Compare Constellations

Moya, Richard, 1932-. Oral history interview with Richard Moya, 2003 [videorecording].

Title: Oral history interview with Richard Moya, 2003 [videorecording].

Richard Moya begins with his family background and the predominantly Mexican American neighborhood centered around Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church and the Austex Chili canning factory (now a brand of Castleberry Food Company). He explains the church's move to east Austin and the growth of the Mexican American neighborhood of La Buena Vista. He assails the racial segregation within the Austin Independent School District (AISD) and relates his mother's battle with AISD for admission to the "Anglo" school. He talks about the family's business ventures and defines the boundaries of Austin's African American and Mexican American neighborhoods. He reveals his personal experiences with race discrimination and discusses the alternative newspaper he and his friends published with the help of Raul Guerrero. He shares his enthusiasm for the Junior League of United Latin American Citizens Council which he formed with fellow students and its spinoff organization, the Century Club. He notes his election as National Director of Youth Activities for LULAC and recounts an incident he and Felix Tijerina endured during a LULAC convention in Lubbock, Texas. He recalls his service with the National Guard, his enlistment in the U.S. Army, and his service in Korea. He talks about his career as a printer, working for a union shop, and conveys his excitement at becoming chief investigator for the Legal Aid and Defender Society of Travis County with the assistance of John Treviño. He comments on the redrawing of Travis County district boundaries and the reactions of incumbent County Commissioner Lawson Boothe, whom he defeated in 1970, attributing the support of striking workers of the Economy Furniture Company (Economy Furniture Industries liquidated in 2003) and residents of the Govalle neighborhood for his victory. He talks at length about his role as County Commissioner, his sucess at increasing minority hiring through Affirmative Action, and his hiring practices as Travis County Commissioner, but blames his county election loss in 1986 on opposition from environmentalists. He discusses his introduction of a program in Montopolis (fully annexed in the 1970s by the city of Austin) to combat teenage drug abuse, praises County Judge Mike Renfro who took the bench in 1974, and exposes a racist incident involving Commissioner of Agriculture Bo Brown. He elaborates on the formation of the Mexican American Democrats of Texas (MAD) and their choice of Joe Bernal as their president, and discusses his association with Gonzalo Barrientos. Moya speaks of his selection as a delegate for George S. McGovern at the 1972 Democratic National Convention and his stint as MAD chairman from 1981 to 1983. He talks about his brief career as a Bastrop real estate developer during the massive savings and loan failures across Texas and his role as Director of Field Operations for Commissioner of Agriculture Jim Hightower. He speaks at length about accompanying Governor Richards to South Texas as one of her three Deputy Chiefs of Staff, along with Carl Ritchie and Joe Anderson, and recounts the split within MAD that led to the creation of the Tejano Democrats. He gives his opinions on a number of prominent Mexican Americans including Dan Morales, Juan Maldonado, Henry B. Gonzalez, Tony Sanchez, and Victor Morales.

ArchivalResource: 2 videocassettes (VHS) (3 hr., 10 min.) : col. ; 1/2 in.Transcript : 106 p. ; 28 cm.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/401296053 View

Treviño, Victor,. Oral history interview with Victor Treviño, 1996 [videorecording].

Title: Oral history interview with Victor Treviño, 1996 [videorecording].

Mr. Treviño talks about his family history and genealogy. He also talks about emigrating from Mexico and recollects events he experienced while growing up in Texas relating to race discrimination by both Whites and the local Mexican American community. He talks about racial conflicts with black co-workers and the measures he took to deal with it. Mr. Trevĩno explains that he became a U.S. citizen primarily so he could become a policeman in Houston. He gives details about his life as a police officer, including race discrimination incidents that he observed in the Houston Police Department. Mr. Treviño relates that the many problems and inequities of abuse of power by the Houston Police Department against minority citizens led him to establish the Organization of Spanish Speaking Officers (OSSO) in an attempt to give the Mexican American community a connection to the department by creating a positive Mexican American police presence in minority neighborhoods. As president of OSSO, Mr. Treviño worked with Houston's Mexican American communities on many health and school issues. He gives details about the management and funding of his election bid for Constable. Mr. Trevĩno also comments on the negative aspects of his political activities including acts of violence against him, his wife, and children by the local Mexicano establishment. He analyzes Victor Morales' potential as a politician and comments on his campaign style. Mr. Trevĩno emphasizes the importance of mentoring newly arrived Mexican immigrants toward achieving U.S. citizenship and the importance of educating them about their civic responsibilities to their new country and members of the Mexican American community.

ArchivalResource: 2 videocassettes (VHS) (2 hr., 30 min.) : col. ; 1/2 in.Transcript : 126 p. ; 28 cm.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50421111 View

Morales, Victor,. Oral history interview with Victor Morales, 1996 [videorecording].

Title: Oral history interview with Victor Morales, 1996 [videorecording].

Mr. Morales talks about his family history and genealogy. He recollects incidences of race discrimination practices directed toward him when a youth including one in which he was severely beaten by his coach. He tells why he decided to join the Navy reserves and describes Vietnam War activities he was involved in after his unit was activated. He talks about utilizing the G.I. Bill to finish his college degree at Texas A & I University upon leaving military duty. He elaborates upon his love of music, dance, and reading and, he describes the different types of dancing he especially enjoys. Mr. Morales talks about touring as a partner with a professional dance instructor in national dancing competitions throughout the United States and why he turned down an opportunity to become a professional dancer. He gives details about his early teaching career in the Dallas schools and other public schools in Texas. Mr. Morales explains his reasons for seeking public elected office, and he talks about the challenges he faces from the media, fellow Democrats, Mexican American factions, and family as a Democratic Party non-conventional candidate. He describes his political grassroots campaign style and difficulties raising money. Mr. Morales concludes the interview with comments about Texas Senator Phil Gramm and explains his decision to run against him for the U.S. Senate in 1996.

ArchivalResource: 3 videocassettes (VHS) (1 hr., 59 min.) : col. ; 1/2 in.Transcript : 85 p. ; 28 cm.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50412427 View

Morales, Victor,. Oral history interview with Victor Morales, 1997 [videorecording].

Title: Oral history interview with Victor Morales, 1997 [videorecording].

This second interview with Victor Morales begins with a review of his accomplishments as a city councilman for Crandall, Texas. He gives details about his grassroots campaign for the Democratic Party nomination for the U.S. Senate, and his campaign against Phil Gramm. Mr. Morales talks about problems he faced during his political campaigns, which include raising money to support his political endeavors and obtaining Democratic Party financial support. He elaborates upon his perceptions of Phil Gramm's character and discusses Senator Gramm's campaign tactics. He discusses the role of the media in discrediting his candidacy largely by ignoring him in newspaper write-ups and coverage. Mr. Morales comments on the lack of moral and financial support offered by Mexican American organizations. He identifies the Mexican American Democrats as the only organization to give him financial backing. Mr. Morales discusses his role at the Democratic National Convention for Clinton's 1996 nomination for President, and he describes his thoughts and emotions upon being interviewed by all the major television networks and receiving positive comments on his speech performance from notable congressional Democrats and Mrs. Hillary Clinton. He concludes the interview by stating that he hopes that voters will learn to understand his personality and not let it sway them from voting for him for public office because his agenda is solid and does not include special interest groups' agendas.

ArchivalResource: 1 videocassette (VHS) (1 hr., 57 min.)1/2 in.Transcript : p. 83 ; 28 cm.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50412515 View

Bonilla, Ruben, Jr,. Oral history interview with Ruben Bonilla, Jr., 1996 [videorecording].

Title: Oral history interview with Ruben Bonilla, Jr., 1996 [videorecording].

Ruben Bonilla, Jr., begins with his role in the Mexican American Democrats of Texas (MAD) and talks about the politics of Mexican Americans and their organizations in Texas, particularly the Raza Unida Party, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), MAD, Tejano Democrats, the American G.I. Forum, and the Mexican American Legislative Caucus. He states his concerns for the lack of action on the issues of Mexican American gangs, dropouts, and juvenile crime and shares his family's background in Calvert, Texas. He tells about the politics and economic development in Corpus Christi, Robstown, Mathis, and Nueces County, and derides Richard M. Borchers, elected to a number of Nueces County offices, who failed to create opportunities for Mexican Americans and local residents. Bonilla notes particularly the instance Borchers opted for the Linebarger (now Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson) law firm in Austin over local bidders, and laments the decision of Judge Raul Gonzales regarding a case against the Linebarger firm. Ruben Bonilla shares his opinions on the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the involvement of the Hispanic American organization Comisión Mixta in trade issues between Mexico and the United States, and describes the purpose of the Alliance (an organization formed by the merger of the Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Development Corporation and the Visitors and Tourist Bureau) in Corpus Christi. He provides information on Mexican American politicians Annette Hassette, Lauro Olivárez, and Hugo Berlanga who were elected to public office in Corpus Christi, and gives details on the judicial appointment of Hilda Tagle, with additional commentary on the success of Mexican American women in politics. He commends African American politician Mickey Leland, berates local Mexican American politician Solomon Ortiz, and refers to his friendship with American G.I. Forum founder Dr. Hector P. Garcia. He expresses his hope for a Mexican American owned newspaper and discusses the media's influence on the public's opinion of Mexican Americans. He briefly mentions his own participation in the West Texas march with Ruben Sandoval against police brutality and his experiences with race discrimination, and comments on prominent Mexican American politicos such as Tony Canales, Dan Morales, and Victor Morales.

ArchivalResource: 1 videocassette (VHS) (1 hr., 33 min.) : col. ; 1/2 in.Transcript : 60 p. ; 28 cm.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/425962454 View

Castillo, Leonel (Leonel J.),. Oral history interview with Leonel Castillo, 1996 [videorecording].

Title: Oral history interview with Leonel Castillo, 1996 [videorecording].

Leonel Castillo begins the interview by detailing his family background and his family's involvement in unions and politics. He notes his own political activities while attending St. Mary's University and details his experiences while working for the Peace Corps in the Visayas Islands in the Philippines. He discusses his field work with the Citizens Against Slum Housing (CASH) and the United Negro Protest Committee (UNPC) while attending the University of Pittsburgh. He mentions his work under Felix Fraga upon his return to Houston in 1967, and talks about his involvement in the Political Association of Spanish-speaking Organizations (PASSO) and the Southern Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). He talks about his activities on the 'Coalition,' a group led by Don Horn, consisting of labor, AFL-CIO, Teamsters, liberal Democrats, the Council of Organizations, and PASSO to screen and support political candidates for office, such as Barbara Jordan and Lauro Cruz. Mr. Castillo shares his view on his role in the Mexican American Education Council (MAEC) and the creation of Huelga (strike) schools in protest of the Houston Independent School District's deceptive desegregation tactics. He comments on his involvement in the founding of the Houston International University, or University Without Walls, and other nonprofit organizations in the Houston area. He reveals details of his campaign and election as city controller for the city of Houston and his work with the mayor, Louis Welch. He addresses his work under the Carter administration as Commissioner for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), refers to Victor Morales' U.S. Senate election campaign against incumbent Phil Gramm, and mentions such prominent Mexican Americans as Ben T. Reyes, Henry B. Gonzales, John Castillo, Frumencio Reyes, and Joe Bernal.

ArchivalResource: 1 videocassette (VHS) (2 hr.) : col. ; 1/2 in.Transcript : 78 p. ; 28 cm.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/318120138 View