This site requires Javascript to be turned on. Please enable Javascript and reload the page.

US Latinx Activism and Protests: From the Farm to the (Legislative) Table Art produced during the Chicanx Movement Abstract: In the midst of change, The Chicanx Movement was a monumental time for Mexican Americans in the United States during the late 1960s. The movement addressed the social, economic, and political inequalities experienced by Mexican Americans across the nation. Aimed to celebrate and acknowledge cultural pride and identity, the movement also sought to reclaim and celebrate Mexican and Mexican American history, art, and culture. The Chicanx Movement played a significant role in shaping the Latino identity and influencing subsequent social justice movements, and the artwork produced during this time allowed for many to voice their opinions on the political and social climate of the U.S during the time. LA Demonstrations During the Chicano Movement Abstract: The Chicano Movement was a movement that involved Mexican-Americans all over the United States and was a crucial component to establishing civil rights for Latinos. While Chicanos living in the United States were at the focal point of discrimination in society, they figured that it was best to come together and establish a sense of familiarity in order to combat these racial remarks and disadvantages. To spark attention to their cause and movement, many Chicanos participated in numerous demonstrations and while many were peaceful, many considered them as radical. By Steve, Lexi, and Ricardo Bracero Program In this project we will be analyzing a number of facets of the Bracero Program with a specific focus on the causes, on both sides of the border, which culminated in the agreement. Consequently, we will explore the historical context of the US and Mexico of the first half of the twentieth century, including the impact of the Mexican Revolution as well as the dire situation brought about by the second world war. By utilizing this basis we will then analyze the “migration aspect” entailed by the program, travel from Mexico to the US and various territories. Not only as an in depth look at the agreement, but also as a necessary foundation. One which will permit the Bracero Program to be positioned in history, while simultaneously deepening the exposition and understanding of a largely forgotten case of large-scale abuse and exploitation. We anticipate this will form the backbone of the examination of bracero experiences: first-hand accounts and testimonials.. By Fernando, Joy and Lizeth Guatemalan Genocide & Its Dark Truth This page will focus on the Guatemalan genocide, a period of brutal violence that brought tremendous adversity to those indigenous communities residing in the rural areas of Guatemala. It will provide details regarding the atrocities that the Mayan people experienced, the trauma that was left behind, and the hardships that they continue to face today. Furthermore, it will demonstrate how this heinous period of history fostered activism and social movements in Guatemala. By Paola Chavarria and & Aurora Nieves Chicano Farm Worker Movement In this project, we will be discussing about the Chicano Farm Worker Movement and how it brought change to not only farm workers but to society as a whole. We will be focused on the working conditions of farm workers prior and after the movement, notable or influential leaders, and the communities that were fueling the movement. By examining their struggles, successes, and legacy, we wanted to provide a better understanding of the process needed to advocate and bring forth social change for a marginalized group of people. Last, we wanted to remove stereotypes and other misconceptions about the movement in creating a more equitable society. Por: Justin Bui, Kristi Kang, Jenniffer Young Las "Brujas" Feministas: Magazines, Art, and Television This project intends to provide a comprehensive analysis of women's representation in different mediums such as art, television, and fanzines. In this way, the goal is to understand the gender stereotypes that women have had to overcome from a feminist perspective. Through this discussion, the hope is to amplify women's voices to promote inclusive and equitable representation in society. By Claudia Mejia, Janet Landa, Diana Andrade Walkouts and Protests in Los Angeles On our page, we will discuss the walkouts and protests that took place within schools and communities across Los Angeles. The school protests happened because Latino students wanted to see a change in the education system. Some of the changes Latino students wanted to see implemented were hiring more Chicano professors and administrators, having more Chicano Studies classes in higher education, and overall being treated better without discrimination or judgment. In the 1960s, high school students faced racism and discrimination, which included a lack of education and insufficient school buildings in comparison to those of white students in the area. Walkouts famously took place at Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles, where there was a large population of Latino students. In 1993, college students also faced a lack of Chicano education when budget cuts put the Chicano classes at UCLA at risk of being shut down. This led to a hunger strike, where UCLA students protested and ultimately helped to establish the UCLA César E. Chávez Department of Chicana/o Studies. In the years leading up to 1965, Latino and Black communities also protested because they wanted to see a change in the way they were treated. The Black community finally had enough in 1965 and the Watts Riots happened, which in the end led to positive changes in their community. By Sydney Schwinger, Vanessa Harris, Jazmin Chavez

KQED Website

This page has paths:

Contents of this path:

This page is referenced by:

Chicanos in the Vietnam War The Chicano Moratorium emerged as a response to the disproportionate impact of the Vietnam War on Mexican Americans, who faced higher casualty rates due to factors such as limited access to education and economic opportunities. With Mexican Americans accounting for a higher percentage of deaths compared to their population, their contribution went underappreciated and underestimated. This led to the formation of the Chicano Moratorium, a massive protest in East Los Angeles in 1970, where over 20,000 Mexican Americans marched to challenge the mistreatment of their community in the war.
The Vietnam War was a conflict between the communist government of North Vietnam and South Vietnam that occurred from 1955 to 1975. The United States entered the war in an effort to prevent a communist takeover in Vietnam, and was South Vietnam’s primary ally in a conflict exacerbated by the Cold War. The United States sent about 550,000 troops to Vietnam and more than 58,000 Americans were killed in the Vietnam War, with more than 3 million people dying throughout the entire war. Opposition to the war was intense within the United States, with protests occurring regularly throughout the nation. President Richard Nixon signed the Paris Peace Accords in 1973 that ordered the withdrawal of U.S. forces.
During the war, a disproportionate number of Latino American troops were drafted, killed or injured during the war. According to the Library of Congress website, “Disparities in public education, systematic exclusion from higher education, and high unemployment rates among Mexican Americans … contributed to Mexican Americans dying at twice the rate of any other group in Vietnam.”
There were a number of reasons as to why the Chicano contribution went underappreciated and underestimated in the Vietnam War. Though 10% of the United States was classified as Latino during the war, according to the Daily Chela, Mexican Americans accounted for around 20% of Vietnam deaths of Americans. Many Mexican Americans at the time of the height of the war were high school dropouts or never went to college, rendering them ineligible for deferments. Patriotism also played a role, with many Mexican Americans initially volunteering to serve the United States in the war.
As noted in a KQED article about the Vietnam War, Summers Sandoval, a professor of history and Chicano studies at Pomona College, told KQED that the U.S. military didn’t keep separate data on Latinos, but rather folded them into the white population. The article also cited a study from Cal State Los Angeles that found that Latinos comprised 20% of all United States troops killed during the war in Vietnam.
In a Los Angeles Times article, Vietnam veteran and Mexican American Tomás Sandoval described how initially his community had seen joining the fight as a patriotic mission in order to prove oneself as a Chicano within the country. The article cites a study by the academic Ralph C. Guzman explained that “Twice as many people with Spanish surnames were dying in the war in proportion to their population in the Southwest.” This outsized proportion of death and general opposition to the war ultimately contributed to the formation of the Chicano Moratorium on August 29, 1970, that brought over 20,000 Mexican Americans marching through East Los Angeles to protest the war.