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

Separated: Children at the Border (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

This page has annotations:

Contents of this annotation:
1. Separated: Children at the Border (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

This page is referenced by:

Separation of Children at the Border

In 2014, many minors felt a need to escape their native countries, like El Salvador, in hopes of escaping violence and finding a new beginning. Specifically in El Salvador, there was a war between the 18th Street Gang and the police. Consequently, it became a new normal for children and adults to find dead bodies lying around and to no longer be able to attain an education. These factors further encouraged minors to find ways to escape this lifestyle. Therefore, their grueling journey to the United States began by dangerously hopping on a moving train, known as The Beast, that traveled from Central America to the Mexican-American border. It was reported that people lost limbs or even died from attempting to get on the train. If people were able to successfully get on, they still had the risk of getting robbed by gang members and/or raped. Even though the journey was extremely unsafe, they believed it was worth risking their lives than staying in El Salvador.
Thus, the United States began to notice the number of unaccompanied children skyrocket leading to different opinions regarding what actions should be conducted. During this time, Obama's administration was blamed for luring children into the country. They quickly shut down the possibility of separating kids from detention centers because they thought it was inhumane. Thus, he mandated an act that permitted children to stay with family living in the United States, while their case was being reviewed. Because of this, many Americans began forming different opinions and criticized the lack of action that Obama was doing. In response to this, there was an increase in anti-immigration sentiment. Mike Vickers, for instance, reveals how he purposefully put up an electric fence to deter immigrants from wanting to cross onto his property. Additionally, he would capture graphic images, print them, and laminate them to show it to immigration officers. However, once Trump took the presidency, he decided to be more stringent with immigration policies. He implemented a zero tolerance policy where children were separated from their parents and sent to detention centers.

In these detention centers, there were a number of reportings that revealed the living conditions that these children had to undergo. These facilities were commonly referred to as an "ice box" because of the extremely low temperatures that they were set at. Additionally, 80% of children had inadequate amounts of food and water. They were all packed into confined metal cells that almost looked like they were animals in cages. Michelle Brané, a women's refugee commission, went into the facilities to interview the children. She exposes how there were over 500 kids from the age of infancy to teenagers in the centers. When she asked immigration officers for certain individuals, they had no idea who they were. There was no supervision among children, especially those under the age of 2. A video surfaced the internet in which a young girl begged to call her aunt and see her father, but she was just ignored with no remorse on the inhumane actions they were conducting.
Furthermore, this detrimental act has created long lasting psychological impacts on children. For one, they were reported to have acted different post separation from parents in detention centers. Children who experienced this trauma commonly indicated signs of losing temperament quicker, being more quiet, or cried more often. This indicates the impact that it had on children where they no longer acted the same. Additionally, these children developed separation anxiety; in which, they could no longer perform individual tasks, such as going to school. This could be explained through the posttraumatic stress disorder they developed from fearing separation.