Colegio Jacinto Treviño Records

Collection

Identifier: 2017-042

Staff Only

This digital-only collection replicates the entire physical collection, Colegio Jacinto Treviño Records, retained by Dr. Carlos Lino Cantú. The physical collection is 2.5 linear feet and consists of documents, print publications, organizational records (minutes, audit reports, and by-laws), and secondary research items (articles, monographs, and photocopies). In 2017 Dr. Cantú submitted the collection for digitization by the University of Houston. The original materials were returned to Dr. Cantú folowing digitization.

The bulk of the collection, inherited by Dr. Cantú from his uncle, Mr. Francisco Briones, relates to the early years and establishment of Colegio Jacinto Treviño in Mercedes, Texas, and the Chicano Movement in the Rio Grande Valley in the 1960s and 1970s. Briones was involved in the early days of the Colegio and was one of its founders. Established in late 1969 and early 1970 by a unanimous vote by members of the Mexican America Youth Organization (MAYO), Colegio Jacinto Treviño was the result of the 1960s civil rights movement and a renewed awareness of cultural pride by Latina/os. Most of the records in the collection document the Colegio's formation, its relationship with Antioch College, educational offerings, and development. To a lesser extent, there are print publications and newsletters related to the greater Chicano movement and community activism.

Dates

1954-2013

Creator

Colegio Jacinto Treviño (Mercedes, Tex.) (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access:

Open for research. This collections is available in digital form only. on a computer in the UH Libraries Special Collections Reading Room on the UH main campus. Original documents are not available for use, having been returned to the owner after being digitized by UH Libraries.

Conditions Governing Use:

The researcher has full responsibility for determining copyright status, obtaining permission to publish from copyright holders, and abiding by current copyright laws when publishing or displaying copies of Special Collections material in print or electronic form. For more information, consult the appropriate librarian. Reproduction decisions will be made by Special Collections staff on a case-by-case basis.

Extent

2.50 linear feet

Additional Description

Historical Note:

Colegio Jacinto Treviño was established in the winter of 1969-1970 by members of the Mexican America Youth Organization (MAYO). An initial planning group of fifteen set to establish the college, whose declared mission was "to develop a Chicano with conscience and skills, [to give] the barrios a global view, [and] to provide positive answers to racism, exploitation, and oppression." Established within the context of militant struggles for community control, growing discontent with Anglo-controlled institutions, and the formation of Chicana/o nationalist ideology, the founders established El Colegio as a viable institution to serve as an alternative to traditional colleges and universities. The school leaders established the school as a teacher's college with the plan to develop a culturally-relevant curriculum for primary and secondary education, and produce educators concerned with promoting the social and economic welfare of Chicana/o students. With the help of Antioch College, the founders established a "University Without Walls," meaning the educators and students expanded the curriculum and coursework to be meaningful beyond the walls of the school. The character and the institutional identity of the school went through many phases to control of the school changing hands in a short amount of time due. The school opened in 1970 and closed in 1976.

Sources Cited:

Handbook of Texas Online, Aurelio M. Montemayor, "Colegio Jacinto Trevino," accessed November 27, 2017. https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/kbc51.

Interview with Dr. Carlos Lino Cantú, November 28, 2017.