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

Roosevelt hs sign

This page is referenced by:

East LA Blowouts of 1968 The East LA Blowouts were a series of walkouts conducted in 1968 across multiple high school and demonstrated by Chicano/a students who were backed by the Brown Berets in order to create awareness towards the discrimination and racism they were receiving by their teachers and admin. While at first the blowouts initiated many arrests and created a lot of controversy, the legacy and impact were crucial not only for future generations of Chicano/a students but also for other students of color as it allowed students to freely feel comfortable in schools regardless of their ethnicity and culture. Los Angeles has long been home to many generations of Chicanos/as dating back as early as the 1950s. According to britannica.com, 75% of the student population in East LA were Latino, estimating to be at around 130,000 students during the 50s and 60s. Unfortunately, schools in this area consisted with teachers who did not meet the standards of educational excellence and poor classroom planning, often leading to overcrowding. Furthermore, these schools did not encourage academic excellence towards its students and created a dangerous space where these students who wanted to succeed couldn't due to the racist remarks brought by teachers, administrators, and their White classmates. This would eventually lead disgruntled Chicano/a students wanting to rebel against LAUSD and attempt to create a change in their educational experience, not only for them but for future generations of Chicano/a students.

Because of the unfair educational treatment brought by their teachers in public schools, Chicano/a students decided to revolt together in order to create awareness about their educational experience in these schools with ambitious goals to be taken seriously as students rather than as "savages" or "animals" like what society thought them to be. So beginning March 1,1968, over 15,000 Chicano/a students, faculty, and community members from LAUSD decided to walk out from 7 different high schools with them being: Belmont, Garfield, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Wilson, and Venice High Schools. The reasons for these walkouts were due to the treatment these students were getting in schools which included being recommend to take vocational courses rather than pursuing college and taking advanced academic courses, the humiliation Chicano/a students would receive from teachers if they spoke Spanish which consisted of being spanked with a wooden paddle in front of the class, and also the racism they were getting from society as they were reaching a breaking point. Other reasons for the walkouts happening were also to create awareness about the 60% high school dropout rate for Chicano/a students and the lack of representation in school curriculum and faculty with a small percentage of teachers and administrators being Chicano/a.

Backed by the Brown Berets and Mexican-American social studies teacher Sal Castro who was teaching at Lincoln High School, the walkouts lasted from March 1-8 and students were determined to meet some of their demands with LAUSD which consisted of hiring more Chicanos/as as teachers and administrators in these schools, including bilingual education and the inclusion of Mexican-American culture and history in the school curriculum. All three parties drew inspiration from the Watts Riots of 1965 in Los Angeles which was a racial conflict between a majority White filled LAPD and Black residents. Knowing the importance of culture and understanding the unfair educational treatment Chicano/a students were receiving compared to their White classmates, Sal Castro knew it was important to make a call to action and sponsor the walkout because without a teacher backing the complaints from students then it's possible that these walkouts could have gone nowhere. The Brown Berets were a social-justice organization founded by Chicano youth during the late 1960s. Drawing inspiration from the Black Panther movement around the same time of its inception, Chicano/a students knew it was important for them to represent their community in the same way members of the Black Panther party were doing. In similar fashion to the Black Panther party, the Brown Berets focused on social justice issues, the lack of resources towards the Latino community such as healthcare inequality, and also police brutality-- eventually being labeled as "radical" by the US Government and LAPD just like their sister organization.

While the immediate outcomes were negative and resulted in the arrests of the 13 organizers of the walkouts, including Sal Castro for "disturbing the peace", the lasting effects and legacy proved otherwise. The movement influenced Chicano/a organizations and clubs across college campuses and to this day, the East LA Walkouts of 1968 is still considered as the largest student protest in student history and this is proof that when the community comes together, change can happen. Sal Castro was later reinstated by the school after being fired for his involvement and arrest and this is more proof that unity within the community is important because it was the parents that pushed for his reinstatement. Although the entire list of demands the students presented were not met, the change in educational treatment was significant and can be still seen today with more Latino/a students attending universities. In conclusion, the East LA walkouts demonstrated resilience, unity, and change--without this dedication, who knows how the school system would look today.