Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Fall 2012 Minorities and Counter Culture
Part 1- SUMMARIZE Sections 1 and 2 on Latin Americans, Native Americans, and Women. In about a 3/4 page- discuss how their rights and equalities did or did not change during this era. Make sure to draw similarities and differences. Part 2- DEFINE counterculture and explain what role it played in both Civil Rights and War Protests. (about 1/4 page).Save this document, then copy and paste it HERE. Also, respond to ONE student's post.
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Sorry, I kind of went overboard with this... here's part one:
Throughout the last half of the 19th century, and the first of the 20th century, millions of Latinos of various nationalities began making their way to the United States, primarily in search of higher wages. However, what they found was grueling labor, meager pay, and no benefits on California’s fruit and vegetable farms. One Latino farmer named César Chávez finally took a stand by encouraging Latino Americans to stand up for their rights, and for their heritage which was vastly discriminated against. The tactics used by Chavez were similar to Martin Luther King Jr.’s in that he emphasized non-violence. His peaceful approach proved to be effective when, in 1970, the once obstinate California grape growers conceded higher wages and work benefits to Latino farmers. Chavez’s victory inspired racial pride throughout the Latino community, empowering them to further assert their collective desires into the educational and political arenas, and to voice their long-unspoken discontent. Education was targeted first, and by 1968, Congress passed the Bilingual Education Act, this provided Spanish-speaking students with programs, designed to teach them about their heritage. Throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s, Latino American’s became much more involved in politics as organizations such as the Mexican American Political Association (MAPA) and La Raza Unida successfully elected Latino candidates for state legislatures. The Latinos had finally gotten a foothold on the rights which they had long been denied.
Native Americans lived in even worse conditions than the Latinos. Their unemployment, poverty, and alcoholism rates surpassed those of every other ethnic group. When President Eisenhower attempted to remedy these statistics in 1954 by integrating them into Mainstream society, their conditions only worsened. This compelled Native American groups to take a stand in order to regain self-determination. Thus in 1961 they formed the Declaration of Indian Purpose, which would provide greater opportunities for Native Americans on their reservations. However, the pace of change remained slow, furthering their discontent once again. Tired of not seeing results, the Native American activists formed the American Indian Movement (AIM), which demanded the restoration of Indian territory, and the preservation of their culture. Eventually they succeeded in bringing about the passage of Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Ac, giving them more freedom. Native American activists also successfully regained some of their land, including the sacred blue lake in New Mexico and 40 million acres in Alaska.
Here's part two...again, sorry:
Throughout the 1950’s women’s roles were once again reduced to child bearing and housekeeping, and consequently most jobs were dubbed as “men’s jobs.” Their unequal status was first brought under the spotlight by the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women, launched by JFK in 1961. Subsequently, women began to fight for their rights as a new wave of Feminism gripped the country. The National Organization for Women (NOW) was just one of the many women’s groups which sought to open traditionally male jobs, and political offices to women. One near victory occurred in 1972 when Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which would provide women with equal rights as men as long as it was ratified by 38 states. Unfortunately, conservative sexists parading under the “pro-family” movement, hindered their endeavors, and the Amendment was not passed. Nonetheless, the actions of women’s liberationists during the 1960s would lead the way towards ending women’s second-class citizenship in America.
Section 3
Counterculture was a widespread movement which rebelled against traditional American culture, throughout the 1960s. It was characterized by drug use, rock and roll, pacifism, and risqué behavior. Because of their emphasis on peace and love, counter culturists protested the war in Vietnam. Their relaxed morals also effectuated the sexual revolution. Although this movement soon fell apart, ironically due to within it, it changed many perspectives within the U.S. and also compelled Conservatives to stand up for the morals which they felt were slipping away.
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