July 22, 1997
Contact: Louise Snider, 619/594-5204
Carlos Razo--bringing super-hero ideals into student life
At 23 years old, Carlos Razo still believes in super heroes, and his favorite--the Green Lantern.
He says he likes their ideals and what they stand
for.
"The Green Lantern is all about will power
and courage," he says, proudly displaying his super-hero ring.
A social science major at San Diego State University,
Razo was recently elected president of the Associated Students, a job that
represents a campus of nearly 29,000 students.
He ran for the presidency after serving as vice
president of external affairs for one year, because, he says, he wants
to finish what his predecessor, Guillermo Mayer, started.
"Someone needs to make sure everything continues
and goes well."
Born in South Central Los Angeles and raised in Cypress Park, a suburb
of Los Angeles, Razo remembers going to sleep at night to the sounds of
his mother's sewing machine.
"(My sister and I) didn't like it, but we
knew and understood she was working," he says.
Razo praises his mom saying she worked from 10
to 4 everyday as a vocational teacher and then until midnight at home as
a seamstress.
"She gave everything to us," he says.
"She made prom dresses for my friends and my sister's friends; she
even still makes my boxers."
There is virtually no communication between Razo
and his father, who left the family years ago.
"If he tried to be a part of our lives, he
didn't try hard enough," Razo says. "I can't miss him because
he was never there to begin with, but my mom was more than enough."
Attending San Diego State University on grants
and loans since the fall of 1992, Razo first became involved with campus
activities while living in the residence halls.
He joined the residence hall council, then became
council president. He was also actively involved with MEChA, the Movimiento
Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan. When no one else would step forward, he
became MEChA's representative to the Associated Students (A.S.) and also
the student representative for the College of Arts and Letters.
"Somebody had to do it, and no one wanted
to," he says. "I could have graduated a long time ago, but I
decided not to, so I could stay and do a good job."
After being elected vice president of external
affairs, Razo became active in student lobbying through the California
State Student Association. He wanted to make sure, he says, that student
voices would be heard on a statewide level. He also was elected chair of
CSSA, even though he was "a little rookie kid."
"It's hard to let go of CSSA," he says.
"A.S. president is kind of a lowly job coming from representing 330,000
students, but I want to make sure things get done right (at SDSU)."
Razo says he wants to focus on getting all campus
groups involved at SDSU. He acknowledges a large Chicano presence in the
A.S. and says, "It shouldn't just be Latinos; other students need
to be represented." But when asked why he thinks Chicanos are so active,
he says it has to do with the culture.
"I identify as a Chicano," he says.
"Part of that mentality is that you are there for the community and
to give back to the community."
Set to graduate in May 1998, he wants to teach history, geography, political
science or Chicano studies to high school students. Right now, after seeing
the Latino population on campus double in the last few years, he wants
to educate people about the culture.
"We're from the lowest empowered communities
with high drop out rates and high crime ... we get involved."
Three or four years ago, a campus fraternity distributed rush week information that upset members of MEChA. Razo says that the information included a picture of a freeway sign depicting a mother with two children running across the freeway; a sign seen frequently along San Diego freeways.
Several MEChA members, he says, went to the fraternity house yelling and
demanding an apology. But Razo felt this was the wrong way to deal with
it. Instead, Razo talked with the organization's president and tried to
explain to him why Latinos were upset.
"It's not to our benefit to start a riot,"
he says. "I try to avoid conflict at all costs. People need to know
what being a Latino means, everyone needs to know."
But over all, Razo says he wants to be a role model for students.
"I think I can do it here," he says.
Striving to get more students on campus committees,
Razo says he wants to make sure they jump on the issues right away, wasting
no time.
"Students really do make a difference. I
think they don't realize it, but they do."
As A.S. president, Razo spends a lot of time talking to incoming freshman
and transfer students, as well as groups of minority students.
"I want to get them motivated and involved
in school, and I think I can do that. I tell them, `Hey, this is me, I
was there. Come on, let's go for the ride.'"
And according to Razo, the ride is well worth the work.
(end)
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This article was written by SDSU student Jamie Butow