The Raza Unida Party was established on January 17, 1970 in Crystal City, Texas by José Ángel Gutiérrez and Mario Compean. Gutiérrez and Compean had also helped in the foundation of the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO) in 1967. In December 1969, the first and only official MAYO meeting was held. Latino activists’ determined on the formation of a third party. Thus La Raza Unida, a new party was established, which would focus on improving the economic, social, and political aspects of the Latino community throughout Texas.
Subsequently, the triumph of the RUP in municipal elections in Crystal City, the party grew and extended to other states, in particular California and Colorado. However, the novice city council was not very successful in applying their goals, which injured the party's reputation in the short-term.
In the following four years, following the 1974 election, RUP's affluence diminished, with activism dawdling except in some enclaves in South Texas. Even in Crystal City, its bedrock, RUP lost power in 1977. The party also experienced losses in its membership, and some of its unique leaders, including Willie Velásquez, and associated themselves with new political initiatives, such as the Mexican American Democrats. The two possible biggest propels which the party suffered were the arrests in July and November 1976 of former RUP gubernatorial candidate Ramsey Muñiz on drug charges. He announced himself guilty on one count and was sentenced to fifteen years. The party was significantly damaged as it penetrates the final and fatal 1978 election, when RUP gubernatorial candidate Mario Compean won only 15,000 votes..............
