Alicia Chacón
(194 pages)
Listen to the interview
Biography:
First woman elected county judge of a major urban county, El Paso, in 1990. She served on the Ysleta ISD School Board from 1970 to 1978, and was a committee woman on the Texas State Democratic Party Executive Committee. In 1974 she was elected County Clerk for El Paso County and in 1978 was appointed by President Carter as Regional Director of the Small Business Administration in Dallas. During the 1990s, Ms. Chacón served on the El Paso City Council and now is the Executive Director for the United Way in that city.
Interview Summary:
Ms. Chacón begins the interview with her family genealogy and history. She gives details about her political career as the first Mexican American to serve as State Democratic Executive Committee Chairwoman. She also describes her activities as a School Board member, Regional Director of the Small Business Administration in Dallas, El Paso Texas city council member, El Paso County Clerk, and El Paso County Judge. Ms. Chacón talks about her lifelong political involvement with the Democratic Party of Texas. She tells about working for the Ralph Yarborough political campaigns and she describes her early political activities with the Viva Kennedy Clubs, and the Raza Unida Party. Ms. Chacón elaborates upon her perceptions of party politics, campaign management, campaign financing, the Mexican American Democrats (MAD), the Democratic Party in Texas, and issues dealing with the status and rights of immigrants in the United States. She discusses the factors that led to her defeat in her bid for re-election as El Paso County judge. Ms. Chacón concludes the interview with a review of her activities as County Judge and as the Director of United Way in El Paso, and she talks about the programs she was able to put in effect for the benefit of the Mexican American community in the colonias of Texas.
Locations of residence or activity:
El Paso
Interview Date:
6/22/1996