Raul Yzaguirre
Encyclopedia
Raul Humberto Yzaguirre (born July 22, 1939 in San Juan, Texas
) is an American
civil rights
activist
. Currently a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations
, he previously served as the president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza
from 1974 to 2004. On November 30, 2009 he was nominated by President Barack H. Obama to be United States Ambassador to the Dominican Republic
and was confirmed by the Senate on September 29, 2010.
parents Ruben Antonio and Eva Linda (Morin) Yzaguirre and grew up in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. Yzaguirre states that some of his first memories of social injustice involved what his grandmother called a "race war" in Texas. Mexican Americans lived under a curfew at that time and Yzaguirre's grandfather was almost lynched one night when coming home after dark from his second job.
In 1958 he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force Medical Service
and served for 4four years.
His name has sometimes been spelled Izaguirre.
. By 1972 the organization changed its name to the National Council for La Raza (National Council of the people or community in English
) and moved its offices to Washington, D.C.
In 1997, the Ford Foundation, then the NCLR's sole funding source, demanded a change in the organization's focus and direction by threatening to withhold funding and forced then-president Henry Santiestevan out of office. In 1974, Yzaguirre was elected the second president of the NCLR. The Ford Foundation was pleased with Yzaguirre and continued to be a top donor of the NCLR throughout his term.
Under Yzaguirre, the organization grew from a regional advocacy group with 17 affiliates to over 300 that serve 41 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Yzaguirre expanded membership criteria so it was not limited only to ethnic Mexicans
, but also included Puerto Ricans
, Dominicans
, Argentines
, Cuba
ns and all other Hispanic subgroups. This paved the way for the National Council for La Raza to open offices in Chicago
, Los Angeles
, Phoenix
, Sacramento
, San Antonio, and San Juan
. Since then NCLR has added offices in New York and Atlanta.
Through his tenure Yzaguirre built the NCLR into a 35,000 members organization, with revenues exceeding $3 dollars, from a combination of contributions from American corporations, philanthropic foundations, federal funding, and private member donations.
He was fired as chair of the Hispanic Advisory Commission to the Immigration and Naturalization Service for publicly criticizing President Carter’s immigration reform proposals. Yzaguirre also criticized President George H.W. Bush for his affirmative action stance even after he had agreed to be the first sitting president to appear at an NCLR Annual Conference. President Clinton did not escape criticism either. Yzaguirre criticized Clinton for appointing very few Hispanics to key positions and for the 1996 welfare reform law which NCLR considered detrimental to the Hispanic community and resigned as chair of the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans in protest of political machinations.
-headed Council on Foreign Relations
. and was a member of the Independent Task Force on North America
.
The advisory council of the institute represent a who's who of government and corporate elite, including politicians such as Hillary Clinton, John McCain, former President of Mexico Ernesto Zedillo whose role at the institute will be to provides expertise to the “global perspectives” area of work for the institute. As well as corporate leaders of UPS, Coca-Cola and Frito-Lay.
The NACTS is a project of the Pan American Partnership for Business Education, the Council of the Americas, and the Kansas City International Affairs and Trade Office, which is part of North America’s SuperCorridor Coalition (NASCO).
from the trustees of Princeton University.
Yzaguirre received the Order of the Aztec Eagle
in 1993, the highest honor awarded by Mexico
to citizens of another nation.
The NCLR headquarters building in Washington, DC was named after him in 2005.
San Juan, Texas
San Juan is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population in July 2008 was 33,970 since then the population of San Juan increased since 2000 by +29.5%. The name reflects that of a founding father...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
. Currently a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
, he previously served as the president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza
National Council of La Raza
The National Council of La Raza is a non-profit and non-partisan advocacy group in the United States, focused on improving opportunities for Hispanics. It is sometimes confused with La Raza Unida...
from 1974 to 2004. On November 30, 2009 he was nominated by President Barack H. Obama to be United States Ambassador to the Dominican Republic
United States Ambassador to the Dominican Republic
This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to the Dominican Republic.-See also:*Dominican Republic – United States relations*Foreign relations of the Dominican Republic*Ambassadors of the United States-References:*-External links:* * *...
and was confirmed by the Senate on September 29, 2010.
Early life
Yzaguirre was born to Mexican AmericanMexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
parents Ruben Antonio and Eva Linda (Morin) Yzaguirre and grew up in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. Yzaguirre states that some of his first memories of social injustice involved what his grandmother called a "race war" in Texas. Mexican Americans lived under a curfew at that time and Yzaguirre's grandfather was almost lynched one night when coming home after dark from his second job.
In 1958 he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force Medical Service
Air Force Medical Service
The United States Air Force Medical Service consists of the five distinct medical corps of the Air Force and enlisted medical technicians. The AFMS was created in 1949 after the newly independent Air Force’s first Surgeon General, Maj. General Malcolm C. Grow , convinced the United States Army...
and served for 4four years.
His name has sometimes been spelled Izaguirre.
President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza
In 1968, the Southwest Council of La Raza was organized with funding from the Ford FoundationFord Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
. By 1972 the organization changed its name to the National Council for La Raza (National Council of the people or community in English
) and moved its offices to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
In 1997, the Ford Foundation, then the NCLR's sole funding source, demanded a change in the organization's focus and direction by threatening to withhold funding and forced then-president Henry Santiestevan out of office. In 1974, Yzaguirre was elected the second president of the NCLR. The Ford Foundation was pleased with Yzaguirre and continued to be a top donor of the NCLR throughout his term.
Under Yzaguirre, the organization grew from a regional advocacy group with 17 affiliates to over 300 that serve 41 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Yzaguirre expanded membership criteria so it was not limited only to ethnic Mexicans
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, but also included Puerto Ricans
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
, Dominicans
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Argentines
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
ns and all other Hispanic subgroups. This paved the way for the National Council for La Raza to open offices in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
, San Antonio, and San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
. Since then NCLR has added offices in New York and Atlanta.
Through his tenure Yzaguirre built the NCLR into a 35,000 members organization, with revenues exceeding $3 dollars, from a combination of contributions from American corporations, philanthropic foundations, federal funding, and private member donations.
He was fired as chair of the Hispanic Advisory Commission to the Immigration and Naturalization Service for publicly criticizing President Carter’s immigration reform proposals. Yzaguirre also criticized President George H.W. Bush for his affirmative action stance even after he had agreed to be the first sitting president to appear at an NCLR Annual Conference. President Clinton did not escape criticism either. Yzaguirre criticized Clinton for appointing very few Hispanics to key positions and for the 1996 welfare reform law which NCLR considered detrimental to the Hispanic community and resigned as chair of the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans in protest of political machinations.
Council on Foreign Relations
Yzaguirre is a lifetime member and serves on the Member Selection Committee of the David RockefellerDavid Rockefeller
David Rockefeller, Sr. is the current patriarch of the Rockefeller family. He is the youngest and only surviving child of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, and the only surviving grandchild of oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil. His five siblings were...
-headed Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
. and was a member of the Independent Task Force on North America
Independent Task Force on North America
The Independent Task Force on the Future of North America advocates a greater economic and social integration between Canada, Mexico, and the United States as a region...
.
The Raul Yzaguirre Policy Institute
The Raul Yzaguirre Policy Institute operates out of the University of Texas-Pan American and was named after Yzaguirre. Its stated goal is,"To inform policy, and the civic leaders who frame it, for the benefit of the Hispanic community and the nation as a whole." The institute primarily receives corporate and government funding, continuing Yzaguirre's commitment to bringing corporate interests and government interests together. Its new facilities were partially funded with a 2005 Department of Education earmark of $635,000.The advisory council of the institute represent a who's who of government and corporate elite, including politicians such as Hillary Clinton, John McCain, former President of Mexico Ernesto Zedillo whose role at the institute will be to provides expertise to the “global perspectives” area of work for the institute. As well as corporate leaders of UPS, Coca-Cola and Frito-Lay.
Position at Arizona State University
As part of Michael Crow's commitment to a "New American University" at Arizona State University, he appointed Yzaguirre to the position of presidential professor of practice in community development and civil rights at ASU. One of the boards that he serves on at ASU is the North American Center of Transborder Studies (NACTS) which has a goal of advancing teaching and research on North American regional integration by providing a space for professionals in the university, policy and business communities to share information about the region and encourage instructors to incorporate North American content into their courses.The NACTS is a project of the Pan American Partnership for Business Education, the Council of the Americas, and the Kansas City International Affairs and Trade Office, which is part of North America’s SuperCorridor Coalition (NASCO).
Board membership
Yzaguirre is a member of the boards of the Volunteers of America; Sears, Roebuck & Co.; United Way of America; AARP Services Inc.; National Hispanic Leadership Agenda; and Salvation Army.Awards and honors
In 1979, Yzaguirre was the first Hispanic to receive a Rockefeller Public Service Award for Outstanding Public Service, endowed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr.John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
John Davison Rockefeller, Jr. was a major philanthropist and a pivotal member of the prominent Rockefeller family. He was the sole son among the five children of businessman and Standard Oil industrialist John D. Rockefeller and the father of the five famous Rockefeller brothers...
from the trustees of Princeton University.
Yzaguirre received the Order of the Aztec Eagle
Order of the Aztec Eagle
The Order of the Aztec Eagle is a Mexican order and is the highest decoration awarded to foreigners in the country.It was created by decree on December 29, 1933 by President Abelardo L. Rodríguez as a reward to services given to Mexico or humankind by foreigners...
in 1993, the highest honor awarded by Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to citizens of another nation.
The NCLR headquarters building in Washington, DC was named after him in 2005.