Download Chicano! History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement

Chicano! History of the
Mexican American Civil Rights
Movement
Taking Back the Schools
Educational Issues
Drop out rates, push-outs
 Educational tracking: confining bilingual
children in vocational education
 Advising: encouraging enrollment in noncollege programs
 Use of corporal punishment
 Anti-Mexican attitudes and prejudice
 Reading and graduation rates
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Mendez v. Westminster
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1946 California Supreme Court
ruling that outlawed the segregation
of Mexican children
Ruling outlawed practice of
segregation for “language necessity”
Also based on the notion of
Mexicans as members of the
caucasion race
1954: Hernandez v. US: Supreme
Court ruling that Mexicans had been
treated “as a class apart” and entitled
to equal rights protections
East Los Angeles Walk-Outs
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March, 1968, student
petitions to improve schools
ignored
Student stage massive
walk-outs, also called the
East Los Angeles blow-outs
12,000 students participate,
some arrested for
disorderly conduct and
failure to disperse
The East Los Angeles 13
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13 students and community leaders charged with
“conspiracy to commit misdemeanors” for conspiracy to
disrupt the schools, elevated the complaint to a felony
Faced 66 year prison terms if convicted
Included Sal Castro: major supporter of the student walkouts
Also included: Moctezuma Esparza, Raul Ruiz, Carlos
Munoz Jr. and 10 others
Charges dropped on civil rights issues: right to petition
government agencies for grievances, freedom of
assembly and free speech
Recognized as the first significant urban struggle of the
Chicano Movement