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.