Interview with Salvador Balcorta, the CEO of Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe clinic in El Paso. Mr. Balcorta discusses his family background and education, and the founding of the La Fe clinic. This is the first of two interviews Mr. Balcorta participated in.

David K. Baker was born in 1951 In Mckamy, Texas. He graduated from high school in 1969 and then worked for a few months in the oil fields of West Texas. Baker then worked for Southwestern Bell, beginning in October of 1969, and soon joined the Communication Workers of America union. He worked for Southwestern Bell until 2002 and then returned (now to AT&T until 2010). Baker was drafted in 1971 into the Vietnam War. Baker moved to Odessa, Texas in 1980 and then became part of the union’s executive board at the local level, and was president of the local from 1987 to 1990. He is now president of the Permian Basin Central Labor Union.

Hollis discussed the history of labor unions in the Golden Triangle, the challenges of growing up working-class, and the ongoing problems facing organized labor.

Solomon Porfirio Ortiz is the former U.S. Representative for Texas's 27th congressional district, based in Corpus Christi, serving from 1983 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. In his interview, he discussed growing up in Robstown and his long political career.

Mr. Mata described his experiences with racial discrimination as a child, school segregation, political changes, his military experience, and generational differences.

Interview with Barbara Cooper, retired business owner from Bryan, Texas. Cooper discusses her family history, childhood, education, work and family life, and experiences with Jim Crow segregation in Bryan

Manuel Orona was born in 1964 in Pecos, Texas. He attended segregated schools until high school, going to Central High school and graduating in 1966. He then enlisted in the U.S. Marines, serving in Vietnam from 1967-1969. He was wounded in Vietnam. Upon returning to the United States, Orona attended Odessa College in Odessa, Texas, graduating in 1969. He then attended West Texas State University in Canyon, Texas for a year before transferring and graduating from the University of Houston in 1973. When returning from Vietnam, Orona was introduced to the Raza Unida Party by Juan Chávez (who then lived in Muleshoe was part of Chicanos Unidos Campesinos). By 1976, Orona left Houston and returned to Pecos to run for County Judge under the Raza Unida Party. In Pecos, he faced political and police oppression in response to his candidacy, and he lost the election. Orona then moved to Odessa permanently. In Odessa, he published El Editor Permian Basin edition from 1980 to about 2011 as well as participated in state level and local election campaigning for both Democrats and Republicans.

Discussed her career as a longtime member of the Texas State School Board

Interview with Ann Boney, retired staff of Texas A&M University and president of the Brazos County NAACP from Bryan, Texas. Boney describes her early life and education, her employment around the state, including working at the Benz School of Floral Design at Texas A&M. Ms. Boney also discusses her experiences as president of her local chapter of the NAACP and current community issues addressed by the organization.

Rock discussed his career as president of the United Steelworkers local.

Interview with Rubye Jones and Julia Williams, from Marshall, Texas. In the interview, Jones and Williams discuss their family backgrounds, higher education at Bishop and Wiley Colleges, experiences with racial discrimination, and their involvement with the Civil Rights Movement. Ms. Jones's uncle Romeo Williams, was a prominent African-American civil rights attorney in Marshall who was killed in an accident in 1960.

Mr. Lee was born and raised in Cleveland, Texas. He attended segregated schools until integration when he was in fifth grade. Following graduation, he attended Lamar University and began a career with the utility company and as a member of first the school board and, currently, the city council. In his interview, Mr. Lee described segregation in Cleveland, instances of discrimination, integration of schools, integration of sports, Little League, and the Boy Scouts, racial tensions in Beaumont and at Lamar University, black businesses in Cleveland, his time on the school board as both a member and president, his decision to run for city council, and the legacy of racial tensions in Cleveland.

Interview with Robert Medrano, businessman and elected official from Dallas, Texas. Medrano is the son of Francisco "Pancho" Medrano and brother of Ricardo Medrano, also local politicians. In his interview, Medrano discusses his his upbringing in the "Little Mexico" section of Dallas, his family's political activities, and Chicano activism in the 1960s and 1970s.

Ms. Davis is a lifelong resident of Lufkin, Texas. She was born with cerebral palsy, but she adapted to her handicap. She chose to go to Lufkin High School prior to forced integration. She became a special education teacher, although she had difficulty with promotions. She has been responsible for most of the caregiving in her family. In the interview, Ms. Davis discusses what segregated Lufkin was like, the difficulty she faced as part of the integration process at Lufkin High School, her education, overcoming a disability, her experience as a victim of domestic abuse, difficulty raising her children, and her life as a caregiver for multiple family members, including her parents and grandchildren.

Nancy Vera received her degrees from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, including her Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership. Vera specializes in working with at-risk students who are in danger of dropping out and live in poverty. Vera is President of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Council No. 4444. She pioneered “Operation Right Track” a public campaign to raise awareness about gang violence, drug, and alcohol abuse. In her interview, she discussed her career as a union organizer/AFT president of Corpus Christi.

Arturo spoke about growing up in Crystal City. Him working the fields during his earlier years. He speaks a lot about local Crystal City politics. The initial push for representation envisaged by Los Cinco. Some about local Crystal City folks who were drafted for Vietnam. During this period--late 1960s, Arturo went to Wisconsin to work and live. He talked about the Crystal City walkouts--hearing about them in Wisconsin then moving back--and the demands that the students made. Finally, he talks a lot about Raza Unida internal politics, especially his side of the split. He was with the Barrio club/anti-Gutierrez faction and running Gutierrez out of Crystal City.

Luis Cano was born in Corpus Christi, TX. After attending University of North Texas, he came to Houston and would become involved in the Mexican American Youth Organization and La Raza Unida Party. As a teacher at Austin High School, he would develop one of the first Mexican American courses. This experience along with his awareness of his family's political history would lead him to dedicate his life to education efforts. Cano talks the Huelga School Movement, a false pairing plan that placed Mexican American and African American youth together and called it integration. He also speaks about co-founding the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans and developing some of its cultural and youth-oriented initiatives, including teatro, a library, a school for at-risk students, and gang prevention. Cano describes his experiences as one of the first lecturers for the UH Center for Mexcian American Studies.

Interview with Jesus Ramirez, a lawyer from San Juan, Texas. During his interview, Ramirez discusses his family background, Chicano activism, including the Edcouch-Elsa student walkout, and La Raza Unita.

Interview with Amancio Chapa, former mayor of La Joya, Texas. In his interview he discusses his childhood and education in Corpus Christi, the Chicano movement, the Raza Unida Party and politics in South Texas.

Reynaldo Rodriguez was born in 1947 in Corpus Christi. He discusses growing up in Corpus and briefly shared his Vietnam War experience and how it took him to Alaska. Upon being discharged from the military, he attends Del Mar College and decides to attend the University of Houston. Mr. Rodriguez discusses his activism during college in MAYO, the struggle to create the Center for Mexican American Studies (CMAS), and the painting of the UH Chicano Mural. He also discusses his involvement in LRUP and the founding of Centro Aztlan in the East End.

Interview with Andrew Melontree, a retired lawyer from Marlin, Texas. Melontree discusses his upbringing, education, experiences with discrimination and Jim Crow, his military service in the Air Force in the Korean War, his work as a laboratory technician, and his civil rights activism in Tyler.

Interview with Rogelio Nuñez, executive director of legal defense and advocacy organization Proyecto Libertad from Harlingen, Texas. In the interview, Nuñez discusses his early life and education, Chicano activism, and Proyecto Libertad.

Juan Parras was born in Big Spring in 1949. He moved to San Antonio to attend seminary and attended St. Mary's in 1968 before transferring to the University of Houston in 1971. He began working at the Harris County Welfare Department where he led a walkout. Mr. Parras discusses unionizing and his 15 year career working with the International Union and other unions. His latest activism revolves around environmental justice issues and is the founder of Tejas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (TEJAS), an organization working in Houston since 2006.