Latin-American Studies

According to Merriam-Webster, the belief that race, being the primary determinant of capacities and human traits, is racism. Also included is the production of inherent superiority of a particular race given by racial differences. When denial of rights and benefits or receiving preferential treatment takes place on racial groups, institutional racism is the coined term.
The Lemon Grove Incident that took place the year 1930 to 1931 in California is one historical antecedent that led to walkouts. The school board of Lemon Grove decided to build a separate school that will be attended only by children of Mexican heritage. The issue worsened when the board of Lemon Grove did not inform the parents of those students of Mexican heritage that their children will be isolated on a separate school. The school was known in the local Mexican American as La Caballeriza which means the stable. Because of the parents instructions to their children to return home if such is to happen, the children followed what their parents have said. The students were not allowed to return to the main schoolhouse at the same time, the parents refused to send their children to the new school. Because of the incidents that took place, a boycott resulted. The parents approached the Mexican Consul in San Diego and sought for their assistance. Two attorneys were given to them. Thus, the Lemon Grove Incident was the first successful school desegregation court decision in United States history.
According to George Sanchez, Mexican Americans in Los Angeles had formed their own unique identity oriented not toward Mexico but to their new home. Because of being often denied with equal opportunity in employment and education, Mexican immigrants have built cohesive communities at the same time adapting to the cultural practices of Americans. Though receiving pressures from Americans to assimilate and form Mexican government representatives to remain loyal to their homeland, Mexican Americans found a middle way of being Mexican while living as citizens under the country of United States. In competing religious faiths, many Mexican women quietly continued Catholic traditions at home while others converted to Protestantism. Mexican Americans continued to eat their native foods, but immediately adopted American fashions. When the second generation came of age in the 1930s, they participated in American party politics and labor unions in order to improve conditions for Mexican Americans. George Sanchez used materials such as statistical analysis, narrative, and compelling individual histories to present data. Sanchez demonstrates that Mexican Americans became loyal and hard-working citizens that deserve equal rights and privileges. Mexican Americans quietly persevered and survived to assert their identity as a distinctive ethnic community within the American nation even when faced with discrimination.
Throughout the film, the different struggles of Chicanos were shown before they have acquired their interests in receiving equal rights and just treatments. It was clearly seen in the movie the discrimination that Chicanos experienced by the sole reason of being a Mexican American. They are people who are trying to adapt and acclimatize themselves to the American culture but they still get unequal rights and benefits compared to that of the pure Americans are receiving. Becoming doesnt mean becoming solely an American or becoming solely a Mexican. Becoming means embracing both races and cultures and establish a new wave by being a Mexican American. Becoming in the movie has evolved because from being discriminated for having a Mexican heritage receiving unequal rights and unjust treatments, Mexican Americans fought for what they think is just for them. Being successful in what they have fought for, they have acquired what they have longed for, becoming a recognized and equally treated citizen of the United States disregarding the reason of being a Mexican American. They have established a new culture not that of Mexicans or Americans alone but that of Mexican Americans. From a simple goal of establishing and forming groups to promote their interests, the Chicano students in the film came up with a well-thought plan to end up the disparities when it comes to the level and kind of benefits they are receiving if compared to those of pure Americans. After all, Chicanos deserve equal rights and protection since they are also citizens who pay taxes to United States just like Americans do.
After the boom that took place after the World War II, Chicanos did not benefit much from it as said by Hayes Bautista. More than half of the population of Chicanos or 60.6 lived a life of poverty while those of the non-Hispanic Whites had a lesser population of only a quarter or 25.5. For the Chicanos who werent able to receive the benefits, they were deprived of a better life and a higher quality of education. Since the countrys finances have recovered, Education has been prioritized by the government. The fact that they are Chicanos had already deprived them from receiving the right to have a better education. Being a Chicano will do no harm to United States but they are treated as if they are people who only seek opportunities in the country. Since employed Chicanos pay their taxes to the American government, it is just and fair for their children to receive the kind of quality education and improvements that pure American children do. Because of the discrimination, Chicanos are deprived of the right to be educated and acquire a white collared job because of their low educational attainment.
Based on the movie, only a few Chicanos managed to enter college. Not having the opportunity to enter college is synonymous to not having the chance to provide a better life to their family and future family. Chicanos were removed from their dreams of uplifting their heritage and proving themselves. They were expected to stay on the place where they are standing and most of them were deprived of the chance to move up a step farther from where they used to be. It is because they dont receive the knowledge and skills where they could have taken in college. They could have increased and improved their capabilities but getting into college was a struggle for them.
The movie showed how Chicanos were provided with old and lacking instructional materials. They were not given the freedom to speak the language of their preference because in doing so, they will be receiving a severe punishment. Chicanos have lived a life in fear and depression because they were made to feel that they are an inferior race. Despite Chicanos have managed themselves to get into school, the majority only reach high school as the highest level. They are still undereducated. The Chicano community didnt prosper at all. Most of them have been stuck in the high school level. Because of the condition, a protest resulted from Chicano students who had felt the need to stand up for what they should deserve. It has caused chaos and a piece of American history. A brave mass walkout was bravely organized together with different schools to show or express their hearts and minds.
As I have read and watched, Chicano history was a brave one. Their history was started by despair but it ended well because of the motivation of their race. Chicanos are people who value their pride as a person and as a human being entitled to receive the same rights as the rest of their co-citizens in the United States. Chicano history was a bloodless battle because no great harm to humans was caused in winning the fight. Aside from the harassments that some students experienced in the walkout, the rest had undergone in the right process. Excluding the acts of the policemen who were controlling the walkout, no one else placed the law in their hands. The rest had undergone the right processes in achieving justice and equality.
Whatever the present Chicanos are enjoying today, they all owe it to the past Chicano youth who bravely stood out and fought for their rights, for their race. They have gained respect by giving respect to themselves first. There were a lot of oppression especially in education and benefits back then but all of which were corrected because of the brave acts of the Chicano youth in those times. I have learned that Chicano, Mexicans or Latinos are people who have found its home in the lands of United States of America. They are the people who gave America its first successful landmark case of school desegregation that marked history. They had given empowerment to a lot of people because of the tactics they used in dealing with the situation. It was a bloodless fight that gave an opening gate for a better future to the Mexican American race. Who wouldve thought that the brave acts of brave Chicano youth will allow their race to be free from the inequalities and unjust treatments they are receiving. The Chicanos have proven that even the youth has the power to change the world, that the youth cant be fooled and be blinded, and that the youth are people who will bring forth a change that the world will benefit in the future. The power of youth shouldnt be underestimated. It was only the power of Chicano youth that was seen, how much more if the rest of the worlds races hold hands together in achieving a vision of a better Earth Indeed, the youth can make history and change future.