Mexican American Civil Rights

Crystal City Walk-Out

On December 9, 1969, American students of Mexican ancestry walked out of class in response to the inadequate and antagonistic responses of the Anglo-controlled school board. Some of the educational issues were: Employ more Mexican-American teachers that would be more sensitive to Mexican-American students; Create a Mexican-American studies class; Homecoming Queen should be elected by the students and no one else; Change school board policy in regards to selecting the cheerleaders; Eliminate the Dual Sweetheart policy for the baseball team;  Allow students to speak Spanish at school; Install Bilingual Education; Get rid of racist teachers; Student led elections for organizations and clubs, instead of teachers. The walkout lasted until the federal Civil Rights Commission mediated a compromise between the school board and the students. The duration of the walkout was two weeks.

Mexican American Civil Rights Leaders

Cesar Chavez (1927-1993) Used civil disobedience methods https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awP3yXv-4ng Used civil disobedience methods Who also used non-violence? Fought for the rights of migrant farm workers With his wife, Chavez taught Mexican immigrants to read and organized voter registration drives Co-Founded the National Farm Workers Association Used strikes and boycotts (lettuce and grapes) to gain rights for farm workers Led a nationwide boycott of grapes Name later changed to United Farm Workers Motto: “Si, se puede” Was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously Who also used non-violence? Define migrant

Dolores Huerta (1930 - Worked to improve social and economic conditions of immigrant workers and fought to end discrimination Created the Agricultural Workers Association and co-founded the United Farm Workers Who did she co-found with? Lobbied politicians on many issues Allowing migrant workers w/out U.S. Citizenship to receive public assistance and pensions Creating Spanish-language voting ballots and driver tests Received the Ellis Island Medal of Freedom Award, the Eleanor Roosevelt Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom Was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame Quote: “Walk the street with us into history. Get off the sidewalk” Who was the co-founder? Define lobby

Hector P. Garcia (1914-1996) Served in the Medical Corps during WWII Fought against discrimination of Mexican Americans Organized the American G.I. Forum to improve veteran benefits and give them better medical attention Soon expanded to address educational and vocational training, housing, public education, poll taxation, voter registration, hospitalization, and employment What is a G.I.? What amendment ended poll taxes? Was awarded the American Medal of Freedom First Mexican Americans to receive this honor Motto: “Education is our freedom, and freedom is everybody’s business” Define G.I. What was the G.I. Bill of Rights? What amendment ended poll taxation?

Mexican American Civil Rights Organizations

League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Established in Corpus Christi, Texas Believes in assimilation Works to advance the economic condition, educational opportunities, political influence, and civil rights for Hispanic Americans Define assimilation

La Raza Unida Founded by Jose Angel Gutierrez Started in Crystal City, Texas and spread to the Southwestern United States Centered on Chicano Nationalism Wanted better housing, employment, and educational opportunities for Mexican Americans

Mexican American Legal Defense Educational Fund (MALDEF) Founded in San Antonio, Texas Brought important civil rights cases before the Supreme Court such as: White v. Regester Edgewood ISD vs. Kirby Rodriguez v. San Antonio ISD

Founded by David Sanchez Still exists today The Five Battlefronts: Education Social Spiritual Economic Political

Mexican American Civil Rights Court Cases

Turn and Talk Roberto Alvarez v. Board of Trustees of Lemon Grove School District, 1930 http://youtu.be/92DiTCecPlk As you watching the video, answer the following questions: When was this case brought before the Supreme Court? What issue was brought before the Supreme Court? What connections can we make to information we learned in previous units?

Mendez v. Westminster - 1946 This case challenged racial segregation in schools in California. Students who did not speak English were placed in separate “Mexican schools” Court ruled that segregation of Mexican and Mexican American students into separate “Mexican schools” was unconstitutional.

Delgado v. Bastrop ISD - 1948 The public education system in Texas for Mexican Americans offered segregated campuses with poorer facilities and limited students to vocational training What is vocational training? LULAC and the American G.I. Forum helped challenge these segregation laws Who started the G.I. Forum? Court ruled Texas has to end segregation of Mexican American students but did allow separate classrooms on the same campus. What is vocational training? Who started the American GI Forum?

Hernandez v. Texas - 1954 No person with a Spanish surname allowed to serve on jury. Hernandez was convicted and said he did not receive due process under 14th Amendment Texas argued that Mexican Americans were white, so he received fair trial. Supreme Court said there was a difference between white and Hispanic and you could not exclude from a jury based on class.

White v. Regester - 1964 Challenged redistricting in Texas, which kept Mexican Americans from being elected Supreme Court ruled that at large elections were discriminatory and so unconstitutional Created single-member districts After the Supreme Court decision the number of African American and Hispanic American representatives doubled.

Edgewood ISD v. Kirby - 1984 Public school finance case – no equal funding Since funding was based on property tax – areas with lower property values received less tax dollars Court ruled legislature would have to change the way it funded schools to make it more equal. ROBIN HOOD – Money is taken from richer schools and given to poorer schools.

Other Landmark Civil Rights Cases Hernandez v. Driscoll Consolidated ISD, 1948 Ended all pedagogical and de jure segregation in Texas Public Education Cisneros v. Corpus Christi ISD, 1970 Recognized Hispanics as an identifiable minority group and so used the Brown decision to prohibit segregation in public schools for Mexican Americans Plyler v. Doe, 1982 Allowed for children of illegal immigrants to receive a public education in grade K-12

Chicano Mural Movement

The Chicano Mural Movement began in the 1960s in Mexican-American barrios in the Southwest. Artists began using the walls of city buildings, housing projects, schools, and churches to depict Mexican-American culture. Effort of Hispanics to reinvigorate their cultural heritage Tried to affirm cultural identity and challenge racism

El Paso, Texas

Food Mart, San Antonio Texas

Christus Santa Rosa Hospital - Downtown, San Antonio Texas

San Antonio, Texas

San Francisco, California

Los Angeles, California

Create your own mural Must cover the whole page Must have color Must have images that reflect something that is important to you IDEAS: culture heritage family community religion heroes