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Photo: Courtesy of NCLR |
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Raúl Yzaguirre: Loud and Clear
Raúl Yzaguirre and Hispanic civil rights. The two are linked by a bond whose strength has grown formidably during the past half century. As president of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), one of the country's most respected Hispanic advocacy organizations, Yzaquirre has become known as an unrelenting leader for la causa. He's the community's enduring civil rights pioneer, its compass, and its conscience. Through Washington, D.C.-based NCLR, he articulates the agenda for more than 40 million Hispanics. That's the public persona. But others see a different man during his off-duty hours, which he spends in his suburban Maryland home: a husband, a father, a neighbor, a parishioner, and now, a grandfather. These roles occupy a part of his life that he equally cherishes. Because of the volatile, political nature of his advocacy role, however, he does his best to protect them from public view, and has done so for a long time. Yzaguirre has spent 30 years at the helm of NCLR. Building that powerful institution, he says, is his proudest professional achievement.
And his proudest personal achievement? His
family, which now includes five grandchildren. The father of six
delivered two of his children
and says fatherhood has "helped me understand broader, inter Having a very public life, Yzaguirre has made an extra effort to shield his family from the spotlight. "I tried to raise my kids as normally as possible. My philosophy is that I do what I do so my kids can live a normal life. When I go home, I don't want to be a civil rights leader. I want to be the father, the handyman, and the person who goes out and gets the groceries." Yzaguirre's own youthful yearning for "adventure and freedom" prompted his civil rights activism. Born in 1939, he ran away from home in San Juan, Texas, at age 13 to work on a merchant ship out of Corpus Christi. "I was fascinated by the sea," he recalls. Traveling from port to port and glimpsing pieces of the diverse world beyond South Texas led to asking, "What was I going to do with the rest of my life?"
It was at this time that he began to hear about Héctor P. García, a physician and founder of the American GI Forum, which was becoming the nation's largest Hispanic veterans' group. "The more I heard-and based on my own experiences back home-I said, 'This is what I want, this is what is important, to make a difference, to help your people.'" He returned home and re-enrolled in school. At age 15, he organized
the American GI Forum Juniors, a group of teen-age Chicano activists.
Soon the Juniors expanded to a dozen chapters throughout Texas. His
destiny as an activist was sealed. After high school, Yzaguirre served four years in the U.S. Air Force, stationed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. He then attended The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., earning a bachelor's degree in general studies, with a concentration in management and social sciences. In the nation's capital, Yzaguirre's activism flourished. He helped organize the National Organization for Mexican American Services (NOMAS) in 1964. Later, he founded Interstate Research Associates, the first Chicano research association, and headed it from 1969 to 1973. Shortly thereafter, he became president of NCLR.
In 1974, the organization had a staff of nine working in two offices, one in Washington, D.C., the other in Phoenix. Today, the Washington office alone has more than 100 employees. Spread throughout the country, more than 300 NCLR affiliates provide grassroots services to Hispanic constituencies of all age groups and national origins. NCLR has nourished the commitment and honed the skills of literally hundreds of young Hispanics who have gone on to serve in state legislatures, shine in academia, and become leaders, in the public and private sectors. Each year, Yzaguirre's and NCLR's influence expands. "One of my greatest satisfactions is hearing ideas and agendas that we developed and conceived coming out of Hispanic and other political leaders," he says. "Through our research, enunciation, and framing of issues and conversations with political leaders. I see it every day. I see people saying things that we said 10 or 15 years ago." Although influential in formulating a national Hispanic political agenda, Yzaguirre is quick to note that the political environment has resisted change. "In some ways it has changed profoundly, and in some ways it hasn't changed at all," he points out. "We still have to work very hard to get little changes. Poverty is still a reality in our community. We are the most segregated minority in this country." He acknowledges the stubborn problems but takes pride in the progress. "We have more dynamic and relevant political leadership. There's more of an awareness of our community in all the decision-making centers in this country." He singles out the media as a force obstructing Hispanic goals of equality and parity, calling it "an impediment." "There is no way we can underestimate its negative power," he says, adding that the media have defined civil rights as a "black issue," with little room for any shades of gray or brown, he says. "The media hasn't told this country that there were 5,000 Mexican Americans killed in a short period of time in Texas around World War I; that a million of our people were illegally deported to Mexico during the Depression; that our lands were stolen; that we were oppressed and enslaved," he explains. In 2001, Yzaguirre revealed he had been diagnosed as being in the early stages of Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurological disorder, but he remains as active as ever as the organization's leader. "I always felt commitment has to be tried and challenged, and this is my challenge. Do I use this as an excuse to sit back and let others do the job, or do I say, 'This is not going to stop me.' I decided this was not going to stop me." As he and the organization he helped build plan for the year ahead, Yzaguirre makes it clear that both will move forward. "I do plan-in a thoughtful and deliberate way-to change leadership in this organization and have a succession that will carry on the work." He offers no specific timetable but promises his work will continue. He is not retiring. "I am interested in academia, foundations and business, and in developing spiritually. I am interested in writing more about our movement, being a columnist or writing books," he says. "There's a lot on my plate." So much, he says, that the question is, "What do I not do?" Yzaguirre is a member of the Board of Directors of AARP Services Inc., (ASI). ASI President Dawn Sweeney comments, "Raúl is an extraordinarily valued member. he brings a depth of insight that is critical in the board's deliberations." Hector Flores, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), best sums up Raúl Yzaguirre's contributions at this juncture in his life: "He has been the one Hispanic leader who has been
the most resilient in surviving Washington's political firestorms.He
has served as the Hispanic conscience for over 30 years. He exhibits
the best of our work ethic and he makes us proud." Submit your own story, and find out more about the project at Voices of Civil Rights (available only in English). |
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