Sonia Trevino collection of Corpus Christi Mexican-American Democrats Records

Sonia Trevino was the president of the Corpus Christi Chapter of Mexican American Democrats (MAD) in 1994. A brief history of the Mexican American Democrats follows, it is a statewide organization of Democrats founded in 1975 to promote the interests of Mexican Americans, represented a shift away from the nationalist politics of the Raza Unida party. In 1972 Mexican Americans formed a caucus at the state Democratic convention and selected eighteen Mexican American delegates and nine alternates to the Democratic national convention in Miami that year. They helped elect Joe Bernal to the Democratic National Committee, the first Mexican American ever to serve on that committee. In 1974 Houston city comptroller Leonel Castillo decided to run for state Democratic party chairman at a convention where 300 of 4,000 delegates (or 7 percent) were Mexican Americans. He mustered 43 percent of the vote, raising the political hopes of Hispanic Democrats and anti-Republican Anglos. Between 1974 and 1976 Mexican American delegates to the state convention tripled, thus providing a broadening base for action.

In January 1976, Mexican American Democrats held its first state meeting in Austin. Bernal was elected temporary chairman and Rick Hernández, a MAD founder, executive director. Among the committees in 1977 were Voter Registration and Screening and Endorsement. In 1982 the constitution stipulated that the chairman and vice chairman of the organization be of the opposite sex. The purpose of the organization was "to seek full representation of Mexican Americans at all levels and in all activities of the Democratic Party, taking appropriate public stands on issues relevant to our communities; and proposing, supporting, and when necessary, opposing legislation relevant to the Mexican American community." Members selected the first permanent officers in October 1977 in Waco. Chairmen have included State Representative Matias (Matt) García of San Antonio (1977–79), Marc Campos of Houston (1979–81), Richard Moya of Austin (1981–83), Juan Maldonado of San Juan (1983–85), Ruben Bonilla of Corpus Christi (1985–87), Norberto Salinas of Mission (1987–89), Nora Linares of San Antonio (1989–91), and Roberto Alonzo of Dallas (1991–93). Taken from the Handbook of Texas Online, article written by Cynthia E. Orozco https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/wmm02