Chicano Studies 141b
U.S. History/Chicano Perspective
Mike Ornelas
Email: mornelas@sdccd.net Office: G-103E, (619) 388-2266
COURSE OUTLINE
Covers the period from 1877 to the present, including the history of Mexican
immigration; farm labor and urban Chicano history; and contemporary movements. The
complete one-year course, Chicano Studies 141a-b, satisfies the graduation requirements
in American Institutions and California State Government. (FT)
REQUIRED BOOKS:
Manuel G. Gonzales Mexicanos: A History of Mexicans in the United States
Michael Ornelas Beyond 1848: Interpretations of the Modern Chicano Historical
Experience, 2nd. Ed.
Richard Griswold The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: A Legacy of Conflict
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1. To introduce students to the historical evolution of the Chicano community in the
United States during the past two centuries.
2. To introduce students to the unique historical experience of the Chicano community
since the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
3. To introduce students to the major political and economic developments in the United
States and their impact on the Chicano community, as well as the response of the
Chicano community to changing socioeconomic and political conditions.
4. To introduce students to the growing body of historical literature which has emerged
over the past decades and the consideration of theoretical frameworks to define the
Chicano historical experience.
5. To introduce students to the multitude of economic and political forces which have
impacted on Mexican immigration as well as their effects on the Chicano community.
6. To introduce students to the Chicano political and community response to oppression
during the past two centuries.
The Chicano Studies 141b
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GRADES:
Final grades will be determined through a combination of criteria that will include the
following formula: Attendance, participation in class discussion and quizzes will
comprise 25% of the grade. There will be 3 major written exams that will each comprise
25% of the grade (75% total). Exams will be based upon class discussion, lecture and
most of the reading assignments. It is essential that each student continue to read all
assignments in advance of each class session. There will be an optional paper that may
be substituted for the second exam and/or replace one exam score. In addition,
commentary and analysis of the various reading assignments are strongly encouraged. It
is the students' responsibility to be aware of the reading assignments under discussion
for a particular week. Make-up exams or assignments will only permitted under
extraordinary or emergency situations.
COURSE CONTENT AND FORMAT:
Chicano Studies 141b is a continuation of 141a. The emphasis is on the recent historical
experience of the Chicano community in the United States since the mid-19th century.
Major emphasis will be placed on those economic, political and social conditions that
have impacted on the formation of this community. As a general historical survey, the
course will emphasize the role of American political institutions and practices in the
oppression of the aspirations of the Chicano in American society. In addition, the 20th
century focus will be on those factors that have influenced Mexican immigration, the
establishment of dual-wage structures, the Mexican response to conditions in the U.S.,
Chicano efforts to unify and politicize the Chicano community, and the emergence of the
Chicano community as a major force in the political and cultural life of the United States.
MAJOR PERIODS, TOPICS, AND READING ASSIGNMENTS:
I. The 19th Century Chicano Experience
The Texas Revolt, the Mexican American War and the Treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo
The Texas Example, the dominant class, gender politics, Cortina
19th Century New Mexico, "fantasy heritage," the land grab,
Resistance in the 19th century
Arizona, Euroamerican Colonialism, Institutionalized Subordination
economic development and Mexican labor, La Liga Protectora
California, The conquest, California Land Act of 1851, El Clamor Publico, social
and political resistance, nativism,
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, negotiation, finalization, the U.S. courts
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Reading: please read in the following order:
Gonzales, Chapters 1-3
Griswold, Chapters 1-6
Gonzales, Chapter 4
Ornelas, pp. 49-70, 71-90, 91-107, 109
Exam #1 will cover all of the above
II. The Early 20th Century and the Role of Mexican Labor
U. S./Mexico border conditions
Cooperative experience, revolutionary experience, land and souls
The Creation, Migrant, Mexican American and Chicano generations
Push-pull factors, Mexican labor and U.S. immigration law
Nativism and U.S. immigration policy
The Emergence of early Mexican labor activity
Impact of Porfirio Diaz and the Mexican Revolution
The Great Depression and the Repatriation Program
Early Chicano political and community organizations
World War II, Sleepy Lagoon and the Zoot-Suit Riots
Mendez v. Westminster, Delgado v. Bastrop
Reading: please read in the following order:
Ornelas, pp. 3-25
Gonzales, Chapter 5, The Great Migration, Mexican Immigration and push and
pull factors, 1900-1930
Ornelas, pp. 113-124
Ornelas, pp. 125-148
Gonzales, chapter 6, The Great Depression and factors of Mexican Repatriation
Ornelas, pp. 149-162
Ornelas, pp. 163-179
Gonzales, chapter 7, World War II and the Mexican American generation
Ornelas, pp. 181-189
Ornelas, pp. 191-212
Exam #2 will cover all of the above
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III. Chicanos in the Contemporary Period
The UFW and Cesar Chavez
La Chicana and contemporary issues, LRUP
The Chicano Movement, UMAS, MAYO, MEChA, East L.A. 13
Gutierrez, Tijerina, and Gonzalez, El Plan Espiritual de Aztlan
Education, Politics, Farmworkers and the Homeland
Bilingual Education, Lau v. Nichols
Serrano v. Priest, Mendez v. Westminster
Conditions of the 1980s, Factors of thd 1990s, The New Immigrants and Latinos
Propositions 63, 187, 209
The four part series: Chicano: The History of the Mexican American Civil Rights
Struggle will be shown in its entirety and includes the following episodes:
Quest for the Homeland, The Struggle in the Fields, Taking Back the
Schools, and Fighting for Political Power. This video series is
available for reviewing in the Audio Visual Department-library, 4th floor.
Reading: please read in the following order
Gonzales, Chapters 8-9, Contemporary issues and the emergence of the Chicano
Ornelas, pp. 213-243, 245-268
Griswold, Chapters 8-10
Exam #3 will cover all of the above
Other video presentations may include: The U. S./Mexican War, Tierra o Muerte,
Los Mineros, The Lemon Grove Incident, The Zoot-Suit Riots, and others.
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There is website for Chicano Studies 141b that contains important information for your
use including the course outline, class notes, important Power Point presentations, and
study guides. It has been constructed with you in mind and should be checked
periodically as the information on the site may change through the course of the
semester.
You must have Power Point software on your computer or the Power Point viewer. The
Power Point program must be purchased and is usually offered as a package from
Microsoft. To download a free version of the viewer simply go to Microsoft.com and
locate the viewer among the various programs that are downloadable.
To access the website do the following:
1. In your browser type in the web address at classroom.sdmesa.edu/mornelas
2. Select your class-Chicano Studies 141b.
3. Select course outline, announcements or Power Point presentations for the
information you are trying to access.