Carlos Truan
(39 pages)
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Biography:
Senator Carlos Truan was born June 9, 1935, in Kingsville, Texas. He received a B.B.A. from Texas A & I University in 1959. Truan was elected state representative for Nueces and Kleberg counties in 1968; after serving four terms he was elected state senator from District 20 in 1976. In addition to serving for more than 30 years in the Texas Legislature, Senator Truan has been a successful life insurance agent since 1960 and has been active in many organizations. He held local, state and national office in LULAC, served on the Texas Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights, and was named to the board of the National Council of La Raza.
Interview Summary:
Senator Truan discusses being raised by a single mother in Kingsville, Texas, and the various jobs he held to contribute to the support of the family and to pay for his college education. He reveals his early exposure to politics and to prejudice in his many successful campaigns for student office. He describes his work as an insurance salesman in South Texas and his active participation in many organizations and actions in support of Mexican Americans. Truan expresses his opinion on the rivalry for leadership of Texas Mexican Americans between Dr. Hector García and William Bonilla. Senator Truan talks about his campaigns as a Democrat for state representative and state senator, provides his reasons for running for the offices, and summarizes his accomplishments in each body. He states his view that the meaning of the Raza Unida political movement is larger than the political party of the same name, and discusses the effects of his political involvement. He attributes his own freedom to be outspoken on political issues to the flexibility of his employment as an insurance agent, and gives succinct answers to questions about Mexican American leadership, Mexican American organizations, and ethnic relations.
Locations of residence or activity:
Kingsville
Interview Date:
6/17/1998