America: Hispanic Rights Flashcards
Who fits into the category of ‘Hispanic Americans’?
Americans with a Spanish speaking background
Where did Hispanic Americans live?
They tended to cluster together in different parts of the country
Generalisation:
Puerto Ricans in northern cities e.g. New York and Chicago
Cubans in Florida, Mexicans in Texas or california
What was the bracero program?
Mexican immigration program ran by the US government 1942-64
4.6 million contracts were signed allowing mexicans to work on US land for a set time period
4 main issues for Hispanic Americans
Land
Workers rights
Discrimination
Deportation
Explain land as an issue for Hispanic Americans
American- Mexican war (1846-48) was ended by the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
It settled the border between the US and Mexico
Mexicans living in America, could relocate to mexico or become US citizens
Issues of land rights in what became New Mexico
Explain workers rights as an issue for Hispanic Americans
They often lived in appalling conditions and working conditions
When workers returned after WW2, farmers had a ‘take it or leave it’ attitude
Most workers had no unions and there was a large pool of illegal migrant workers to call on
Explain discrimination as an issue that Hispanic Americans faced
Same racial discrimination as African Americans
Spanish-speaking areas often became the worst parts of town with poor government provisions
Explain deportation as an issue Hispanic Americans faced
From 1953, the Us immigration services, deported millions of Hispanic people
3.8 million, including US citizens active in protest
Operation wetback 1953-58
Hispanic rights events in 1960
The term ‘Chicano’ begins to become popular with young Mexican American civil rights activists
The chicano movement embodies a celebration m=of Mexican art and culture but also the fight for rights
Hispanic rights events -1962
Cesar chavez and dolores Huerta organise the National Farm Workers Association in Delano, California
It became the United Farm Workers
The union joined with a strike started by Filipino grape pickers in Delano
Hispanic American rights -1963
Group of parents formed the Mexican American Education Committee in east Los Angeles
What did the Mexican American Education committee do?
They called for boards of education in the area to recognise the children’s language and culture
They wanted spanish taught, alongside Mexican history and literature
Recruitment of bilingual teachers and counsellors etc
Who was Rodolfo Gonzales?
He was appointed director of Denver’s war on poverty program in 1965
What role did Rodolfo Gonzales have in the Hispanic rights movement
He created the crusade for justice in 1966
What was the crusade for justice?
An organisation stressing the importance of racial identity and the need to fight for Hispanic rights by direct action
Inspired urban youth and emphasised the importance of community unity and action
When and what was the national grape boycott?
1965
Cesar Chavez and dolores huerta and the UFW began it
They targeted Schenley Industries and Di Giorgio Corporation
The boycott became one of the most significant social justice movements for farm workers in the US
What was the Cuban American Adjustment Act and when was it?
1966
It allowed Cubans to live in the usa as permanent residents if they had lived there for at least a year
Wasn’t offered to any other immigrant groups then or since
What movement emerged in 1966?
‘Brown power’ movement
Reies Tijerina was the leader of ‘alianza’, a militant group that organised protests, camp ins etc
Who was Eugene Gonzales?
California state assistant superintendent
What did Eugene Gonzales do in 1966-67?
Him and his research team surveyed 896 California school districts and found 86% lacked programmed fo students with limited English
68% failed to conduction regular conferences with MA teachers and parents
80% had inadequate financial resources to serve immigration children
What was done about the deficiencies found by Eugene Gonzales?
Educational reformers in california organise a series of conferences focusing on education of Mexican Americans
What did the UFW do in 1966?
The March from Delano-Sacramento arriving 25 days later on Easter Sunday
Hispanic American events in 1967
The Mexican American Legal defence and education (MALDEF) is founded and becomes a major advocate for latino civil rights, including equal access to a quality education
What caused a massive student walk out in 1968?
Chicano students in east LA wanted a better education, they presented a list of demands to the LA unified school district board of education
The board failed to act and students, college activist, a high school teacher organised a massive strike
Thousands of students walked out from 5 schools
Ended after a week of violent police crackdown
consequences of student walk out in 1968
13 chicano leaders arrested, including the teacher, sal castro, who was banned from teaching
Students picketed at the district HQ and then a sit in, which lasted 7 days until he was reinstated
A number of college prep and acedemic courses set up
Bilingual education act
Passed after a 3 year effort by the national education association
Mandated school districts with a sizeable spanish population to provide special programes
Hispanic American rights even in 1970
The california grape growers signed a contract with the UFW after losing millions of dollars
And agreed to grant worker rights and raise minimum wage
Hispanic American event. In 1974
Willie Velasquez established the southwest voter registration and Educaiton project, registers more than 2 million latino voters in the first 20 years of operation
Hispanic American rights event in 1975
Congress voted to expand the voting rights act to require language assistance at polling stations
After complaints about discrimination in the polls
Increased Latino participation in voting
Discuss the gains and limitations of the Hispanic rights movement
Legal acceptance slowly coming, but it wasn’t til 1954 they were ruled as equal by the Supreme Court
No other immigrant group had equal to the Cuban adjustment
Expanded voting rights act for them in 1975
The Chaves campaign made significant difference to conditions of farm workers
Local campaigning improved education
Level of change varied between places
Land issues raised by protestors weren’t settled
