Hispanic American Civil Rights

Hispanic American Civil Rights

Chicano Movement El Movimiento Intro: Terminology

Review these different groups and make sure you understand the classifications! IB Terminology • IB uses the term Hispanic because it covers the largest group – people who’s heritage is linked to Spain (essentially anyone from a Spanish- speaking country) • Please understand and be mindful that people’s own personal preferences may differ. – Ex: A person with Mexican heritage may prefer Chicano instead of Hispanic Intro & Background  A big difference in this movement is that it was Labor based! • Brainstorm these terms specific to labor and working conditions. • What does it mean to….. • Unionize? • Organize? • Strike? • Join a “grassroots” movement? • Collective bargain? • Watch this clip to learn about these terms and how they work together to ensure rights for laborers  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZwQn4G18_M Origins of Movement: Lack of rights/representation for Latino Farmers • A huge portion of Latino immigrants/citizens held positions in the agricultural sector. • The U.S. labor movement focused on industrial, urban workers – ignored farmers! • Because they were widely available, whenever a farmer would demand rights, the land owner would simply fire and replace them. • There was no representation for these Latino farmers! Their rights were not protected. During the Civil Rights period, the increase in Hispanic Farmers led to the demand for more rights!

Origins of Movement: Racial Discrimination The labor situation was also characterized by anti-Hispanic & racist attitudes of the 1940’s & 1950’s (Remember the Zoot Suit Riots???) In the southwest, Hispanics faced discrimination and were often deported in mass numbers. This region became the center of the struggle for Civil Rights. Origins of Movement: Racial Discrimination

The largest example were the Bisbee Deportations! Over 1,300 Latino miners went on strike in Bisbee, AZ to bring attention to the dangerous mining conditions. They were arrested, put on cattle cars and illegally deported (held with no food/water for 16 hours!) Origins of Movement: Racial Discrimination Throughout the Southwest, groups (like the Texas Rangers) intimidated, terrorized and lynched Latinos.

(They justified it by saying they were protecting the border During the Porvenier Massacre of 1918, the Texas during the Mexican Revolution Rangers summarily executed 15 Mexicans. – remember Pancho Villa?) Origins of Movement: Racial Discrimination

During the Great Depression, the U.S. government sponsored a Mexican Repatriation program where they deported between 500,000-2M people to Mexico. 60% of these people were U.S. citizens! Review racial discrimination and Zoot Suit Riots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxtThBTf0sI

Origins of Movement: Gov. Policies • 1933: FDR passes collective bargaining laws, but excludes farmers • 1943: Bracero Program increases Mexican immigration to U.S. to work in agriculture during WWII. • 1948: Hispanic WWII veterans organized the American G.I. Forum  combat discrimination and improve social status • 1953: Operation Wetback - U.S. Immigration Service arrests and deports 3.8 million Hispanics • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYdb_5R49XM • 1960’s: Relations with Cuba impact U.S. view of all Hispanics United Farm Worker’s (UFW) • Largest farm workers union in the nation • Founded in 1965 in CA by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta • Trained in grassroots, door-to-door, house meeting, nonviolent tactics • Organized strikes throughout the mid-1960’s (agricultural strikes in rose, grape, melon, lettuce & pesticide industries) • Demanded better working conditions, improved sanitation, increased wages, end to discrimination & right to collectively bargain.

Cesar Chavez • Aimed to empower working class by encouraging them to become politically active • His public-relations approach and nonviolent tactics made the farm workers' struggle a moral cause with nationwide support. • By the late 1970s, his tactics forced land owners to recognize the UFW as the bargaining agent for 50,000 field workers. • His birthday, March 31, is a federal commemorative holiday (Cesar Chavez Day).

Cesar Chavez

• To learn more about Chavez’s background, inspiration and impact on the movement, watch this clip  • https://www.youtube .com/watch?v=Wznw 9TA2jXk Dolores Huerta • As an elementary teacher, Huerta saw that students (many were children of farm workers) lived in poverty without food or other basic necessities. • Worked to improve social and economic conditions for farm workers, children and to fight job discrimination • Experienced with unions and organizing • Lobbied politicians on many issues (allowing migrant workers to receive public assistance and creating Spanish-language voting ballots and driver's tests) • She helped pass several reforms including the CA Labor Relations Act. In 1972, during Cesar Chavez's 25-day fast in Phoenix, Arizona, Dolores Huerta, came up with the slogan “Si Se Puede!” Roughly translated to “yes we can” – this became the motto of the movement. Dolores Huerta

• Watch this video and describe Huerta’s impact on the movement  • https://www.youtub e.com/watch?v=cxX 89_ZpP2w Huerta became the first Latina inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama in 2012! She remains active in politics today and was even honored by the state of California with the establishment of “Dolores Huerta Day” on April 10th! UFW: Chavez & Huerta The two activists made a great team! Chavez was the face of the movement – a dynamic speaker and leader; Huerta worked behind the political scenes as a skilled organizer and tough negotiator. Delano Grape Strike (CA) • Record grape harvest in 1965  farm workers demanded union representation in order to negotiate a pay raise. • Grape growers refused, and instead, arrested workers • Workers sought help from Chávez and UFW – Multi-ethnic movement; also included Filipino Farmers! • 2,000 workers went on strike from September 1965-July 1970 • Through grassroots efforts— consumer boycotts, marches, community organizing and nonviolent resistance—the movement gained national attention • In the end, the UFW succeeded in reaching a collective bargaining agreement with the grape growers (positively impacted more than 10,000 farm workers!)

Watch this video about the causes and tactics of the strike  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v =HXgorh4taF4

Salad Bowl Strike • Lettuce farmers went on strike in 1970 • Directly led to passing of CA Agricultural Labor Relations Act. East L.A. Walkouts; 1968 • Series of student-led protests against Los Angeles high schools • Citywide walkouts and protests brought attention to unequal treatment by the school district; for example: • Students were punished for speaking Spanish • Overcrowded classrooms • High drop out rate • Hispanic students were actively discouraged from going to college • Lack of quality education and opportunities • Walkout participants were subjected to police brutality • They created a list of demands; which included academic, administrative, and facility improvements.

East L.A. Walkouts • Students organized with help from a teacher & activist, Sal Castro. • Following the large number of students involved with the protest, the attention of the school board was gained, and they agreed to negotiate with students and meet their demands.

Read the demands here: http://latinopia.com/latino-history/ela-high- school-walk-out-demands/ Art of the Movement This Chavez mural is in South Tucson! Achievements in Movement • 1974: Lau v. Nichols ruled educational programs cannot be denied to students because of their inability to speak or understand English. • 1974: Equal Educational Opportunity Act made bilingual education available in public schools • Important in equalizing education and decreasing drop-out rates • 1975: Congress expands the Voting Rights Act to require language assistance at polling stations • 1975: CA Agricultural Labor Relations Act legalized collective bargaining to settle agricultural labor disputes (largely in part to Grape Strike and Huerta’s lobbying efforts) • This allowed unions to bargain for better working conditions (a huge goal of the movement!)  regulations on working age, pay, hours, contracts Review

• Overview of the Movement & it’s achievements: – https://www.youtu be.com/watch?v=v G8Cwl7bhpk U.S.-Mexican Trade Relations • Watch this video about current U.S.-Mexican trade relations and answer the question on the wkst  • https://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=VMsaxS8pyj w PBS documentary (55 mins) • If you want to learn more about the movement (or are bored during quarantine), check out this documentary! • https://www.pbs.org/video/latino-americans- episode-5-prejudice-and-pride/