League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
J.T. Canales Estate Collection
Judge J.T. Canales was a leading South Texas Mexican American political leader, lawyer, judge, legislator, landowner, and one of the founders of L.U.L.A.C., the League of Latin American Citizens. His estate collection includes correspondence, historical and religious articles, land records and abstracts, over 50 maps and building plans, and other materials. The Canales family descend from the original Spanish Land Grantee Don Jose Salvador DeLaGarza of the “El Espititu Santo” Land Grant, portions of which are still owned by the Canales family today.
Alonso S. Perales Papers
Materials accumulated about Alonso S. Perales, a founder of LULAC, a Nicaraguan Consul General, and a longtime civic leader in San Antonio. Perales was Consul general for twenty-five years and had served as counsel to the Nicaraguan delegation to the United Nations in 1945. He was a founder of the League of United Latin-American Citizens and was the author of two books, "In Defense of My Race" and "Are We Good neighbors?"
Mike V. Ybarra Papers
Personal and public documents of Melquiades (Mike) V. Ybarra who served as a Kingsville City Commissioner, Kleberg County Commissioner, and a Marine Corps veteran of World War II. Ybarra was a longtime civic and political leader in Kingsville who advocated for the rights of Hispanics and was most active as the president of LULAC. Materials from Mike Ybarra include correspondence, service awards, certificate awards, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, Department of the Navy, death announcement, notes of speeches, election materials, LULAC, campaign letters, photographs, and election posters.
Senator Carlos F. Truan Papers
Carlos F. Truan played an instrumental role in shaping the destiny of the Lone Star State, serving the citizens of South Texas with dedication and vision over the course of an impressive, and indeed unprecedented, career as a member of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senator Truan came from a humble, single parent home and worked hard to earn his college degree from a small South Texas college. He entered the work world in the early 1960s, before the Civil Rights movement had even hinted at including Mexican Americans in the quest for equality and justice. Through the legislation he authored and/or sponsored he worked to make government more responsive to the people it served.
Antonio & Diana Franco Bill Family Collection
The bulk of the materials are photos from La Raza Unida meetings. The other materials are Texas A&M University-Kingsville graduation programs, and a Lantana Duchess award.