Raul Yzaguirre

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Raul Humberto Yzaguirre (born July 22, 1939 in San Juan, Texas) is an American civil rights activist. Currently a life time member of the Council on Foreign Relations, he previously served as the president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza from 1974 – 2004; and now works primarily as an advocate for the creation of a political union between the United States, Mexico and Canada through a variety of non-profit advocacy groups.

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[edit] Early life

Yzaguirre was born to Mexican American parents Ruben Antonio and Eva Linda (Morin) Yzaguirre, and grew up in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. Yzaguirre states that some of his first memories of social injustice involved what his grandmother called a 'Race War' in Texas. Mexican Americans lived under a curfew at that time and Yzaguirre's grandfather was almost lynched one night when coming home after dark from his second job. [1] In 1958 he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force Medical Service and served for 4 years.

His name has sometimes been spelled Izaguirre.[2]

[edit] President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza

In 1968, the Southwest Council of La Raza was organized with funding from the Ford Foundation. By 1972 organization changed its name to the National Council for La Raza (National Council of the People in English.[3] ), and moved its offices to Washington, DC. In 1973, the Ford Foundation, then the NCLR's sole funding source, demanded a change in the organization's focus and direction by threatening to withhold funding, and forced then NCLR President Henry Santiestevan out of office. In 1974, Yzaguirre was elected the second President of the NCLR. The Ford Foundation was pleased with Yzaguirre and continued to be a top donor of the NCLR throughout Yzaguirre's term.[4]

Under Yzaguirre, the organization grew from a regional advocacy group with 17 affiliates to over 300 that serve 41 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Colombia. Yzaguirre expanded membership criteria so it was not limited only to ethnic Mexicans, but also included Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Argentines, Cubans and all other Hispanic subgroups. This paved the way for the National Council for La Raza to open offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio and San Juan.[5] Since then NCLR has added offices in New York and Atlanta.

Through his tenure Yzaguirre built the NCLR into a 35,000 members organization, with revenues exceeding $42 million, from a combination of contributions from American corporations[6] philanthropic foundations, federal funding, and private member donations.

Yzaguirre always sought to operate pragmatically and in a nonpartisan manner when carrying out NCLR's mission. He never sacrificed his integrity and always held firm to his principles. This often meant publicly criticizing both Republican and Democratic administrations. He was fired as Chair of the Hispanic Advisory Commission to the Immigration and Naturalization Service for publicly criticizing President Carter’s immigration reform proposals. Yzaguirre also criticized President George Bush Sr. for his affirmative action stance even after he had agreed to be the first sitting president to appear at an NCLR Annual Conference. President Clinton did not escape criticism either. Yzaguirre criticized President Clinton for appointing very few Hispanics to key positions and for the 1996 welfare reform law which NCLR considered detrimental to the Hispanic community. [7]

[edit] Council on Foreign Relations

Yzaguirre is a lifetime member and serves on the Member Selection Committee [8] of the David Rockefeller headed Council on Foreign Relations[9] and was a member of the Independent Task Force on North America.[10] In May 2005, task force published Building a North American Community. A plan that calls for greater cooperation between the United States, Canada and Mexico through the degradation of national sovereignty. The plan also calls for the free movement or goods, capital and people in a North American union.

[edit] The Raul Yzaguirre Policy Institute

The Raul Yzaguirre Policy Institute operates out of the University of Texas Pan American and was named after Yzaguirre. It's stated goal is, "To inform policy, and the civic leaders who frame it, for the benefit of the Hispanic community and the nation as a whole." The institute primarily receives corporate and government funding, continuing Yzaguirre's commitment to bringing corporate interests and government interests together. Its new facilities [11] were partially funded with a 2005 Department of Education earmark of $635,000. [12]

Advisory council of the Institute represent a who's who of government and corporate elite. Including politicians such as Hillary Clinton, John McCain, former President of Mexico Ernesto Zedillo whose role at the institute will be to provides expertise to the “global perspectives” area of work for the Institute.[13]. As well as corporate leaders of UPS, Coca-Cola and Frito-Lay. [14]

[edit] Position at Arizona State University

As part of Michael Crow's commitment to a "New American University" at Arizona State University, he appointed Yzaguirre to the position of presidential professor of practice in community development and civil rights at ASU. [15] One of the Boards that he serves on at ASU is the North American Center of Transborder Studies (NACTS) which has a goal of advancing teaching and research on North American regional integration by providing a space for professionals in the university, policy, and business communities to share information about the region and encourage instructors to incorporate North American content into their courses. [16]

The NACTS is a project of the Pan American Partnership for Business Education and the Council of the Americas and the Kansas City International Affairs and Trade Office, which is part of North America’s Super Corridor Coalition (NASCO).

[edit] Board Membership

Sears, Roebuck & Co.; United Way of America; AARP Services Inc.; National Hispanic Leadership Agenda; Salvation Army[17]

[edit] Awards and Honors

In 1979, Yzaguirre was the first Hispanic to receive a Rockefeller Public Service Award for Outstanding Public Service, endowed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. from the Trustees of Princeton University.

However the most important honor Yzaguirre feels he has received was presented by the Mexican government. [18] Yzaguirre received the Order of the Aztec Eagle in 1993, the highest honor awarded by that country to citizens of another nation.[19]

The NCLR headquarters building in Washington, DC was named after him in 2005.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ready to rumble: civil rights heavyweight Raul Yzaguirre on life, the evolution of the NCLR, and giving Latinos a fighting chance - National Council of La Raza - Entrevista. Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino.
  2. ^ Acuna, Rudolfo (1999). Occupied America: A History of Chicanos. Pearson Education. ISBN 0321044851. 
  3. ^ National Council of La Raza – Question and Answer. National Council of La Raza: What does the term “La Raza” mean?.
  4. ^ Ready to Rumble. HispanicBusiness.com.
  5. ^ Ready to Rumble. HispanicBusiness.com.
  6. ^ Corporate Partners Program. NCLR. Retrieved on February 2007.
  7. ^ Holding Firm to Principles. NCLR. Retrieved on 2007-11-07.
  8. ^ Yzaguirre Bio on NACTS Board Member list.
  9. ^ List of 2001 CFR Members. Chester L McWhorter Sr. Retrieved on 2001.
  10. ^ Building a North American Community, Task Force Members. Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved on 2007.
  11. ^ Image of New Building.
  12. ^ White House list of Earmarks 2005 prepared by OMB.
  13. ^ Ernesto Zedillo's Bio at Yzaguirre.org.
  14. ^ List of Advisory Council Members at Yzaguirre.org.
  15. ^ Yzaguirre to strengthen ASU’s national position in community development and civil rights.
  16. ^ Building North America.
  17. ^ Ready to Rumble. HispanicBusiness.com.
  18. ^ Yzaguirre Bio at Yzaguirre.org.
  19. ^ En honor de Don Raul. En honor de Don Raul. Retrieved on 1993.