José Antonio Burciaga (1940-1996)

José Antonio Burciaga (1940-1996) was one of the founding members of Culture Clash, and performed with the group from 1984 to 1988. An activist, writer, lecturer, and muralist, Burciaga grew up in El Paso, Texas and attended the University of Texas at El Paso and the San Francisco Art Institute. A frequent contributor to the Hispanic News Link Service, Burciaga authored many books including Restless Serpents (1976), Weedee Peepo (1988), Drink Cultura: Chicanismo (1993), Spilling the Beans (1995), and In Few Words (1997). With his wife, Cecilia, an associate dean of student affairs, and children Rebeca and Toño, Jr., Burciaga lived as a Resident Fellow at Casa Zapata, the Chicano theme dormitory at Stanford University. This "Will Rogers for Chicanos" died from stomach cancer on October 7, 1996.