Introduction: Isidro Ortiz, Ph.D. – San Diego State Professor of Chicana/o Studies
Chapter 4 The Rise & Legacy of the Chicano Movement
T
he 1960s witnessed an intense struggle to renew and expand democracy with the rise of social movements in the United States. The decade was a time of turmoil, from the Black Civil Rights Movement and anti-war protests against the Vietnam War to the Women’s Liberation Movement and more. Amidst these causes, the Chicano Movement emerged circa 1965. Organized mainly across the Southwest by citizens and immigrants of Mexican origin, the architects of this social justice movement, often described it as a civil rights movement, and as a power movement. The Chicano Movement also gave birth to a new identity and emancipatory initiatives rooted in Indigenous cultural pride and resistance to oppression and discrimination. Many of the participants in the movement were the sons and daughters of World War II Latino veterans who risked their lives fighting for freedom yet returned home to a non-inclusive America that denied them equality on too many fronts. This multi-generational movement served as a vehicle for participatory democracy, especially among its youth and students—the latter becoming one of the most vibrant voices of the movement on college campuses and in “barrios” (neighborhoods) where they formed social justice organizations such as the Brown Berets. Chicano Park – Community Self-Determination In San Diego, that self-determination was evident in the historic 12-day occupation of land in the heart of Barrio Logan. Residents had been led to believe by government officials that the property would become a public park for their community.
Chicano Park Protestors – April 23, 1970 (Photo courtesy The San Diego Union-Tribune)
84
San Diego Latino Legacy – Timeline • Milestones • Stories
Chapter 4 – The Rise & Legacy of the Chicano Movement
85
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator