The document summarizes conditions for Chicano communities in major US cities in the 1960s. It describes how large Mexican American populations were concentrated in barrios in cities like Los Angeles, San Antonio, El Paso, and Chicago. In these cities, Mexican Americans faced high rates of poverty, low wages, poor housing, and segregated, overcrowded schools with high dropout rates. Organizations like the Mexican American Youth Association in El Paso advocated for improved public housing and Chicano studies programs. The plight of migrant farm workers was also discussed, who worked long hours in difficult conditions but still endured poverty and lack of access to education and healthcare.
The document summarizes conditions for Chicano communities in major US cities in the 1960s. It describes how large Mexican American populations were concentrated in barrios in cities like Los Angeles, San Antonio, El Paso, and Chicago. In these cities, Mexican Americans faced high rates of poverty, low wages, poor housing, and segregated, overcrowded schools with high dropout rates. Organizations like the Mexican American Youth Association in El Paso advocated for improved public housing and Chicano studies programs. The plight of migrant farm workers was also discussed, who worked long hours in difficult conditions but still endured poverty and lack of access to education and healthcare.
The document summarizes conditions for Chicano communities in major US cities in the 1960s. It describes how large Mexican American populations were concentrated in barrios in cities like Los Angeles, San Antonio, El Paso, and Chicago. In these cities, Mexican Americans faced high rates of poverty, low wages, poor housing, and segregated, overcrowded schools with high dropout rates. Organizations like the Mexican American Youth Association in El Paso advocated for improved public housing and Chicano studies programs. The plight of migrant farm workers was also discussed, who worked long hours in difficult conditions but still endured poverty and lack of access to education and healthcare.
The document summarizes conditions for Chicano communities in major US cities in the 1960s. It describes how large Mexican American populations were concentrated in barrios in cities like Los Angeles, San Antonio, El Paso, and Chicago. In these cities, Mexican Americans faced high rates of poverty, low wages, poor housing, and segregated, overcrowded schools with high dropout rates. Organizations like the Mexican American Youth Association in El Paso advocated for improved public housing and Chicano studies programs. The plight of migrant farm workers was also discussed, who worked long hours in difficult conditions but still endured poverty and lack of access to education and healthcare.
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Goodbye America
Chicano Communities in the 1960s
The Cities
A great deal of Mexican Americans
lived in the barrios of El Paso, San Antonio, Los Angeles and Chicago.
But many lived also in San Diego,
San Francisco, and Phoenix.
Many migrants moved outside of
the southwest as well. By 1960, Illinois had a larger Mexican population than Colorado and New Mexico combined.
El Paso
El Paso had been a historical port of
entry.
In 1960, the median family income for
El Paso Mexicans was $3,857.
The median for Education was 6.5
years.
The Mexican American Youth
Association (MAYA) was the most active Chicano organization in El Paso during the 1960s. They worked for improved public housing and Chicano Studies classes at UTEP.
San Antonio
San Antonio was the second
largest Mexican American city. It had 250,000 Mexicans.
Only 1% of Chicanos had a
college degree.
42% of Spanish-surnamed families earned wages below the $3,000 poverty line.
Only 49% of Mexican homes
had plumbing versus 94% of whites.
Los Angeles
LA had the largest Mexican
American population in the US by 1960. 1,228,000 in LA County alone.
Mexicans were segregated into
particular neighborhoods. BoyleHeights-East LA housed 80% of Mexicans.
Schools were overcrowded with high
drop out rates.
Chicago
From 1950-1960 the
Mexican population grew from 24,000 to 108,000.
Many residents came
straight from Mexico.
Segregation was rampant.
Poverty was also extremely
high.
Harvest of Shame
November 25, 1960 A one hour television
documentary, Harvest of Shame, was aired.
In 1960, 16% of Mexicans were
farm laborers compared to 2% of whites.
It began, These are the forgotten people,
the underprotected, the undereducated, the underclothed, the underfed.
The documentary went on to tell the
miserable plight of migrant workers, showing families working in blistering heat and living in rundown housing, enduring misery so that an affluent nation could be fed.
In 1968, 75% of Texas migrants
worked in family groups. This interfered with the education and future of the children. Few received more than a primary education.
In California, wages were low, with
no retirement, no holidays, no sick days, overtime, disability, or health insurance.
