Red Versus Blue: UTRGV Student Organization Attempts to Fill Political Gap in the RGV

By Erik L. Webster

EDINBURG – She was told that she betrayed her race. She was told that she wasn’t a real Hispanic. She was told that she was allowing men to make decisions for her.

This was one of the experiences Adrienne Peña-Garza, candidate for Hidalgo County Grand Old Party chairwoman, shared after speaking to the College Republicans, Jan. 23, at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg campus.

“I’ve been told that I’ve betrayed my race. I’ve been told that I’m not a real Hispanic. I’ve been told that I’m a woman and that I’m alowing men to make decisions for me.” Peña-Garza said. “That type of persecution only made me stronger and want to get involved more.”

While she was in college, Peña-Garza said she identified as an Independent, rather than a Democrat or Republican. It wasn’t until she took a political science class at the University of Texas-Pan American, that she realized she was a Republican.

When it comes to the Rio Grande Valley, the Republican Party is often a taboo subject, as the South Texas region is typically considered a Democratic stronghold. During the 2016 presidential election, citizens of Hidalgo County produced 118,809 votes for candidate Hillary Clinton, as compared to 48,642 for Donald J. Trump, according to the Hidalgo County Elections Department. In fact, in Hidalgo County, Democrats won each race by more than 70 percent. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a young generation of Republicans trying to change that.

Bianca Garcia, a 20-year-old political science major at UTRGV, is one of those young people. Garcia, a Donna native, is president of the Campus Republicans, an organization dedicated to bringing Republican ideals and viewpoints to the students of UTRGV. Garcia swapped political parties when she was in the third grade.

“My faith definitely played a large part in that,” said Garcia, referring to her radical political shift at such a young age. “I believe we should always have a stong military. I support our troops and law enforcement 100 percent, absolutely!”

It wasn’t until Garcia grew a bit older that she developed an understanding and appreciation for other common Republican ideals such as lower taxes and limited government. When asked what makes her a member of the GOP, Garcia stated that it is her stong belief in freedom, limited government, and faith-based conservatism that made her a Republican.

Not all students on the university campus share her feelings however. The College Republicans typically maintain a membership of approximately 10 to 15 members, with visitors occasionally attending biweekly meetings. Garcia said that there is often a strong bias against anyone who publically identifies as a Republican on campus.

“Definitely just the rhetoric. The atmosphere around campus.” Garcia said. “They took our flyers and wrote Republicanism equals fascism,” referring to a vandalism incident which occurred last year.

“Honestly, I feel scared. Just wearing this shirt… I thought twice about it,” Garcia said in reference to her Texas Federation of College Republicans T-shirt. “We’re not fascists, as they like to call us. We’re strong supporters of the Constitution. We will always support the First Amendment, even if it’s something going completely against us.”

Still, most students seem to be more neutral when it comes to tipping the political balance scale.

“Did I vote? Yes. Am I a Republican? No,” said Yvonne Fuentes, a UTRGV senior majoring in English and future teacher. “But there’s just a lot of stuff going on and it’s frustrating because I don’t understand the who’s, and the why’s, and the what’s. At this point right now, I feel like everybody’s in the same boat.”

Perhaps Fuentes is on to something considering only about one in two eligible Texan voters cast their ballots during the 2016 general election, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Worse yet, only a little more than 40 percent of eligible Hispanic voters in the state showed up at the polls on Election Day.

The Campus Republicans are attempting to spread ideas and opinions Valley area residents don’t usually get the chance to hear. The organization’s main goal, according to Garcia, is to be more involved in the local and university community by performing volunteer work and holding events around campus, like a Free Speech event the organization held last semester where students were able to write whatever they felt about the government.

It was this desire to be more involved with the local community that prompted the organization to invite Peña-Garza to speak Jan. 23. After meeting with the organization, Peña-Garza shared that while she herself is a Republican, she doesn’t think that everyone necessarily needs to be.

“I think it’s OK to have a different opinion,” Peña-Garza said. “I don’t think that everyone needs to be Republican, but I think they should at least consider what it stands for.”

She also stressed that no matter what others might say, it is up to each indivdual to determine their own set of values and morals.

“Make sure that no one tells you who you are or what you need to be. That you decide that for yourself,” she concluded.

The Campus Republicans meet biweekly between 12:15 and 1:15 p.m. in ELABN 109. Their next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 23.