La Raza Unida Party

Daniel Vargas
March 2013

Vargas 1 Daniel Vargas Prof. Simmons March 2013 GOVT 2306 La Raza Unida Party When a third party is established in Texas, it supplies the alternative to the two dominating parties which are the Democratic and Republican parties. Although, many third parties have not had a great impact on the state as an entirety, they have greatly influenced the minds of politics and citizens alike. Out of a few third parties, the most influential in modern day Texas would most likely be El Partido Nacional de La Raza Unida or La Raza Unida Party. La Raza Unida Party was established by two of the men who helped with the foundation of the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO). Jose Angel Gutierrez and Mario Compean, along with 300 Mexican - Americans united at Campestre Hall in Crystal City, Texas on January 17, 1970. At the MAYO meeting, talk quickly spread and the Mexican - American (Chicanos) agreed that a third party should be established to obtain greater social, economic and political position to not only the Hispanic but also to the generally poor. So in the same month and year of its establishment, La Raza Unida Party filed for party status in the counties of Zavala, La Salle, and Dimmit. La Raza Unida Party focused greatly in South Texas because of the poor quality of Chicano strength in these southern counties. To make sure the party grew as quickly as possible, La Raza Unida Party, offered membership to anyone who gained and

Vargas 2 Daniel Vargas Prof. Simmons March 2013 GOVT 2306 pushed for the same goals as the party. The party mobilized and produced many candidates for school boards and nonpartisan cities. Much to their pleasure a total of fifteen seats were won. The party divided in opposition on its first issue in direction on October of 1971; when La Raza Unida Party held its state convention in San Antonio, Texas. The Party, overriding the objections by Guerrero voted to start movements at the state level then to focus on the rural, already dominated southern counties. La Raz a Unida Party wanted to attempt and dominate over the entire state instead on focusing on counties which they had already established some accomplishments. In the year 1972, La Raza Unida Party was ready to run alongside the two main political parties as a third party. In the process of choosing t he candidate for governor many popular Democrats were contacted and offered the position of candidate showing to which side this party closely leaned to but they all denied. Soon a lawyer and administrator with the Waco Model Cities Program, Ramsey Muniz filled in the spot as the third party Governor candidate. A woman who was a farmer, journalism student by the name of Alma Canales filled in the spot of candidate for Lt. Governor. With a woman filling in the spot of candidacy for Lt. Governor, la Raza Unida Party was showing just how important of a role females played in this movement. Canales, being only twenty - four years of age at the time making it unconstitutional for her to hold

Vargas 3 Daniel Vargas Prof. Simmons March 2013 GOVT 2306 office, made an odd unusual match with Muniz to run for office. Nonetheless, they both represented all in all what La Raza Unida Party wanted to be seen as, well university educated, young and sophisticated and like most of La Raza Unida Party they were both original members of the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO). Apart from these two candidacies La Raza Unida also placed candidates in nine other seats and a few local posts such as for Hidalgo and Victoria, Texas. La Raza Unida party was quickly gaining much success as the party was spreading through other states besides Texas. The party grew so much that on September 1, 1972, La Raza Unida party held its first national convention all the way through to September 4 of the same year in El Paso, Texas. At the convention were about 1,500 people in attendance. Of the attendance about half were all women. And a large amount of the attendance was also made up of elderly Chicanos. Elected by the Congreso de Aztlan, Jose Angel Gutirrez was voted to be national chairman of La Raza Unida Party. At the time of the elections, Muniz won many of the counties in South Texas and fared decently in some of the large cities of Texas. Although, La Raza Unida Party was celebrating the success that it was achieving in many rural areas, the future of the party seemed to be on shaky grounds since most Hispanics lived in the urban parts of Texas.

Vargas 4 Daniel Vargas Prof. Simmons March 2013 GOVT 2306 The future of La Raza Unida Party was greatly threatened because it was building its foundation on places where Hispanics did not constantly live. Fourteen men and two women ran for state representative in many of the popular Chicano cities such as: Lubbock, Houston, San Antonio and Crystal City in the election of 1974. And once again Muniz was the candidate for governor representing La Raza Unida Party. Earning only 190,000 votes, Munizs efforts to keep the original principals of La Raza Unida Party and adding some new positions on; modes of transportation, education and medical issues did not fare him and La Raza Unida Party as well as they had hoped. Muniz alongside the rest of his Raza Unida candidates posed no real threat to the opposing parties they faced. Despite, the failed outcomes of the Party, they had one victory in Crystal City. Gutierrez had been elected as a judge in the county of Zavala. Although, the party could be seen falling apart, it undoubtedly left a great influence on Chicanos and it showed that united the Chicanos could do a little damage. Another one of the great feats that were explored in the life of La Raza Unida Party; would be the importance and influence those women had on how decisions were managed and how they were able to step up to challenges to lead a group of Chicanos in a movement. Four years followed after the election of 1974. The four years proved to be terrible-fated ones for La Raza Unida Party. Muniz added to the self-destruction of the Third Party by being arrested twice in 1976, once in July and then again in November.

Vargas 5 Daniel Vargas Prof. Simmons March 2013 GOVT 2306 Soon after came the election of 1978, which is marked as the year that La Raza Unida Party officially collapsed. The candidate for Governor of Texas from the Third Party, Mario Compean, only received 15,000 votes a great drop from the previous election, where the votes amounted up to 190,000 votes. Consequently, La Raza Unida Party lost its state fund for its primary and officially was eliminated as a party of Texas in the same year of 1978. Although the official title of La Raza Unida Party has dissolved, the influence has not. Many Chicanos still remember the short run legacy that was left by this party. Even though many people do not agree with the principles of La Raza Unida Party; Chicanos still living in Texas like my family and my self, still do not have a strong representation in politics. Although I can be say that when looking back and returning to now I can see the way Hispanics in Texas have advanced and now have more voice in politics. An example of our advancement would be looking at Rosie Castro. Rosie was resident of San Antonio who served as chair of the Bexar County Raza Unida Party. Her sons are Joaquin and Julian Castro. Joaquin is a Texas State Representative who ran for congress. And Julian was chosen to be the keynote speaker at the Democratic convention is mayor of San Antonio. Yes people can openly say that La Raza Unida Party is dead. But the movement is very much alive. In the near future Hispanics will be the dominant ethnicity in Texas and we will want our voice heard. La Raza Unida Chicano Movement is still here.

Vargas 6 Daniel Vargas Prof. Simmons March 2013 GOVT 2306 Work Cited
Acosta, Teresa. "RAZA UNIDA PARTY | The Handbook of Texas Online| Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)." Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) | A Digital Gateway to Texas History. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. <http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/onli Baca, Herman . "La Raza Unida Partys National Convention 40 Years Later: Time for a Third U.S. Political Party?." San Diego Free Press Grassroots and Progressive Views & Community News. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. <http://sandiegofreepress.org/2012/09/la -raza-unida-partys-national-convention-40years-later-time-for-a-third-u-s-political-party/>. Davis, Ellen. "Southwestern University: Newsroom." Southwestern University. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. <http://www.southwestern.edu/live/news/7306 -the-legacy-ofla-raza-unida>. Franco, Jimmy. "La Raza Unida Party de California: 1971 -1974 | LatinoPOV.com." Welcome to LatinoPOV.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. <http://www.latinopov.com/blog/?p=5727>. Navarro, Armando . "Project MUSE - La Raza Unida Party." Project MUSE. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. <http://muse.jhu.edu/books/9781439905586?a uth=0>. "Raza Unida Party - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raza_Unida_ "Raza Unida Party Records, 1969-1979 ." University of Texas Libraries. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. <http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/utlac/00102/lac -00102.html>.