No Mexicans, Women, or Dogs Allowed: The Rise of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement

FIVE. The Harlingen Convention of 1927: No Mexicans Allowed

The Harlingen Convention of 1927 F I V E No Mexicans Allowed The heated debate at Harlingen was whether or not we were going to work together with Mexican citizens or work exclusively for Mexican Americans. That created friction, dissension, and it broke up the meeting. —m. c. gonzáles, 1979 In the midst of an emerging Mexican American civil rights movement, the next key event was a convention billed as a “pro-Raza” effort held in Harlingen in South Texas in 1927. The objective was to provide an organizational solution to the problems La Raza faced and unite all the disparate associations originally associated with the Order Sons of America. But instead of unity, division surfaced. This time the division was over the question of citizenship. Harlingen conventioneers decided that U.S. citizenship should determine membership of the proposed association. In this chapter I examine the politics of citizenship and especially the events before, during, and after the conference that highlight the debates about inclusion. Conference organizers said two questions would be addressed there: Should both Mexican Americans and Mexicans be members of a future organization? And which existing organization among those already connected to the OSA should lead the charge? I also address how México Texano leaders, Mexican leaders, and various Spanish-language and English-language newspapers remembered and reported conference events years and decades later. Each explains why they supported or condemned the exclusion of Mexicans. The Harlingen Convention of 1927 1 2 1 Finally, I address the increasing significance of citizenship and México Texano hybridity so as to explain the exclusion. Tied to these questions were the following issues: How would a civil rights movement take shape? Who belonged to the Raza community and defined its membership? How would La Raza achieve empowerment in the United States as opposed to Mexico? What role would class play? What role would Mexican immigrants in the United States play in this empowerment? What role would women play? What role would the Mexican consulate play? What significance would citizenship have as a political strategy for the empowerment of La Raza? And how would México Texano hybridity and a unique position vis-à-vis citizenship , nation, community, and race shape responses? THE HARLINGEN CONVENTION The Harlingen convention of 1927 was the second major statewide attempt to unite the various Mexican-origin organizations following the Primer Congreso Mexicanista in 1911. Like the Congreso Mexicanista, organizers invited Mexicans and México Texanos to the event; but unlike those at the Congreso Mexicanista, participants in Harlingen decided that Mexican citizens living in the United States could not join their organizational efforts . According to several México Texano leaders, only Mexican Americans could provide leadership and solutions to the unique problems facing Mexican Americans in the broader Mexican-origin community. In 1921 OSA founders had envisioned a united front. But by 1927 the OSA, the Order Sons of Texas, Club Protector México-Texano, and Order Knights of America were duplicating efforts and minimizing potential influence in San Antonio. OSA chapters had been established throughout South Texas but not yet in the Valley. Communication between OSA chapters was limited, and no state convention had been held. So in 1927 México Texano activists began to discuss a merger of all these disparate groups. In July 1927 Alonso S. Perales, J. Luz Sáenz, J. T. Canales, and other South Texas community representatives formed the Comité Provisional Organizador Pro-Raza (Provisional Pro-Raza Committee), in which Perales acted as president and Felipe Herrera of Harlingen as secretary.1 According to La Prensa, Herrera initiated a unity campaign on July 10 referred to as “la Asociación Pro-Patria” (the Pro-Fatherland Association).2 Was patria (fatherland , country) a reference to Mexico? Or was it a reference to the nation of La Raza, a nation within the United States? Membership of the association consisted of México Texanos and Mex- 1 2 2 Politics icans. At least one member, M. Flores Villar, was a Mexican citizen, but Mexicans were probably outnumbered on the committee. One newspaper described committee members as “people with status in the political and commercial spheres of this region.”3 Representatives came from Mercedes, Weslaco, Brownsville, Edinburg, Mission, San Benito, Donna, Raymondville , and Harlingen, all from the Valley.4 According to Perales, dissension soon arose within the committee: one faction favored a single organization embodying both México Texanos and...