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. The revolt against the historical exploitation of farmworkers included unacceptable working conditions, such as no water or toilets. This revolt also galvanized activists across the country. Besides rallying in support of “la causa” (the cause), activists embraced the slogan, “Sí se puede” (Yes we can), which reflected a sense of self-determination, belief in the power of collective action, and a commitment to social change and justice. Amidst these causes, the Chicano Movement emerged in 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 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 where they formed social justice organizations such as the Brown Berets. Unity with the Farmworkers’ Strike The Chicano Movement found solidarity with Mexican and Filipino farmworkers in Delano, California. Under the leadership of César Chávez and Dolores Huerta, Mexican farmworkers in 1965 voted to join Filipino farmworkers, led by Larry Itlong, in a “huelga” (strike) against the grape growers of California.
Student Movement Chicano activism also emerged among high school and college students across California. Many were reaching adulthood and were developing a sense of social justice and political consciousness. The farmworkers’ huelga and related grape boycotts initially offered them “an identification based on race and culture in a movement against social injustice,” observed San Diego State University (SDSU) scholar Gustavo Segade. Many college students immediately joined with the farmworkers in Delano; others established huelga committees on their college campuses and in their local communities. Mesa College students Carlos and Linda LeGerrette were among those inspired by Professor Gracia Molina de Pick, Ph.D., in 1966 to support the farmworkers’ movement. A few years later, at the request of César Chávez, they left San Diego and their jobs to assume leadership roles to temporarily help with the grape boycott, volunteering their time for $5 a week, plus room and board.
Gracia Molina de Pick (Photo courtesy Cruzito Herrera Cruz)
UFW cofounder César Chávez at SDSU (Photo courtesy Roger Cazares Family Archives)
UFW cofounder César Chávez – Oct 23, 1973 (Photo 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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