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Chicano! History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement

Chicano! History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement. Fighting for Political Power. Political Issues. Political under-representation, local and national Poll taxes: requiring voters to pay for the right to vote Literacy tests: requiring voters to show their ability to read

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Chicano! History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement

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  1. Chicano! History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement Fighting for Political Power

  2. Political Issues • Political under-representation, local and national • Poll taxes: requiring voters to pay for the right to vote • Literacy tests: requiring voters to show their ability to read • Political bossism: the practice of buying and manipulating Mexican/Chicano voters • Gerrymandering: diluting the Chicano vote when districts are drawn • Voter intimidation and repression • Democratic Party

  3. Los Cinco • Five Chicanos that successfully ran for local office in Crystal City, Texas, 1963 • Upset the Anglo establishment • Some faced job loss, pay cuts, indictment for a bounced check • Some observers learned from the episode of Los Cinco: Jose Angel Gutierrez

  4. Other Political Movements • 1929, LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens), • Fought against voting barriers, educational barriers and employment discrimination • Conservative politically • Citizens only LULAC founding assembly, 1929

  5. American G. I. Forum • Formed by Dr. Hector Garcia • To protect the rights of Chicano war veterans

  6. American G. I. Forum • Received national notoriety in the defense of Felix Longoria • Longoria: a young Chicano veteran of World War II that was refused burial rights in Three Rivers, Texas • Lyndon Baines Johnson intervenes to get Longoria buried at Arlington National Cemetery • Symbolized grievances and discrimination against Chicanos Felix Longoria

  7. Viva Kennedy Clubs • Formed to support John F. Kennedy in the 1960 presidential election • Partly responsible for a 10 to 1 support for his candidacy in two pivotal states: California and Texas

  8. Jose Angel Gutierrez • An early observer of the Los Cinco episode • Supported students in a Dec. 9, 1969 school walk-out in Crystal City, Texas due to discrimination for cheer squads • Major force behind the formation of LRUP (La Raza Unida Party)

  9. La Raza Unida Party • An independent Chicano political party • 1972 national convention in El Paso, Texas • Positions: immediate withdrawal of American troops from Viet Nam, support for Mexican land grants, gun control, police controls, support for none of the presidential candidates • Ramsey Muniz for Governor of Texas: received almost 7% of the vote: over 250,000 votes—almost denied the election of the Democrat Dolph Briscoe • LRUP spread to 16 states

  10. Other Major Figures • Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzalez-Colorado • Raul Ruiz-California • Willie Velazquez: SWVERP (Southwest Voter and Educational Registration Project) registered 2 million voters in 1974 • Carlos Munoz Jr. student and community leader Rdolfo “Corky” Gonzales Dr. Carlos Munoz Jr.

  11. MALDEF • Mexican American Legal, Defense and Educational Fund • Supported law suits to end racial and educational discrimination • Won in White v. Register, 1972: challenge to at-large elections • Invalidated at-large elections when it can be demonstrated that this practice discriminates against or dilutes the Latino vote

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