Gonzalez. 33. of the CMAAs education and employment committees. Philip Montez. 35. director of the Foundation for MexicanAmerican Studies- Arturo Palacios. 32. secretary of the Assn. of MexicanAmerican Educators. and many more. "Many young men of the rising middle and upper classes." says the City School District manual on MexicanAmericans. "have centered their interests and efforts on the Council of MexicanAmerican Affairs. or CMAA. "Relatively new (as are most of the groups). the CMAA has attracted members who are effective and influential in the broader community. Despite several major setbacks and reorganizations. this group may yet attain a position of leadership among ethnic organizations. "Its original purpose was to unite and thus make more effective the large number of relatively small. fragmented MexicanAmerican organizations under a legislative or governing group made up of representatives from each of the major organizations. "Such a group might then speak in a united voice for the MexicanAmericans as do organizations for other ethnic groups. e.g.. the NAACP and several Jewish organizations." Limited funds and internal personality conflicts. says the manual. caused CMAA to fall short of its original goal. but it has been reorganized with more limited aims and "focusing on the young professionals who ... feel that their special training and skills should be used to improve conditions in the MexicanAmerican community." Ralph Guzman. the son of onetime migrant farm workers and now assistant director of UCLAs MexicanAmerican Study Project. returned here last year after two years out of the country and found himself struck by the youthful lock of those striving to lead. "There were a lot of young people at meetings." he said. "I was amazed by their youth and affluence. I hadnt expected that kind of change in two years."