Lorenzo Rojas
(22 pages)
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Biography:
Justice of the peace in Robstown, Texas. Judge Rojas was born April 30, 1936, in Robstown, and worked as a migrant farm laborer before holding political office.
Interview Summary:
The heart of the interview is the insight provided by Judge Rojas into his approach to being a justice of the peace and his philosophy of dealing with people and their problems. Rojas talks extensively about Lupe Youngblood, his right-hand man and successor as J.P., and Youngblood's commitment to helping people. The judge relates his involvement with Familias Unidas and the Raza Unida Party, and describes apparent election fraud in Robstown. He expresses his opinion of Solomon Ortíz and other Mexican American political officials and briefly explains his nephew Jesse Rojas' (CMAS 78) motivation to run for the Robstown, Texas, school board in 1998. Judge Rojas recalls his struggle to survive and to support his siblings after he was orphaned at age thirteen. He also explains why he became politically active, describes conditions for Mexican Americans in Robstown and the town's response to their needs, and talks about why he decided to step down from his position as J.P. after sixteen years of service.
Locations of residence or activity:
Robstown
Interview Date:
6/23/1998