The Mexican American Civil Rights Movement: The Chicano Movement

The Chicano Movement, like many other civil rights movements, it gained motivation from the everyday struggles that the people had to get by in the United States due to society constantly pushing them off to the side. Mexican-Americans, like many other ethnicities, were viewed as an inferior group compared to the white Americans. During this movement, there were a lot of important actions that took place from farm worker rights, education, and the political movement that change the course of how Mexican Americans should be treated and given the same equal opportunities as any other race. The Mexican American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s united the Latino community as a whole as they went through several struggles to get equal rights
and opportunities for the rest of the nation. During the 1960’s, many Latino farmworkers were dealing with discrimination in their jobs. Since most of them were brought to the U.S as braceros which was a program that replaced current farm workers for new ones. When farm workers would get fired they brought in new people in if they attempted to organized an event to improve working conditions. They were doing demanding jobs for a small pay and little to no benefits.
Farm workers were often paid and were denied the right to unionize, a right that all other American workers enjoyed. They labored in inhumane conditions, as growers ignored state laws on working conditions. The workers had no restrooms to use in the fields, and they were forced to pay to live in metal shacks with no plumbing or electricity. On top of that, grape pickers were paid very bad they were basically living in the poverty line even though they are working hard to survive for themselves and their family. They were also, “exposed to poisonous pesticides and the harsh sun for long periods of time, among other detrimental conditions”(Chicano movement). Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta wanted to create a movement to unionize against the oppression of growers. They believed that Latino workers needed to unite to create a change. As a result, Caesar and Dolores Huerta established the United Farm Workers which guaranteed higher wages and other benefits denied to farm workers. At first, they weren’t recognized but a union started a boycott of the grape growers in order to have the growers recognize the workers and what they could too. The boycott of grapes that lasted for three weeks and finally gave
the workers what they were asking for.
“In 1970 the UFW got grape growers to accept union contracts and had effectively organized most of that industry, at one point in time claiming 50,000 dues paying members” ( The Story of Cesar Chavez). The United Farm Workers Movement met its goal to a huge extent because without it farmers would have continued to have bad wages, still live in bad conditions, plus having to work in terrible conditions as well. They accomplished many things throughout the years from boycotting, marches to demand justice, signed a contract ending all grape strikes and received their civil rights, and working conditions improved. Another thing that happened during this time those who helped out organized events were victims of mistreatment like in the case of Dolores. “In 1965, the grape
workers struck, and Huerta was a leading organizer. She faced violence on the picket lines — and sexism from both the growers she was staring down and their political allies, and from within her own organization” (Godoy). As those people were mistreating her, she gained more confidence to prove her points across that change needed to happen at any cost. One of the interesting things that Cesar did during the movement was the protest where he did a hunger strike. “In 1968 Cesar went on a water only, 25 day fast. He repeated the fast in 1972 for 24 days, and again in 1988, this time for 36 days” (The Story of Cesar Chavez ). He did this protest for his members and growers as a learning lesson that the act of nonviolence is key to win to get what they want without the need to use violence. In the Chicano Movement, educational inequity is what led the movement for a major change in society during that time period. The impact it had that caused the walkout was the discrimination and low expectations that the Chicanos, who were thought of as useless people that couldn’t achieve anything. Chicano students were concerned with the quality of their education and demanded equal educational opportunities it was known as the Chicano Blowout. One example would be the student walkouts in East Los Angeles in California. In 1968, the East Los Angeles school district had students of several different high schools who went out and joined in the walkouts of their classrooms in order to protest unfair conditions in the classrooms and the school itself. “For these students and young people, they saw their families struggling and being discriminated against just as the African American community had in the Deep South but with different historical contexts” (What is the significance of the 1968 East L.A. Walkouts? ). The goals of the protest was to get “bilingual bicultural education; more Latino teachers and administrators; smaller class sizes; better facilities; and the revision of text books to include Mexican American history” (East Los Angeles students walkout for educational reform (East L.A. Blowouts), 1968). The schools provided a perfect place for the walkout as a platform where it truly hit the government where it hurts. Since schools in Los Angeles get money through student’s attendance, the students thought they could gain more attention by costing the schools money. Several high schools in East Los Angeles participated in the walkouts in order to improve their situations in their schools. The aftermath of the event inspired students in other states to stand up for their rights. It also empowered and brought together the East Los Angeles community. The lack of political power, the Chicanos had no voice because no one would care about their wants and needs. Chicanos had no representation in the government system or in law enforcement. They have always been put aside as if they were in the shadows lurking in to bring those down with them. Their voices were silenced but once they started to get united as a group they were able to create a new party called La Raza Unida. The La Raza Unida party was established in January 17, 1970, at Crystal City in Texas. The party was founded by Jośe Ángel Gutiérrez and Mario Compean. La Raza Unida led a variety of events and activities in order to achieve their goal of gaining a greater political representation for Chicanos. The Farm Workers Union did strikes and boycotts to protest Chicano working and living conditions just like Cesar and Dolores have demonstrated in California. Another example is the Barrio Defense Committee, which is fought against police abuse and educational issues. The California Partido was another project that the La Raza Unida created by an organizing committee and was involved in community issues. This project was in charge of trying and organizing Chicano workers to fight union corruption an addition to protest wages and working conditions. La Raza Unida Party obtained some electoral success and ran for state offices. Although running for these statewide elections was unsuccessful, it raised important issues that the Chicano community was willing to act upon. It also mobilized many Chicanos to be motivated and become more involved in such activities like voting that would improve their communities. The Chicano community wanted change, to the result of peaceful protest under the guidance of the La Raza Unida Party. Their actions led a community to do blowouts and walkouts like they did in East Los Angeles, California. Which was supported by the Educational Issues Coordinating Committee. It comes to show the Chicanos are willing to make an effort for change to give the future generation a chance to become someone in society without having any restrictions due to the race they are in. The purpose of the Chicano movement was to bring basic rights to the Chicanos that they weren’t guarantee or given at the time. From farm worker rights to education, and their political rights. The importance of the Chicano Movement is that the Latinos fought to get accepted in society. Since they were considered a minority group, they were always being discriminated and treated poorly. The Chicano Movement helped Latinos gain the confidence to stand up for themselves also gained more respect for their race and culture.