Chicano Civil Rights Movement

The Chicano Civil Rights Movement took place during the 1960s, although it can be traced back to the 1920x.  The goal was to provide civil rights and empowerment to the Mexican American people.  The purpose of the movement was several fold but ultimately the Chicano people wanted to be freed form the poor ethnic stereotypes held by the American people.

The Issues 

There were many other issues that led to the Chicano Civil Rights Movement aside from ethnic pride.  The Chicano people wanted land grants that had been taken away to be restored.  In addition they wanted the migrant farm workers to have the same protections as other workers in the United States.  The Chicano Civil Rights Movement also protested against poor education for its children and the lack of voting rights. The League of Latin Americans (1927) was formed for the aforementioned purpose. It became the prototype for LULAC four years prior.

Post World War II

The Chicano Civil Right Movement really picked up steam after World War II with the formation of groups such as the American G.I. Forum by Chicano war veterans.  There were also many civil rights movements and cases that brought before the courts of the country.  A major victory came in 1954 when it was declared that Mexican Americans as well as other ethnic people were entitled to the same protection as everyone else under the U.S. Constitutions 14th Amendment.

Chicano Youth

Even the young Mexican Americans took part in the Chicano Civil Rights Movement.  In the 1960 Chicano high school students in East Los Angeles and Denver staged a large walkout.   There were identical walkouts in the 1970s in other cities in California as well as Texas.  These walkouts were to protest the treatment of the Mexican American people and the horrendous educational deficiencies the Chicano students had to endure.  This led to the formation of a university student organization called Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, among others.  This group exists today and is now dedicated to some of the more modern political issues of the 21st Century.