Priscilla A. Salazar

Priscilla was born on September 27, 1934 in Garcia, CO to Fermin and Percides Garcia. She was a small business owner of El Camino Real bookstore and gift shop. On February 14, 1955, she married Alex Salazar. They lived in Lakewood, CO where they raised their four children, Arlette, Jolyn, Esteban, and Mavis.

A diehard Democrat and activist, Priscilla was a delegate at the 1968 Democratic Convention. It was at this convention that she realized the underrepresentation of Chicanos in politics. Asked by Elizabeth Montoya to assist Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales, Priscilla helped organize what would become La Raza Unida Party. Priscilla worked hard and diligently for Corky Gonzales and La Raza Unida. She raised funds, organized the candidates, and traveled around Colorado to introduce the party to Colorado Chicanos. After the first election, Priscilla decided to focus more on her true passion, books. With her husband, Alex, they started Totinem Publishing in the living room of their Lakewood home.

Priscilla and Alex saw a need for a publishing firm to create booklets for Chicano Studies students, which set the foundation to start Totinem Publishing. They did not have a lot of money at this time, so Priscilla and her children made many of the books by hand. Priscilla soon discovered her true talent came from distributing the books Totinem and other publishers made.

She started distributing books from her car, but soon the demand was so great that she was selling books quicker than she could make them. She realized that other publishers were able to print more at a much quicker rate, so in 1975, she quit the publishing life to start her book store, El Camino Real. El Camino Real was the first book store to distribute American Indian, Chicano, Latin American, and Mexican literature in both English and Spanish at that time, and was the main distributor for Chicano literature nationwide. Priscilla was recognized in the National Commission on the Observance of International Women’s Year in 1976 as a successful female entrepreneur and even met President Gerald Ford at the White House. After eight years, Priscilla was able to open three El Camino Real gift shops in the Stapleton Airport.

Priscilla was a mother first, but an activist at heart. Being a mother did not stop her from trying to make a difference for her people. She had her children attend meetings and marches. They worked, as a family, at the publishing press, collating the booklets, and later helped her work at El Camino Real. Priscilla's entire household were activists. They all fought and worked diligently for the Chicano movement. The work Priscilla did for Chicanos has benefited many today. All her children attended college, allowing her grandchildren and great-grandchildren many opportunities that were not afforded to Priscilla in her youth. The community will feel the loss of such a charismatic and independent woman.

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