GUERRA EXITS EXPRESS NEWS, TWEETS BORDER TOUR

By Juan Montoya

After 18 years putting out his columns, San Antonio Express-News premier Mexican-American columnist Carlos Guerra announced his departure from the South Texas daily.
Guerra, America's friendliest angry looking columnist, has decided to retire and move on to browner pastures; he plans to come to the Valley and write on border issues.
We all know our industry is in its dying throes but nonetheless, seeing the passing of Guerra brings this reality home.
When I was working in San Antonio, Guerra wasn't around yet. I was there in 1982 and left for grad school in 1984. Yet, I had the chance to talk with him on some arcane Chicano subjects and his broad knowledge on the subject impressed me to no end.
Before I left Brownsville, a friend and I were driving to Boca Chica Beach when we decided to drive down Palmetto Hill Road to relieve ourselves. We came upon the ruins of a collapsed two-room, wooden house and decided to stop there. When we alighted and took care of business, we noticed there were some books within the ruins of the shack. Combing through them, I came upon a collection of editorials written by one Alonso Perales titled "En Defensa de Mi Raza."
Being an old-school Chicano, I picked it up and we went off to the beach.
Later, when I had time to leaf through it, I was surprised to find out that Perales was one of the charter members of LULAC, and that he was writing about Hispanic issues way back in the 1930s.
Later, I found out he was a U.S. State Department attorney who went on to help this country draft treaties with other nations. I think Nicaragua was one of the countries mentioned.
When I went to the Midwest, I met a principal at one of the elementary schools in Saginaw, Mich., named Pablo Ruiz from San Antonio. Knowing that Perales was from San Antonio, I loaned him the book. Domestic upheavals led me back to Texas, and the book was forgotten.
I started thinking about that when I was working for the Daily Globe in Worthington, Minn., and decided to search for Pablo. I called the San Antonio Express and asked for their education reporter in case Pablo had returned home. I later found out he had gone on to Washington, D.C. as a consultant.
But when I called the Express, I was directed to Guerra, who not only knew where Pablo was, but also knew of the Perales book.
"He actually wrote two books," he told me. "The other is just as good as the one you saw. If you have a chance, find it."
I was not only pleasantly surprised to find out that the scowling picture of Carlos in his editorial columns belied the wealth of knowledge of South Texas history and culture inside that bald head, but that on top of that, he was raza, too.
We are witnessing massive upheavals in our industry and no one knows where it will all lead. Carlos says he has offers from PBS and other national media organs. I wish him well and am sure that wherever he may end, his experience and breadth of knowledge will enrich his audience.
Suerte, carnal.