Freedom Of Chicanos : The History They Skipped Over
From 1848-1928 there were 232 people of Mexican descent who died from mob violence or lynchings in Texas. Following the state's revolution, Mexican Texans were soon excluded from any meaningful place in the politics of Texas. Decades later Racism and segregation continued on until after Mendez v. Westminster. Many families were affected by segregation and violation rights. Gonzalo Mendez hired Attorney David Marcus whom he helped with collecting evidence, interviewing people, and finding data to support his position. He ruled the discrimination of non-white children as unconstitutional. The Westminster school district appealed the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit who ruled in favor of the Mendez. The Court of Appeals based the ruling on state law which allowed them to dodge the issue of racial discrimination at that moment. Fast forward a few decades later, students from a high school decided to walkout of school as a sign of protest. The walkouts were coordinated to take place on March 6, 1968, at 10 a.m. Students had to plan after school and on the weekends. They built up support amongst East L.A. schools and the student bodies were ready. All told, an estimated 15,000 students walked out of classes from Woodrow Wilson, Garfield, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Belmont, Venice and Jefferson High Schools. They walked out despite school administrators barring doors, and helmeted police officers wielding night sticks. These high school kids were peacefully protesting for their rights even if it meant facing a beating. Cesar Chavez's historic 300 mile march from Delano to Sacramento was one to be remembered. The journey put Chavez and the farmworkers movement on the national stage. Chavez always insisted that bringing change would not be easy, and his legacy offers a powerful reminder that progress toward greater social and economic justice does not proceed on a straight path. When Chavez started organizing farmworkers, nobody knew it would take 13 years to win labor rights, or if the campaign would win even after two decades. He had no government or foundation funds, no wealthy benefactors, and no online funding operation. For all of the reversals, disappointments and challenges left unmet, Cesar Chavez created a legacy that inspires us to this day. Dolores found her calling as an organizer while serving in the leadership of the Stockton Community Service Organization. During this time she founded the Agricultural Workers Association, set up voter registration drives and pressed local governments for barrio improvements. She was instrumental in the enactment of the Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975. This was the first law of its kind in the United States, granting farm workers in California the right to collectively organize and bargain for better wages and working conditions. Rodolfo Gonzales, who founded an urban civil rights and cultural movement called the Crusade for Justice. Soon he became one of the central leaders in the Chicano movement and a strong proponent of Chicano nationalism. In the late sixties and early seventies, Corky Gonzales organized and supported high school walkouts, demonstrations against police brutality, and legal cases. He also organized mass demonstrations against the Vietnam War. His key to liberation for the Chicano community is to develop a strong power base with heavy reliance on nationalism among Chicanos. His contributions as a community organizer, youth leader, political activist, and civil rights advocate have helped to create a new spirit of Chicano unity.
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