In the central square of Crystal City stands a
statue of Popeye, a symbol of the town's claim that it is “the spinach
capital of the world.” Otherwise, Crystal City is like a
lot of other farm towns in South Texas. Mexican-Americans outnumber
Anglo-Americans four to one, but the Anglos run the place.Last week, with Texas Rangers standing by to keep order, hundreds of
Crystal City Mexicans gathered round the statue of Popeye. It was
election day in Crystal City, and a revolt was under way. One by one,
Mexicans crossed the square and lined up at city hall to vote, many for
the first time in their lives. When the votes were counted, Mexican
candidates had captured all five seats on the city council. And control
of the council gave the Mexicans control of the town government, with
authority to appoint the mayor, the marshal, and other officers.The revolt in Crystal City was managed by a three-year-old Texas
organization called Viva Kennedy during the presidential campaign, now
named PASO . Dedicated to the advancement of Mexican-Americans. PASO
chose Crystal City as a test site for a get-out-the-Mexican-vote drive.
At first the Anglos paid little attention to the PASO rallies, but as
election day neared, they discovered that more than twice as many
Mexicans as Anglos had paid poll taxes to vote. In a
flurry of appeasement, the city council voted $500,000 for paving
streets in the Mexican section. Prominent Anglo citizens took every
Mexican council candidate aside and tried to talk him out of running.
“We've always got along,” said one Anglo. “Why do you want to stir up
this sort of trouble?”In a way, the Crystal City Mexicans did stir up trouble for themselves.
They control the town's government, but the Anglos control its economy.
One council-seat winner got fired from his job in a hardware store.
Another found his wages cut in half by his Anglo employer. But, mindful
that Mexicans outnumber Anglos in South Texas, PASO looks upon the
Crystal City election as a momentous triumph. Says Albert Fuentes, the
PASO official who led the campaign: “We have done the impossible. If we
can do it in Crystal City, we can do it all over Texas. We can awake
the sleeping giant.” On election day, the Mexicans have learned, all
South Texans are equal.
