Latinos and Native Americans
Seek Equality
Mr. White’s US
History 2
Main Idea and Objectives
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Main Idea - Latinos and Native Americans confronted
injustices in the 1960s.
Big questions:
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How can equality and social justice be achieved?
Should Americans assimilate to one common culture, or
should people keep some of the culture of their home country?
After this section, we should be able to:
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Describe the growth and diversity of the Latino population in
the United States during the 1960s
Summarize the efforts of Latinos to secure civil rights and
respect for their cultural heritage
Explain the efforts of Native Americans to secure reforms in
government policies
Many Latino Americans in the United States are descended from
Latin Americans who immigrated to the United States from other
countries such as Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, etc.
PART I: THE LATINO
PRESENCE GROWS
The Latino Presence Grows
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During the 1960s, the Latino population in the
U.S. grew from 3 million to over 9 million
Includes people from Mexico, Puerto Rico,
Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Central
America, and South America
Each group has its own set of economic,
social, cultural, and political concerns
Latinos of Varied Origins Mexicans
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Mexican Americans – largest Latino group
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Mostly in the southwest and California
Some are descendents of Mexicans who lived in territory taken
by the U.S.
Some came in the 1910s, after the Mexican revolution
1940s and 1950s – many came as temporary laborers
1960s – close to half a million Mexicans immigrated to the U.S.
Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Others
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Puerto Ricans
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Cubans
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Many Puerto Ricans immigrated to the U.S. after the U.S.
occupied Puerto Rico in 1898
By 1960, almost 900,000 Puerto Ricans were living in the U.S.,
most in New York City
Communities formed in New York City and New Jersey
Hundreds of thousands of Cubans fled Cuba to escape Castro
in 1959
Other groups as well – Salvadorans, Guatemalans,
Nicaraguans, and Colombians
Discrimination and Prejudice
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Latinos encountered prejudice and
discrimination in jobs and housing
Most lived in segregated Spanish-speaking
neighborhoods – barrios
Jobless and poverty rates were nearly 50
percent higher than the average
As the Latino population grew in the United States, many Latinos
began to call for equality and respect for Latino culture
PART II: LATINOS FIGHT FOR
CHANGE
Farm Worker Movement
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Many workers in California’s fruit and
vegetable farms did hard work with little pay
and few benefits
Cesar Chavez – believed farm workers should
unionize
Chavez and others organized a boycott of
California grape growers – grape growers
eventually recognized the union – United Farm
Workers Organizing Committee
Cultural Pride
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In New York City, Puerto Rican groups began to
demand that schools offer classes in Spanish for
Spanish-speaking children
1968 – Congress enacted the Bilingual Education Act,
which provided funds to develop programs for bilingual
students
Chicano groups in Los Angeles walked out of schools,
demanding smaller classes, more Chicano teachers,
and programs designed to reduce the Latino drop-out
rate
Political Power
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Latinos began to organize politically, as well
Some worked within the Democrat-Republican
system – elected Hispanic Americans to the
House of Representatives, Senate
Others organized independent Latino political
movements
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1970 – La Raza Unida – political party separate
from Democrats and Republicans, ran Latino
candidates for mayors, school boards, city councils
Native Americans began to push for greater respect for their culture
and rights in the United States.
PART III: NATIVE AMERICANS
STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY
Native Americans Struggle for
Equality
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Sometimes Native Americans are viewed as
one, homogenous group, but they come from
many different groups
Shared a mostly bleak existence in the United
States, with little power to govern themselves
Many Native Americans refused to assimilate
to American culture, and clung to their own
Native Americans Hardships
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Native Americans have historical faced many
difficulties
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Highest unemployment rate (for a group)
More likely to suffer from tuberculosis or alcoholism
Death rate among infants nearly twice the national
average
Life expectancy much lower
“Termination” Policy
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1954 – Eisenhower administration enacted a
“termination” policy – Native Americans were
relocated from reservations into urban
American life
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Some didn’t like it
Most stayed desperately poor
Declaration of Indian Purpose
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1961 – representatives from 61 Native
American groups met in Chicago and drafted
the Declaration of Indian Purpose
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Stressed the determination of Native Americans to
“choose (their) own way of life.”
Called for an end to the termination program
Wanted to create economic opportunities for Native
Americans on reservations
Voices of Protest
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Many young Native Americans weren’t satisfied with
the slow pace of reform
American Indian Movement formed
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Formed initially for self-defense against police brutality
Later branched out to include protecting the rights of Native
Americans
Demanded that Native American lands, burial grounds,
and fishing and timber rights be restored
Confronting the Government
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Sometimes Native Americans violently
confronted the government
Trail of Broken Treaties – march in
Washington, D.C., to protest U.S. treaty
violations
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Temporarily occupied Bureau of Indian Affairs
Building
Destroyed records, caused $2 million in property
damage
Wounded Knee
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1973 – American Indian Movement (AIM) led nearly
200 Sioux to the village of Wounded Knee, South
Dakota
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In 1890, U.S. cavalry had massacred the entire village
Sioux seized the town, took hostages
Negotiations with the FBI led to a shoot-out that left two
Native Americans dead
Government promised to re-examine Native American
treaty rights
Native American Victories
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Congress and the federal courts did make some
reforms
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1972 – Congress passed Indian Education Act
1975 – Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance
Act
These laws gave tribes greater control over their own affairs
and children’s education
Native Americans also regained some lost land, using
copies of old land treaties with the U.S. government
Main Idea and Objectives


Main Idea - Latinos and Native Americans confronted
injustices in the 1960s.
Big questions:
–
–

How can equality and social justice be achieved?
Should Americans assimilate to one common culture, or
should people keep some of the culture of their home country?
After this section, we should be able to:
–
–
–
Describe the growth and diversity of the Latino population in
the United States during the 1960s
Summarize the efforts of Latinos to secure civil rights and
respect for their cultural heritage
Explain the efforts of Native Americans to secure reforms in
government policies
Wrap-up
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So…
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One of the groups of Latino people that had come to
the United States during its history was…

–
One of the ways that Latinos worked to win greater
civil rights and respect was…

–
And one of the problems that they faced was…
And one of the results of this was…
One way that Native Americans worked for great
equality was…

And one of the results of this was…