MARFA — On Friday night, the brand-new Big Bend chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) celebrated its launch in the community room of the Marfa Public Library. Attendees enjoyed fresh popcorn and lemonade as they swapped stories with experienced organizers hoping to lend some of their expertise to the newest generation of Latino leadership in Far West Texas.
Per the organization’s website, “The mission of the League of United Latin American Citizens is to advance the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, housing, health and civil rights of the Hispanic population of the United States.”
LULAC is the oldest and biggest Latino civil rights organization in the United States and boasts over 325,000 active members. It was founded in 1929 and was originally created to serve Hispanic servicemembers returning from WWI who faced discrimination and unfair treatment on the home front. The organization serves Latinos from all ethnic backgrounds through 535 local councils scattered across the United States and Puerto Rico and has been instrumental in a number of causes from school desegregation to immigration reform.
The effort to establish a local LULAC chapter was spearheaded by Ramon Rodriguez Aranda and Hilary Scruggs Beebe, both of whom are leaders in the Presidio County Democrats. They hoped to take advantage of LULAC’s nationwide network to help connect remote Presidio County with people power across the country.
Friday night’s program began with a moving presentation by Tori Santos and Olivia Ortiz of Tejanas Defend Democracy, a “woman-led collective rooted in the power of art, politics and fashion as tools of resistance,” per their social media. “We exist to protect democracy, honor our cultural legacy, and amplify Tejana voices through bold visual storytelling and unified public action.”
Santos spoke about her mother’s legacy of service and activism, and Ortiz reflected on the power of protest. “They want us to believe we are the conquered, but may we always remember we are the warriors,” Ortiz said. “We are the daughters of resistance and the mothers of revolution … we know historically that women are creators of change.”
LULAC Texas State Director Gabriel Rosales had the last word and used it to reflect on his own family’s legacy of revolutionary thinking. He reminded the fledgling Latino community leaders in the room that there’s strength in numbers — nationwide, Latinos have a purchasing power greater than some countries’ economies. “If you’ve got economic power, you’ve got power,” he said.
Rosales talked about the importance of leading a movement that has a place for everyone, regardless of race, gender, class, disability or sexual orientation. He urged respect for the history of civil rights struggles big and small, but cautioned against getting stuck in the past. Instead, activists needed to be ready for whatever challenges the state and federal government might throw their way. “This is the time when true courage stands up,” Rosales said.