www.larazaunidapartyreunion.org Page 6 La Raza Unida Party Reunion Program Book - 2012 La Raza Unida Party Reunion Program FRIDAY July 6th, 2012 Noon Registration opens at noon at Mexitas Restaurant (12th and IH-35 in Austin, Texas) Early arrivals can pick up their name tags and program booklet Exhibits open / informal platicas Interview booths are open for oral history 1:00pm Screening of Movie “Chicano” in East part of room 6:00pm Social and Visiting in the Restaurant (dinner is on your own) SATURDAY July 7th, 2012 8:00am Café y pan dulce in the restaurant Exhibits open in the Bingo Hall 8:30am Invocation Rev. Dr. Jayme Mathias 9:00am Welcome/Program Review Luz Bazan Gutierrez 9:20am Introductory Speaker Maria Elena Martinez ¿Por Qué Estamos Aquí? One time Texas State Chair of LRUP 9:45 am Words from Luis Diaz de Leon – Candidate for United States Senate under La Raza Unida Party in 1978 (Linda del Toro will escort him to the stage) ¿Por qué me vine a este reunion.? 9:55 am Recognition of who is in the house by city/county/region of state 10:55am Update on who is not here Reading of the Names of those activists who have passed on Linda del Toro 11:10 am Presentation and update on the case of Ramiro “Ramsey” Muñiz Irma Muñiz 11:30:am First guest speaker – Dr. Armando Navarro Professor at the University of California Riverside, author of several books on La Raza Unida Party and activist desde hace muchos años 12:00pm BREAK for lunch Introduction of Special Guest Pablo Avila Special Announcements Luz Bazan Gutierrez La Raza Unida Party Reunion Program Book - 2012 Page 7 La Raza Unida Party Reunion Program SATURDAY July 7th, 2012 1:00 pm Reflejo Panel – theme: “Lo que hicimos y como nos fue, a personal perspective” PANELISTS Roberto Villarreal Raza Unida Party Activist from Rivera, Texas Martha Cotera Candidate for Board of Education LRUP Mario Compean Candidate for Governor of Texas LRUP Maria Jiménez Candidate for Texas State Rep. LRUP Pablo Avila Former Zavala County Judge 2:00 pm Open Microphone Questions and Comments from the audience Luz Bazan Gutierrez moderator 2:30 pm ¿Y ahora qué? Move to Breakout Sessions - This is an opportunity for smaller and more focused conversations about future directions La Poltica de Hoy Mario Compean The State of Education in Texas – What has changed? Jaime Puente Mujeres de la Raza – The untold stories Martha Cotera The “Dream Students: the new activists?” Montserrat Garibay 50 million Mestizos y qué? Lorenzo Cano School Walkouts – How many were there? Alfredo R. Santos c/s Community Newspapers, Social Media and staying in touch Ernesto Fraga The Case of Ramsey Muñiz Irma Muñiz The Future of Chicano Studies/Mexican American Studies Dr. Beto Calderon Prospects for the Rise of a New Raza Unida Party Dr. Armando Navarro Art in the Community and the Cause Raul Valdez 3:30 pm Reconvene and Brief Reports from each session Dr. Emilio Zamora 4:15pm Closing remarks Avina Gutierrez 4:30 pm End of formal part of reunion. Closing of interview booths and exhibits Page 8 La Raza Unida Party Reunion Program Book - 2012 Libros del Movimiento by Dr. Armando Navarro by Dr. Carlos Muñoz by Dr. Ignacio M. Garcia by Dr. Armando Navarro by Dr. Ignacio M. Garcia by Yolanda Alaniz and Megan Cornish La Raza Unida Party Reunion Program Book - 2012 Page 9 There will be a special presentation and up- date on Ramsey Muñiz case at the re- union. In the afternoon there will be a breakout session for those wish- ing more information about how to help Irma Muñiz secure his free- dom. Maria Elena Martinez Page 10 La Raza Unida Party Reunion Program Book - 2012 by Teresa Palomo Acosta El Partido de La Raza Unida The Raza Unida Party was In October 1971, RUP held its established on January 17, state convention in San 1970, at a meeting of 300 Antonio and voted to organize Mexican Americans at at the state level over the Campestre Hall in Crystal City, objections of Gutiérrez, who Texas. José Ángel Gutiérrez believed that the party should and Mario Compean, who had strengthen its rural standing helped found MAYO (the rather than expend its energy Mexican American Youth on a state party. Compean Organization) in 1967, were two rallied enough support for a of its principal organizers. state organization on the grounds that it would give a In December 1969, at the first boost to the Chicano and only national MAYO movement in Texas and repeat meeting, Chicano activists had the success it had attained in endorsed the formation of a Crystal City throughout Texas.