paper 3: chapter 7: mexican americans

Question 1

LULAC?

Answer 1

League of United Latin American Citizens.
1929
The full assimilation of Mexican-Americans in US society

They supported restrictions on immigration from Mexico. Non US citizens were not allowed in LULAC.
worried that an influx of poorly educated Mexican migrant workers would find it difficult to assimilate into the US, and would turn Americans against Mexican-American citizens.

Question 2

What were some reasons for the increase in Mexican-American citizenship after 1945?

Answer 2

GI Bill awared veterans (inc. Mexican Americans) with subsidised college education.

Dynamic leadership from organizations + Organisations like LULAC won many victories over discrimination.

Mexican Americans established the American GI Forum in 1948. It was very successful, opposing segregation in public facilities.
GI Forum demonstrated that the new US-born generation was more inclined to demand equality than their parents.

There was a steady increase in Mexican-American voting.

Question 3

What led to the first ‘awakening’ of the Mexican-American electorate in the 1960s and greater militancy?

Answer 3

Inspired by the Black Civil Rights movement.

80% lived in ghettos. They suffered from poor housing, discrimination, poverty etc.

Voting Rights Act facilitated more voting for Mexican-Americans (e,g, bilingual ballots)

LULAC emphasised voting and elected represetnatives who were likely to help bring change. walked out of EEOC in 1966 bc there was no mexican american representation, johnso responded ot thier demands and appotined a M.A to the orgnaization.

1965 Voting Rights Act that required biliungal ballots in electoral disctricts with high concentration of spanish speakers + 1975 extension of voting rights act further faciliated mexican american voting -> representation increased all over gov.

Question 4

Why did many poor Mexican farm workers initially avoid politics?

Answer 4

Fear of deportation

Question 5

When did César Chávez establish the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA)?

Answer 5

1962

Question 6

What did the NFWA do with the Agricultural Workers Organising Committee (AWOC).

Answer 6

In 1965, they striked together. During their strike against grape growers, they merged into the United Farm Workers (UFW),

Question 7

When did Chavez organize a grape boycott? Who helped?

How many Americans supported the grape boycott at its peak?

Answer 7

1966. White liberals such as Senator Robert Kennedy helped in the boycott.

17 million

Question 8

When did growers agree to sign contracts with UFW?

Answer 8

1970. however triumph was short somewhat shortlived, even though it allowed the 1975 Agricultural Labour Relations Act (exceptionally worker friendly legislation), increased oppositoin and increased immigration weakened thew UFW.

Question 9

Why was Chavez considered a hero?

Answer 9

His mobilization of the Catholic Church to support UFW

Emphasis on non-violence

Gave ethnic Mexican workers their first positive and successful US role model -> Encouraged Mexican-Americans into even more activism

UFW was one of the only Mexican-American organisation to gain significant national attention.

became the catalyst for the chicano movement, isnpired it

Question 10

Who were Tejanos? Where were there lots of Tejanos?

Answer 10

Texan Mexican-Americans.
Crystal City. They had long been the majority, but they were excluded by the Anglo population.

Question 11

What did Tejano union activists do in 1963?

Answer 11

They organized an unprecedented all Mexican-American City Council.

Question 12

What were the consequences of the Tejano City Council?

Answer 12

Anglos intimidated Mexican-American councilors and sabotaged their work.

Initial triumph started activism in Crystal City and elsewhere.

Inspired student activists who started military organizations, such as Mexican-American Youth Organisation (MAYO)

Question 13

What organization did Reies Lopez Tijernia found? When?

Answer 13

(Alianza) Federal Alliance of Land Grants
1963

Question 14

What did the Federal Alliance of Land Grants (Alianza) protest for in 1966, New Mexico?

Answer 14

Claimed that the federal government and private parties had broken the 1848 treaty and illegally appropriated their ancestor’s land.

Question 15

What led to Alianza violence in June 1967?

Answer 15

The arrest of Alianza members as they planned to occupy a section of the Kit Carson forest, which had been a nineteenth-century land grant.
Tijernia led a group of militants in an armed raid on the Rio Arriba County courthouse in northern New Mexico.

Question 16

What were the consequences of violence between Alianza and law enforcement in July 1967?

Answer 16

Two New Mexico law enforcement officials were wounded.

Question 17

What and when were the ‘Blowouts’?

Answer 17

Spring 1968, East Los Angeles. Around 10,000 students in high schools staged walkouts.

Question 18

What were the demands of the students participating in the ‘blowouts’?

Answer 18

More access to college preparation classes
Additional bilingual classes
Mexican-American history classes
Employment of more Mexican-American teachers
Mexican food in the school cafeterias

Question 19

What were the consequences of the ‘Blowouts?’

Answer 19

Some supporters were arrested, but the charges were dropped. Some demands were met.
‘Blowouts’ spread throughout the Southwest and resulted in reforms, such as in Crystal City’s high school.
Mexican-American students increasingly called themselves Chicanos. Before it was disparaging, now it was a symbol of pride.

Question 20

When was the La Raza Unida Party (LRUP) established? How succesful was LRUP

Answer 20

1969
Due to the high concentrations of Mexican Americans in Texas and california, they gained some local political power. E.g. school boards, city council and county elections.

between 1971-74 LRUP candidates influenced several local elections in califronia but proved ineffective state-wide.

Question 21

When did LRUP go into decline? Why?

Answer 21

By 1974.
Fears that they took votes from Democrats, therefore advantaging Repbulcians.
Mexican-Americans felt they were too extreme and confrontational.

Question 22

What were the successes of the Chicano movement?

Answer 22

With some successes they managed to;

Decrease high school drop out rates
Increase spanish-language and Mexican culture provisions
Increase number of Chicano teachers
Encouraged fierce ethnicity
Established Chicano colleges, unis, churches and youth movements

Question 23

What were the failures of the Chicano movement?

Answer 23

Some feel it did more to expose division between Latinos than stimulate a common cause.
Many Mexican-Americans were apathetic, adn the idea of ‘Chicanoism’ appealed to only fraction of the ethnic Mexicans.
Alianza violence impressed young people, while alienating working-class and elite Mexican-Americans.
Government infiltrated the movement, which helped to ensure that Latinos did not unite effectively in a single national movement.

Question 24

What are arguments FOR Cesar Chavez being a ‘hero’?

Answer 24

He became a role model for Mexican-Americans. Professor Garcia describes him as ‘one of the greatest figures in the history of the United States’
Helped to galvanise the Mexican-American population. Randy Shaw said he ‘left an inspirational legacy for many social movements’

Question 25

What are arguments AGAINST Cesar Chavez being a ‘hero’?

Answer 25

Matt Garcia; Chavez initially resisted the boycott, then led it to success, but developed into a tragic failure who became increasingly unstable.
Miriam Pawel: Chavez was ruthless with potential rivals in and in other unions.
Miriam Pawel: Also said he was preoccupied in later life with the creation of a cult that presented him as another Ghandi.