Immigration Initially, the Chicano Movement of the early 1960s was silent on the issue of Mexican immigration—until Chicano civil rights activist Herman Baca challenged government restrictions an repressive immigration policies and practices in San Diego. Baca, whose National City print shop served as the unofficial headquarters of Chicano activists, cofounded the Committee on Chicano Rights (CCR). In 1977, the CCR organized a unity march of 10,000 people protesting the Ku Klux Klan’s planned efforts to help the U.S. border Patrol with the apprehensions of undocumented Mexicans at the U.S.- Mexico border. Roberto Martinez was also a pioneer in the defense of undocumented immigrants who crossed the border, lived in the county, and were subjected to violence by authorities and anti-immigrant groups. In 1983, as the director to the American Friends Service Committee, he used his platform to address these human rights issues.
Chicano Legacy Rooted in Community
Sí se puede, the self-determination phrase, motivated Chicanas/os to improve medical, social services and recreational programs and also resonated with many Latino families and Chicano activists. More than 24 civil rights and social service organizations were founded in San Diego during the Chicano Movement that began in the mid-1960s. The San Ysidro Community Health Center was founded in 1969 by Carmen Martinez and six other mothers, who were driven to create a clinic in their low-income neighborhood. In 1970, Barrio Logan mother Laura Rodriguez founded the Logan Heights Family Health Center for families living in one of the poorest sections of the city. Moving Forward Chicana/o activists continued their self-determination journey, within public institutions and systems. Others challenged the private sector and its economic engines to achieve
Mothers Founding San Ysidro Health Clinic – 1969 (Photo courtesy San Ysidro Health)
Laura Rodriguez – 1994 Logan Heights Family Health Center Founder (Photo courtesy Latino Legacy Foundation)
equity and social justice for all residents of the United States of America.
The San Diego Union-Tribune October 26, 1977 (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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