Oral history interview with Severita Lara, 1996 [videorecording].

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Oral history interview with Severita Lara, 1996 [videorecording].

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50484439

Ms. Lara discusses her family history and genealogy. She describes race discrimination practices she experienced as a Mexican American student and she talks about her first encounters with political protests while she was in high school. Ms. Lara elaborates upon how she became a leader in Mexican American student protests with the culmination in the Crystal City student walkouts. She lauds her mentor, José Angel Gutiérrez, and discusses how he influenced her to get involved in making social and political changes for the Mexican American community in Crystal City. She talks about the importance of education and relates that she earned a B.S. in biology in spite of not finishing high school. Ms. Lara tells about the problems that lack of campaign finance money created for her in pursuing political office, and she describes how trying to stay active in politics resulted in economic reprisals against her family by members of the political establishment. She gives details about her election to the Crystal City Council and her one-year appointment as mayor. She also describes her accomplishments during her year as mayor and gives reasons why she did not seek election to a full mayoral term. Ms. Lara explains the challenges she faced from the parents of her students who blamed La Raza Unida Party and José Angel Gutiérrez for the down turn in the local economy. Ms. Lara concludes the interview by elaborating about the politics involved when she lost her bid for a county judge seat.

1 videocassette (VHS) (2hr., 2 min.) : col. ; 1/2 in.Transcript : 82 p. ; 28 cm.

eng,

spa,

University of Texas at Arlington, Central Library

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 7625964

University of Texas at Arlington, Central Library

Related Entities

There are 7 Entities related to this resource.

University of Texas at Arlington. Center for Mexican American Studies

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

Lara, Severita, 1952-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w64x77v4 (person)

Born February 6, 1952, Ms. Lara was a leader of the 1969 student walkout of the Crystal City, Texas, schools. She was the first Mexican American woman to be elected County Judge in Texas in 1986, only to lose the position in an election contest. In 1992, Ms. Lara was elected to the City Council of Crystal City, and was later elected mayor by the council members. From the description of Oral history interview with Severita Lara, 1996 [videorecording]. (University of Texas at Arlington...

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...

Lara family.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6231z64 (family)

Crystal City (Tex.). City Council.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6h76cfj (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...

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...