The life and times of Willie Velásquez

by Juan Sepúlveda

"William C. "Willie" Velasquez, Jr. founded the Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project (SVREP) and was an influential participant in other leading Latino rights and justice groups, including the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO) and the Mexican American Unity Council (MAUC). From the late 1960s until his untimely death in 1988, Velasquez helped Mexican Americans and other Hispanics to become active participants in American political life. Although still insufficiently appreciated, Velasquez holds a unique status in the pantheon of modern American civil rights figures.". "Velasquez's work on voter rights and registration triggered an unprecedented mobilization of Latino voters in pivotal electoral states across the United States, including California, Illinois, and Texas. Today, as Latinos emerge to constitute America's new minority of record, with growing reach into other major states, such as New York, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, and North Carolina, Hispanic-American