Latino, Tucson History Told Through A Comic Book

By Paige Phelps, Mark Brodie, Lauren Gilger
Published: Monday, February 11, 2019 - 2:22pm
Updated: Monday, February 11, 2019 - 8:25pm
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"La Voz de Mayo: Tata Rambo" by Henry Barajas.

In early 1970s Tucson, Ramon Jaurigue co-founded the Mexican, American, Yaqui and Others organization, also known as MAYO.

It worked with the Pascua Yaqui to help get federal tribe recognition for a specific purpose.

Jaurique’s great-grandson, Henry Barajas, is a former journalist in Tucson and was gifted his great-grandfather’s documents.

He found himself with old MAYO bilingual newsletters containing photos, poetry and stories of activism lost to history for 40 years. He decided to write a book about his great-grandfather, whom he’d always called "El Tata Rambo" — it was a nickname his family gave Jaurigue as a play on his war-veteran status.

But when he saw Congressman John Lewis' graphic novel of life during the civil rights movement, he decided to move away from just typed words on a white page.

Barajas turned his family’s history into a comic book series he calls "La Voz de M.A.Y.O.: Tata Rambo." 

The first chapter out now with the second and third chapters released in March and July. Unlike Marvel superheroes fighting villains, Barajas wants this comic book series to be more about documenting Latino and Arizona history — which he feels has its own superpower.

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