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Raúl R. Salinas (March 17, 1934 - February 13, 2008), better known by his pen name raúlrsalinas, was an American pinto poet, memoirist,
social activist Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make Social change, changes in society toward a perceived common good. Forms of activism range from ...
, and prison journalist. Much of raúlrsalinas' writing was grounded in arguments for
social justice Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...
and human rights. He was an early pioneer of
Chicano Chicano (masculine form) or Chicana (feminine form) is an ethnic identity for Mexican Americans that emerged from the Chicano Movement. In the 1960s, ''Chicano'' was widely reclaimed among Hispanics in the building of a movement toward politic ...
pinto (
prisoner A prisoner, also known as an inmate or detainee, is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement or captivity in a prison or physical restraint. The term usually applies to one serving a Sentence (law), se ...
) poetry and is notable for his use of
vernacular Vernacular is the ordinary, informal, spoken language, spoken form of language, particularly when perceptual dialectology, perceived as having lower social status or less Prestige (sociolinguistics), prestige than standard language, which is mor ...
,
bilingual Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. When the languages are just two, it is usually called bilingualism. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolin ...
, and
free verse Free verse is an open form of poetry which does not use a prescribed or regular meter or rhyme and tends to follow the rhythm of natural or irregular speech. Free verse encompasses a large range of poetic form, and the distinction between free ...
aesthetics. Alongside Ricardo Sánchez, Judy Lucero, Luis Talamantez, and Jimmy Santiago Baca, raúlrsalinas sought to make prisoners' rights a more central focus of the Chicano Movement. Incarcerated for over a decade (1959–1972) on
marijuana Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...
related charges, raúlrsalinas wrote extensively while in prison, including essays, letters, prose, and journalism, the vast majority which is now held at
Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
. raúlrsalinas' work extended beyond his prison writing, focusing also on his Xicanindio (indigenous identified Chicano) heritage and his politics as a Latino internationalist. According to
Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...
, raúlrsalinas "transformed elements of the American literary canon."


Early life

Raul Salinas was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1934 to Frances and Ricardo Salinas. Raised by a single mother in East Austin, at seventeen a judge gave Salinas the choice of going to jail, joining the military, or relocating. Salinas moved to Northern California where he found employment as a farmworker.


Arrests and incarceration

In 1957, Salinas was arrested on
marijuana Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...
related charges in Los Angeles County. He served his sentence at Soledad State Prison. Salinas earned parole in 1959 before being arrested in Austin, Texas for possession of marijuana in 1961. He served his sentence at Huntsville State Prison. There, he wrote a jazz column for the prison newspaper ''The Echo'' from 1964 until his 1965 release. Additionally, Salinas become well known for his writings outside of prison by his contributions and editing of the prison publication ''New Era'' and ''Aztlán de Leavenworth.'' Salinas then moved back to Austin with his wife and three children. After conviction for felony racketeering charges for drug trafficking in 1967, Salinas served time at Leavenworth Federal Prison in Kansas. There, Salinas met Puerto Rican Independentistas
Rafael Cancel Miranda Rafael Cancel Miranda (July 18, 1930 – March 2, 2020) was a poet, political activist, member of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party and an advocate of Puerto Rican independence. On March 1, 1954, Cancel Miranda and three other Nationalists (Lo ...
and Oscar Collazo, and began the works of Ernesto “Che” Guevara,
Frantz Fanon Frantz Omar Fanon (, ; ; 20 July 1925 – 6 December 1961) was a French West Indian psychiatrist, political philosopher, and Marxist from the French colony of Martinique (today a French department). His works have become influential in the ...
, and related radical third world literature. African American music and political struggle also contributed to Salinas’ development. Inspired by freedom fighters such as George Jackson (activist) and Eldridge Cleaver Salinas developed a growing political consciousness that would continue to drive him. At Leavenworth, Salinas participated in a “Cultural History of the Southwest” course which met for two years. Prison personnel targeted Salinas for his political nature and transferred him to Marion Federal Penitentiary. He was part of a group of politicized prisoners who faced retaliation after widespread prison rebellions in response to the killing of George Jackson in 1971. His final release from incarceration was from Marion in 1972.


Activism and Advocacy

After his release in 1972, Salinas moved to Seattle to study at the
University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...
and dedicate his life to bringing awareness to prisoner's rights and Chicano activism. This activism lead Salinas to become involved in the American Indian Movement and bring attention to the life and imprisonment of Leonard Peltier though his involvement in the Free Leonard Peltier Committee. Although not Native American himself, he was still heavily involved as a member of the International Indian Treaty Council and as an organizer of the 1976 Trail of Tears March to Washington. Although known for his writings and poetry, during the height of his activism he did not publish much as his advocacy work took priority. Through his works and leadership he was able to bring more support and attention to the
American Indian Movement The American Indian Movement (AIM) is an Native Americans in the United States, American Indian grassroots movement which was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in July 1968, initially centered in urban areas in order to address systemic issues ...
.


Death and Legacy

Raúl Salinas died on February 13, 2008, in
Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...
as a result of a long battle with liver cancer. His work from 1957 to 2008 are currently held within Stanford University's Special Collections. Within these collections are his published and unpublished writings, artwork, and journal writings. Within the collection are materials that Salinas had collected during his involvement in the American Indian Movement, the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, and the International Indian Treaty Council.


Published works

*
Un Trip through the Mind Jail y Otras Excursions
' (Arte Publico Press, 1980). * ''East of the Freeway: Reflections De Mi Pueblo'' (Red Salmon Press, 1995). * ''Many Mundos Of Raulrsalinas: Un Poetic Jazz Viaje'' (Calaca Press, 2000). * ''Red Arc: A Call For Liberación Con Salsa Y Cool'' (Wings Press, 2005). *
raú́lrsalinas and the Jail Machine: My Weapon is My Pen
' (University of Texas Press, 2006). * ''Indio Trails: A Xicano Odyssey Through Indian Country'' (Wings Press, 2006). *
Memoir of Un Ser Humano: The Life and Times de Raúlrsalinas
', edited by Louis G. Mendoza. (Red Salmon Press, 2018).


Recognition

* Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center Distinguished Writer Award * Luis Reyes A. Rivera Lifetime Achievement Award * Lifetime Achievement Award, National Association for Latino Arts and Cultures * Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Foundation Award * In a senate resolution, Texas acknowledged Salinas’ work with youth and contributions to community arts.


External links


Raúl R. Salinas Papers
housed at
Stanford University Libraries The Stanford University Libraries (SUL), formerly known as "Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources" ("SULAIR"), is the library system of Stanford University in California. It encompasses more than 24 libraries in all. S ...


See also

* List of Chicano poets * Pinto (subculture)


References

"Raúl R. Salinas". ''The Poetry Foundation''. 2017-10-31. Retrieved 2024-11-08. * This article from the Poetry Foundation showcases Salinas's expansive involvement in both the Chicano Rights movement in addition to his involvement in other civil rights movements such as the American Indian Movement. "raulsalinas". ''www.aimovement.org''. Retrieved 2024-11-08. * This is an article that discusses the involvement of Salinas directly from the American Indian Movement Grand Governing Council. It discusses his involvement in as a member of the Centro de la Raza in Seattle and the American Indian Movement, as a cofounder of the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee. Association, Texas State Historical. "Salinas, Raúl". ''Texas State Historical Association''. Retrieved 2024-11-08. * This article provides a general overview of Salinas's life highlighting his contributions to different communities like the Chicano and Native American civil rights movements. {{DEFAULTSORT:Salinas, Raul R. 1934 births 2008 deaths 20th-century American poets 21st-century American poets Activists for Hispanic and Latino American civil rights American civil rights activists American people of Mestizo descent American poets of Mexican descent Latin Americanists Mestizo writers