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

Young Lords and the Garbage Offensive

Contents of this path:

This page is referenced by:

The Origin and Early Presence of the Young Lords Party This page illustrates the history and initial activism of the infamous Young Lords Party. Modeled after the Black Panthers, the Young Lords consisted of BIPOC citizens of Chicago and Harlem, primarily the poor and working-class Puerto Rican youth who aimed to be a voice for minorities and provide them equal access to healthcare, employment, education and housing while simultaneously launching platforms for Puerto Rican independence.

The Young Lords Party was a group formed originally in Chicago by Puerto Rican youth who hoped to give a voice to minorities who lacked access to housing, healthcare, education, and employment. The Young Lords aimed to revolutionize civil rights for all people, particularly marginalized groups on the East Coast. Some of their biggest platforms included the independence and freedom of Puerto Rican people, political prisoners, and the retraction of military troops stationed in both Puerto Rico and Vietnam. Although their goals were tremendous in ambition, their method was rooted first in the well-being of their local community and therefore their impact paralleled their grandeur objectives.

This militant civil rights group based itself on the Black Panther Party, which started in Oakland, in 1966. As a result of the Black Panther Party's advocacy for self-defense violence against the police and open-carrying of guns in addition to the imprisonment of its group leaders—Bobby Seale and Huey Newton—people often recall the group as threatening. However, as was heavily inspiring for the Young Lords, this group is also known by many people of color for their initiatives in community service and programming. With the creation of "community survival programs" the Black Panther Party was able to repurpose abandoned infrastructure and turn it into centers for childcare and resource distribution.

Additionally, the Black Panther Party used its voice and momentum to advocate for a variety of minority groups and situations of disparity. Namely, education for welfare children, wrongful incarceration of people of color, and racism within systems of law and school in America. They did this via local campaigns, newspaper publications, press conferences, and demonstrations. The Young Lords used this model of activism to inspire their own initiatives. Hence the occurrence of the Garbage Offensive in New York City in 1969.

In the summer of 1969, many East Harlem activists were exhausted by the unsanitary and even unlivable conditions they were surrounded by. Uncollected, rotting trash would remain in the street for several weeks at a time, sweeping was a moot point and the capacity for trash in bins or receptacles was negligent considering the large portion of people who occupied these neighborhoods. After having asked the city for help with sanitation and the workers dumping more garbage in the streets and then asking the city for the tools to clean their community on their own, they took it upon themselves to take a stand and advocate for the suffering masses. The "garbage offensive" was the first campaign that this group of people organized and executed, it is a perfect example of how their impact and efforts to make a difference were rooted in their community first. Members of the Young Lords Party spent days sweeping up the uncollected trash and relocating it to sidewalks in anticipation of sanitation workers removing it. This was to no avail, so they began placing the garbage in the middle of the streets, adding in old furniture and appliances to the mess. The Young Lords believed that the city's refusal to help them out was indicative of racism held by the city's inner-Italian-working-circle.

“Coffee grounds and discarded milk containers…Garbage is also…the squalor that surrounds burned-out buildings and rubblestone lots, which kids play in because the playgrounds have gone to seed, while rats dance and junkies shoot up. Garbage is refuse dumped into ghetto areas by unscrupulous, often mob-controlled private carting companies who sometimes drop hazardous medical and other industrial wastes while looking for a short end run.” - Pablo Guzman