Special Collections

MSU  Libraries

366 W. Circle Drive

East Lansing, MI 48824

517.884.6471

E-mail:spc@mail.lib.msu.edu

URL: http://specialcollections.lib.msu.edu

There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.

The  Gilberto V. and Minerva T. Martinez Papers will be open and available for use in the Special Collections Reading Room.

The collection of files, photographs and illustrations, news clippings, articles, realia and memorabilia focuses on artists and exhibits, political events and parties such as La Raza Unida and business ventures in broadcasting and communications.

Gilberto Martinez was an active supporter of establishing a new political party in Crystal City, Texas, the “Spinach Capital.” In a town where Chicanos were the majority, an alternate party, La Raza Unida, gained force quickly in the late 1960’s and took control of town and school government in the early 1970’s. This series contains documents, reports, news clippings and photographs, most of which pertain to the story of La Raza Unida in Crystal City, and the party’s expansion to other areas of the U.S. It also contains Martinez’ research and reports on assisting community organizations in Texas and elsewhere in acquiring free cable, radio, and television broadcast time and the requirements for establishing a television and audio production facility.

The collection consists of 4 boxes of materials related to Michigan and Texas.  Books, journals and serials received with the donation have been separated from the boxes, cataloged and shelved.  A large collection of poster art and an oversized scrapbook were purchased from the Martinez’s and are also housed separately. (see attached list of posters). The scrapbook included clippings, political decals, broadsides and flyers collected from 1970-1977.  Newspapers clipped include:

Chicano Times

Cristal Sentinal (Crystal City)

South Texas Star

San Antonio Express News

Corpus Christi Caller

Zavala County Newsletters

This collection is part of the José Treviño Chicano/Latino Activism Collections at MSU.

Gilberto and Minerva Martinez’ personal papers cover the years from approximately 1971 to 1997. They mainly consist of personal calendar books, news clippings and a small collection of personal correspondence, resumes and legal documents in Series 1.  Series 2 is a collection of materials related to media and political projects outside of Michigan that Gilberto Martinez was involved in. Martinez was an active supporter of establishing a new political party in Crystal City, Texas, the “Spinach Capital.” In a town where Chicanos were the majority, an alternate party, La Raza Unida, gained force quickly in the late 1960’s and took control of town and school government in the early 1970’s. This series contains documents, reports, news clippings and photographs, most of which pertain to the story of La Raza Unida in Crystal City, and the party’s expansion to other areas of the U.S. It also contains Martinez’ research and reports on assisting community organizations in Texas and elsewhere in acquiring free cable, radio, and television broadcast time and the requirements for establishing a television and audio production facility.

Martinez’s activities in Michigan included work as a newspaper publisher (Sol de Aztlan), community leader and organizer helping to establish radio and television programming through Michigan State University to the mid-Michigan Latino population.  He was involved not only with mentoring and counseling Latino prison population and civil rights causes, but also running a business and supporting community groups. Series 3 contains papers relating to those activities, including detailed business records, reports, correspondence, and general information, dating from the 1970’s. Series 4 includes materials on artists and their work that the Martinez knew. Series 5 and 6 include realia such as awards, documents and of note two flags: 1 Texas state flag and 1 US flag.  Of particular note is the history of the flags in Series 5.  The flags were those flown over the Zavala County Courthouse on the eve of the La Raza Unida Party (LRUP) defeating the incumbents. LRUP won city and county-wide elections, ousting an all-white minority administration and winning control of the Crystal City school board, the mayor’s office, the office of the drainage commissioner and county judgeships. After being lowered, the Texas flag was embossed with a the LRUP logo and came into Martinez possession along with this U.S. flag. The Texas flag was later loaned out for use in Chicano civil rights marches as far north as Wisconsin. Series 6 is comprised of an oversized scrapbook of newspaper clippings and ephemera related to La Raza Unida Party (LRUP) activities in Crystal City and Zavala County Texas from ca. 1970-1977.