|
|
Ray A. Gonzales
(154 KB, 79 pg)
|
|
|
Biography:
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.
|
Interview Summary:
González discusses his activities as a member of Mexican American Democrats (MAD) and its efforts to organize Mexican American voters in the Wichita Falls, Texas area. He talks about the difficulties of motivating Mexican Americans to become activists in the political process and about how the political establishment manipulates Mexican American voters to accomplish their objectives. González relates how he gains community wide recognition by volunteering in the community. He explains that it is very difficult to establish Mexican American representation in city government and on the schoool board because Mexican Americans are so few in number in the Wichita Falls area and they tend to be scattered throughout the neigborhoods instead of centrally located. He identifies education as the most important issue facing the Mexican American community. He tells about his admission to the public swimming pool in Wichita Falls when he as a youth and how psycholocially damaging to him the experience was. He credits some of those racial discrimination experiences with fueling his interest in political activisim. González elaborates upon his service in the military and his participation in the Vietnam War in which he was injured. He describes his long convalescence from that war injury and the damaging effect the Vietnam War protests had on him emotionally. He conlcudes the interview by explaining his goals, objectives, and activities in establishing the local Mexican American Democrat (MAD) chapter and his hopes for getting more Mexican American participation in public life leading to achieving political representation.
 |
Locations of residence or activity: Wichita Falls
Interview date: 6/17/1998
|
|
