President Franklin D. Roosevelt arranged for the Democratic National Convention to nominate Henry A. Wallace as his vice presidential runningmate in 1940. Wallace was an Iowa farmer who had served two terms as FDR’s Secretary of Agriculture

The campaign released a Roosevelt-Wallace button that featured an ear of corn. Corn was Iowa’s principle crop, and the Democrats were courting family farmers who were then trending back to their Republican roots.

In 1940, the state had a small Latino community. Mexican American had come to Iowa not to pick crops, but to work on the railroad.

Latinos in Iowa in early 1900s

The people of Iowa did tip their hat to their Mexican neighbors during this era when the federal government actively promoted a Good Neighbor policy towards Latin America.

The U.S Post Office in Ames, Iowa boasted a Works Project Administration (WPA)- commissioned mural, “Evolution of Corn,” which linked the Aztecs and Iowa farmers.

Four decades later, in 1974, the state established Iowa Commission of Latino Affairs, from which this historic photo was used.

Today’s guest blog is from Carlos Muñoz, Jr., professor emeritus of Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. He was one of the founders of La Raza Unida Party in California and is the award-winning author of Youth, Identity, Power: The Chicano Movement.

La Raza Unida button

Mexican Americans made political history 40 years ago when, on January 17, 1970, they founded their own independent political party in Crystal City, Texas. They called it La Raza Unida Party – or, translated, “The United People’s Party.”

A look back at this party can give us clues about where we need to go today.

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Carlos Muñoz is a professor emeritus of Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of Youth, Identity, Power: The Chicano Movement. He is a founder of the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies, and more personally, was my advisor at Cal.

The following are excerpts from a speech, “From Dr. King to President Obama: A Call for an Authentic Multiracial Democracy,” delivered at the University of New England the day after the Inauguration of President Obama:

Dr. King inspired me to contribute to the making of the Mexican American civil rights movement throughout the Southwest. It became known as the Chicano movement. … Read the rest of this entry »