one of America’s premier Latino civil rights leaders: Raul H. Yzaguirre. Born in San Juan, Texas in 1939 to Mexican American parents; his family legacy goes back to the early days of Spanish colonization. Living in a divided city, “the north was for Mexicans and the south was for Anglos,” he learned how to enter both worlds with success through the guidance of his beloved grandfather, Gavino Morin. On a quest at age thirteen, he ran away from home and became the youngest sailor on board the Barbee Nell in Corpus Christi. There he met Dr. Hector P. García, founder of the American GI Forum who took the runaway under his wing, and inspired him to dedicate his life to serving his community. Elected as President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) in 1974, his three decades of leadership built NCLR into the largest constituency-based, national Latino organization in American history. Raul Yzaguirre’s life’s story, has empowered America’s Latinos, seating them at tables of power. His life’s motto has become a reality: “To leave the world a better place.”

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