This recording is part 1 of 3 of an interview with Carlos F. Truan conducted on February 20, 1979. Truan recounts growing up in south Texas and going to an all Mexican school where speaking Spanish was punished. Always active in school activities such as sports and student council, Truan valued their competitive nature and foundation for working with others. After graduating from Texas A&I in Kingsville and starting to sell insurance in Corpus Christi, Truan became more aware of discrimination towards Mexican Americans. He became involved with LULAC and worked his way up through leadership positions. In 1968, Truan was elected to the Texas House of Representatives and subsequently always carried a large Mexican American voting response in his district. Truan had initially not known much about bilingual education, but after helping coordinate hearings on such by US Senator Ralph Yarborough, Truan learned much and began to question why the US does not recognize or celebrate Mexican contributions to the country.