Book

Chicano empowerment and bilingual education: movimiento politics in Crystal City, Texas

Garland Pub. • New York • Published In 1998 • Pages: xvi, 228

By: Trujillo, Armando L..

Abstract

This is the story of how Mexican-Americans in a small city in South Texas empowered themselves in their fight for bilingual education. In 1969, the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO) targetted the Crystal City school system and lead a three-week walkout by Mexican-American students protesting discrimination by administration and teachers. Demands included a call for bilingual and bicultural education. MAYO won some initial concessions, but little more. The next step was to organize an alternative party, La Raza Unida (RUP), to run a slate of candidates for city council and the school board. In 1970 the party won majorities in both arenas and began to reshape the school curriculum and address long ignored issues, concerning housing, health care, and unemployment. Trujillo discusses the Aztlán movement and the importance of ideology in raising ethnic consciousness and formenting ethnic unity. He also describes how the movement petered out once initial gains were made and consolidated.

HRAF PubDate

2002

Region

North America

Sub Region

Regional, Ethnic and Diaspora Cultures

Document Type

Book

Evaluation

Creator Type

Ethnologist

Document Rating

4: Excellent Secondary Data

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

Ian Skoggard ; 2001

Field Date

1989-1992

Coverage Date

1969-1989

Coverage Place

Crystal City, Zavala County, Texas

Notes

Armando L. Trujillo

Includes bibliographical references (p. 209-219) and index

LCCN

98028626

LCSH

Mexican Americans