Chicano Walkouts

Chicano Walkouts

Mexican American Education

• In San Antonio, only ½ of Mexican Americans made it past the 5th grade. 10 percent of Chicanos graduated high school, and less than 1 percent of the Mexican American community went to college in San Antonio.

• Nationwide less than 2 percent of Mexican Americans went to college

Trades, Not College

• In schools throughout the Southwest, Chicanos were trained to work in blue collar jobs, not prepared for college. 

• This left Mexican Americans out of leadership roles and prevented them from changing their socioeconomic status

1968 Los Angeles Blowouts

• Students in East Los Angeles faced the same conditions as most Chicano students in the nation. They were…

• Pushed towards the trades, not college,

• Punished for speaking spanish

• Denied a bicultural education

• 5 schools participated in the walkouts

Student Demands

• Racist teachers be removed from the district

• Chicano administrators on campuses with a majority Mexican American population

• Lessons that prepared them for college

• Bilingual and Bicultural educations that focused on the accomplishments of Mexican Americans

Multiple Select

Which of the following are some of the Chicano students' complaints?

• Pushed to attend college instead of pursue trades

• Punished for speaking spanish

• Denied bicultural education

• Prejudice from teachers and administration

Dropdown

Mexican American students who made it past 5th grade: ​

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Mexican American students who graduated HS: ​

Select answer

Mexican Americans who attended college in San Antonio ​

Select answer

Mexican Americans who attended college in the nation: ​

Select answer

La Raza Comes to Campus

• United Mexican American Students (UMAS) was a collection of college students who aimed to organize Chicano youth against inadequate schools

• Sal Castro, a local East L.A. teacher, worked with UMAS to create youth summits in which Chicano students met each other and were given information regarding activism and potential college enrollment

The Brown Berets

• The Brown Berets protested and brought awareness to police brutality against Chicanos.

• Because of their efforts, the Brown Berets were harassed, intimidated, and persecuted the Police.

• During the East L.A. Blowouts, the Brown Berets provided security detail for the students

Serving the Community & the FBI

• The Brown Berets provided free clinics and free breakfast  programs for their community 

• Despite their effort the Brown Berets were investigated by the FBI as a threat to national security. The investigation found no evidence and was an attempt to control the Brown Power Movement.

Berets as a Symbol of Strength & Security

• Many times, including during the East LA Walkouts, the Brown Berets provided security for Chicano leaders.

• The Berets still exist today in the Chicano community.

Match

Match the following

• Worked with UMAS to create youth summits

• Collection of college students aimed at organizing Chicano Youth against inadequate schools

• Protested and brought awareness to police brutality against Chicanos

• Considered the Brown Berets a threat to national security

Sal Castro

UMAS

Brown Berets

FBI

• Sal Castro

• UMAS

• Brown Berets

• FBI

Drag and Drop

The ​ ​

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protested ​

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and as a result were often harassed and persecuted by law enforcement. During the ​

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they provided ​

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for the students. They also provided many services for the Chicano ​

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like free breakfast programs.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

Brown Berets

police brutality

East L.A. Blowouts

security

community

Los Angeles Riots

healthcare

segregation

Black Panthers

The Walkouts Continue

• After a successful walkout, 2 of the 5 East LA schools decided to walkout again. They were met with police resistance and students were beaten and arrested by LAPD.

• At Garfield HS, police entered the school and attacked students who were locked in the hallways by administrators.

The East L.A. 13

• Following the East L.A. Walkouts, 13 Chicanos were arrested and indicted for conspiracy, including teacher Sal Castro and 7 Brown Berets.

• Each member of the East LA 13 faced 66 years in prison for their role in the walkouts.

Legacy of the Walkouts

• The year following the walkouts, Chicano enrollment at UCLA increased from 40 students to 1,200

• Not all student demands were met, but Chicano students now had a voice in their education and the percentage of Chicanos who attended college increased from 2 percent to 25 percent.

Multiple Choice

What was the reaction to the second walkout?

• Police beat protesters

• The school board decided to meet with students

• The students refused to participate

• Protesters were joined by police in solidarity

Dropdown

As a result of the walkouts, the percentage of Chicanos who attended college increased from ​

Select answer

to ​

Select answer

San Antonio: Edgewood Walkouts

• May 16, 1968

• 400 Students Marched on 34th Street from Edgewood High School to the district’s main office

Dilapidated Conditions

• Outdated books that promoted racial superiority of Anglos. 

• Student were pushed toward lower level classes and not advised on how to get into college

• Edgewood alumni were dying at a much higher rate during the Vietnam War than any other ethnicity.

Edgewood Demands

• Edgewood student delivered a list of 8 demands to the Principal of the school

• The list included:

  • Better Facilities

  • Fully stocked restrooms

  • Higher academic standards

  • A way for student complaints to be heard

  • Student council opportunities

  • Student who participated in the walkouts could not be punished.

Walk Out!!!

• After months of planning, students would finally walk out of classes to protest the glaring inequalities of the public education system 

• Gained national recognition by arguing public education inequities were robbing them of their future by paving the way into a life of lower-paying employment or endanger their lives through military enlistment.

Aftermath

• Administrators dismissed the protest as the work of outside agitators such as Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO)

• A week after the walkout. Board members responded by proposing a school suggestion box.

• Some improvements were made – namely, restrooms were functional.

Drag and Drop

Textbooks promoted ​

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and students were pushed toward ​

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level classes and not advised to apply to ​

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.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

lower

college

racial superiority

higher

vocational school

equality

communism

Multiple Select

Student demands included:

• Better facilities

• Lower academic standards

• Student council opportunities

• A way for complaints to be heard

Taking Over Crystal City: Los Cinco

• Although Mexican Americans outnumbered Anglos by 2 to 1, Anglos controlled all five seats on the Crystal City council

• Selected a slate of 5 candidates, who became known as Los Cinco, to run for the city council. 

• In the 1963 elections, Mexican Americans had won control of the city council

Los Cinco

"If we can do it in Crystal City, we can do it all over Texas. We can awaken the sleeping giant."

• Juan Cornejo - Teamster & Political Organizer 

• Antonio Cardenas - Truck Driver

• Manuel Maldonado - Clerk 

• Mario Hernandez - Modern Homes Salesman

• Reynaldo Mendoza - Worked in a photography shop

Crystal City Walkouts

• In 1969, Chicano students were told they could not fill the vacancies in  Cheerleading since their quota of one had been met. 

• Also required that any candidate for cheerleader needed at least one parent who graduated from the high school.

• Once Mexican American youth became the majority in the schools, the rules were changed.

December 9, 1969: Students Walkout

• In 1969, Chicano students were told they could not fill the vacancies in  Cheerleading since their quota of one had been met. 

• Also required that any candidate for cheerleader needed at least one parent who graduated from the high school.

• Once Mexican American youth became the majority in the schools, the rules were changed.

Mexican American Youth Organization

• San Antonio 1967

• Sought social justice & stressed Chicano culture 

• Preferred the techniques of direct political confrontation and mass demonstration

MAYO: An Anchor of the Chicano Movement

• In Texas, MAYO became one of the anchors of the Chicano movement.

• José Ángel Gutiérrez, Willie C. Velásquez, Mario Compean, Ignacio Pérez, and Juan Patlán

• True to their activist vision, Gutiérrez, Compean, and Pérez staged MAYO's first demonstration in front of the Alamo on July 4, 1967

La Raza Unida Party

• 1970- Crystal City, 300 Mexican Americans meet and RUP political party is formed 

• Guitiérrez and Compean (MAYO) were principal organizers

• Began an 8 year quest to bring greater economic, social, and political self-determination to Mexican Americans where they held little or no power in many local or county jurisdictions although they were often in the majority.

Multiple Select

In December 1969, high school students staged a walkout and demanded:

• Less Latino teahcers

• More challenging casses

• Bilingual and bicultural education

• Mexican American Studies classes

Multiple Choice

Which of the following was a founder of MAYO

• Jose Angel Gutierrez

• Sal Castro

• Hector P. Garcia

• Cesar Chavez