Brianna Larsen and Jared Ibarra
Chicano Civil Rights Movement: El Movimiento
1) The historical context of the place and time of the social movement:

Started in the 1950’s and went until the 1980’s. The term Chicano stems from the Nahuatl
language of the Meshica people and was shortened to Chicano from Meshicano.

Chicano was originally used as derogatory label for sons and daughters of Mexican
migrants because they were viewed as neither Mexican nor American. (Contreras, 2011)

In 1960’s, Chican@ was accepted as a symbol of self-determination and ethnic pride.
(Contreras, 2011)

Border movement: Texas revolt of 1836. US invasion of Mexico in 1846. Gadsden
Purchase in 1853. (Gutierrez, 2010)

The population of Mexicans in the US in 1850 was estimated to be around 88,000 to
100,000. (Gutierrez, 2010)

1910 revolution in Mexico. (Gutierrez, 2010)

The first Civil Rights Organization for Mexicans was formed in 1929 The League of United
Latin American Citizens (LULAC). (Gutierrez, 2010)

Operation Wetback in 1954 introduced by Eisenhower sent a lot of Mexicans back.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 extended their voters rights’ to Hispanics/ Spanish speakers
in 1975 (ten years after). (Gutierrez, 2010)
others: MASA, MASO, MASC, MAYO. Description and timeline from source (MEChA, n.d.)

Mexican American Federation 1968

United Mexican American students (UMAS) 1968
2) Description of the social problem:

The ultimate goals were the acquisition of political power between them and the Anglos.
(Gutierrez, 2010)

The baby boomers of 1950-1970 started the Chicano movement. Unlike the prior two
generations of Mexicans in the United States they neither identified as Mexican or
Mexican-American but as Chicano. They set out to become their own nation within the
larger. (Gutierrez, 2010)

In the 1960’s reforms in schools were tough on Chicano students. They weren’t allowed to
speak Spanish. (Gutierrez, 2010)

In 1977 the Office of Management and Budget mandated that Hispanics be counted as an
identifiable ethnic group regardless of race on government forms. Hispanics understand
the racial hierarchy in the US and chose to put white instead of black and the pan-ethnic
umbrella for Hispanics wasn’t appropriate. (Gutierrez, 2010)

Cesar E. Chavez was the leader of the movement and identifies as Chicano and led
farmworkers primarily in California. (Gutierrez, 2010)

Reies Lopez Tijerina led an armed band and occupied the courthouse in Tierra Amarilla,
NM. His group La Alianza de Pueblos Libres occupied several Federal Park lands and
historic sites to reclaim them as stolen land grants that led to armed confrontations and
arrests. (Gutierrez, 2010)
3) Details about the event/incident that inspired the movement:
4) The mission/goal of activists: (Contreras, 2011)

Educational equity reform for Latin@ students

Bilingual bicultural education

Increase of more Latin@ teachers and administrators

Smaller class sizes and equal access to better facilities

Revision of textbooks to include Mexican American History
From Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project

The Chicano movement did a lot in improving school’s access for education in affiliated
minority groups in schools. At UW in May of 1968, Chicano’s formed an alliance with the
black student union and occupied the University president’s office. That summer the
ACLU- American Civil liberties union to take measures out of Yakima to provide support
and justice for farm workers.

“The Chicano movement was a cultural as well as a political movement, helping to
construct new, transnational cultural identities and fueling a renaissance in politically
charged visual, literary, and performance art. Active through the 1970s, the movement
fragmented and lost momentum in the 1980s but has reemerged in recent years as a new
generation of Chicano activists, building on the legacy of their predecessors, have
mobilized around the issues of affirmative action, globalization, the wars in Afghanistan
and Iraq, and, most recently, immigrant rights.” (Castaneda, 2014)
~Transition into MEChA members of the North West~

Picture 1 description: MEChA member Celedonio Alvarez. Boycott at Safeway store in
Seattle’s University District. (c. 1974)

Picture 2 description: MEChA members Rosie Ramirez, Samuel Hernandez, Cynthia
Maltos, Ernesto Luna and Janie Garza. (c. 1972) (Castaneda, 2014)
5) Description of the group that acted:

Because of the disappointment with the Democratic Party, the Chicano youth formed the
La Raza Unida Party (RUP) in 1970. (Gutierrez, 2010)

The Mexican American Democrats (former RUPers and other Chicano Democrats) the
coalition died due to too many leaders and not enough voters. (Gutierrez, 2010)

Students used nonviolent strategies such as the walkouts, boycotts, and protests. The
Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO). (Gutierrez, 2010)
Description and Mission of MECHA

Objective 1: “We recognize that Chicanoism is evolutionary and that a Chicano identity is
not a nationality but a philosophy. Chicano nationalism is the key to taking our people
forward. MEChA will not discriminate against any Mechista who works for and adopts
Chicanoism as indicated in El Plan de Santa Barbara, and the Philosophy of MEChA This
philosophy is the key to taking our people forward.”

Objective 2: “In the spirit of our past and for the spirit of our future, MEChA will not
condone, tolerate, or perpetuate sexism. Indigenismo teaches us that duality is the bse for
respect and dignity among our people. As Mechistas, we have instilled this very
fundamental principle as our foundation.”

Objective 3: Understanding homophobia exists within the MECHA community.

MECHA has state-wide conferences that battle these social injustices within their group.
They do not allow any of their members to feel excluded or beaten down by society.

All of the objectives have endorsed activities and workshops in which they combat these
issues with others. They work closely with ally organizations to promote advocation for
success in all reality of MECHA to improve each other’s lives and opportunities to grow.
Although they do not condone party-building as it “Party-building is defined as using our
Movimiento to pull away membership from our organization to work for another
organization. One example, is organizations, groups and/or individuals who seek to come
into MEChA for the purpose of inviting our members to work on certain issues and then
attempting to convert them into members of the outside organization.” They would like
respect for each other’s autonomy.

A few years after MECHA was established, it became more diversified and with the
development of subgroups within, were able to combat specific problems. (MEChA, n.d.)
Description of the Brown Berets

“The Brown Berets emerged as a key organization linking students to communities and
to young people who were not enrolled in college.” (Castaneda, 2014)

Originally started in California and became popular in Yakima and Seattle.

In Seattle the brown Berets became a subgroup of the UW MEChA group

The Berrets wore distinctive military-like clothing as a symbolic statement that they
are willing to fight for their freedoms. They fought against police brutality, poverty,
and racial discrimination or barrios. (Castaneda, 2014)
6) Any involvement of HS professionals/organizers: Not Applicable
7) The outcome (lack thereof) the social movement's effort and an update of where this movement
is currently:
References:
Castaneda, O. (2014). The Chicano Movement in Washington State 1967-2006. Retrieved from
Seattle
Civil
Rights
&
Labor
History
Project:
https://depts.washington.edu/civilr/Chicanomovement_part1.htm
Contreras, R. (2011, April 24th). East Los Angeles Student Walkout for Educational Reform (East
L.A. Blowouts), 1968. Global Nonviolent Action Database.
Gutierrez, A. (2010). The Chicano Movement: Paths to Power. The Social Studies.
MEChA.
(n.d.).
Movimiento
Estudiantil
Chican@.
Retrieved
from
MEShA:
http://www.nationalmecha.org/
Mendoza, V. (2001). Video Review of Chicano! History of the <exican American Civil Rights
Movement. The Journal for Multimedia History.