received an offer to work for kennedy, he demanded and received a phone call from pena kennedy, who gave complete control over the mexican-american wing. patronageromised him for the new administration, which are becoming a touchstone for mexican-american activism into the 1960's. sutton also brokered his way into the party is the first african-american to represent whentate from that region he went to the national convention in 1960 and los angeles. pena and sudden death -- more immediately, by the winter of 1961, they transitioned into a series of permanent organizations. in texas and california. pena was elected first state chairman. were lookingcans ahead to getting the spoils of victory. throwing their weight around at parties. remember the context here. in 1960's, texas is still part of the solid south. it is a one-party state emanating -- dominated by a conservative party. the primary elections are the all important place where politics it contested. the party had been split since the new deal between a loyal democratic faction of liberals and the conservative dixiecrat's. the960

pena became the lead organizer it's. viva kennedy in sutton became the leader of the african-american wing in the state. they earned this position by electoral mobilization and by building coalition that crosss the color line. when pena received the offer for viva kennedy he demanded and received a phone call from bobby kennedy who promised pena complete control over the mexican-american wing. he promised pena from the conservative and white-led democratic party and they . omised him patron adge sutton was the first african-american to represent the state and from that region when he went to the national convention in 1960 in l.a. and in the end, both pena and sutton both delivered the votes that they promised. they carried the kennedy-johnson ticket to victory. the latter emerges as the sleeping giant, right, from texas and national politics. more immediately, the viva kennedy club transitioned into a permanent organization. here in california they had mafa. and in texas there was pasos. so mexican-americans in this period were look

pena began reaching out to liberals, you can see him here with john f. kennedy. when the senator at the time came to stump for stevenson in 1956. in 1960, he was able to cash in on his work, becoming the lead organizer for kennedy in texas. sutton also did. they were in these positions i drawn on a decade or more of committee organizing, electoral mobilization, and by building coalitions across the lines. just one example. when pena received an offer to work for kennedy, he demanded and received a phone call from bobby kennedy, who gave pena complete control over the mexican-american wing. he promised him independence from the white democratic party, and they promised him patronage for the new administration, which are becoming a touchstone for mexican-american activism into the 1960's. sutton also brokered his way into the party as the first african-american to represent the state from that region when he went to the national convention in 1960 in los angeles. more immediately, by the winter of 1961, they transitioned into a series of permanent organizations. in