Minority Rights 1960-80 Flashcards
Treaties for Native Americans
In 19th century white colonials expanded into mainland America, native Americans were persecuted. Many removed in the 1830 India Removal Act
Federal Government arranged treaties with the tribes to provide alternative land or money for the land- usually inferior or unsuitable
After CRM Native Americans reignited their claim for equality and take back their territories , right for self determination
BIA begin to press Native Americans into modernizing their ways to relocate to towns and cities and undertake job training
Eligible for these opportunities however, the Native Americans had to accept the policy of ‘Termination.’
Many resisted this till 1970 around half of 830,000 natives living in towns/cities
Organised protests by Natives
By 1960s government had to agree that NA treated unfairly. Campaigns began for fairer treaties and return to homelands
BIA began to interfere more as the years progressed and created Indian Culture Schools to teach only in English and students were forced to wear proper clothes and cut their hair
Led to widespread resentment of BIA by the Natives
Native Indian Movement
Main Civil Rights group= National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) similar to NAACP OR SNCC worked within the government system to avoid radicalism
American Indian Movement (AIM) very anti federal and young Indians who had not experienced tribal life and the slogan was ‘Red Power’ adopted tactics of Black CRM of ‘sit ins’
Small groups such as Alcatraz Red Power Movement (ARPM) contributed to change
NIXON SUPPORTED CAUSE
Acts for Native Americans- Education, Finance, Self Det
- 1972 India Education Act funding for tribal schools
- 1974 Indian Financing Act lend tribes money to build houses and improv settlements
- 1975 the Indian Self Determination Act was passed which allowed the Natives to control own healthcare and education
1975 Voting Rights Act granted vote
Nixon did not reform BIA though
Some tribes large gains others received nothing
Hispanic Civil Rights- Background to why needed
Overshadow Black CRM yet had much in common
Mexican Americans had been subject to discrimination since the war between USA and Mexico 1846-48. USA successful forced Mexico to sign the Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo, which ceded Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and Colorado to USA
Hispanic CRM
Community service organization founded in 1959
CSO led to Mexican American Political Association
Mexican American Legal Defence and Educational Fund founded 1968
United Farm Worked to improve wages and conditions for Hispanic Americans
President Johnson established the Cabinet Committee on Opportunity for the Spanish Speaking
Discrimination faced by Hispanics
Widespread segregation, public facilities and prejudice
Mexicans suffered resentment and found work on farms and worked for white men
Due to US governmental initiative called Bracero Programme Mexican immigration drive in which Mexicans signed to work in USA for set period of time in return for housing and working conditions
4.6 Mil Bracero contracts signed
Hispanic Civil Rights Movement- 4 key areas
Campaign for equality among Hispanics covered four key areas:
- Land
- Workers Rights
- Discrimination
- Deportation
‘Chicano’ became preferred term of Mexican people born in US
CRM Hispanic Activism- Names
Cesar Chavez- Campaigned for workers rights and set up National Farm Workers Association. Non violence and organised strikes, marches, protests and hunger strikes (Gandhi)
Brown Berets and Young Lords- Modelled on Black Panthers militancy, worn uniforms and campaigned against Police Brutality and aimed to improve conditions for school children
Extreme= Rejes Lopez Tijerina and Rodolfo Gonzalez fought against land rights and discrimination respectively and although peaceful initially were willing to resort to violence if need and not quick enough
Gains and Limitations= Federal Intervention para- Hispanics
Progress slow:
1954- Supreme Court ruled Hispanics equal citizens
1966- Cuban American Adjustment Act granted citizenship for Citizens who had lived in USA more than a year (no Hispanics given this right)
1968: Mexican League Defence and Education fund set up to fund and pursue civil rights in courts
1973: Equal provision of Education granted some states
1974: Equal Opportunities Act led to bilingual teaching in schools
1975: Voting Rights Act
Chavez’s working conditions gained significant improvements and degree of success in local level at schools and housing
Similar to Black CRM success varied between states
Gay Rights Movement
Unlike other minority not see as visible race in society
Treated similar discrimination somewhat ‘invisible’ led to fear among American’s same as Communism an ‘Invisible disease’
1948 phycologists stated that homosexuality’s ‘mental illness’- Congress supported till 1950
‘Lavender Scare’ ran alongside ‘Red Scare’ to root out homosexuals leading for people to lose jobs and forced to relocate
The Lavender Scare
1950 Senate Report titled Employment of Homosexuals and Other Sex Perverts in Government’ investigated employers sexual orientation
Report stated homosexuality a mental illness and ‘security risk’ to nation. Those engaged in ‘over acts of perversion’ and lacked ‘emotional stability’
4380 gay men and women discharged from military and 500 fired from jobs in government. Known as Lavender Scare
Gay men and women classed as Communist sympathizers and chief scapegoats of Cold War
Problems faced by Gay Rights Cause
Gay people faced legislation was local level rather than federal matter made it difficult to install widespread
Homosexuality illegal till 1962 and not fully decriminalized till 2003
Gay community target of KKK and hostility of south
Activists had to use human right laws and argue that Civil Rights Act 1964 stated no discrimination of race or gender also applied to gay people
Hostility towards Gay People
Conservatives, Religious people and New Conservatism. LGBT lacked financial resources, numbers, influence
1970s gay rights acts passed at local level protected LGBT from discrimination repealed across America
Led by Christian New Right mother Anita Bryant
Timeline of LGBT CRM
1969- Raid of Stonewall Inn, followed by Gay Rights Protests.
1969 Gay Liberation Front (GLF) founded in response to Stonewall.
1970- Marches in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and LA on the anniversary of Stonewall, recognised as the first Gay Pride annual event.
1973- Homosexuality removed from the list of Mental Illnesses by the American Psychiatric Association.
1974- Kathy Kozachenko became the first openly gay American to be elected as Councilor in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
1977- Harvey Milk elected to San Francisco Council and unites LGBT movement
1978-Briggs initiative (Proposition 6): State legislator John Briggs called for LGBT teachers to be dismissed from California’s public schools.
Milk and Pro-Gay mayor of San Francisco are assassinated by Dan White.
1979- National LGBT march on Washington, with over 100,000 protesters campaigning for equal rights and legislation.
1980- Democrats announce acceptance of rights for gays
