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Chicano Movement
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Restoration of Land Grants
During the 1960’s, a group of Mexican Americans attempted to reclaim federal land in the United States. TheTreaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed by the United States and Mexico in 1848 to end the Mexican War of 1846-1848. The treaty gave Mexican lands to the United States and ensured that landowning Mexicans would keep their preexisting property rights in the lands transferred. The United States failed to honor this part of the agreement, and many Mexicans lost their lands. -
Farm Worker Strike!
Grap growers across California went on strike for higher pay, better working and living conditions, and job security. The strike would go on for almost 5 years. -
March to Sacramento
NFWA and Cesar Chavez began a march from Delano, California to Sacramento. The line of protesters stretched for miles. The march initally started because the farmers were being sprayed with pesticide and other unacceptable working conditions. -
The Brown Berets
Formed in 1967, this youth group confronted discriminatory institutions head-on, and adovicated the use of aggressive tactics such as protests and demonstrations. Police spies would often try to gain confidence of group members to discover their actitivites and encourage them to engage in illegal activitites to create a cause for arrest. -
MALDEF Founded
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) was founded in San Antonio to work on a range of issues of concern to Hispanics. Issues included but not limited to education and civil rights. -
Cesar Chavez's Fast
The strike on grape growers was not making any progress, and farm workers began talking about using violence against growers. Chavez did not want this to happen and reinfornce his commitment to nonviolence so going on a 28 day fast. The fast grab national and international attention on the strike and strengthened striking workers' commitments. -
Blowouts
Mexican American high school students frustrated with the unequal treatment by the school system started a series of walk-outs from their schools. Thousands of students would get up and walkk out of schhol to join the protests with fellow students. Thye demanded classes in Mexican history, bilingual education, and hiring of more Mexican-American teachers. -
The Strike Ends
As the boycott of grapes spread, more stores refuse to carry grapes. The growers under pressure agreed to sign a contract with the union to end to strike and gave some improvements in pay and working conditions. The strike helped create a natinoal identity among Mexican Americans and their history. -
La Raza Unida Party
In efforts to fight discrimination in voting rights and in the political system an attempt to create a political party representing Mexican Americans was intented. The party won numerous local offices, and in 1972 nominated candidates for statewide offices in Texas.
