The Chicano Movement
"The more [Cesar Chavez] talked, the more I thought that not only could we fight, but we could win"
-Eliseo Medina
Mariachi El Bronx - Cell Mates by Foo Fighters
Cesar Chavez
He formed the NFWA (which later became the United Farm Workers) and helped aid strikers around the nation. He gave donations of food and money to the striking workers and led marches. His leadership inspired many Mexican Americans to fight discrimination. His union's symbol, a black Aztec eagle, came to represent the Mexican American civil rights movement. He was respected for his tireless efforts and his commitment to nonviolent protest.
Student Action
Students protested the poor quality of the local schools and were beaten and arrested by the police.
The Brown Berets
An activist group formed in 1967 in response to police brutality against Mexican Americans
Reies Lopez Tijerina
Leader of the "Federal Alliance of Land Grants". This organization regained land that had been taken from Mexican Americans.
Nationalism and Politics
Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales
He was one of the leading figures in the Chicano movement. He founded the Crusade for Justice, a group that promoted Mexican American nationalism. It offered legal aid, a theater for promoting cultural awareness, a newspaper, and other community services.
Mexican American Youth Organization
Founded by Jose Angel Gutierrez. Took radical positions on issues affecting Mexican Americans.
La Raza Unida Party
A Chicano political party.
The Movement Weakens
In the 1970s, the movement lost power, but it still continued to inspire people for years to come.