▁exclus ively . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁a ▁few ▁ME Ch A ▁chap ters ▁were ▁founded ▁in ▁the ▁East ▁but ▁mainly ▁at ▁I vy ▁League ▁schools ▁such ▁as ▁Harvard , ▁Y ale , ▁and ▁Brown ▁University . ▁ME Ch A ▁largely ▁remained ▁a ▁West ▁coast ▁organization . ▁Exp and ing ▁further ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁ME Ch A ▁chap ters ▁began ▁to ▁appear ▁in ▁community ▁colleg es ▁and ▁high ▁schools , ▁but ▁again ▁pre domin antly ▁in ▁California ▁and ▁especially ▁Southern ▁California . ▁ ▁Sur pr ising ly , ▁the ▁organization ▁did ▁not ▁catch ▁on ▁in ▁Texas . ▁A ▁Mexican ▁American ▁Student ▁Organ ization ▁( MA SO ) ▁was ▁active ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Texas ▁from ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁until ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁and ▁students ▁at ▁St . ▁Mary ' s ▁College ▁in ▁San ▁Antonio ▁joined ▁MA Y O ▁but ▁there ▁are ▁no ▁signs ▁of ▁ME Ch A ▁chap ters ▁or ▁other ▁student ▁groups ▁in ▁Texas ▁until ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 8 0 s . ▁ ▁As ▁for ▁Florida ▁and ▁other ▁southern ▁states , ▁we ▁have ▁found ▁no ▁information ▁about ▁any ▁chap ters ▁in ▁this ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁country ▁despite ▁the ▁growing ▁Mexican ▁American ▁presence ▁on ▁camp uses ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁region ' s ▁cities . ▁But ▁if ▁ME Ch A ' s ▁ge ography ▁was ▁limited , ▁its ▁ability ▁to ▁surv ive ▁and ▁expand ▁in ▁California ▁and ▁other ▁western ▁states ▁was ▁remarkable .