HISPANIC-AMERICANS

By: Sabrina Brown, Silvia Butler, Ashmanie U.

EARLY HISTORY OF HISPANICS

In 1920, most Hispanics lived in the Southwestern United States

Majority of immigrants came from Mexico and Puerto Rico. They became the source of cheap labor.

Mexicans lived in the Southwest and most were employed as migratory farm workers. While Puerto Ricans moved to New York.

They both lived in their own neighborhoods, which centered around the Roman Catholic Church. Both lived in poverty.

Many were from Hispanic families which owned land that was apart of the Southwest.

This part of land was in Mexico’s control and helped form the League of United Latin American Citizen

TURNING POINT Despite income and language difficulties,

change came with better rights for Hispanics in the mid 1960s

Cubans began to live in Florida, which lead to the altering of the political and social climate.

A movement began and was marked by the National Council of La Raza in 1968. Through this movement many tactics were drawn away from the African American civil rights movement.

Including sit-ins and boy-cotts, were used to attract publicity to their cause.

KEY GROUPS Many Hispanics relied on litigation to secure

legal change. Some key groups are the Mexican American

Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), and the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

The MALDEF was found in 1968 by members of the LULAC and NAACP LDF leader.

The purpose of the MALDEF is to bring forth more rights to Hispanics.

IMPORTANT CASE In 1973, the Supreme Court had refused to verify

that a Texas law violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment

The law stated that each state was appointed a set dollar to each school district per pupil,

Under this law wealthier districts were able to still enrich educational programs from other funds, and therefore violated the 14th Amendment.

However in 1989, the MALDEF had won a case in which a state district judge elected by the voters of only a single county.

This would be the state’s entire method of financing public schools, to be unconstitutional.

TIME LINE

1920: Hispanics lived in Southwestern United States

1929: The League of United Latin American Citizens was formed

Mid 1960s: A wave of Cuban immigrants came to the U.S., which dramatically altered the political and social climate

1968: The new movement established by the National Council of La Raza, drew many tactics away from African Americans civil rights movement.

1968: Key groups were founded and form. Some are the MALDEF, LULAC, and many others.

1965: The MALDEF was successful in expanding the voting rights of Hispanics under the Voting Rights Act of 1965

1989: MALDEF won another case which proved how it was unconstitutional