Opportunities and Limits of Pluralism Before the Latino Era ( ) Mexican Americans and Politics Class 5 January 24, 2006

The Lemon Grove Incident 1. What resources did Mexican Americans in Lemon Grove tap in order to organize? 2. What barriers did they face? 3. What characteristics did Anglos ascribe to Mexican Americans? 4. What was the basis for the court’s ruling?

Organizational Roots of Mexican American Politics, The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) (1929) Integrationist (“Best and purest form of Americanism”) Focus on rights as U.S. citizens/anti-discrimination Congress of Spanish-Speaking Peoples (1939) Pan-Latin and unconcerned with immigrant status Issue foci -- opposition to discrimination and workers’ rights Union base Differences in organizational style and rhetoric, but similar focus on discrimination

Other Political Initiatives, Government policies and Mexican Americans Repatriation New Deal programs and civic resources Mexican government outreach Industrial unionization The war Zoot Suit riots Good Neighbor policies Defense spending and toleration of unionization The Bracero Program ( )

Economic Change and Incorporation, Depression and white poverty New Deal Programs and federal social welfare Scapegoating Mexican Americans Opportunities of a war-time economy Massive federal investment in defense installations and industries (focused on Southwest) Factory work New multi-ethnic unions Labor contractors and class hierarchy within Mexican American communities

Social Change, Escape from Dual Societies Urbanization Court challenges (and victories) Mexican Americans distance themselves from Mexico (and vice versa) Sleepy Lagoon and localized white-Mexican American political alliances More cross-group contact in social settings

Mexican American Politics After 100 Years Civic institutions have reappeared Mutualistas Civic and fraternal organizations Unions Courts a venue to challenge dual societies/discrimination Little electoral opportunity or organization Mexican American interests “represented” by non-Mexican Americans

New Forms of Political Mobilization, From civic to electoral organization Community Service Organization (1947) American GI Forum (1948) Mexican American Political Organization (1958) Political Association of Spanish Speaking Organizations (1958) Issues: Educational opportunity, voting rights, and equal protection Viva Kennedy! (1960)

For Next Time What were the similarities and differences between what Chicano Movement organizations advocated and the issues that had mobilized Mexican American politics before the Chicano movement?