Compare Constellations

Hinojosa, Juan Chuy, 1946-. Oral history interview with Juan Chuy Hinojosa 2003 [videorecording].

Title: Oral history interview with Juan Chuy Hinojosa 2003 [videorecording].

Juan 'Chuy' Hinojosa begins with his family's background and recalls their deportation to Mexico by the United States Immigration and Nautralization Services Border Patrol despite his American birthright. He shares numerous incidents of the race discrimination he experienced in South Texas, but praises the school system in Mission. He discusses his education and military service and talks about his run for the Texas House of Representatives against Eddie de la Garza, grandson to U.S. Congressman Eligio 'Kika' de la Garza. He reveals his campaign finances and the grassroots campaign strategy he learned from his mentor John Luke Hill, Jr. He speaks of his efforts in office to unify and strengthen the Mexican American caucus and tells of his budget confrontation with Speaker of the House Bill(y) Clayton in order to keep farm chemical regulation under the Commissioner of Agriculture Jim Hightower. He explains his non-partisan voting record by citing a vote on redistricting and touts his legislative successes. He elaborates on his struggle with the University of Texas System Chancellor, William H. Cunningham, to bring the Regional Academic Health Center (RAHC) to South Texas. He shares his decision to run for the Texas Senate seat vacated by Carlos Truán and expresses his gratitude for the financial support he garnered in Corpus Christi, Texas to run and win against Tony Canales' granddaughter, Barbara Canales Black. He points out the differences between working in the Texas House of Representatives and working in the Texas Senate, and contrasts the Republican and Democratic Parties in Texas. He talks about a case he tried prior to introducing legislation, with the help of Judith Zafarrini, for victims of Battered Woman Syndrome and tells about the clean up operation of chemical dumping from the Hayes Sammons Chemical Company on the property of Celia Muñoz. He contrasts the camaraderie of his Marine Corps squad in Vietnam to his first-year impressions and discomfort at Georgetown University and refers to the La Raza Law Students Association he started in the Washington, D.C. area as a student.

ArchivalResource: 1 videocassette (VHS) (1 hr., 24 min.) : col. ; 1/2 in.Transcript: 43p.; 28 cm.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/415157601 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

Bustamante, Albert Garza,. Oral history interview with Albert Garza Bustamante, 2004 [videorecording].

Title: Oral history interview with Albert Garza Bustamante, 2004 [videorecording].

Albert Garza Bustamante begins with his personal and family background and elaborates on his family's home life and work around Dimmit County, Texas, and as migrant agricultural laborers in Oregon. He expresses his budding interest in politics through the American G.I. Forum. He touches on the race discrimination he encountered in Texas in Nueces and San Patricio Counties during his military service and provides details of his military experience as a U.S. Army paratrooper. He explains how he worked his way through San Antonio College and struggled through Sul Ross State College despite the aid of G. I. Bill veterans' benefits because he had married in 1958. He discusses his successful efforts as a teacher and coach at James Fenimore Cooper Junior High School in San Antonio and recalls how he met Henry B. Gonzalez through Lalo Solis and worked as Gonzalez' aide at the Hemisphere [sic, HemisFair]. He assails Gonzalez' political maneuvering and discusses Gonzalez' career in Washington, D.C. He addresses his decision to run against Albert Peña for Bexar County Commissioner and talks about his confrontation with George Velasquez. He reveals the reason behind the breakup of the friendship between Peña and Gonzalez and for hiring Peña's campaign manager, Peter Penfield. Bustamante describes his unique campaign strategy when he ran for and won election as Bexar County Commissioner in 1972, including the creation of a comic book and his television debate, and discusses his campaign funds. He notes working with the Committee Organized for Public Service (COPS) while he served as a Bexar County Commissioner and cites his efforts to provide facilities at Mission County Park. He comments on fellow commissioner Blair Reeves and commissioners court Judge Plau [sic?] and applauds his efforts as Bexar County Judge to collect deliquent business taxes to fund county hospital programs. He jumps into his election to the U.S. House of Representatives and points to his election as president of the Democratic freshman class in Washington, D.C., entitling him to dine with Ronald Reagan. He tells of his role on the House banking subcommittee during the savings and loan bailout crisis involving the Resolution Trust Corporation, discusses the wheeling and dealing for military appropriations in Washington, D.C., and argues about nuclear disarmament and the handling of nuclear waste. He expounds on his congressional junket into Honduras and Nicaragua to investigate contras (counterrevolutionaries), the Central Intelligence Agency, and illegal gun sales surrounding Oliver North and mentions the dealings in Central and South America involving Manuel Noriega, Omar Torrijos and Pete O'Shea and their rumored drug connections to La Mena [sic, Mena], Arkansas. He talks about his campaign fundraising and his election defeat by Henry Bonilla in 1992 following congressional redistricting and speaks of the investigation on bribery and racketeering charges into contracts and financial dealings affecting his wife, attorney Rebecca Bustamante, contractors Oliver Heard and Evaristo 'Eddie' García, and Falcon Food Services and Management, Inc. He briefly discusses his financial and real estate woes to cover his trial expenses and he laments his choice of attorney, Tony Canales over Bill Clinton's impeachement attorney, Abbey [sic, Abbe D.] Lowell. He discusses his appeal and request for a presidential pardon, mentions Bill Clinton's pardon of Henry Cisneros, and provides details of his imprisonment at the El Paso Prison Camp. He contrasts the relative unity of the African American community through Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition to the disunity of the Mexican American community, and comments on fellow congressmen such as John McCain, Tip O'Neill, and Jim Wright.

ArchivalResource: 3 videocassette(s) (VHS) : col. ; 1/2 in.Transcript : 190 p. ; 28 cm.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/434047972 View