The Many Roots and Branches of the Chicano Movement

1
The Many Roots and Branches of the Chicano
Movement
2
Major Themes

• Although progress had been made prior to the
  Chicano Movement, Mexicans in the U.S. were still
  much poorer than white Americans, and segregation
  persisted in some schools, neighborhoods and
  public facilities.
• Many white Americans, from academics to
  politicians and journalists, expressed surprise
  when they realized Chicanos were beginning to
  protest their conditions publicly.
• Currents of confrontational protest and
  anti-assimilation existed throughout the 20th
  century in Mexican communities, but they rose to
  predominance during the Chicano Movement.
• The Chicano Movement emerged from a diverse array
  of political issues that were sometimes
  contradictory.
• Many Chicano Movement leaders had prior
  experience advocating for change in the late
  1950s and early 1960s.
• The Black Civil Rights Movement (1955-1974) and
  opposition to the War in Vietnam( 1961-1975) were
  an important context for the rise of the Chicano
  Movement.

3
Key Questions

• Why did the Chicano Movement occur?
• When did the Movement begin? When did it end?
• Was the Chicano Movement a continuation of
  previous efforts during the Mexican-American
  generation? Or was it a rejection of the
  strategies of the Mexican-American activists?
• How can we define the Chicano Movement? What
  were the politics of the Chicano Movement?

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Economic Results of Continued Segregation
Source Leo Grebler, The Mexican American People,
as quoted in Acuna pg. 287.
5
The Demise of the Bracero Program
From left clockwise Labor organizer and academic
Ernesto Galarza, California Senator George Murphy
and California Congressman Edward Roybal speaking
at a rally.
6
United Farm Workers
From the left clockwise Cesar Chavez on the
cover of Time Magazine in 1969, Dolores Huerta
speaking to workers on the Delano strike lines in
1966, Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta at the
funeral of UFW member Juan de la Cruz killed
during the second grape strike in 1973.
7
Delano Grape Strike
On left Delano striker pleading with other farm
workers to join the strike. Top right a picket
line in Delano, in the foreground are workers who
were not yet on strike, the picketers carry signs
saying Huelga which means strike. Bottom
right a picket line in Delano with many Filipino
strikers.
8
UFW and Public Support
From upper left clockwise Grape Boycott and UFW
support actions in Montreal, Canada Honolulu,
Rhode Island, Boston, Milwaukee and Seattle all
between 1967 and 1970.
9
UFW and La Causa
From Upper Right Clockwise Fence painted by UFW
supporters in Delano, CA 1967 Supporters of the
UFW in Wautoma, Wisconsin, 1968 who later
organized other Chicano Movement activities in
Milwaukee advertisement in the Silverton-Appeal
Tribune Mt. Angel News 9/11/80 for the Colegio
Cesar Chavez located in Mt. Angel, Oregon from
1973-1983.
10
Education and the Movement
From Top Left Clockwise Chicano Student High
School Blowouts Los Angeles-1968 article from
the Los Angeles Times about the 1968 Chicano
Blowouts Crystal City, TX High School Blowout,
1969 Students Protest Police Presence at Los
Angeles High School 1970 Sal Castro, 1970.
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Education and the Movement
On Upper Left Los Angeles Blowouts 1968 Bottom
Left Parents speak to Los Angeles School Board
in favor of student protestors in 1970 On Right
Chicano Students march from their high school to
Board of Education offices in Los Angeles
12
Higher Education and the Movement
From Upper Left Clockwise Chicana students at
Colorado State University in Pueblo, Colorado
protest in 1970s Francisco Martinez a member of
the university group United Mexican American
Students (UMAS) speaking to high school students
in 1968 Newspaper article from Seattle
discussing the decision of a University of
Washington chapter of UMAS to become MEChA A
Chicano Studies class taught by Raul Ruiz in
1983, Ruiz had been a key Chicano Movement
activist.
13
Chicano Youth Liberation Conference
From Top Left Clockwise Rodolfo Corky Gonzalez
speaking in Denver in early 1970s March to the
Capitol building that took place at the end of
the Chicano Youth Liberation Conference Cover of
the 1972 mass market edition of the epic poem Yo
Soy Joaquin the poet Alurista circa 1970.
14
Chicano Moratorium on the Vietnam War
All photographs from the Chicano Moratorium on
the Vietnam War August 29, 1970.
15
The Death of Ruben Salazar
On upper left Photo outside the Silver Dollar
Bar just prior to Salazars death On upper
right Ruben Salazar On bottom left An Chicano
Anti- War March in Seattle in 1971, note the call
to Remember Reuben Salazar on the left of the
banner. Despite the spelling the intent was to
memorialize Salazar, a sentiment that was
widespread amongst Chicanos.
16
Many Branches Defining the Chicano Movement
From Left Clockwise an example of Chicano
Movement art, etching by Esther Hernandez
entitled Liberty Boy protesting the
imprisonment of members of the New Mexico
organization La Alianza Federal de Mercedes
members of La Raza Unida Party supporting their
candidate for the governor of Texas Ramsey Muniz
members of Catolicos por La Raza in 1969.
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Further Reading
Donato, Rubén. The Other Struggle for Equal
Schools Mexican Americans During the Civil
Rights Era. Albany, NY State University of
New York Press, 1997. Gonzales, Rodolfo. Message
to Aztlán Selected Writings of Rodolfo "Corky"
Gonzales. Houston, Tex Arte Público Press,
2001. Gutierrez, Jose Angel. The Making of a
Chicano Militant Lessons from Cristal. Madison,
Wis University of Wisconsin Press,
1998. Gutiérrez, José Angel. We Won't Back Down
Severita Lara's Rise from Student Leader to
Mayor. Houston, Tex Piñata Books,
2005. Haney-López, Ian. Racism on Trial The
Chicano Fight for Justice. Harvard University
Press, 2004. Levy, Jacques E. Cesar Chavez
Autobiography of La Causa. 1st ed. Minneapolis
University of Minnesota Press, 2007. Mariscal,
George. Brown-Eyed Children of the Sun Lessons
from the Chicano Movement, 1965-1975.
Albuquerque University of New Mexico Press,
2005. Martinez, Richard Edward. PADRES The
National Chicano Priest Movement. 1st ed. Austin
University of Texas Press, 2005. Muñoz, Carlos.
Youth, Identity, Power The Chicano Movement.
Rev. and expanded ed. London Verso,
2007. Pulido, Laura. Black, Brown, Yellow, and
Left Radical Activism in Los Angeles. Berkeley
University of California Press, 2006. Salazar,
Ruben. Border Correspondent Selected Writings,
1955-1970. Berkeley University of California
Press, 1995. San Miguel, Guadalupe. Brown, Not
White School Integration and the Chicano
Movement in Houston. College Station Texas AM
University Press, 2001. Treviño, Jesús Salvador.
Eyewitness A Filmmaker's Memoir of the Chicano
Movement. Houston, Tex Arte Publico Press,
2001. Vigil, Ernesto B. The Crusade for Justice
Chicano Militancy and the Government's War on
Dissent. Madison University of Wisconsin Press,
1999.