Interview with Rey Avila, founder of Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame and Museum in San Benito, Texas. Mr. Avila discusses his early life, education, his experiences as a young migrant worker, the history of Conjunto music in Texas, and the Chicano movement. Part of the interview takes place in the gallery of the museum.

Juan Tejeda is the co-founder and producer of the Guadalupe Cultural Center's annual Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio. In his interview he discusses, growing up on the Southside of San Antonio, Mexican American Studies, and educational equality.

Richard Perkins studied music as a student at Prairie View A&M. In 1968, he and fellow choir members were invited to perform for Rev. Martin Luther King in Memphis, Tennessee, two weeks before his assassination. In his interview, Perkins discussed segregation, the role of music, and a comparison of the black experience in the U.S. and Europe.

Izola Collins was born in Galveston, Texas in 1929. Her mother's family has been on the island since the 1860s when her great grandfather, Horace Scull, moved his children and wife into the area. Her grandfather, Ralph Albert Scull, was one of the first African American teachers in Galveston. She grew up in the East End of the Island, where she believed a life of luxury although her family was poor. She attended Central High School and joined the band and learned about African American history. She left the Island in the late 1940s to attend Prairie View A&M and graduated with a degree in music. She began teaching the Bay City band, then left to Evanston to attend Northwestern where she received her Master's in music in 1953. Collins returned to Galveston and taught music at different schools in the area (Hitchcock) and at Goliad and Stephen F. Austin schools. She became celebrated as her students represented Galveston in different state competitions. In 1986, she ran for the board of the Galveston Independent School District and won. Collins served for 9 years and became president of the board during her last term. She has been recently involved in the …

Elvira Martinez was born in 1929 in Baytown, Texas. Her father lived in "El Campo," the Humble Oil and Refinery Company community for their predominately Mexican American male employees. Martinez remembers growing up in the company community and how families forged deep bonds. She attended the Lorenzo De Zavala Elementary School, the Baytown Mexican School that was originally funded by the Humble Oil and Refinery Company. Through the music program at the Baytown Mexican School, Martinez was able to travel the country as a player in the group La Tipica. She talks about the development of the Baytown Mexican School and how it served as the first ESL program. Martinez also discusses the role that Dr. Antonio Bañuelos played in the development of La Tipica, how La Tipica was portrayed as an "authentic" Mexican group from Jalisco, how she had to act like she did not know English while traveling throughout the nation, the Mexican musicians she encountered during her involvement in La Tipica, and how this female music group played for WWII bond drives at the behest of the Humble Oil and Refinery Company. Martinez addresses the role of Mexican celebrations, Baytown Mexican School's role in the creation of …

Mr. Valdez grew up in Del Rio, but also spent time in California and San Antonio. While attending high school in Del Rio, he and his rock band were involved in the Palm Sunday rally. He was later drafted into the military and sent to Vietnam. Mr. Vasquez attended A&I, where he honed his art and took part in activism. Throughout the interview, Mr. Valdez talks about the role of art (visual arts and music) in Chicano activism.

Mr. Tafoya grew up in Georgetown, Texas, but spent part of his youth working in several Catholic initiatives, including running an orphanage in Cuervanaca, Mexico. Upon returning to his hometown, he started working in the local radio station, eventually launching the first Spanish-language programming. Later, his radio shows took a political role, encouraging the Mexican American community to become involved. In later years, Mr. Tafoya launched Spanish radio programming in several Texas communities including Austin, where he settled permanently. He also worked in television and created a Chicano newspaper called The Echo. In the interview, Mr. Tafoya talks about his role as a community leader in East Austin and his role in the dissemination of Tejano music.

Alice E. Valdez was born in El Paso, and grew up in a middle class, Anglo and Mexican American community. She discusses her father's WWII experience to detail. Ms. Valdez was involved in the arts from an early age through church groups and in school activities. She attended the University of Texas at El Paso where she was part of the band and graduated with a degree in music. She recalled the 1966 Texas Western College (name prior to UTEP) NCAA Basketball Championship during her college experience. Upon graduation, Ms. Valdez moved with her husband to Atlanta for his military service. She moved to Houston in 1971. Due to her arts background, she became involved in creating arts programs for children and subsequently founded the Multicultural Education Counseling through the Arts Center, (MECA).

Mr. Jones was born in Conroe and raised in both Tamina and near Conroe; his parents lived on two properties owned by Dr. Hayes and worked for him in various capacities. Mr. Jones described going to segregated schools, segregation in Conroe, and his time at Booker T. Washington school. He was at TSU in Houston during the riot and participated in a march to downtown. He was drafted into the military and discusses race relations in Germany during the Vietnam War. He returned to the US where he worked as a welder and engineer while pursuing a music career. He recently was photographed for a book on Tamina and described his experience going to see the exhibit at the Smithsonian. Mr. Jones provided a great description of segregation in Conroe, the environment at TSU, and Tamina.

Daniel Bustamante was born in Corpus Christi in 1948 and was raised in both Mathis and Corpus Christi. He grew up in a farm worker family and attended the "Mexican" School in Mathis. His activist consciousness began in 1965, when he left to California to work in the fields--the discrimination he faced changed him. In addition, he became a conscious objector during the Vietnam War. He attended Del Mar College from 1967-1969, where he became involved in the Anti-War Movement, the Young Democrats, and supported the UFW Grape Boycott. He moved to Houston in 1969 to attend the University of Houston. At UH, he became involved in MAYO efforts. In 1975, he hosted a party that ended in an incident of police brutality. Bustamante, along with 2 other activists (Eddie Canales and Elliot ?) sued HPD in Federal Court and won in 1979. In 1977-1978, in the aftermath of the Joe Campos Torres death and the Moody Park Rebellion, Bustamante led several marches and pickets to demonstrate against police brutality in Houston. In the late 1970s, he worked at Casa de Amigos in the Northside, an institution geared to address health care isses and drug abuse in the community. In …

Mr. Galvan shares his personal history as a musician and store owner in Corpus Christi.

Richard Orton's family came from Nacogdoches, but he spent most of his childhood in Midland. He went to UNT and then moved to Austin, where he worked at one of the first rape crisis centers in the nation. He also founded an organization to help and educate others about child sexual abuse. Orton is a photographer, which is how he became involved with the Upshaw family, who are the descendants of freed slaves who founded County Line, a community near Nacogdoches. Mr. Orton began a photograph project documenting the community, which is now a book. Mr. Orton described his career helping to found rape crisis centers, working with child sexual abuse victims, and his connections to the County Line community, founded by freed slaves.

Interview with Clarice Watkins, a Justice of the Peace from Marshall, Texas. In the interview, Watkins discusses her background, education, racial violence, community activism, integration, experiences with discrimination, and her radio career.

Interview with Al Saenz, a city councilman from Bryan, Texas. In the interview, Saenz discusses his family background, civil rights organizations and the Mexican-American community in Bryan. Saenz also discusses time living in Houston during his childhood.

Ms. Toran was raised in Nigton, a small community in East Texas, by her highly-educated father and step-mother, who were also educators. Ms. Toran attended segregated schools in Lufkin and then went on to become a school-teacher and counselor in Lufkin schools. She was the first black school counselor in Lufkin schools. In the interview, she discussed growing up in Nigton, the accomplishments of her father, schools in Lufkin, changes over time in the black community. Ms. Toran described the responses to integration, including demonstrations by the KKK in the 1970s.

De La Paz's interview reflects on the contemporary issues that Del Rio is facing. She speaks about the importance of Casa De La Cultura in her life growing up. She lived in the Chihuahua barrio and went to Del Rio schools. She speaks about not learning about her culture and people who look like her in school. In order to supplement her learning, she would attend classes at the Casa. She spoke about learning culture through teatros and folklorio offered at Casa. The latter part of the interview deals with contemporary problems in Del Rio and the current work of Casa in the community.

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.

Mr. Johnson was born and raised in Conroe, Texas. He grew up on land his grandparents purchased after years spent sharecropping. He attended Booker T. Washington until integration, when he then attended Conroe High School. He joined the Air Force and spent time in Italy and Abilene, Texas. Upon returning to Texas, he attended Sam Houston State University and began working in radio, photography, and as a disc jockey, among other jobs. In his interview, Mr. Johnson describes segregation in Conroe, his family's landownership, integration in Conroe, his experiences in the Air Force, his multiple jobs, discrimination at work, and the many ways that Conroe has changed over time.

Ms. Flores discussed her family's arrival to southeast Texas, her community and relationships with whites and other minorities, and her work to preserve Hispanic culture in the region.

Richard E. Reyes was born in 1951 and grew-up in the Northside of Houston. As a young adult, he would become heavily involved in the arts and would create the Pancho Claus play about a Mexican Santa Claus donned in a Zoot Suit that provides toys for barrio youth. Reyes also served as the director of Talento Bilinque de Houston, a bilingual arts center that has played a critical role in providing creative outlets for Latina/o youth. He discusses his involvement in gang prevention efforts, addressing AIDS in the Latina/o community though the Chicana/o Family Center, the benefits of the Low rider culture, the struggle to find funding for Latina/o art, cross-racial efforts in the art scene, and his thoughts on the recent gentrification of Second Ward.

Interview with Zephaniah Timmins, Harrison County Commissioner from Marshall, Texas. In his interview, Timmins discusses his family history, experiences with segregation and discrimination, civil rights activism, and his involvement in local politics.

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.

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.

Patricia A. Thomas was born in 1957 in Andrews, Texas, where she grew up. She entered elementary school in an integrated school where many of her classmates as well as some teachers physically and verbally abused the African American students. Thomas first attended Lincoln Elementary and then Jack and Jill Elementary. In junior high and high school, Thomas adapted many black nationalists or “radical” viewpoints, which led her to call for the teaching of African American history in her high school. She graduated from Andrews high school in 1976. After high school, Thomas moved to Dallas where she attended Bishop College. She subsequently lived in various communities that included Big Springs, Odessa, Amarillo, and Seminole, Texas.