The Reagan Years: 1980s: Mexican American Culture
Click image to zoom in.Or view larger version. School children dance to celebrate Cinco de Mayo at the Laney College Theater in Oakland, California. May 5, 1982. Ron Riesterer, photographer. Gelatin silver print. Collection of Oakland Museum of California. The Oakland Tribune Collection. Gift of ANG Newspapers.
In this 1982 photo, a group of Oakland school children celebrate Cinco de Mayo, an event that recalls Mexico's victory against Napoléon III's army in 1862. California's ethnic population of foreign-born Latinos-while larger than that of any other state in the U.S.-historically had the least amount of political power due to the low number of registered voters. In the 1980s, groups such the Southwest Voters Project and the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund sought to educate and naturalize California's immigrants. Over the coming decades, they successfully argued that the choice to maintain one's Mexican citizenship actually disenfranchised long-term residents and excluded them from the political process.
Internet links
- Explanation and links to U.S. Immigration Policy during the 20th century
- Migration News and Dialog by academic researchers at UC Davis
- Who's Who, Background, and History of the Latino Caucus in the California State Legislature
- Summary of Hispanic Americans in the U.S. Congress
- California-Latino Demographic Databook
- National Association of Hispanic Journalists
- El Rescate-About Us
- Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund