Tejano Voices Interviewees

The following persons' stories, photographs, voices, and words are featured in Tejano Voices. The date of each interview follows each name. Additional interviews are not yet available online but can be viewed in UTA Library Special Collections.

Agüero, Bidal - Lubbock (Interview date: 6/16/1998)

Agüero and his wife, Olga, were founders of El Editor, the longest running Chicano-owned newspaper in Texas.

Alejandro, Aaron - Wichita Falls (Interview date: 8/22/1997)

Born February 6, 1966, in Dallas, Texas, Alejandro graduated from Midwestern University with a degree in public administration. He is a former state president of Future Farmers of America and served with former U.S. Representative Bill Sarpaulis for three terms (1989-1995) as his district coordinator. At the time of the interview Alejandro held the position of Executive Director of the Gateway Council on Substance Abuse, owned a consulting firm, and was running for county judge in Wichita County, Texas.

Alonzo, Roberto - Dallas (Interview date: 12/16/1996)

Born December 25, 1956, in Crystal City, Texas, Roberto Alonzo is an attorney with the Dallas firm of Rich and Alonzo. He was the first Mexican American elected University of Texas at Austin student body president, was voted state president of Mexican American Democrats in 1991, and was the first Mexican American elected state representative from Dallas. Elected in 1992 to represent Dallas County's District 104 in the Texas Legislature, Alonzo lost his seat in 1996 but was re-elected in 2002.

Barrientos, Gonzalo - Austin (Interview date: 1/6/1998)

Texas state senator. Born July 20, 1941, in Galveston, Texas. Barrientos was the first Mexican American elected state representative in Texas. He held that office from 1975 to 1985. In 1984 he was elected to the Texas State Senate, where he represents Senatorial District 14 (Travis and part of Hays Counties). He is chair of the statewide Tejano Democrats organization. Prior to his election to public office, Barrientos worked as a community organizer for the National Urban League and as program officer for VISTA.

Berriozabal, María - San Antonio (Interview date: 7/16/1996)

Born in 1941 in Laredo Texas. Ms. Berriozabal was the first Mexican American woman to serve as city council member in San Antonio, Texas. Ms. Berriozabal founded the Hispana Unidas Conference and was a past president and board member for the National League of Cities. She was a presidential appointee to the OAS Inter-American Commission on Women and participated in the United Nations Fourth International Women's Conference held in Bejing. She earned her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1979.

Bill, Antonio - Kingsville/Alice (Interview date: 6/16/1998)

Born December 22, 1943, in Kerrville, Texas. Bill is a Member of the Alice Independent School District Board of Trustees and is a community activist in Kingsville and Alice, Texas.

Cárdenas, José - San Antonio (Interview date: 6/20/1998)

Mr. Cárdenas was the first Mexican American school superintendent in the Edgewood Independent School District, San Antonio, Texas. He was founder and executive director of the Inter-cultural Development Research Association in San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Cárdenas earned his doctorate degree from the University of Texas in 1966.

Calderón, Ruby - Waco/Austin (Interview date: 10/25/1997)

Ernesto Calderón and wife, Ruby, were community activists in the Waco area and participants in the Juárez-Lincoln University project in Austin where they earned their undergraduate degrees.

Calderón, Ernesto - Waco/Austin (Interview date: 2/8/1998)

Ernesto Calderón and wife, Ruby, were community activists in the Waco area and participants in the Juárez-Lincoln University project in Austin where they earned their undergraduate degrees.

Castillo, John - Houston (Interview date: 2/13/1998)

Born on September 20, 1938, in Houston, Texas, as Juan Felipe Espinosa Castillo. Mr. Castillo is a city councilman in Houston and has been active in Houston politics since the formation of PASO. He was an organizer and strategist for the farm workers who marched from the the Rio Grande Valley to Austin in 1966. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from the University of Houston in 1965.

Cavada, Viviana - Crystal City/Eagle Pass/Kingsville/Victoria (Interview date: 6/29/1998)

Born August 28, 1945, in Victoria, Texas, Ms. Cavada was an activist in the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO) and the Raza Unida Party. She served on the Committee for Rural Democracy and was active in the Institute for Educational Development and the Voluntarios de Atzlán.

Chávez, Gilbert - Dallas (Interview date: 10/24/1997)

Born in 1931 in Cottonwood, Arizona. Mr. Chávez became Regional Director for the Community Relations Service for the United States Department of Justice, Southwest Regional Office, in Dallas, Texas, in 1992. He was also the Vice National President of the National Association of Hispanic Public Executives, and a former President of Incorporated Mexican American Government Employees (IMAGE). He served in various administrative leadership roles for 32 years as a United States federal employee. Chávez also served in the United States Air Force. He earned a B.A. and a M.A. from Arizona State University.

Chacón, Alicia - El Paso (Interview date: 6/22/1996)

First woman elected county judge of a major urban county, El Paso, in 1990. She served on the Ysleta ISD School Board from 1970 to 1978, and was a committee woman on the Texas State Democratic Party Executive Committee. In 1974 she was elected County Clerk for El Paso County and in 1978 was appointed by President Carter as Regional Director of the Small Business Administration in Dallas. During the 1990s, Ms. Chacón served on the El Paso City Council and now is the Executive Director for the United Way in that city.

Cotrell, Charles - San Antonio (Interview date: 7/2/1996)

Dr. Cotrell was born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1940, and is the President of St. Mary's University in San Antonio. He was professor to many Chicano activists of the late 1960s at Texas A & I and St. Mary's universities. Dr. Cotrell was an active participant in many civil rights causes, such as La Casita Farms strike, and mentor to youth in the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO). He was a founder of the Mexican American Unity Council in San Antonio and became an expert witness in many single-member redistricting cases.

Cruz, Lauro - Beaumont (Interview date: 12/10/1998)

Born on May 20, 1933, in Beaumont, Texas. Mr. Cruz is the first Mexican American state representative from Houston to the Texas Legislature. He earned his B. A. in Political Science from the University of Houston.

Dávila, Diana - Houston (Interview date: 6/13/1998)

Diana Dávila was a state representative from District 145 in Houston, and was a former legislative aide to State Representative Roman Martinez. Ms. Dávila earned her B.A. in Anthropology from Harvard University.

DeLeón, Gloria - Austin/McAllen (Interview date: 2/2/1998)

Ms. De León was born December 16, 1952, in McAllen, Texas. She is Executive Vice-President for Programs at the National Hispanic Institute (NHI). She holds an undergraduate degree in social work from the University of Texas-Pan American and an honorary Ph.D. in human letters from Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, Texas. Ms. De León also holds numerous awards including the Human Relations Award from the National Association of College Admissions Counselors and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from UT Pan American.

Diaz de León, Luís - Laredo (Interview date: 9/23/1999)

Born October 10, 1925, in Laredo Texas. Mr. Díaz de Leon was the first Mexican American to organize and establish mobile Migrant Head Start programs in Texas, and he was a Texas Raza Unida Party candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1974. He earned his B. A. from Drake University and his Master of Social Work form Our Lady of the Lake in San Antonio, Texas.

Espinosa, Rudy - Crystal City (Interview date: 10/16/1998)

Mr. Espinosa was born December 1, 1949, in Crystal City, Texas, and is a graduate of Texas A&I University. He has been superintendent of the Crystal City Independent School District since 1981 (excepting a four-year tenure as superintendent of the La Pryor ISD). Espinosa served two terms on the Crystal City city council during the 1970s, held the office of Crystal City mayor for one year, and was elected in 1992 to fill a six-year term on the local community college board.

Gómez, Margaret - Travis County/Austin (Interview date: 6/13/1998)

Born June 8, 1944, in Kingsbury, Texas. Since 1995, Ms. Gómez has been Travis County Commissioner, Precinct 4. She is the first Mexican American woman to serve in that capacity in Travis County. She previously served as Constable for fourteen years and has been active in her community in promoting education and social service programs for thirty-two years.

Gallegos, Mario - Houston/Harris County (Interview date: 6/2/1998)

Born September 8, 1950, Senator Gallegos was the first Mexican American to hold the position of state senator from Harris County, Texas. He was elected to the state senate in 1994, having previously served as state representative in 1990 and 1992.

García, Gustavo - Austin (Interview date: 6/20/1998)

Mr. García was born in 1934. He received his B.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1959 and earned his CPA in 1961. García served on the Austin city council from 1991 to 2000 and was its mayor pro-tem from 1996 to 1998. In 1972, he was elected to a six-year term on the Austin Independent School District/Austin Community College Board; he served as its president 1977-1978. Among other offices and honors, García was president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors (1982-1983) and was named Businessman of the Year by the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce in 1984. He was elected mayor of Austin, Texas, in 2001.

García, Arcenio - La Salle County/Cotulla (Interview date: 2/19/1997)

Born August 26, 1947, in Defiance, Ohio. Mr. García is county commissioner for La Salle County, Texas. He was Mayor of Cotulla, Texas, in 1972.

García, Sylvia - Houston (Interview date: 7/22/1999)

Born in 1950 in San Diego, Texas. Ms. García was the first Mexican American woman elected Controller for the City of Houston and is Houston's Chief Financial Officer. She received her degree in social work from Texas Woman's University and her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. Ms. García has been the recipient of numerous public service awards for her work with the community.

González, Angel - Dallas/Austin/Houston/Crystal City (Interview date: 7/1/1996)

Born November 18, 1929, in Edinburg, Texas. One of the first Chicano school superintendents in Texas, Mr. González has held top administrative positions in the public schools in Crystal City, Houston and Dallas, and has worked for the Texas Education Agency. He also worked as the Branch Chief in the Office of Education for Bilingual Education in Washington, D.C. In 1976, he ran for Congress in the Rio Grande Valley. He retired from active employment and resides in Dallas.

Gonzales, Ray - Wichita Falls (Interview date: 6/17/1998)

Born in 1945 in Wichita Falls, Texas. Mr. González was vice-chair of the Mexican American Democrats of Texas in 1997. He is a Vietnam War era veteran. Mr. González attended Midwestern University and has operated and automobile repair business with his father for over thirty years.

Guadarrama, Cesareo - Seguin/Guadalupe County (Interview date: 11/27/1997)

Born March 10, 1954, in Seguin, Texas. Mr. Guadarrama was first elected to the school board of Seguin in 1984. He was the second Mexican American elected to that school board in its entire history. In 1986, he was re-elected to the school board after which he retired from public office and tended to family and business concerns. In 1994 he was elected the first Mexican American county commissioner for Guadalupe County and was re-elected in 1998.

Guerra, René - Edinburg (Interview date: 6/17/1998)

Guerra was born May 14, 1945, in Edinburg, Texas. He is a graduate of Pan American University (1969) and The University of Texas School of Law (1975). He has served as District Attorney in Hidalgo County since his election in 1982.

Gutiérrez, Eduardo - Lubbock (Interview date: 7/22/1999)

Born in 1943, Mr. Gutiérrez was the first Mexican American to organize and establish a network of alternative education schools in Texas, the Student Alternatives Program, Inc.

Hernández, Alex - Port Lavaca (Interview date: 11/30/1997)

Born in Monterrey, México, in 1951. Elected in 1986, Mr. Hernández was the first Mexican American county judge in Calhoun County, Texas.

Jasso, Juan - Cockrell Hill/Dallas County (Interview date: 2/3/1998)

Born June 24, 1957. First Mexican American Municipal Judge for the City of Cockrell Hill in the Dallas metropolitan area. Ran for a newly created Justice of the Peace position in Dallas County as a result of single member district litigation in 1994. He was one of two Mexican Americans elected as the first Justice of the Peace in the county.

Jiménez, María - Houston (Interview date: 6/14/1998)

Ms. Jiménez was born August 2, 1950, in Castanos, Coahuila, México. She received her B.A. in 1975 from the University of Houston. Ms. Jiménez has worked for the American Friends Service Committee since 1987 as director of the Mexico-U.S. Border Program Immigration Law Enforcement Monitoring Project (ILEMP) and has served on several public service advisory boards involving immigrant and refugee issues during her career.

López, Abe - Amarillo (Interview date: 6/13/1998)

Born in La Mesa, Texas, in 1943. Mr. López is District Judge for the 108th District Court in Amarillo, Texas. He received his B.A. in history from Texas Tech University and his law degree from the Georgetown University School of Law in Washington, D.C.

Lara, Severita - Crystal City (Interview date: 7/22/1996)

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.

Luna, Gregory - San Antonio (Interview date: 7/1/1996)

Attorney, politician, former state representative from San Antonio. Born 1932 in New Braunfels, Texas.

Martínez, María - Del Rio/Austin (Interview date: 12/3/1998)

Born in November 1941, Ms. Martínez was the first Mexican American woman to head a political party in Texas. She received her Bachelor's degree in Spanish and History from North Texas State University and her Master's in Education from the University of Texas.

Martínez, Anita - Dallas (Interview date: 10/26/1998)

Born in 1925 in Dallas, Texas, Mrs. Martínez was the first Mexican American woman elected to the Dallas City Council (1969) and is the founder of the Anita N. Martínez Ballet Folkórico Company. She was the recipient of the Mary McLarry Bywaters Award bestowed annually by the Dance Council, and has been listed in the "100 Most Influential Texas Women of the 20th Century" by the Dallas Morning News. During her career she has served as resident of the Dallas Women's Restaurant Auxiliary and on the board of directors of the Young Women's Christian Association of Metropolitan Dallas.

Martínez, George - Austin/Tarrant County (Interview date: 8/24/1997)

Born September 11, 1944, Mr. Martínez was the first Mexican American state district judge in Texas. He was appointed to the 254th District Court by former Governor Dolph Briscoe in 1977. Martínez is a graduate of The University of Texas, having earned his B.A. degree in history in 1966 and his law degree in 1970. He has taught as an adjunct instructor at the University of Texas at Arlington in the area of business law.

Martínez, Román - Harris County (Interview date: 6/26/1996)

Born 1958 in Cuero, Texas, Mr. Martínez was among the first group of Mexican American state representatives elected in Harris County. He was re-elected for five additional terms. Among his many legislative accomplishments was to obtain line item funding for the Center for Mexican American Studies at the University of Houston.

Martínez, Walter - San Antonio (Interview date: 6/23/1996)

Born in 1951, Mr. Martínez was a former state representative and a city councilman for the city of San Antonio, Texas. He was also chair of the Democratic Party in Bexar County. Mr. Martínez began his career in public life as an assistant to state representative Joe Hernandez in 1973.

Medrano, Francisco - Dallas/Grand Prairie (Interview date: 6/27/1996)

Born October 2, 1920, in Dallas, Texas. Francisco F. Medrano, known as Pancho Medrano, was an official for the United Auto Workers. He was active in local politics in Dallas, Texas, and supported the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee efforts in Texas and California. He was also well-known as a Mexican heavyweight boxing champion.

Mindiola, Tatcho - Houston (Interview date: 7/22/1999)

Anastacio "Tatcho" Mindiola, Jr., was born in Houston in 1939. He studied at the University of Houston from 1962-1970, receiving an undergraduate business degree and a master's degree in sociology. He received his Ph.D. from Brown University in 1978. Mindiola is an associate professor of sociology at UH and has been director of the UH Center for Mexican American Studies since 1980.

Mindiola, Tatcho - Houston (Interview date: 11/3/1997)

Anastacio "Tatcho" Mindiola, Jr., was born in Houston in 1939. He studied at the University of Houston from 1962-1970, receiving an undergraduate business degree and a master's degree in sociology. He received his Ph.D. from Brown University in 1978. Mindiola is an associate professor of sociology at UH and has been director of he UH Center for Mexican American Studies since 1980.

Molina, Henry - Karnes City (Interview date: 4/12/1996)

Justice Businessman, entrepreneur, politician. Born in Hobson, Texas, on July 15, 1948. Educated at Karnes City High School and San Antonio College. In addition to his business career, Molina served as President of the San Antonio Mexican American Chamber of Commerce, Vice-President of the Texas Association of Mexican-American Chambers of Commerce, and Deputy Executive Director of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations.

Montalvo, Leo - McAllen (Interview date: 12/20/1997)

Montalvo was born in Caderrayta Jiménez, Nuevo León (Mexico), on June 9, 1943, and immigrated to the U.S. at age nine. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 1966 and from The University of Texas School of Law in 1981, after which he established a law practice in McAllen, Texas. Montalvo was elected McAllen city commissioner in 1983 and McAllen mayor in 1997. He is the first Mexican American mayor of McAllen.

Morales, Victor - Crandall (Interview date: 7/2/1996)

Born November 15, 1949, in Racine, Wisconsin, Morales was a City Council member in Crandall, Texas, and the first Mexican American Democratic Party nominee for the U.S. Senate in the General Election in 1996. He sought election to the 5th Congressional District seat in 1998, and in 2002 sought the Democratic Party's nomination for United States Senate. Morales is a graduate of Texas A & I University in Kingsville where he earned a Bachelor's degree in physical education. He has taught in Texas public schools since 1977.

Morales, Victor - Crandall (Interview date: 12/4/1996)

Born November 15, 1949, in Racine, Wisconsin, Morales was a City Council member in Crandall, Texas, and the first Mexican American Democratic Party nominee for the U.S. Senate in the General Election in 1996. He sought election to the 5th Congressional District seat in 1998, and in 2002 sought the Democratic Party's nomination for United States Senate. Morales is a graduate of Texas A & I University in Kingsville where he earned a Bachelor's degree in physical education. He has taught in Texas public schools since 1977.

Nieto, Ernesto - Austin/Houston (Interview date: 2/2/1998)

Born in 1940 in Houston, Texas, Ernesto Nieto is the president and founder of the National Hispanic Institute. A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, he holds a B.S. in special education. He completed his Master's work at the University of Houston and is a recipient of an Honorary Ph.D. in Humane Letters from Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, Texas. Mr. Nieto holds numerous awards and honors including a Citation of Merit Award, a Distinguished Alumnus Award, and the Human Relations Award from the National Association of College Admissions Counselors.

Noyola, David - Nueces County (Interview date: 1/13/1998)

Born in 1957 in Corpus Christi, Texas, Mr. Noyola is the County Commissioner for Precinct 2 in Nueces County. He is the first Mexican American elected to public office from the Molina neighborood in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Orozco, Diana - Dallas (Interview date: 2/23/1998)

Justice of the peace, attorney. Born 1960. Graduate of St. Mary's College in Indiana and Southern Methodist University Law School (1985). The first Mexican American woman elected justice of the peace in Dallas County, Orozco was elected in 1994 to Precinct 6, Place 1 (Oak Cliff). She began her first term in January 1995 and was re-elected in 1996.

Ozuña, Jr., George - San Antonio (Interview date: 11/10/1997)

Born in 1930. Mr. Ozuña was the first Mexican American city manager in Texas (Crystal City) and the first Mexican American Chair of the San Antonio Community College System. A civil engineer by training, he received his engineering degree from The University of Texas at Austin.

Peña, Roberto - Del Rio (Interview date: 3/1/1998)

Born 1923 in Estación Aldamos, Nuevo León, and raised in Harlingen, Texas, Mr. Peña was the first Mexican American missionary oblate priest in Texas in one hundred years at the time of his appointment. In addition to performing parish work (beginning with his first appointment in 1956) he helped organize Catholic Mexican American priests within the Padres Asociados para los Derechos Religiosos, Educativos, y Sociales (PADRES) organization.

Peña, Emil - Houston/SanAntonio/Austin (Interview date: 6/19/1998)

Born in 1954 in San Benito, Texas, Mr. Peña is the first Chicano lobbyist with major national clients.

Peña, Jr., Albert - San Antonio (Interview date: 7/2/1996)

County commissioner, attorney, activist for Mexican American issues. Peña was born December 15, 1917, and graduated from the South Texas School of Law in 1950. He began his legal career by filing school desegregation suits in Hondo, Texas, and Lytle, Texas, on behalf of the American G.I. Forum and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), respectively. He was a Bexar County commissioner from 1960 to 1974. He organized Viva Kennedy Clubs in Texas in 1960 and had founding roles in the Political Association of Spanish-Speaking Organizations (PASO) and Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF).

Plata, José - Dallas (Interview date: 2/24/1998)

Born in 1954 and reared and educated in Cunningham, Texas in Southeast Lamar County. Plata was an educator and was first elected to the Dallas Independent School District Board of Education in 1996. He received his B.A. in 1978 from the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas and later received his bilingual education certification from East Texas State University at Commerce.

Ríos, Rolando - San Antonio (Interview date: 7/3/1996)

Born in 1945. After graduation from Georgetown Law School, in 1980, Mr. Ríos became Legal Director of the Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project in San Antonio under the direction of the late Willie Velásquez. From that date to the present time, Mr. Ríos has litigated scores of redistricting suits to create single member districts in Texas, the Southwest, and the country.

Ramírez, Norma - Zapata County (Interview date: 7/5/1996)

Born on December 6, 1963. County Judge for Zapata County. First elected in 1994 after contesting results of the Primary and Runoff elections. A law school graduate from the Reynaldo Garza School of Law, she worked for Texas Rural Legal Aid and as Court Coordinator of the District Judge in Zapata prior to seeking elective office.

Rodríguez, Jr., Arnoldo - West Oso (Interview date: 6/23/1998)

West Oso Independent School District board member. Born July 3, 1974. Rodríguez attended Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas, and is employed by the HEB grocery chain. He was elected to the West Oso ISD board at age 18. He was re-elected in 1997.

Rodríguez-Mendoza, Amalia - Travis County (Interview date: 2/8/1998)

Ms. Rodríguez-Mendoza was born February 17, 1946, in Del Rio, Texas. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in 1972 and received a master's degree from Juarez-Lincoln University in 1974. Rodríguez-Mendoza was the first Mexican American woman elected District Clerk in Travis County, Texas. She was elected to a second term in 1998.

Rojas, Lorenzo - Robstown (Interview date: 6/23/1998)

Justice of the peace in Robstown, Texas. Judge Rojas was born April 30, 1936, in Robstown, and worked as a migrant farm laborer before holding political office.

Rojas III, Jesús - Robstown (Interview date: 6/23/1998)

Born December 25, 1978, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Graduated from Del Mar College in 1997. Elected vice-president of the Robstown, Texas, school board in 1998. Nephew of Judge Lorenzo Rojas (CMAS No. 80).

Romero, Cipriano - Houston (Interview date: 1/18/1998)

Born December 4, 1970, in Houston, Texas, Mr. Romero is a graduate of the University of Houston (B.S., 1993) and the University of Houston Law Center (1996). Mr. Romero began serving as Mayor of South Houston, Texas in July, 1996. He was re-elected as mayor in 1997 and is the second Mexican American to hold this position. Mr. Romero was first elected to the city council of South Houston, Texas, at the age of 24 in 1995.

Rosales, Rosa - San Antonio (Interview date: 2/8/1998)

Born April 7, 1944, in San Antonio, Texas, Ms. Rosales was among the first Mexican American women to become labor organizers in recent times. Active in LULAC, she was the first woman to hold the position of State Director of that organization. She received her B.A. in Liberal Arts from the University of Michigan.

Rosas, Rey - Plainview (Interview date: 11/27/1998)

Born September 11, 1954, in Brownsville, Texas. Mr. Rosas was a city council member for the City of Plainview, Texas.

Sánchez, Rogelio - El Paso (Interview date: 6/21/1996)

County Commissioner for El Paso County, school teacher. Born 1921 in Coahuila, México, Sánchez came to the U.S. with his family in 1923 and settled in Fort Hancock, Texas. He received a degree from Sul Ross in Alpine, Texas, served with the Army in the South Pacific during World War II, and served as County Commissioner for over 35 years.

Salazar, Steve - Dallas (Interview date: 11/25/1997)

Mr. Salazar served three terms on the Dallas City Council. He also served as the first Mexican American trustee ever to be elected to the Dallas County Community College District. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Arlington, and his law degree from the University of Houston. Mr. Salazar began his legal career as a law clerk with Dallas attorneys Roberto Alonzo and Domingo García.

Salinas, Lupe - Houston (Interview date: 6/17/1998)

Guadalupe Salinas was born in 1948 in McAllen, Texas. He received a B.A. in political science in 1970 and a J.D. in 1972, both from the University of Houston. Judge Salinas' career highlights include positions in the Harris County District Attorney's office, the U.S. Attorney's office, and the U.S. Department of Justice. He was elected district judge in 1988 but was defeated for re-election in 1996. At the time of this interview he was a visiting judge for the State of Texas.

Salinas III, Juan - Hidalgo County/La Joya (Interview date: 6/18/1998)

Born in 1969, Mr. Salinas graduated from Texas A & M University in 1991. He is County Clerk for Hidalgo County, Texas. He was municipal judge for the City of La Joya, Texas, 1991-1992, Administrative Assistant in the Hidalgo County Judge's Office, 1991-1996, and was the Comptroller's Regional Representative for John Sharp, Texas State Comptroller of Public Accounts. He is the Director in charge of Region VIII of the County and District Clerks' Association of Texas and was selected County Clerk of the year for the southern region of the state in 2000.

Santos, Ofelia - Edinburg (Interview date: 6/17/1998)

Ms. de los Santos was born in 1948 in Edinburg, Texas. She is a graduate of Pan American University (1982) and the University of Houston law school. She served with Valley Interfaith from 1983 to 1986, was elected to the Edinburg City Council in 1994 (re-elected 1996 and 1999) and maintains a private law practice in Edinburg.

Serrata, Lidia - Victoria (Interview date: 2/2/1998)

Born 1947 in Victoria, Texas, Ms. Serrata was the first Mexican American female attorney and assistant district attorney in Victoria. She earned her B.A. in social work (1977) and her law degree at the University of Texas.

Solís, Eliseo - Lubbock/Crystal City (Interview date: 11/3/1997)

Born in 1946 in Levelland, Texas. Mr. Solís was the first Mexican American elected County Commissioner in Lubbock, in 1984. He was active in the formation of La Raza Unida Party of Texas while a teacher in Crystal City, Texas, during the early 1970s. He earned his B.A. In Latin American Studies from Texas Tech University in 1968, and later his Master's from Wichita State University.

Tagle, Hilda - Corpus Christi (Interview date: 6/14/1998)

Born in 1946 in Corpus Christi, Texas, Judge Tagle is the first Mexican American woman United States District Judge for the Southern Judicial District of Texas (Brownsville). Earlier in her career she was elected to the 148th State District Court in Nueces County, was appointed judge for Nueces County Court at Law No. 3 in 1985 and elected to the post in 1986 and 1990, and served on the State Commission on Judicial Conduct from 1989 to 1994. She received her master's degree in Library Science from North Texas State University in 1971 and her Juris Doctor in 1977 from The University of Texas School of Law.

Torres, Gilberto - Uvalde County (Interview date: 12/4/1997)

Born April 24, 1936, in Uvalde County, Texas. Mr. Torres was the first Mexican American elected as county commisoner in Uvalde County. He was a career soldier in the U. S. Army and received serveral awards for his military achievements and service. Mr. Torres served in Operation Desert Storm during the Persian Gulf War in 1991 where he trained military recruits.

Treviño, Victor - Houston/Harris County (Interview date: 1/22/1998)

Born December 13, 1951, in Pesqueria Chica, Nuevo León, México. Mr. Trevino was a constable of Harris County and the first naturalized Mexican citizen to win elective office in Houston. He was a police officer with the Houston Police Department and active with the Hispanic Peace Officers association prior to his election.

Truan, Carlos - Kingsville (Interview date: 6/17/1998)

Senator Carlos Truan was born June 9, 1935, in Kingsville, Texas. He received a B.B.A. from Texas A & I University in 1959. Truan was elected state representative for Nueces and Kleberg counties in 1968; after serving four terms he was elected state senator from District 20 in 1976. In addition to serving for more than 30 years in the Texas Legislature, Senator Truan has been a successful life insurance agent since 1960 and has been active in many organizations. He held local, state and national office in LULAC, served on the Texas Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights, and was named to the board of the National Council of La Raza.

Valdez, Manuel - Tarrant County (Interview date: 11/2/1997)

Born in San Antonio, Texas. In the early 1980s, Mr. Valdez became the first Mexican American elected Justice of the Peace in Tarrant County, Texas. He organized the first Mexican American youth programs in Fort Worth in the early 1960s, and he is an alumnus of the University of Texas at Arlington.

Yáñez, Linda - Edinburg (Interview date: 1/14/1998)

Born November 30, 1948. Linda Reyna Yáñez is the first Hispanic woman to serve on a Texas appeals court. She taught at Harvard Law School and served on and chaired numerous committees and boards for the State Bar Associations in Texas, Illinois, and Massachusetts. She was Regional Counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund in Chicago, Illinois. Judge Yáñez currently serves on the 13th Court of Appeals for the state of Texas.

Zúñiga, Mike and Elizabeth - Ballinger/Winters (Interview date: 10/25/1997)

Mike Zúñiga and wife, Elizabeth Gonzáles Zúñiga, are community activists in the Ballinger area of West Texas and members of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). Mike was born in 1939; Elizabeth was born in 1944 and was raised in Winters, Texas.

Zapata, Louis - Fort Worth (Interview date: 2/26/1998)

Mr. Zapata was born October 5, 1934, in Fort Worth, Texas, and was the first Mexican American elected to the Fort Worth City Council.