Memories of Chicano history

the long version

"Memories of Chicano History: The Life and Narrative of Bert Corona represents a landmark publication in American history. The first autobiographical text by a major figure in Chicano history, it is also the first full life history depicting the political experiences of Mexican-Americans." "Based on an extensive three-year oral history project, Memories of Chicano history is a product of a unique relationship between historian Mario T. Garcia and activist Bert Corona, resulting in a testimonio, a collaborative autobiography of an individual and his community. Through Corona's narration and Garcia's analysis, Memories of Chicano History offers a journey into the Mexican-American world of the twentieth century." "As a longtime community and labor leader in California, Bert Corona embodies the persistent struggle by Mexican-Americans against injustice and racism.^ Born to immigrant parents in the border town of El Paso in 1918 and inspired by his father's participation in the Mexican Revolution, Corona has dedicated his life to fighting economic and social injustice. His untiring activism, based on coalition-building and community mobilization, spans much of the twentieth century." "As a young man in the 1930s, Bert Corona took part in the great organizing campaigns for the newly formed Congress of Industrial Organizations among various ethnic groups in the Los Angeles area. These early union drives infused the Latino community with a new vitality, creating groups such as the Mexican American Movement, the National Congress of Spanish-Speaking Peoples, and the Asociacion Nacional Mexico-Americana. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, with Corona's active participation and leadership, these organizations agitated for labor issues and civil rights.^ The Chicano movement of the 1960s and 1970s, in which Corona also played a part, brought new organizations and issues into the political arena. Corona has continued his work to the present day, immersing himself in the more recent campaigns to organize undocumented Latino immigrants." "Bert Corona's memoir is historical, political, and personal. His reflections offer an invaluable glimpse at the triumphs and tragedies of the Mexican-American community; his life-work defines the history of Chicano activism at the grass-roots level. Memories of Chicano History is not only the story of one exceptional individual but part of the collective memory of the Mexican-American community."--BOOK JACKET.