Hispanic Heritage Week 4: Latinos and the Civil Rights Movement

American Latino history is rich, diverse and long, with immigrants, refugees and Spanish-speaking or Indigenous people living in the United States since long before the nation was established. They bring traditions and culture from Mexico, Spain, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and other Latin American countries. Their fight for civil rights throughout history have fueled and have been fueled by other social justice movements, like the African American Civil Rights Movement and the fight for equal employment and education among immigrants. The Latino civil rights struggle, like the struggles of all people of color is ongoing and still today we continue working to address the less visible but very important inequities in our society.

The fight for equal rights and justice goes back hundreds of years with Hispanics fighting against and for this country. Here is a brief history of some earlier events which impacted latino's and social movements across the country.

There are many Latino activists who have contributed the Civil Rights and Labor Movements in this country. Let's take a look at a few whose contributions have made an enormous impact on the Hispanic community. This week's newsletter profiles Reies Lopez Tijerina, Petra Allende, Gloria Arellanes, the Brown Berets and the 1968 East LA High School Walkouts.

You can read the full newsletter here.