By Ricardo Lezama 
Washington, D.C., May 8, 2025 — In a landmark addition to its archives, the Library of Congress has officially acquired the Raúl Ruiz Chicano Movement Collection, a sweeping assemblage of photographs, manuscripts, newspapers and audio-visual materials that document the rise of Mexican-American activism in Los Angeles during the 1960s and ’70s. The acquisition, announced this week, stands as one of the final major purchases under Librarian Carla Hayden’s tenure.
A Window into a Defining Era
Spanning more than two decades of struggle and solidarity, the collection contains over 17,500 photographs—prints, negatives and contact sheets—that capture everything from campus walkouts to community celebrations. Protest marches against the Vietnam War, scenes from the landmark 1968 East L.A. Walkouts and everyday moments of family life and cultural expression all find a home within these vivid images. The collections speaks to a time of great tumult and more militant organizations combating the then contemporary forms of institutional hatred and sponsored destitution of Chicanos.
Complementing the visual record are nearly 10,000 manuscript pages: handwritten letters, unpublished book drafts (including Ruiz’s work on journalist Rubén Salazar), and internal meeting minutes from La Raza newspaper. Published issues of La Raza and related periodicals further chart the evolving voice and reach of Chicano journalism. A trove of audio and video recordings adds sound and motion to the archival narrative.
The Man Behind the Lens
Raúl Ruiz (1940–2005) was a pioneering figure in Mexican-American media. As a cofounder and editor of La Raza, he brought attention to grassroots organizing, police brutality and educational inequities. His photography and reporting gave visibility to a community often marginalized by mainstream outlets, and he later taught future generations of journalists and activists.
From Personal Legacy to Public Resource
The collection was generously gifted by Ruiz’s daughter, Marcela Ponce, and longtime colleague Professor Marta E. Sánchez of Loyola Marymount University. Their donation ensures that scholars, students and the public can now explore these primary materials at the Library’s Prints & Photographs Division reading rooms by appointment.
Why It Matters
For historians and community members alike, the Raúl Ruiz Chicano Movement Collection offers an unparalleled window into the struggles and triumphs of Mexican-American Californians. As a primary source archive, it illuminates the strategies of social change, the power of community journalism and the cultural vibrancy that defined an era. This acquisition not only preserves the legacy of Raúl Ruiz but also cements the Chicano Movement’s place in the national story.
Researchers interested in accessing the collection may contact the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division to arrange a visit. The materials promise to fuel fresh scholarship and inspire a deeper understanding of mid-20th-century advocacy and identity in American history.