Oral history interview with Blanca Sanchez Vela, 1999 [videorecording].

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Oral history interview with Blanca Sanchez Vela, 1999 [videorecording].

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/314828499

The interview was conducted during the first year of Blanca Sanchez Vela's term as mayor of the city of Brownsville, Texas. Mayor Vela begins with her family background and early life in Harlingen, Texas, including the discrimination towards Mexican Americans she experienced in the Catholic schools run by the Sisters of Mercy and in Harlingen High School, which she attended. She talks of her budding teaching career before completing her college degree, getting married, and working in her husband's campaign for state representative against Menton Murray, Sr., after which she began seeking opportunities that would allow her to create change in her community. She discusses her board appointments and achievements as well as the reasons she ran for the office of Brownsville's mayor against incumbent Henry Gonzales. Through her own involvement, she influenced her children to become active in the Hispanic community and urged the same of her contemporaries, campaigning actively at the grass roots level for herself and fellow Mexican-Americans working for the betterment of Mexican-Americans, Brownsville and the Rio Grande Valley. She speaks of her son, Filemón Vela, Jr., and his wife, Rose Vela, and her involvement in their campaigns for public office in Corpus Christi. Blanca Vela talks about the 1980 appointment of her husband, Filemon Vela, Sr., as a federal judge who, prior to his career on the bench, was active in the Political Association of Spanish-Speaking Organizations (PASSO) and served in public office in Brownsville. She discusses the campaign of her brother-in-law, Moises "Moy" Vela against Ray Ramon, and her support for Republican Tony Garza. Mayor Vela gives her opinion on the political success of Black communities in comparison to that of Mexican-Americans. She also discusses the relationship between the border cities of Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and the opposing political parties, Partido de Accion Nacional (PAN) and Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) in Mexico. Mayor Vela reiterates her concerns for water conservation and usage pertaining to the Rio Grande and the participation of the city of Brownsville in the American Heritage Rivers Alliance, and discusses potential development for the Palo Alto Battlefield. She finishes the interview by praising Governor Ann Richards for improvements made to the colonia of Cameron Park, Texas.

1 videocassette (VHS) (2 hr. 3 min.) : col. ; 1/2 in.

eng,

spa,

University of Texas at Arlington, Central Library

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 7319734

University of Texas at Arlington, Central Library

Related Entities

There are 27 Entities related to this resource.

University of Texas at Arlington. Center for Mexican American Studies

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63c6s61 (corporateBody)

Vela, Blanca Sanchez, 1936-2014

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6tr6shc (person)

Blanca Sanchez Vela (May 27, 1936 – February 19, 2014) was an American politician and matriarch of one of the most prominent families in Brownsville, Texas. Vela, who served as the Mayor of Brownsville from 1999 until 2003, was the city's first female mayor. She remains the only woman to hold the mayoral office to date. Born Blanca Sanchez in Harlingen, Texas, Vela began her college career by taking the bus from Harlingen to Brownsville to attend Texas Southmost College, a community college. ...

Vela, Filemón B. (Filemón Bartolomé), 1963-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w64z60ft (person)

Filemón Bartolomé Vela Jr. (born February 13, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he has served as the U.S. Representative for Texas's 34th congressional district since 2013. Born in Harlingen, Texas and raised in nearby Brownsville, he attended Saint Joseph Academy in Brownsville before earning a B.A. from Georgetown University. During his time at Georgetown, he served as an intern at the Federal Judicial Center, the research and education agency of ...

González, Henry B. (Henry Barbosa), 1916-2000

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6kf2pmp (person)

Henry Barbosa González (born Enrique Barbosa González; May 3, 1916 – November 28, 2000) was an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented Texas's 20th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1961 to 1999. Born in San Antonio, Texas, he graduated from Jefferson High School there before earning an associate's degree from San Antonio College, attending the University of Texas at Austin, and earning a bachelor of laws degree (LL.B.) from the St....

Richards, Ann, 1933-2006

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6912v1h (person)

Dorothy Ann Richards (née Willis; September 1, 1933 – September 13, 2006) was an American politician and 45th Governor of Texas (1991–95). A Democrat, she first came to national attention as the Texas State Treasurer, when she gave the keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. Richards was the second female governor of Texas and was frequently noted in the media for her outspoken feminism and her one-liners. Born in Lacy-Lakeview, Texas, Richards became a schoolteacher after...

Brownsville (Tex.). Public Utilities Board

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6c88m0g (corporateBody)

Partido Acción Nacional (Mexico)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w66q86sr (corporateBody)

American Heritage Rivers Initiative (U.S.)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6674q43 (corporateBody)

Harlingen High School (Tex.)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63v5t5f (corporateBody)

Dodd, Betty.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6w97b7x (person)

National Bank of Brownsville, Texas.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63c293c (corporateBody)

Vela, Moises.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w61v8ttg (person)

American Public Power Association

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6jt4m75 (corporateBody)

Texas Public Power Association (TPPA)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w62g3zhq (corporateBody)

Gutiérrez, José Angel,

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w62r404b (person)

José Angel Gutierrez was born Oct. 25, 1944, in Crystal City, Texas. An activist, educator, organizer, and lawyer, Gutierrez co-founded the La Raza Unida Party and played many leadership roles in the early Chicano civil rights movement. He served as President of the Crystal City Independent School District Board in the early 1970s and as a County Judge for Zavala County, Tex. (1975-1980). In the 1980s, Gutierrez pursued a teaching career and moved to Oregon where he taught at Colegio Cesar Chav...

Vela, Rose.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6cz6ng9 (person)

Vela family.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63g3wf9 (family)

Brownsville (Tex.) Public Library Foundation.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6mw8spw (corporateBody)

Murray, Menton Sr.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6b6001f (person)

Ramon, Ray.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6n31s0n (person)

Vela, Filemon B. (Filemon Bartolome), 1935-2004

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6k10j4v (person)

Long time jurist, civic leader, and education advocate dedicated to serving the people of South Texas, Filemon Bartolome Vela was born in Harlingen, Texas on May 1, 1935. He was the eighth of nine children born to Roberto and Maria Luisa Vela. At the age of eleven his mother passed away. His father supported the family by running a small grocery store and as a notary public. In his youth Filemon attended both Catholic and public schools, and graduated from Harlingen Hig...

Democratic Women's Club

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w65n2gf9 (corporateBody)

Political Association of Spanish-Speaking Organizations.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6bk7p6d (corporateBody)

Garza, Tony.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w65x38tw (person)

Sisters of Mercy

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6rz3c4s (corporateBody)

Partido Revolucionario Institucional

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63r6588 (corporateBody)

Vela, Filemon B. (Filemon Bartolome), 1935-2004

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6k10j4v (person)

Long time jurist, civic leader, and education advocate dedicated to serving the people of South Texas, Filemon Bartolome Vela was born in Harlingen, Texas on May 1, 1935. He was the eighth of nine children born to Roberto and Maria Luisa Vela. At the age of eleven his mother passed away. His father supported the family by running a small grocery store and as a notary public. In his youth Filemon attended both Catholic and public schools, and graduated from Harlingen Hig...