When I first started teaching US History, students would often ask, “what were Latinos doing during Jim Crow?” Or, “did Latinos ever have a civil rights movement?”
This led me to do a deep dive into the history of Latinos in the United States and before. Subsequently, I developed a unit on Latino American History with a focal point on the 20th century. My students, 10th-12th grade, are always appreciative of this unit, often saying this is the first time they have learned about Latinos in US History.
To me, the most interesting part of the story is the Chicano Rights Movement, which took place from 1945-1975. Many American students have heard of César Chávez, but not much else. While Chávez is the most prominent Latino civil rights leader in US History, there were many others! Chávez tends to be misunderstood, often being depicted as the MLK of Latino rights. Whereas MLK led a movement for African American civil rights, Chávez led a movement for the human rights of farmworkers. Chávez was more of a labor leader than a civil rights leader! King led the Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC), while Chávez led the United Farm Workers (UFW).
Another often overlooked detail, is the role played by Dolores Huerta (who turned 94 on April 10th). I would argue that she was an equal partner in La Huelga, but was unsurprisingly overshadowed by Chávez given gender expectations at the time. The relationship between La Huelga and the Chicano Rights Movement is also easily misunderstood. Unlike the Montgomery Bus Boycott which directly aligned with the goals of the Civil Rights Movement, the relationship between the Grape Boycott and the Chicano Rights Movement is indirect. So then, why is Chávez the most prominent Latino in US History? This is a great question to explore answers to with your students!
I will write more in future blog posts about other elements of the Chicano Rights Movement. If you are interested in teaching about the Chicano Rights Movement, I humbly recommend the PowerPoint Presentation I created for this unit.
