Various Movements

The human rights movement expanded significantly during the post-war period from 1940’s to the early 1970’s. Latino Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans established their own movements for equality and justice. They wanted influence in law and government. They also wanted respect. Those with disabilities and consumer protections grew during this period too. New Hispanic American immigrants increased after World War II as anti-immigrant policies declined and more labor opportunities developed. New immigrants desired jobs. Latino-Americans have a large Spanish speaking population. Latino and Hispanic refer to ethnicity not to race as there are Afro-Latinos, white Hispanics, and multiracial Hispanic people too. They share many cultural experiences. Mexican Americans or Chicanos have fought for their rights also. Many Mexican Americans were farmers from the bracero program. This allowed many immigrant guest worker programs to allow human beings to farm in the U.S. The 1965 Immigration law caused more Latino-Americans to come into America from more than 400,000 people in the 1960’s to 1.5 million by the 1980’s. After World War II, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans came into the east coast of the Continental United States from Florida to New York State. Many Puerto Ricans wanted better jobs and they are U.S. citizens. Dominicans and Cuban immigrants readily immigrated because of political and economic reasons. After World War II, many Latinos experienced discrimination and oppression. Many of them were veterans of World War II who served honorably against the Axis Powers. Veteran Hector Garcia fought discrimination by forming the American G.I. Forum.

Many Latinos increasingly fought for civil rights during the time of the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement. They wanted better salaries, wages, and educational opportunities. Like African Americans, they wanted voting rights and more elected political leaders to represent them. Cesar Chavez was one influential Latino activist. He organized farm workers to fight for labor rights in California. Chavez worked in farms and organized tons of people to stand up for economic rights. He traveled into many states too. Many migrant farmworkers picked fruits and vegetables without benefits and for long hours. Chavez formed a farmworkers’ union by 1962 in order to change that horrendous reality. The union was in Delano, California. By the late 1960’s, he merged his union with a separate union of Filipino-American farm workers to form the United Farm Workers or the UFW. The UFW used nonviolence and strikes to fight for change. They used a consumer boycott of table grapes. Delores Huerta was Chavez’s ally, and she worked to fight to win recognition from the growers. By 1975, California passed a law that made collective bargaining a requirement among growers and union representatives. Farmworkers fought to establish better working conditions a reality. Also, the broader Chicano movement wanted educational rights and human rights. They also wanted actual Mexican-American history to be taught in schools nationwide. The Chicano movement wanted to embrace their cultural heritage. The National Council of La Raza was created in 1968 to deal with poverty and discrimination. It wanted better opportunities for Hispanic Americans. The Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO) was created in 1967. Jose Angel Gutierrez formed the La Raza Unida political party in Texas by 1970. They wanted housing and jobs. Many Latino political leaders rose up. By 1980, six Latino-Americans sat in Congress to represent areas from New York to Texas. State, county, and city government have more Latinos now than ever before.

Native Americans fought discrimination, poverty, and lax education too. In 1961, the National Indian Youth Council (NIYC) was created in 1961 to fight for justice. They wanted to maintain native fishing rights in the Northwest. Later, they promoted civil rights for Native Americans. In 1968, the Chippewa activists Dennis Banks and George Mitchell created the AIM (or the American Indian Movement). The AIM at first worked in urban communities. Later, they fought for the total land, legal, and self-governmental rights for Native Americans. Many Native Americans confronted the government over land and resources too. Native Americans occupied Alcatraz in 1969 in protest for human rights. They control the Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco area until 1971. By the time of 1972, AIM members Russell Means and Dennis Banks marched from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. They occupied the Bureau of Indian Affairs and renamed it Native American Embassy. The 1973 standoff at Wounded Knew caused two Native Americans to die by gunfire. The government later granted many Native Americans self-government rights, but the struggle continues. The Indian Self-Determination Act of 1975 gave Native Americans more autonomy in resources and education in reservations.

Ben Nighthorse Campbell won a U.S. Senate seat. Asian Americans fought for their rights too. The Japanese American Citizen League fought for the civil rights of Japanese Americans. Many Chinese Americans also promoted equality from Bruce Lee to other leaders. The first Asian-American to be elected to Congress was Dalip Singh from California in 1956. By 1962, Daniel K. Inouye from Hawaii was elected to the Senate, and Spark Matsunaga (from Hawaii was elected to the House. Spark was the first Asian-American woman in Congress). In 1968, Asian American students strike at the San Francisco State University to demand the establishment of ethnic studies programs. By the 1960’s and the 1970’s, many Asian Americans were in the civil rights movement, the anti-war movement, and other progressive movements. Amy Uyematsu wrote a 1969 essay entitled, “The Emergence of Yellow Power.” It wanted Asian Americans to embrace self-respect, cultural strength, and independence. Some Black Panthers were influenced by the writings of Mao Zedong and the Japanese American Richard Aoki assisted the Black Panthers with weapons training. By 1969, students at the University of California, Berkeley strike for the establishment of ethnic studies programs too. In 1974, March Fong Eu was elected as California’s secretary of state. The Lau v. Nichols decision mentioned that school districts with children who speak little English must provide them with bilingual education. Later, more Asian immigration came into America, many Japanese Americans were given reparations by 1987, and more events would grow the Asian community in general.

Ralph Nader was a consumer rights activists that inspired changed. His book entitled, "Unsafe at any Speed" in 1965 contributed to Congress passing the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966. This promoted seat belts and other equipment which has saved lives sicne its inception. OSHA supported workers’ safety. By the 1960’s, JFK researched the policies to help Americans with disabilities. LBJ signed the August 1968 Architectural Barriers Act law that allowed federal buildings to have ramps to help citizens who are handicapped. Disability rights increased with the late President George H. W. Bush signing the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. People among both parties (and human beings in general) used policies that developed the Special Olympics, educational opportunities, and other blessings to those with disabilities.

By Timothy