Women and the Raza Unida Party: Three Round Table Discussions

The School of Information class on oral history ("Memory, History and Oral Narratives: Mexican American Politics in Texas History," taught by Emilio Zamora), in conjunction with the Public Policy Institute (Department of Government), the Mexican American Library Program (Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection) and the Center for Mexican American Studies will be hosting three round table discussions on April 7, 14, and 21 featuring nine Mexican American women who began their singular political careers as Raza Unida Party stalwarts between 1970 and 1978.

We are bringing the nine women for interviews to augment our oral history and archival holdings at the Mexican American Library Program. The Round Table Discussions will provide our visitors an opportunity to share their experiences and views with the university community. They will address the following topics: the history of the Raza Unida Party, women in the Mexican American social movement of the 1970s and 1980s, the political dialogue between feminists and nationalist in the Mexican American community, and the pan-feminist challenge.

The schedule will be as follows:

April 7, 10:30-11:45, Texas Union 4.110, African American Culture Room

• Evey Chapa, Member of Raza Unida Executive Committee, 1974-77 and Co-Founder of Mujeres Por La Raza, 1973
• Maria Elena Martinez, State Chair, Raza Unida Party, 1976-78
• Luz Bazan Gutierrez, First Raza Unida Chair of Zavala County, 1970

• Maria Jimenez, Raza Unida Candidate for Attorney General, 1972
• Linda Del Toro, Member of MAYO and Raza Unida Party, 1972-78
• Alma Canales, Raza Unida Candidate for Lieutenant Governor, 1972

• Martha Cotera, Co-Founder, Mujeres Por La Raza, 197
• Angelita Mendoz Waterhouse, State Chair, Mujeres Unidas (RUP), 1977-78
• Elvia Rios, Member of Mujeres por La Raza Unida, 1976-77