Ted De Leon papers, 1975-2006 (majority within 1975-1979, 1994-2001)

Summary

Creator:

De Leon, Ted.

Abstract:

Papers of Ted De Leon, Lansing, Mich. Chicano/Latino rights advocate working in the area of migrant and seasonal workers health care. Collection includes material related to Mestizo Anishnabe Health Alliance (MAHA) and other organizations promoting substance abuse and smoking secession and prevention, and mental health care among the minorities, specifically Chicano, Latino, and Native Americans, and De Leon's autobiographical writings.

Extent:

0.75 linear feet
1 oversize folder

Language:

English

Call Number:

2013129 Aa 2 UAl

Authors:

Finding aid created by Olga Virakhovskaya, October 2013

Background

Scope and Content:

The bulk of material relates to organizations concerned with Chicano/Latino and Native American health care, substance abuse and disease prevention. Also included records of Chicano/Latino organizations and material related to Latino heritage. The collection includes De Leon's autobiographical writings describing his childhood and life of the Chicano/Latino migrant workers community, also his class project paper on the subject of attitudes toward welfare), drafts of speeches, and contents of scrapbook with clippings of newspaper articles authored by De Leon, as well as newspaper articles he's collected.

Of special importance and interest are four folders containing photocopies of De Leon's autobiography. In his detailed childhood and adolescence memoir De Leon writes about family life and economic and social conditions of seasonal and migrant workers, and describes health issues, housing, work, diet, and educational system. While the narrative mostly describes life in the Southwest, one will find descriptions of Colorado, Ohio and Michigan.

Among records of Chicano/Latino organizations' material are records of organizations affiliated with the University of Michigan and the Michigan State University Schools of Social Work. Records of Trabajadores de la Raza, a minority student organization concerned with maintaining a sizable Chicano population at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, include a recruitment manual, field reports, instructions for interviewers, financial information, and correspondence. Records of the Minority Alliance of Substance Abuse Services (MASAS) include material (correspondence, minutes of meetings, proposals, applications, etc.) concerning the National Institute of Mental Health combined undergraduate and graduate training grant "Latinos for Mental Health/Human Services Manpower." Material originating from several concerned Michigan organizations are found here: Trabajadores por la Raza, Latin-Americans for Social and Economic Development (Detroit, Mich.), Metro-Detroit Jobs for Progress, among others. Midwest Consortium for Latino Research folder includes executive summary and prospectus of a Michigan State University-based project to assist institutions of higher education in the Midwest committed to promoting Latino scholarship. Also found among material related to Chicano/Latino organizations records of Trabajadores por la Raza, a non-profit corporation concerned with providing human services to the Spanish speaking community in the Lansing area. Records include by-laws, organizational chart, and proposal for a minority substance abuse prevention program.

The collection includes records related to Mestizo Anishnabe Health Alliance (MAHA), Ingham county organization working to improve the health of the Hispanic/Latino and Native American/Anishnabe people through education and outreach services with special consideration for cultural and linguistic factors affecting health status. Records of the Mestizo Anishnabe Health Alliance (MAHA) dated between 2000 and 2003 include correspondence, organization's daily activity and annual reports, promotional and outreach material. Found with MAHA material are records of the Circle of Indigenous Races for Community, Leadership and Empowerment (CIRCLE), an ethnic alliance of Chicano/Latino and Native American business and community members. Records include correspondence, reports, proposals, overviews, and legal documents concerning joint MAHA/CIRCLE activities related to the minorities health care initiative in conjunction with the Ingham County Health Department. Also included with MAHA material a research paper "Perceptions of the Health Care System and Access to Medical Care: Group Responses from Latinos and American Indians by Rose M. Colón of Michigan State University. De Leon served as MAHA Project Coordinator during the study.

The collection also includes a number of photographs, most of them undated. There are 9 photographs of what appears to be graves of people of Hispanic heritage, an image of a musical performance, and portrait of a boy. A photograph dated February 3, 2006 depicts De Leon.

Biographical / Historical:

Ted De Leon was born January 6, 1948 in Seguin, Texas in a family of agricultural workers of Hispanic and indigenous heritage, who "followed the crop" and house painting jobs across Texas, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Ohio and Michigan. From the early age, De Leon was exposed to harsh realities of migrant labor and daily life.

He attended Texas State University San Marco and Michigan State University School of Social Work. A trained social worker, De Leon dedicates his activities to the improvement of minorities' health care and disease prevention, specifically migrant and seasonal workers of Chicano/Latino and Native American heritage. He has been active with a number of organizations and events concerned with these causes: Mestizo Anishnabe Health Alliance (MAHA), Lansing Area AIDS Network, National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, among others.

Acquisition Information:

Donated by Ted DeLeon (donor no. 10998 ) in September 2013.

Accruals:

No further additions to the records are expected.

Rules or Conventions:

Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Related

Additional Descriptive Data:

Related collections

Migrant Health Promotion records, 1982-2009. 13 linear feet. Bentley Historical Library, the University of Michigan. Administrative records, program files detailing operation of Camp Health Aide program and publication of Migrant Health Service Directory, topical files, and videotapes publicizing camp health aide program of the Migrant Health Promotion (formerly known as the Midwest Migrant Health Information Office, or MMHIO), Organization established to improve the health and living conditions of migrant farmworkers in six states of the Upper Midwest.

Trabajadores de la Raza, 1980-1985. 0.75 linear feet. Joseph A. Labadie Collection, Special Collection Libraries, the University of Michigan. Correspondence, financial records, notes, minutes, etc., relating to Trabajadores de la Raza, a Latino students organization at the University of Michigan during the early 1980s. Includes materials from the organization's participation in the annual Multi-Ethnic Fair in Ann Arbor, sponsored by the Multi-Ethnic Alliance of Ann Arbor, of which Trabajadores de la Raza was a member.

Subjects

Click on terms below to find any related finding aids on this site.

Subjects:

Hispanic Americans -- Economic conditions.
Hispanic Americans -- Health and hygiene.
Hispanic Americans -- Social life and customs.
Mexican Americans -- Economic conditions.
Mexican Americans -- Health and hygiene.
Mexican Americans -- Social life and customs.
Migrant agricultural laborers -- Michigan.
Migrant labor.
Migrant labor -- Medical care.
Substance abuse -- Treatment -- Michigan -- Ingham County.

Formats:

Photographs.

Names:

Circle of Indigenous Races for Community, Leadership and Empowerment (Organization)
Mestizo Anishnabe Health Alliance.
Trabajadores de la Raza (Organization) -- Michigan.
Michigan State University. School of Social Work.
University of Michigan. School of Social Work.
De Leon, Ted.