Amancio J. Chapa, Jr., was born in La Joya, Texas in 1946 and raised in Corpus Christi. He graduated valedictorian from his high school in 1965 and earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from the University of Texas in 1970. He worked with Interstate Research Associates until the organization moved to San Antonio, preferring to remain politically active in his home community of La Joya. He was elected to the La Joya ISD board of trustees in 1971 and also served on the board of directors for Colegio Jacinto Treviño. He was elected mayor of La Joya in the late 1970s and served a two-year term, choosing instead to return to the school board in 1982. He has served on the Housing Assistance Council board of directors since the mid 1970s and also as its president, and was executive director of both Amigos Del Valle, Inc. for 17 years, and Colonias Del Valle. He was honored in 2001 for 22 years of service on the La Joya Independent School District board of trustees, and served as the district's coordinator for the Center for History and Culture and director of the Fine Arts Department. He was a member of the executive committee of the National Council of La Raza, chairman of the Texas Association of Community Development Corporations, and vice president of the Mexican American Democrats of Texas (MAD), and has been an active member of numerous other community-related boards.
From the description of Oral history interview with Amancio J. Chapa, Jr. 1998 [videorecording]. (University of Texas at Arlington). WorldCat record id: 428733573
