How the Film Shed Light on Mexican and Chicanx History
According to the film, Chicanx emerged from the civil disobedience movements formed to fight for civil rights. Before the 1960s, Latinos were not given opportunities in national politics while the whites had grabbed their land. Mexican Americans struggled to break from the chains of slavery and demanded unionization for their farmworkers. This clearly shows that Blacks in Mexico were still regarded as “slaves.”
Students played an important role in the quest for justice for Mexican Americans. The famous Chicano fight organized by student groups such as the United Mexican Students in 1968 demanded the introduction of curriculums inclusive of all cultures. They continued protesting due to the high number of Chicano students dropping out of school due to racial abuse and discrimination (Prevatte, 2017). Sadly, Mexican students could not access education because they could not speak English.
The Mexicans journey towards achieving their freedom to civil rights encountered many challenges because they were restricted from accessing proper education, healthcare, and Blacks were living in extreme poverty. Blacks were treated with suspicion and were subjected to police brutality and assaults. Everything changed in 1960 when J.F. Kennedy became the President of the United States and made Latino an important voting bloc. Through their persistent fighting for recognition, black organizations have achieved so much progress in the last few decades. Chicanos have produced some scary human rights activities that have been vocal throughout history. They demanded recognition of African traditions and roots in Mexico and did not rest until some important non-discriminatory policies were enacted.