NPS Form 10-900-b OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form This form is used for documenting property groups relating to one or several historic contexts. See instructions in National Register Bulletin How to Complete the Multiple Property Documentation Form (formerly 16B). Complete each item by entering the requested information. _______ New Submission ___X___ Amended Submission DRAFT A. Name of Multiple Property Listing Latinos in Twentieth Century California B. Associated Historic Contexts (Name each associated historic context, identifying theme, geographical area, and chronological period for each.) Making a Nation Making a Life Making a Living Making a Democracy Chicano Moratorium in Los Angeles County [NEW] C. Form Prepared by: Teresa Grimes, Laura O'Neill, Elysha Paluszek, and Becky Nicolaides, GPA Consulting 617 S. Olive Street, Suite 910, Los Angeles, CA 90014 [email protected] (310) 792-2690, June 2014; Revised November 2014 William Burg, Historian II, California State Office of Historic Preservation 1725 23rd Street, Suite 100, Sacramento, CA 95816 [email protected] (916) 445-7004, August 2016 [Latinos in the Arts: Murals and Artwork] Teresa Grimes and Becky Nicolaides, GPA Consulting, September 2019 [Chicano Moratorium] D. Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, I hereby certify that this documentation form meets the National Register documentation standards and sets forth requirements for the listing of related properties consistent with the National Register criteria. This submission meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR 60 and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation. _______________________________ ________________________________ _________________________ Signature of certifying official Title Date California State Office of Historic Preservation State or Federal Agency or Tribal government I hereby certify that this multiple property documentation form has been approved by the National Register as a basis for evaluating related properties for listing in the National Register. ________________________________ __________________________________ Signature of the Keeper Date of Action NPS Form 10-900-b OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Latinos in Twentieth Century California California Name of Multiple Property Listing State Table of Contents Page Numbers Section E. Statement of Historic Contexts 1 I. Introduction 1 II. Making a Nation 2 A. Latino Immigration and Settlement 2 B. Latinos in the Media 17 III. Making a Life 29 A. Religion and Spirituality in Latino Culture 29 B. Latinos in Sports 42 C. Latinos in the Arts 53 IV. Making a Living 68 A. Latinos in Labor History 68 B. Business and Commerce in Latino Communities 91 C. Latinos in the Military 98 V. Making a Democracy 108 A. Latino Struggles for Inclusion 108 VI. Chicano Moratorium in Los Angeles County 132 Section F. Associated Property Types 150 Section G. Geographical Data 181 Section H. Summary of Identification and Evaluation Methods 182 Section I. Major Bibliographic References 187 NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior Latinos in Twentieth CenturyPut California Here National Park Service Name of Property Multiple Counties, California County and State National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number E Page 1 Section E. Statement of Historic Contexts I. Introduction This Multiple Property Documentation Form (MPDF) documents the history of Latinos in twentieth century California and provides a framework for the nomination of associated properties to the National Register of Historic Places. The term Latino generally refers to anyone of Latin American origin. It emerged in the twentieth century as immigration from Central and South America grew. It is differentiated from the term Hispanic, which refers mostly to persons of Spanish-speaking ancestry, including Spain. The term Latino was used in this MPDF instead of Hispanic to emphasize the shared history of people from the Americas rather than Europe. When the Latinos MPDF was originally written, Latino was used as a gender neutral term, with some occasional use of Latina/o. As the Chicano Moratorium context was developed, there was more frequent use of Latina/o and Chicana/o—generally referring to persons of Mexican descent. The language has continued to evolve, with Latinx and Chicanx coming into use. While the Latino population in California is diverse, it has historically been dominated by Mexican Americans. Despite the fact that California was settled by the Spanish in the eighteenth century and governed by Mexico during part of the nineteenth century, the Mexican American population of California remained relatively small until the twentieth century. When California joined the union in 1850, the existing Mexican population became American citizens. Los Angeles immediately became the largest Mexican American city in the United States. Mexican Americans throughout California lost land, status, and power over the subsequent decades. They were also quickly outnumbered by a surge of migrants from the Midwest and East Coast. Mexican immigration to California began to increase at the beginning of the twentieth century as large numbers arrived to escape the violence of the Mexican Revolution. Despite changes to U.S. immigration policies in 1917, 1921, and again in 1924, the U.S.-Mexican border remained relatively porous and the demand for labor in the U.S. fueled Mexican immigration. Soon Latinos comprised the backbone of the state’s workforce and permanent Mexican neighborhoods began to form. The formation of Latino neighborhoods, most often referred to as barrios in urban areas and colonias in rural areas, fostered the development of community activities, churches, mutual aid societies, sports teams, and small businesses. During the Great Depression, Latinos became the scapegoats for the economic hardships faced by millions of Americans. Regardless of their citizenship, they were viewed as unwelcome competitors for employment and government assistance programs. As a result, both individual states and the U.S. government began to pass laws to discourage hiring of Mexican workers and to encourage their deportation. Despite the distrust that Latinos developed for the U.S. government and law enforcement during this period, they responded to the call to serve their country during World War II in large numbers. The industrial expansion brought about during the war allowed Latinos to gain entry to occupations that had been closed to them in the past. NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior Latinos in Twentieth CenturyPut California Here National Park Service Name of Property Multiple Counties, California County and State National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number E Page 2 Even though they were relegated to the lower echelon of the economy and discriminated against in access to housing and education, the postwar era was generally positive for Latinos. The G.I. Bill of Rights provided veterans with subsidies for education and loans to start businesses and buy houses, which allowed more Latinos the opportunity to join the middle class. World War II as well as Korean War veterans laid the groundwork for the Latino civil rights movement by founding a variety of organizations including the Unity Leagues, the Community Service Organization, and the Mexican American Political Association. The Chicano movement of the 1960s gave rise to increased political representation in subsequent decades. Although the agenda of the movement was primarily political and social reform, it also generated a cultural renaissance in art, music, theater, and literature. Since the 1970s, other Spanish- speaking immigrants, especially Guatemalans, Nicaraguans, and Salvadorans, have joined Mexican Americans in California. Latinos are now the largest ethnic group in California. II. Making a Nation A. Latino Immigration and Settlement Latino Immigration in California Before 1900 Latino immigration in the United States is predominantly viewed as a twentieth century phenomenon due to the large numbers of people from Mexico, South, and Central America who settled in this country during the period. California experienced small waves of Latino immigration, primarily from Mexico, beginning in the mid-nineteenth century. Mexicans were drawn to the state, like many others, by the prospect of gold. An estimated 10,000 Mexicans came to California during the Gold Rush that began in 1848, just two years after California became a U.S. territory and two years before official statehood.1 While many gold prospectors from Mexico returned to their home country after finding only limited success, if any at all, some remained and others began to join them. By 1900, at least 100,000 Mexicans had migrated to the U.S.; over 8,000 of them settled in California.2 The earliest Mexican immigrants found work on the railroads and in agriculture, mining, and construction. They lived in camps or company towns near their places of employment. Railroads expanded in the second half of the 1800s throughout the U.S., especially in the West, resulting in an economic boom, and technological developments in agriculture