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The KUT Longhorn Radio Network Presents: Mexican American Experience Collection

Audio recordings including interviews, music, and informational programs related to the Mexican American community and their concerns in the series "The Mexican American Experience" and "A esta hora conversamos" from the Longhorn Radio Network, 1976-1982.

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PROGRAM INFO

Title:
Minority Party Politics
Program #
1979-28
Theme:
Politics

Series:
Politics
Host:
Armando Gutiérrez
Guest:
María Elena Martínez
Date:
Jun 7, 1979

Minority Party Politics

Maria Elena Martinez, chair of the Texas branch of La Raza Unida Party, discusses the party’s background, accomplishments and recent difficulties. She explains that the party began in Crystal City in 1970 to address Chicano issues and has now spread to several states. Since then, the party has experienced several setbacks as its candidates have faced discrimination and retaliation in their personal and work lives. Some have even faced exaggerated charges and received draconian sentences for minor offenses. She discusses the trials of Ramsey Muñiz, the party’s former gubernatorial candidate, who is in jail for marijuana possession. She also talks about the media’s portrayal of the party and its emphasis on the negative incidents. Finally, in cities where the party has been successful, state and federal-level politicians have worked to block their access to funds and courts have denied the electoral victories.

Martinez then discusses the party’s relations with other Chicano organizations, like LULAC. She believes there is more communication between then now than in the past. She explains that while these groups have focused on voter registration, the Raza Unida Party believes that there is little room for change within the two party system. They also worry that mainstream minority politicians absorb the same political philosophies that have ignored the problems affecting minority communities. She explains that the Raza Unida Party most work to change the attitudes of Chicanos disillusioned by the political process and to do so they focus on the basic issues affecting the Chicano community, including health, police brutality, the cost of living and education.

KEYWORDS

American GI Forum
Backlash
Bilingual Education
California
Chicano Health
Chicano Movement
Chicano Voter Turn-out
Chicanos in Latin America
Coastal States Gas Company
Cost of living
Crystal City
Democrats
Dolph Briscoe
Education
Electoral Politics
Employment
Environmental Justice
Judicial System
Luis Echeverria Alvarez
LULAC
Media
Medical School
Mexico
Minority Co-optation
Minority politicians
New Mexico
Police brutality
Political apathy
Political Leadership
Political Repression
Ramsey Muñiz
Raza Unida Party
Relations among Chicano organizations
Republicans
Rio Grande Valley
Scholarship programs
Social Movements
South Texas
Texas Governor
The media and la Raza Unida party
Third Party politics
Two party system
Utilities
Vietnam
Voter registration drives
Washington D.C.
Zavala County
 

Center for Mexican American Studies | Department of History | The Benson Latin American Collection

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