The 40th Reunion of La Raza Unida Party held at Mexitas Restaurant in Austin, Texas, brought together — possibly for the last time — some of the most notable figures of the Chican@ Civil Rights Movement. Organized by a group of party activists the reunion celebrated the work of activists from the 1960s and 70s, but it also did the important work of collecting these stories through oral history interviews. I participated in the collecting of the interviews under the direction of Dr. Emilio Zamora and Marta Cotera. All interviews collected will be donated and housed at the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection.
- The efforts to Free Ramsey Muniz
- The importance of women to the community and future of La Raza Unida
- Ensuring an equitable education for students regardless of race, nationality, or economic background
- The future of La Raza Unida as a political party
- The history of art as a revolutionary tactic
One of the things made clear is that informed political involvement needs to be more concerted at all levels of our community. It is not enough to vote every four years. We must remain consistently engaged in our local democratic institutions — even when we don’t get what we want. This is especially true in regards to education. I participated in the education breakout session, and among the many things we discussed was the fact that although many things have changed since 1972… there is plenty that has not changed. Segregation due to economic disparities, the end of high-stakes testing, the attacks on ethnic studies as well as the privatization of our public schools through the proliferation of charter schools were all points that we agreed needed to be addressed sooner rather than later. Email addresses were shared, commitments made, and a plan of action created to produce a unified presence in Texas for those dedicated to La Causa 2012.
On top of all this was the opportunity for me to meet, discuss, and learn from the people who made it happen in the first place. Humility, grace, and passion are what made La Raza Unida Party a formidable political party in 1972. In 2012 with many members gone but not forgotten those who remain are as committed as ever to enacting social justice for their community. It is easy to get discouraged in the age of Citizens United, Bush v. Gore, and the Koch Bros., but being among a group of life-long dedicated activists reinvigorated my desire to enact social and political changes — if only at the local level. Moreover, I realized how important my upcoming thesis project on Juarez-Lincoln University is. These stories need to be told.
It was an honor to work and talk to the people who’s blood, sweat, and tears have made it possible for me to be where I am now — a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Mexican American Studies. I hope to continue their legacy with my work and activism.
Jaime:
It was a pleasure meeting and working with you at the Raza Unida Party Reunion. I always come away from these activities reenergized, renewed, and revived. This reunion was no different. It was such a blast to see friends who I had not seen in a long time and to have made new friends.
I was McLennan County Chair and was elected the first Treasurer of Raza Unida at its first convention in San Antonio. We raised a little over $5,000 in cash and pledges and that was the extent of my exposure to money for the partido – we just didn’t have any. I am proud to have played a small part in the political awakening of our community.
Incidently, I would enjoy working with you on your Juarez-Lincoln University project. As I mentioned to you at our last meeting, I was Editor of Publications for the National Information Clearinghouse, and from that position became the Financial Aid Officer for Juarez-Lincoln. I have many fond memories from that experience.
Mr. Calderón,
It was great to work with you. I look forward to talking with you more about Juarez-Lincoln. Thank you being so generous with your time to help me with my project.
- Jaime
Hello Jaime,
My name is Paulette Juarez, I have the extreme honor off calling myself the Granddaughter of Mr. Luis Alfonso Diaz De Leon. He ran for U.S. Senate in 1978 under La Raza Unida ticket. Knowing the man that he is, I know he will be so proud to see such a passionate young man fighting for our people. I just wanted to say Thank You! Because of people like you and my grandfather, I know this world will always have a fighting chance against the injustices that plaque the Mexican Immigrant community.
Paulette,
Thank you so much for the kind words. In honesty I can only hope to leave the legacy your Grandfather has created over his many years of public service. Have you had the opportunity to see some of the photos from the reunion? There are several powerful photos of Mr. DeLeon that I think capture the spirit of the weekend.
Here are a few links to the photo albums online:
Also, stay tuned to my website because there will be an interview of Mr. DeLeon that was recorded during the reunion posted online. Once I have the link for that I will be sure to share it.
- Jaime
Hola Paulette, Jaime, and all who made this momentous reunion event for La Raza Unida. It has been my honor also to know Sr. Luis Diaz De Leon y familia, algunos hijos…from their stint in San Francisco, CalifAztlan back in the day. In fact, I took the Director position that Luis left when he encouraged that I apply and got the position. Over the years, we have strived to maintain contact and it pleases me to add my voice to the greatness of this powerful man who was not ashamed to shed tears at hearing my poetry of the time and to share his emotions and pride in all that is our cultural heritage.
Que Viva Luis Diaz De Leon, y Que Viva La Raza Unida!!
[...] Comment It’s been more than a week since the 40th Reunion of La Raza Unida Party. I posted some quick reflections about that last week, and since then there have been several new articles, videos, and photo [...]
I attended this event. It was a success!…~TR.