Our Stories
The Road to Social Justice By Irma Castro Founding Member Chicano Federation of San Diego County
A Civil Rights Organization for Us We put our city’s police force on notice. Racial profiling and immigration round-ups had to stop. In 1973, immigration raids were being conducted at Catholic churches that sponsored adult English classes. Those who “looked illegal” were detained, while others were delivered to immigration authorities for deportation.
We were so tired. We were so angry.
During the late 1960s, most Americans were celebrating the landing on the moon, Woodstock rocked, and the Vietnam War was taking the lives of our young men. In sunny San Diego—America’s Finest City— racism and inequality against people of color still existed. In 1969, we created a civil rights organization: the Chicano Federation of San Diego County. We were aided by the Urban Institute of New York, which facilitated our early organizational meetings. Our founding board members were Peter Chacon, Sylvia Romero, Augustin Chavez, Moises Rodriguez, Max Hernandez, and me. The Chicano Federation represented more than 35 organizations. Among them were Barrio Station, MAAC Project, American GI Forum, MEChA from several colleges and high schools, Association of Mexican American Educators, Society of Mexican American Engineers, Brown Berets, and many others.
The Chicano Federation began to document these activities, complaints, and resolutions that resulted in police oversight committees and review commissions. We filed separate federal lawsuits in 1975 against the County of San Diego and the San Diego Police Department, exposing discriminatory employment practices against Latinos that resulted in 10-year consent decrees under the supervision of the courts to remedy discrimination in both entities. The lawsuits set the stage for future advances.
Irma Castro (Photo courtesy of The San Diego Union-Tribune)
San Diego Union – October 5, 1975 (Courtesy The San Diego Union-Tribune)
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San Diego Latino Legacy – Timeline • Milestones • Stories
Chapter 4 – The Rise & Legacy of the Chicano Movement
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