HISTORY < BACK
2000 - Present July 26
July 26, 2003 Nativo Vigil Lopez elected MAPA President January,
January, 2003 Maria Martinez is selected to be the President of MAPA.
2001 Ben Benavidez returns to finish his 1998 term. Although the 1998 stroke rendered him disabled. Ben continues his movimiento work. He continues empowerment work in Education, Police Abuse, Redistricting, Immigration and the Political Arena. 2000 MAPA Website www.mapa-ca.org launched by Jose Medeiros and Juan del Real.
The 1990's
1999 MAPA celebrates the 40th anniversary. Gloria Torres is elected president she is the third woman to hold the post of MAPA President. She is elected in August 28, 1999.
1998 Benavidez leads his last parent's bilingual dedication march in San Joaquin, the school board fires a principal and meets the parent's demands. Ben suffers a second stroke. MAPA Vice presidents step in and fill the gap. They keep MAPA moving forward as they continue to fight police harassment and brutality issues in all areas of CA. All this among the uncertainty of whether or not Ben will be back. 1997 Ben Benavidez is once again elected President of MAPA. He leads the marches protesting the wrongful shootings by police offices in Delano and Dinuba. 1996 Under the leadership of Brolo and with the help of President Emeritus, Ben Benavidez, MAPA chapters throughout CA protest the police beatings in Riverside, CA. Much of these are attributed to the result of passage of Propositions 187 and 209.
1995 As the Mexican American Community begins the year under a dark cloud of anti affirmative action siege, MAPA prepares do battle the Civil Rights initiative. Ben Benavidez joins the coalition to combat our stance in1996. The commitment to develop a strong political machine that will defeat CCRI is stronger than ever. Ben leaves office to expand AMA (Agrupacion de Madres Activas en Educacion) and Hector Brolo is elected to lead MAPA. The Hmung American Political Association (HAPA) is born with the assistance of Ben Benavidez.
1994 The year of the "anti-immigrant" furor and passage of CA Proposition 187. MAPA leads the struggle and becomes a plaintiff into Peter Shey led court suit that stops implementation of this nefarious law. Benavidez continues his grassroots involvement in social, political, economic and educational issues. Ben's ties with the Latino Issues Forum, the Green-lining Institute expands into the Super Informational Highway. Ben coordinates the development of the Inland Empire Region.
1993 Great factory in Dinuba. Far reaching effects under the Voting Rights Act. Over 61 school districts changing over to Chicano empowerment Economic Access for minorities is at an all time high, with many banks signing billion dollar economic commitments in minority areas..
1992 Benavidez has a stroke in the middle of the Dinuba movement after he is arrested. He recovers in six moths and continues his Educational and Access Issues agenda.
1991 MAPA reelects Benavides as president. His grass roots, progressive style helps change the political makeup of school districts and municipalities towards Chicano empowerment.
1990 MAPA co-sponsors with MALDEF, CRLA, SWVREP and other groups the 1990 Re-apportionment planning conference in Los Angeles, CA. MAPA celebrates its 30th Anniversary. Benavides declares the 1990 are the Decade of the Mexicano/Chicano.
The 1980's
1989 MAPA elects Ben Benavidez as its President. He brings a progressive movement and education is an extremely important issue in his agenda
1987 MAPA del Valle is established in Fresno under the leadership of Ben Benavidez.
1986 MAPA endorses Charles "Chuck" Pineda as its candidate for Governor of California.
1985 Beatriz Molina is elected President of MAPA. She becomes the second woman in the history on MAPA to lead the organization. MAPA celebrates its 25th anniversary.
1984 Chavez establishes the long-awaited regular MAPA Newsletter and MAPA Press. Disillusioned by the new leadership many Republicans members leave MAPA and will return in 1985 and 1986.
1983 Fernando Chavez, a San Jose attorney and son of Cesar Chavez is elected President of MAPA in a bitter battle with Julio Calderon. Chavez promises to continue the development of MAPA as a growing political force in California.
1982 MAPA Chapters increase and membership shoots up to over 2000 becoming truly bi-partisan with Hillary Sandoval, Republican MAPA chapters. The General Endorsement Convention in Los Angeles attracts 1500 delegates and observers. Most political candidates attend and launch strong and expensive lobbying campaigns among MAPA delegates
1981 Julio Calderon is elected President of MAPA in Sacrament. New chapters continue to be formed and the media coverage of MAPA is increased.
1980 Blanca Alvarado, MAPA State Secretary is elected to the San Jose City Council, the first Chicana to hold such office. An increase of chapters began to appear in the Central and Northern Regions MAPA seems to be gaining strength again.
The 1970's
1979 Eduardo Sandoval; is re-elected president as a result of changes to the MAPA by-laws. He continues to work with Governor Jerry Brown in making significant appointments of Hispanics to various state boards and commissions. 1978 Sandoval establishes quarterly conferences with Governor Brown. He uses the media to press the Governor into making some appointments and concessions favorable to the Hispanic community.
1977 Eduardo Sandoval is elected MAPA President. Sandoval's major focus is to rebuild MAPA through the establishment of a relationship with Governor Jerry Brown, formalizing the organization's proceedings and building on significant issues.
1975 Governor Jerry Brown appoints MAPISTAS Armando Rodriguez of Fresno and Luis Garcia of San Francisco to Judgeships. President Gerald Ford invites Margaret Cruz and other Hispanic leaders to a meeting at the White House. Manuel Lopez is elected President of MAPA in Los Angeles and MAPA membership drops to the lowest level ever
1974 More Chicanos are elected to the CA State Legislature. Ruben Ayala and Alex Garcia are elected to the CA State Senate and Art Torres is elected to the CA Assembly. Other Assembly members are re-elected, except Ray Gonzales. During this election year both the primary Endorsement Convention and the General Endorsement Convention are well attended. Edmond G. Brown "Jerry" Brown Jr. is elected CA Governor and strongly supported by MAPA based on his promise to support farm labor legislation.
1973 Margaret Cruz becomes the first woman elected as President of MAPA. She concentrates her efforts in redeveloping a strong regional structure and establishing new chapters.
1972 Rodriguez succeeds in binging together other Mexican American groups and brings back long neglected MAPA chapters. MAPA publishes its first monthly newsletter at the state level.
1971 The Hispanic community is polarized by the emergence of a third political party La Raze Unida Party, which had been very successful in Texas. MAPA also reflects the conflict and lack of consensus that existed in general society. Armando Rodriguez is elected President of MAPA and the First National Chicano Political Caucus is convened in San Jose CA. The Caucus ended up dividing the Hispanic community even more. No presidential candidate is endorsed at the National Endorsing convention even though both Republican and Democratic candidates had Hispanic spokespersons at the contention. At the local levels, Hispanic candidates did well at the polls. Peter Chacon and Alex Garcia are re-elected to the CA assembly and Richard Alatorre, Joseph Montoya are elected from their respective districts in Los Angeles and Ray Gonzales is elected from Bakersfield to the CA Assembly. Eduardo Roybal is still the only Hispanic representative in the U. S. Congress.
1970 MAPA endorses La Raza Unida candidate for Governor of California. The
The 1960's
1966-69 In the midst of internal problems, MAPA chapters decline, but immediately increase in the 1970's.
1968 MAPA organizes Robert Kennedy campaigns in the Mexican American community and thorough out the country and go work on the precincts in unprecedented numbers. Alex Garcia of Los Angeles is elected to the California State Assembly.
1967 The first Mexican American Legislative Conference is held in Sacramento. This later becomes the Annual Chicano Issues Conference sponsored by a number of Mexican American organizations.
1966 < BACK Bert Corona is President of MAPA he focuses on State and National politics including such issues as the War on Poverty, the farm workers strike and development of a rural oriented poverty law program. MAPA continues to establish chapters in California and other states. President Johnson invites Ed Quevedo and Bert Corona to a private meeting to air grievances in the Hispanic Community. As a result, Johnson agrees to convene a special White House Conference on Mexican American Affairs and create a Department of Mexican American Affairs. MAPA establishes its own lobbying operation with Jack Ortega as a full time volunteer lobbyist. (Note: the papers of Bert Corona, former president of the Mexican-American Political Association (MAPA) are located at the Stanford University Library Special Collections Department, "Mexican American Manuscript Collections" and the "Bert Corona Oral History Collection 1937-1995" is located at the University of California Santa Barbara Special Collections Department CEMA.) See also Corona's autobiography, Memories of Chicano History written with professor Mario T. Garcia, University of California Press 1993.
1965 Governor Brown hosts a luncheon for 75 MAPA leaders in the Governors Mansion in Sacramento. Three MAPA leaders help Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Alabama with organizing efforts of the civil rights movement. MAPA members assist and support UFW and Cesar Chavez in Labor negotiations.
1963 Eduardo Quevedo, President of MAPA increases involvement in social and political issues. Most important of those issues included the Bracero Program, Civil Rights and discrimination in the State Colleges. At the state level, MAPA establishes strong relationships with Governor Pat Brown. Cruz Reynoso runs unsuccessfully for the CA State Assembly. At the national level, Lyndon Johnson hires MAPA activists and MAPA plays a major role in his landslide election. (Note: the papers of Eduardo Quevedo, former president of the Mexican-American Political Association (MAPA) are located at the Stanford University Library Special Collections Department .Mexican American Manuscript Collections)
1962 An increase in the number of Mexican American political candidates stimulated the growth and maturity of MAPA as a political organization. Julius Castellum, was elected President.
1961 MAPA develops its organizational structure, including an endorsement procedure at the local, regional and state level. Leo Lopez becomes the first MAPISTA elected to any city council in Pittsburgh, California.
1960 In November 1960, MAPA enjoys its first victory in Los Angeles with the election of Sanchez for Judge. Hank Lopez of the Southern California Region heads VIVA KENNEDY campaign clubs in California.
The 1950's
1959 The first call to convene a Mexican American political organization is issued in April 1959. One hundred fifty leaders of the Mexican American community meet in Fresno California binging together hopes and dreams of establishing a political organization that will elect Hispanics to public office. From the beginning MAPA declared that its main goal was to become the political voice of the Mexican American community. Ed Roybal is elected first MAPA president. The organization also established general aims of the organization. The creation of MAPA. A non-partisan organization working for the social economic, cultural and civic betterment of Mexican Americans and all other Spanish speaking Americans through political action. Goals are the election and appointment to public office of Mexican Americans and other persons sympathetic to our aims. To encourage increased activity of our members in both major political parties. To take a stand on public issues; present and endorse candidates for public office. To plan to publish and distribute a bi-monthly newsletter. To establish constructive relationships for mutual cooperation and assistance with other groups having aims similar to those of this organization. "MAPA chapters were the strongest where the membership were mostly working class, aggressive mostly working class, aggressive and locally rooted. Several women for example, Francisca Flores, Grace Davis Montanes, Julia Luna Mount, Ramona Morin and Dolores Sanches forged new constituencies into the sixties and seventies" (Juan Gomez Quinonez). MAPA begins to organize the Mexican Community in California for the first time in history. Sources: Cisneros, Angela and Marcella Flores. MAPA ADMINISTRATIVE MANUAL. Sacramento, Capre, 1986 : Newman, Patty DO IT UP BROWN. San Diego, CA Viewpoint Books, 1971
