Oral history interview with Arcenio Garcʹia, 1997 [videorecording].

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Oral history interview with Arcenio Garcʹia, 1997 [videorecording].

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50437985

Mr. Garcʹia talks about race discrimination practices in the schools, employment, and society. He tells how he and other Mexican Americans decided to enter the political arena by organizing the community and performing social services for the citizens to establish public visibility for themselves. Mr. Garcʹia describes how involvement with MAYO and VISTA trained community members in political matters that allowed them expertise needed to succeed in politics. He elaborates upon the methods he used to campaign and how he financed those campaigns. He recounts the events and problems that he and other local Mexican American politicians faced such as the threat of being fired from their professional jobs if they became involved in politics. Mr. Garcʹia talks about his election as Mayor of Cotulla in 1972 and he discusses political maneuvering by the local political power structure that caused him to be removed from office after he legally won re-election as mayor. Mr. Garcʹia discusses the role and problems of the Raza Unida Party in Texas and gives his perspective on the origins and outcomes of the Cotulla mini riot of 1974 which resulted in the felony conviction of Raza Unida leader Raʹul Martʹinez. He elaborates upon his achievements and problems as county commissioner of La Salle County, Texas and Mexican American political involvement with Cotulla school board elections and politics. He describes positive changes that resulted from Raza involvement in school district politics. Mr. Garcʹia reviews the internal problems within the Mexican American Democrats (MAD) organization that resulted in a split in that organization in 1993 and the formation of the Tejano Democrats. He concludes the interview with a description of capital improvement programs achieved in La Salle County during his administration as county commissioner.

2 videocassettes (VHS) (3 hr., 35 min.) : col. ; 1/2 in.Transcript : 85 p. ; 28 cm.

spa,

eng,

University of Texas at Arlington, Central Library

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 7625600

University of Texas at Arlington, Central Library

Related Entities

There are 10 Entities related to this resource.

University of Texas at Arlington. Center for Mexican American Studies

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

Martʹinez, Raʹul.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6rb948r (person)

Raza Unida Party (Tex.)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6d262nv (corporateBody)

The Raza Unida Party (RUP) was first established as a third political party in Crystal City, Texas, in January, 1970. As an alternative to the two-party system in Texas, Raza Unida sought social, economic, and political self-determination for Chicanos, other minorities, and the disenfranchised through local and, later, state politics. At its start, the party organized around county, local, and school district elections in south Texas; winning city council elections in Cotulla, Carri...

Volunteers in Service to America

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Tejano Democrats.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6vt7bpm (corporateBody)

Mexican American Democrats of Texas

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w613112v (corporateBody)

A group of Democrats, formed in 1975, dedicated to increasing the influence of Mexican Americans in the Democratic Party at the state and national levels. Eugene and Sylvia Rodriguez were charter members of the group and both served on the Democratic National Committee in the 1980s. From the description of Mexican American Democrats of Texas collection, 1962-1987. (University of Texas at San Antonio). WorldCat record id: 40792718 Eugene (Gene) and Sylvia Rodrigu...

Garcʹia, Arcenio,

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6w69wp3 (person)

Born August 26, 1947, in Defiance, Ohio. Mr. Garcʹia is county commissioner for La Salle County, Texas. He was formerly Mayor of Cotulla, Texas in 1972. From the description of Oral history interview with Arcenio Garcʹia, 1997 [videorecording]. (University of Texas at Arlington). WorldCat record id: 50437985 ...

Garcia family.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w69h4p0k (family)

MAYO (Organization)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6kw9rsw (corporateBody)