Mario compean biography

  • Mario was never the dynamic speaker of the Texas chicana/o movement.
  • Compean talks about his activism, MAYO, RUP, Committee for Barrio Betterment, Barrios Unidos.
  • Mario Compean was born circa 1941, in Texas, United States, to Felipe Compean and Maria Compean.

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    Genuine calm and a child-like mischievous chuckle obscure an underlying intensity in one of the most elder of the scholar-activists of the Texas Chicana/o movement.  Mario Compean remains as genuinely optimistic as when I first heard him speak to a group in November 1968. A group of dejected Mexican American parents had just learned that their children who had boycotted classes at Edcouch Elsa High School would be suspended or expelled from school.  Some  of  the 175 students would lose at least one semester of school credit.  Some would lose the entire school year’s credit.  For the boys, Vietnam seemed like the next stop.  A seemingly promising student boycott to call attention to the dire conditions of the school facilities, the undeclared war against speaking Spanish and the lack of Mexican American culturally relevant school textbooks appeared that evening like a catastrophe. Parents were finally out in full force that evening in hope that someone could explain why things had g

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    Paying homage to legendary Hispanic community advocates


    SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 — For Hispanic Heritage Month the UTSA Libraries Special Collections archive has provided a trove of historical images of Mexican American organizers and activists who have dedicated their lives in support of community advocacy. From the heart of Texas in San Antonio and across the United States, these leaders rallied community members to lista to vote, marched for worker rights, and raised the voces of la raza in empowerment. With Election Day just weeks away, UTSA—as a proud Hispanic Serving Institution—honors these legends and their roles in their community’s heritage.

    Rally the Community, Rally the Vote

    Labor leader and union organizer Emma Tenayuca sits on the witness stand in a Bexar County courtroom during her rättegång on charges of unlawful assembly and disturbing the peace, circa 1937. Tenayuca was well-known for her work organizing Mexican workers in Texas du

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    Raza Unida Party

    Southwestern U.S. political party (1970-1978)

    Partido Nacional de La Raza Unida (LRUP; National United Peoples Party[4] or United Race Party[5]) was a Hispanic political party centered on Chicano (Mexican-American) nationalism. It was created in 1970 and became prominent throughout Texas and Southern California.[6] It was started to combat growing inequality and dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party that was typically supported by Mexican-American voters.[7] After its establishment in Texas, the party launched electoral campaigns in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and California, though it only secured official party status for statewide races in Texas.[8] It did poorly in the 1978 Texas elections and dissolved when leaders and members dropped out.

    La Raza, as it was usually known, experienced most of its success at the local level in southwest Texas when the party swept city council, school board, and may