Testimonio: A Documentary History of the Mexican American Struggle for Civil Rights. Edited by F. Arturo Rosales. The Hispanic Civil Rights Series

Transcription

1 Testimonio: A Documentary History of the Mexican American Struggle for Civil Rights Edited by F. Arturo Rosales The Hispanic Civil Rights Series [APP Colophon] Arte Publico Press Houston, Texas 2000

2 Contents Introduction xv I. Nineteenth-Century Mexicans in the Southwest and Civil Rights Introduction 1 Early Signs of Manifest Destiny 8 The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 10 The "Gadsden Purchase" 16 Angelinos Resist 20 Tejanos Lose Land 22 Anglo Squatters in Arizona 23 Maintaining Spanish 26 Social Bandits 28 Las Gorras Blancas 29 The Legacy of the Vallejos. 31 An Old-timer in Phoenix 33 Guadalupe Vallejo 37 Catarino Garza 39 II. "The Brown Scare": The Mexican Revolution as a Source of Conflict Introduction 42 Ricardo Flores Mag6n 47 "Low-Lifed Mexican" 51 The "Brown Scare" 52 "A Conspiracy Has Been Unearthed" 55

3 The Texas Rangers 61 El Plan de San Diego 63 "A Favor for an Old Mexican Rancher" 66 The Porvenir Massacre 68 Canales Testifies Against the Rangers 71 "Could Not Live with Them on Genial Terms" 73 The Dangerous Crossing 74 III. World War I and Massive Immigration in the 1920s Introduction 76 "For the Most Part They Return" 82 Crossing the Border 84 "Far From Being Undesirables" 86 Waivers to the 1917 Act 88 "Gaining the Precious Genes of Nordics" 90 Alonso S. Perales and Mexican Immigration 91 The Race Question 93 "Give Their Places to Americans" 96 The 1929 Act 98 Mexican Americans Support Immigrants 100 "To Rid This Community of Mexicans" 101 IV Immigrant Mobilization Introduction 103 "The Spirit and Solidarity of Brotherhood" 107 Mexicanness and Racial Pride 108 The Leon Cardenas Martinez Case 111 La Liga Protectora Latina 114 America for America 116 "An American... Who Loves Mexican People" 118 The Clemency Movements 120 Aurelio Pompa 122 Vida, Proceso, y Muerte de Aurelio Pompa Corrido 123 Desegregation Success Arizona 126 VIII

4 Desegregation Success California 128 Desegregation Failure Kansas 130 A Mexican Colonia During the Great Depression 132 V Mexican Government and El Mexico de Afuera Introduction 134 Mexicans on Death Row 139 The Draft Issue During World War I 141 Mistreatment and the Need for Mexican Labor 142 Documenting Mistreatment 144 The Comisiones Honorificas Mexicanas and Las Brigadas de la Cruz Azul Mexicanas 146 Mexican Study of Immigrant Conditions 149 The Mexican Government and Segregation 151 Police as Criminals 153 Mob Violence towards Mexicans 155 Lazaro Cardenas and Mexican Immigration Policy 156 VI. Mexican American Mobilization Introduction 157 Early Mexican Americanism 164 League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) 165 Alonso S. Perales on the Ideals of Mexican Americans 167 A Pioneer in Mexican Americanism 168 Consoling Loyalty to the United States of America 170 The Social Security Classification 172 A Poignant Defense of the Whiteness of Mexicans 173 Faith in Americanization 174 Bert Corona and Mexican Americanism 176 World War II and Mexican Americans 178 A Veteran Returns to Mexico 180 Protesting Lack of Recognition During World War II 181 The Optimism of Returning Soldiers 183 El Club Chapultepec 185 IX

5 The Citizen's Committee for Latin American Youth The Spears Bill Mendez v. Westminster Judge Pena Remembers Desegregation Efforts Mexican Americans and Ambiguity about Claiming Whiteness Dolores Huerta on the Community Services Organization Keeping in Touch with JFK Mexican Americanism Becomes Militant VII. Defense in the Workplace Introduction Daniel Venegas and the Workplace Boss Violence in Track Work Labor Competition and Violence LULAC Defends White Worker Threats "Black Lung" Disease The Mammoth Tank Battle "jsolidaridad! /Solidaridad!" The Bisbee Deportations Workers' Demands in Clifton, Arizona 1918 Agricultural Workers in California An Early Labor Society Mainstream American Unions and Mexicans Mexican Unions Emerge in the United States Unionism in the Agricultural Fields Radicals and Mexican Agricultural Workers in California Emma Tenayuca The Memorial Day Massacre Luisa Moreno The Empire Zinc Strike Striving for Equal Opportunity "On the Day They Were Defeated" "If We Are Given the Opportunity..." The Mine Mill

6 VIII. Catalysts of the Chicano Movement: Farm Worker Organizers and Land Grant Crusaders Introduction 269 Chavezes Organizing: the Early Years 276 Cesar Chavez on How It Began 282 Getting a Contract 285 MAPA Supports the Union 293 El Plan de Delano and the Chicano Student Movement 295 Boycott Strategy 296 The Texas Farm Worker Movement 298 Texas Rangers Suppress Farm Worker Organizing 300 The Farm Worker Union in Arizona 302 The Farm Worker Union Opposes Immigrant Workers 303 Young Organizers Meet in New Mexico 305 Poor People's March 306 Tijerina Speaks Out on Martin Luther King's Assassination 308 Tijerina Runs for Governor 321 A Government Agency Is Critical of Suppression 322 Protesting the El Paso Conference 325 Patsy Tijerina 327 IX. Chicanismo, Youth, and La Raza Unida Party Introduction 328 Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales Speaks Out 339 United Mexican American Students (UMAS) 348 Marcha de la Reconquista 350 Police Brutality 352 Blowouts! 353 The McKnight Letter 355 School Walkouts by the Crusade for Justice 360 The National Chicano Liberation Youth Conference 361 El Plan de Santa Barbara 364 The Movimiento and the Catholic Church 370 Early Chicana Feminism 372 XI

7 Mexican Americans Protest the Vietnam War 374 Rosalio Munoz's Assessment of LAPD-Mexican American Relations 375 Arizona State University Chicano Students Awaken 377 Chicanos Por La Causa 379 La Caravana de la Reconquista 381 Formation of the Mexican American Youth Movement (MAYO) 383 MAYO Membership Requirements 385 Walkout Fever Spreads 386 Walkouts in Crystal City 387 La Raza Unida in Colorado 389 Chicanas and La Raza Unida Party 391 The August 29th Movement 394 Bilingual Education and MALDEF 400 LULAC Veers to the Left 404 Bibliography 407 Index 413 Photo Credits 425 XII