LULAC Unveils The Power Of The Organization’s History Detailed In Decades Of Its Newsletters

Nation’s Largest and Oldest Latino Civil Rights Organization Introduces Digital Access That Brings to Life LULAC’s Earliest Years At Your Fingertips

Washington, DC - The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) announced a new online digital newsletter archive that presents a 91-year history of the organization between 1931 and 2022. This landmark compilation of writings is the most comprehensive aggregation of LULAC's history. The work results from years of research, sourcing, and verification by Texas LULAC historian and Latino cultural ethnographer David Contreras.

"I am overjoyed to finally share this amazing collection of historical significance in the American Latino experience with the world," says Contreras. "It feels like being a proud papa at the birth of a child to share this beautiful chronology of the sacrifice, courage, and incredible zeal LULAC founders and members had when our organization was in its infancy. The pride they radiated and the camaraderie of our early brothers and sisters are readily apparent, as is their realization that LULAC was special and needed to exist as a voice for our community, especially during those turbulent times.”

The opening page of the archive presents a breathtaking scene ripped from the headlines of U.S. history itself. There is a color image of President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline taken at a LULAC dinner in Houston, Texas, on November 21, 1963. Less than 24 hours later, President Kennedy would be dead, the victim of an assassination in Dallas, Texas, the final stop of his whirlwind Texas tour with Vice-President and Mrs. Lyndon Baines Johnson and Texas Governor John Connelly.

“One of the most striking discoveries to me as a historian stepping back in time through these printed accounts is the age of the earlier LULAC leaders,” says Contreras. “For example, in 1952 the average age of the Board was 32, and the oldest was 42. We are fortunate to have digital access to this information compiled from private collections and academic archives. Our Latino history is being lost because of the original documents' age. LULAC is preserving an accessible record of our past so that future generations can study it and use its lessons for what they will face. I am truly honored to make this part of my life's contribution to LULAC, an organization we love and respect,” he adds.

For more information: www.lulac.org/newsletters

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About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit www.LULAC.org.