Joe Gutierrez Office of Strategic Communication (909) 537-5007 joeg@csusb.edu
José Angel Gutiérrez, author and one of the “Four Horsemen of the Chicano Movement,” will return to Cal State San Bernardino on Feb. 27 to discuss two of his latest books.
Gutiérrez will talk about “Tracking King Tiger: Reies López Tijerina and the FBI,” which examines the agency's political surveillance of Tijerina as he fought to reclaim lands guaranteed under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. He will also discuss his first children’s book, “I am Olga,' a story about the first Latina jet fighter pilot.
The program will take place beginning at 2 p.m. in the Pfau Library, room PL-5005. Gutierrez will also sign copies of his books after his talk; copies will be available for purchase by cash only.
A recipient of the prestigious 2019 Hispanic Hero Award, Gutierrez stands out as one of the most important and influential leaders of the Chicano movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s, along with Tijerina, Cesar Chavez and Corky Gonzales. He was a founding member of the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO) in 1967, one of the first student activist groups of the Chicano movement. He also was a founding member and past president of the political third-party La Raza Unida Party, which challenged the Democratic and Republican parties to court overlooked Mexican-American and Latino voters.
A professor emeritus of political science and founder of the Center for Mexican American Studies at the University of Texas-Arlington, Gutierrez was the padrino de honor, or honorary co-chair, for the 2019 LEAD Summit held in March at CSUSB.
He holds both a Ph.D. and a J.D., and is the author or co-author of 17 books. He has been an elected and appointed public official in Texas and Oregon, and a key figure in the founding of the Mexican American Unity Council, the National Council of La Raza, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Midwest and Northwest Voter Registration and Education Projects, and the Oregon Council for Hispanic Advancement.
He has been the subject of many articles and film documentaries, including the PBS video series, “CHICANO! The Mexican American Struggle for Civil Rights,” and is mentioned in many Chicano history and political science books. He was also featured as an “Innovator” in the PBS documentary series “School: The Story of American Public Education,” and also in a segment of “Prejudice and Pride: the Chicano Movement,” which was part of the PBS series, “Latino Americans.”
For more information, contact Robie Madrigal at rmadriga@csusb.edu or (909) 537-5104.
