Hispanic Civil Rights Leader Ends Term: La Raza chief retires with profound legacy

Sitting in a hotel lobby in the Mexican border town of McAllen, Raul Yzaguirre marveled at the urbanization of what was once a somnolent center of cattle ranches and citrus groves.  Now, symbols of affluence -- golf courses, luxury cars and gated developments -- mix with the shantytowns of the newest immigrants. And businesses no longer ignore the spending power of the more than 80 percent Hispanic population.  "The culture has changed," said Yzaguirre, president of the National Council of La Raza. "I mean, to walk into HEB (A Texas-based supermarket chain) and feel like you're in Mexico is pretty profound. You walked into HEB when I was growing up and it felt like every other American chain. They've adapted. They've Mexicanized their products and services."  When he steps down from a 30-year term as president this month, Yzaguirre will leave the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights nonprofit organization with 35,000 members and a budget of $28 million.  When he took over the group in 1974, it had no money and a squabbling staff.  U.S. Rep. Ruben Hinojosa, a Democrat who represents the district where Yzaguirre grew up, said Yzaguirre has been instrumental in bringing Latinos together.  "Mexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans ... Many of us consider Raul to have been able to break down the barriers that separated the diverse populations for two or three decades," he said. [more] and [more]