Over the last two centuries, different Latinx and Hispanic groups have faced new forms of discrimination and marginalization time and again in labor markets, education, and general society. Yet time and again, the community has risen together to fight for their rights while making our nation a stronger and more equitable democracy.
Instead of focussing on the harm that has been done to these communities, Hispanic Heritage Month invites us to celebrate those change makers who have risen up and made our nation a better place. As educators, we need to know that history and invite our students to explore and critique it.
This month is a great opportunity to for culturally responsive education that allows diving into Hispanic Heritage while developing compare and contrast skills, informational reading skills, public speaking skills and so much more.
Here are some powerful movements in Latinx History in American to explore with your students:
Founded in 1894, Alianza Hispano-Americana aimed to unite Mexican Americans through mutual support, expanding across the Southwest; post-World War II, it advocated for equal rights and successfully challenged segregation, driven by the experiences of Mexican American veterans.
In 1946, Mexican students faced segregation in some California schools, leading to a Unity League’s formation to challenge this discrimination, ultimately opening doors for Mexican students and sparking the growth of Unity Leagues statewide.
In the 1960s, East Los Angeles’ young Latino population embraced the term Chicano to assert their identity and began advocating for their community’s betterment. The La Piranya Coffee Shop, founded in 1967, emerged as a focal point for organizing, known as the Chicano Youths for Community Action, fueling the burgeoning Chicano Movement’s organizing power and pursuit of justice.
In 1968, concerned about Puerto Rican displacement and lack of services, activist Cha Cha Jiménez formed the Young Lords, a diverse group striving for community control. They initiated grassroots actions, including street cleanups and fiery protests, which not only addressed immediate issues but also ignited a movement for empowerment and change, spreading across cities and leaving a lasting impact. A year later, the group would tackle sanitation issues in their NYC neighborhoods by initiating their own cleanup efforts. When met with city resistance, their fiery protest drew attention and action from local authorities.
The East Los Angeles High Schools that served Latino students had a multitude of problems. The buildings were poorly managed, the teachers were untrained, and dropout rates were high. Students did not see themselves in what they were reading or learning. Many felt like the school and world saw them as just a problem. When nobody else was working to improve their schools, some students decided to take a stand. On March 5th, 1968, students walked out of Garfield High School in protest. In the next week, two more high schools would join in. With walkouts making news, local government was forced to acquiesce and make improvements.
Celebrate these memorable movements with your students this month to honor their contributions.
