Felix Tijerina (1905–1965) was a Mexican-American businessman, community leader, and advocate for Mexican-American rights, born in Sugar Land, Texas. Raised in a working-class family, Tijerina faced discrimination and limited opportunities due to his Mexican heritage. Despite these challenges, he became a successful entrepreneur, opening Felix Mexican Restaurant in Houston in 1937, which grew into a chain and a symbol of Mexican-American achievement. His business success provided a platform for civic engagement, particularly within the Mexican-American community.
Tijerina was a prominent figure in the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), serving as national president from 1956 to 1960. Through LULAC, he championed educational initiatives, including the “Little School of the 400” program, which aimed to teach Mexican-American children 400 essential English words to prepare them for school. This initiative influenced the creation of Head Start, a federal early childhood education program. His advocacy focused on assimilation and economic advancement for Mexican Americans, emphasizing education and self-reliance as paths to equality.
“Let the Negro fight his own battles. His problems are not mine. I don’t want to ally with him.”
However, Tijerina’s legacy is complicated by his controversial stance on racial integration, particularly regarding collaboration with African-American civil rights efforts. In the 1950s, during debates over school desegregation following the Brown v. Board of Education decision (1954), Tijerina resisted LULAC’s cooperation with the NAACP to oppose bills that would circumvent the ruling. He reportedly stated, “Let the Negro fight his own battles. His problems are not mine. I don’t want to ally with him.” This comment reflected a reluctance among some Mexican-American leaders to align with African-American struggles, prioritizing their own community’s issues and assimilation into mainstream white society over broader racial solidarity.
Tijerina’s stance was shaped by the era’s complex racial dynamics, where Mexican Americans were often classified as “white” legally but faced discrimination as a minority group. His focus on Mexican-American advancement sometimes led to distancing from African-American civil rights efforts, a position that critics have since labeled as divisive and shortsighted. Despite this, Tijerina remained a respected figure in Houston, serving on civic boards and contributing to community welfare until he died in 1965.
His legacy is a mix of pioneering advocacy for Mexican-American education and economic progress, overshadowed by his controversial remarks on interracial alliances, which highlight the challenges of navigating racial identity and solidarity in mid-20th-century America.