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Noe Tijerina Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MSS-859-SC

Scope and Content

The Noe Tijerina Papers offer a perspective from a Tijerina family member on Reies Tijerina and the Alianza Federal de Mercedes. This collection contains an interview with Noe Tijerina conducted by Jose Angel Gutierrez, Ph.D. on the surveillance and harassment of the Tijerina family. The collection also contains Noe’s unpublished manuscript “A Cause to Die For” offering his perspective on what life was like because of his father and the Alianza. Lastly, there are two family photographs and a laminated newspaper article from the Santa Fe New Mexican on Reies Tijerina’s activism.

Dates

  • 1958-2007

Creator

Language of Materials

English,

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Copy Restrictions

Limited duplication of CSWR material is allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for compliance with all copyright, privacy, and libel laws. Permission is required for publication or distribution.

Biographical Information

Noe Tijerina is the son of Reies Lopez Tijerina, Chicano land grant activist. Noe is the youngest of the Tijerina family from his father’s first marriage to Maria Escobar. His parents divorced in 1964. He grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico in the 1960s with his mother and brothers and sisters, although he frequently visited his father. His father taught him the importance of la causa, “our people, their land and what’s right is right.” In 1963, Reies Tijerina founded Alianza Federal de Mercedes (translates in English as the Federal Land Grant Alliance), a radical organization that fought for the land rights of Hispanic New Mexicans. Reies’ radical activism exposed his family to violent acts of retaliation and years of harassment from law enforcement. Noe grew up in an unstable environment facing intimidation, threats, harassment, false arrests, beatings, and home bombings.

In recent years, Noe has pursued writing and attended the University of New Mexico to develop his writing skills. Determined to write about the land grant wars, he wrote an unpublished manuscript titled “A Cause to Die For.” The book is about his experience with the Alianza and growing up in a family connected to the organization. He currently lives in New Mexico with two of his three sons and his mother.

Extent

1 Folder

Abstract

This small collection contains the papers of Noe Tijerina, son of Reies Lopez Tijerina, Chicano land grant activist and founder of Alianza Federal de Mercedes. The papers relate to land grant activism and the Tijerina family.

Related Material

Alianza Federal de Pueblos Libres Collection Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections, University of New Mexico Libraries. Peter Nabokov Papers Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections, University of New Mexico Libraries. Reies Tijerina Papers Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections, University of New Mexico Libraries.
Title
Finding Aid of the Noe Tijerina Papers, 1958-2007
Status
Completed
Author
Jordan Biro
Date
© 2010
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is in English

Repository Details

Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository

Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451