How And Why Did Minority Rights Become Significant, 1960-80? Flashcards
What was ‘termination’?
Policy by which Native Americans were freed from federal control and protected by US federal and state laws
Tribal lands would now be open to sale
Resisted by many
Later ruling said needed tribes consent
Issue of tribal homelands for Native Americans
Federal govt made treaties (many by force) with tribes
Giving land and money for their removal
Many wanted to return after treaties made
Issue of self determination for Native Americans
Tribes independent nations
Ran own affairs under control of BIA and in own reservations
Setting up of Indian Boarding schools: speak English, cut hair, dress in ‘proper’ clothes, give up native customs
Organised protest of Native Americans
1968: Indian Civil Rights Act banned tribes from restricting the civil rights of tribal members
American Indian Movement (AIM) more liberal, young, radical, used sit ins and demonstrations, issue of homelands and demeaning of culture, ‘Red Power’
National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) worked with the system
Gains and limitations to Native Americans
Nixon sympathised
Rejected termination and forced assimilation
Advisors consulted tribal leaders
Nixon brought bills to Congress for Indian autonomy
1972 Indian Education Act (help to tribal schools)
1974 Indian Financing Act (lent tribes funding)
1975 Indian Self Determination Act (kept BIA but contracted services if health and education)
What was the bracero programme?
Mexican immigration programme run by US govt
Mexicans signed contracts to work and guaranteed level of housing and working conditions
Support for Native Americans
Govt policies managed by Bureau of Indian Affairs
Roosevelt reversed trend of assimilation under Indian New Deal
After Roosevelt, became assimilation again
Issue of land for Hispanic Americans
American- Mexican war settled border between USA and Mexico
Issue of land rights in what became New Mexico became a focus of protest
Issue of workers’ rights for Hispanic Americans
Hispanic farm workers, particularly of the bracero programme often had appalling living and working conditions
Most workers had no unions
Large pool of illegal migrant workers
Issue of discrimination for Hispanic Americans
Hispanics faced the same problems of racial discrimination as Barack Americans
Lived in Spanish speaking areas
Worst parts of town
Poor govt provision
Issue of deportation for Hispanic Americans
US immigration services from 1953 onwards deported millions of Hispanic people
Operation Wetback
What was operation wetback?
US govt drive
Find illegal immigrants and return to Mexico
Cesar Chavez
Rights of farm workers
Focus of working conditions
Farm workers’ union and organised strikes, marches and protests
Reies Lopez Tijerina
Protests about Mexican land rights in New Mexico
Held marches, mass demonstrations and camp-ins on National Forest land
Worked with Black power leaders
Rodolfo Gonzales
Focus on race Hispanic rights within the system Director of Denver War on Poverty Campaign More radical methods Crusade for Justice
Work through political influence
La Raza Unida party to encourage Hispanics to vote
Campaigned for better work, housing and education
Brown Berets
Young, militant organisation
Wore uniform and beret
Campaigned against police brutality and led school walk outs
Gains and limitations legally Hispanic
Legal acceptance slow coming
1954 Hispanic Americans ruled as equal citizens
1966 congress Cuban american adjustment act all those living for one year were permanent residents
Limited English Proficient (LEP) lead to 1974 Equal Opportunities Act
1975 Voting Rights Act extension provided language assistance at polling stations
Gains and limitations of campaigns Hispanic
Chavez’s campaign made significant difference to conditions for farmers
Local campaigning did improve schools and housing
Land issues raised have still not been settled
Why were gay people discriminated against?
Not part of a visible racial group
‘Lavender Scare’ ran parallel to ‘Red Scare’ to root out homosexuals
Not decriminalised across US until 2003
The formation of the gay rights movement
Incident at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village in 1969
Police raided the bar, supposedly due to liquor licensing laws but actually as it was known as a gay bar
Something snapped when a police man was too rough
400 fought back by throwing things and yelling at the police
Several nights following there were protests and clashes with the police
Creation of the Gay Liberation Front
Development of the Gay Liberation Front
Set up following Stonewall Inn
Public support and the liberal climate of the late 60s and 70s meant that the gay rights movement expanded very rapidly
People discovered that people whom they liked and knew were gay
Early resistance to Gay Liberation
Certain groups very anti gay such as the KKK
Rural ‘Bible Belt’ religious fundamentalism
Success of Gay Liberation
Kathy Kozachenko first openly gay candidate elected to public office
Harvey Milk elected to public office and supported many minority groups rights
Open stand against proposition 6
First gay official to admit his sexuality affect politics and private life
What was Proposition 6?
Law proposed in California to ban gays, lesbians and supporters of their rights from working in state funded schools in California
Gains and limitations of gay liberation
Gay support at federal level slow coming
Gay pressure in some states led to positive gay initiatives at state and local level
1979-81 gov. Of California appointed four openly gay judges
1980 gay teenage boy allowed to bring male date to prom
1970 Conservative backlash
Anita Bryan sets up Save Our Children
Groups projected image of gay men preying in the young
Proposition 6 (Briggs initiative)
