From Mexican American/Chicano to Latino: Community and Competing Conceptions of Politics

1. From Mexican American/Chicano to Latino: Community and Competing Conceptions of Politics Mexican Americans and Politics Class 7 January 31, 2006

2. Essay 1 The period between the ratification of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the Chicano movement represented a period of dramatic Mexican American political decline and a political rebirth. In an essay, identify the specific guarantees provided by the Treaty, evaluate how its provisions were so easily abrogated, and assess what role, if any in your opinion, the Treaty played in the development of Mexican American politics in the 125 years after its ratification.

3. Chicano! History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement“Taking Back the Schools” Questions to Consider: What resources did students and parents have to challenge educational discrimination? What barriers did they face? Would they have been able to mount these challenges in 1945 or 1960? Why/why not?

4. Context of Chicano Movement • 1848 and its aftermath limited Mexican American opportunities to organize • Post-war changes rebuilt opportunities • New educated middle class • Diversity of civic and political organizations • Legal changes reduced statutory exclusion • Ideas in popular discourse challenging the status quo

5. New Diversity in Mexican American Politics • Civic infrastructure • National and local organizations focusing on community needs • Electoral victories • The “Firsts” – Mexican Americans in Congress, state legislatures, and some city governments • “Movement” organizations • Emerge throughout the 1960s and early 1970s • Focus on range of issues

6. The “Movement” • Electoral power—Crystal City, TX • Land Rights—Alianza Federal de Pueblos Libres (La Alianza) • Disaffected youth • Crusade for Justice • The Blowouts • Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO) • College students—El Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA) • Farmworkers—United Farm Workers (UFW)

7. La Raza Unida Party (RUP) • Many components of the Movement unite in RUP • Debate over whether electoral politics is the appropriate culmination of movement politics • Corky Gonzáles – Political education and cultural separatism; new political consciousness the goal • José Angel Gutiérrez – Achieve goals by winning elections and forming coalitions; local issues and pragmatism

8. Raza Unida (Party) as an Electoral Force • 1972 – RUP received secret support from the Nixon (Republican) campaign • Goal: Part of “dirty tricks” campaign to undercut Democratic base • 1972-1974 • Some local victories • 1972 and 1974 Texas Gubernatorial races • Candidate—Ramsey Muñiz • Twin dilemmas—Ballot access and modest Mexican American support

9. Each of the Chicano Movement Organizations Reflects a Similar Pattern Low levels of social capital in Mexican American communities of this era and a strategy to overcome this barrier

10. Social Capital • Networks have value • Social networks—who people know • Who you rely on when you face a dilemma • Inclinations that arise from these networks to do things for each other • Reciprocity • Trust • Bridging social capital—social capital that connects disparate groups

11. 20th Century U.S. Politics Does Not Facilitate Social Capital Formation • Community-based collective action in decline • “Bowling Alone” • State-provided social services have replaced the need for some collective action • Parties have reduced their focus on mass recruitment and mobilization • Candidates and campaigns focus on likely voters • Little targeted mobilization of immigrants and the newly naturalized

12. For Next Time • What is pan-ethnicity? • When does it form?