Chicano Movement Was One of Numerous Movements

Chicano Movement was one of numerous movements for human rights and social justice that took place and reach great heights in American during the 1960s. The Chicano people were and are Mexican-Americans. Mexican-Americans advocated and organized so that there experiences and voices would be heard and respected. They, like many other groups fighting for justice and freedom in America, protested, demonstrated, held vigils, rallies, sang songs, and confronted the politicians that supposedly represented them and their interests. The Chicano Movement, like many other social movements in American and in the world, additionally was about the creative expression of people from this group. There were musicians, poets, writers, and fine artists of all kinds that were motivated and inspired by the struggles of their Chicano brothers and sisters. They created art and other forms of creative expression during this movement and as part of this movement, too. The Chicano Movement fundamentally was about voicing the injustices of the Chicano people.

Historically, a great deal of the United States used to be Mexico. Therefore, Mexican-Americans have a very long past with this country -- longer than "Americans" do. Yet, the Chicano people were not respected or well regarded by white American society. Even to this day, there are many negative stereotypes about Mexican people, though they come from a country with a rich history and vibrant culture. Mexican-Americans make up a large part of the American population, legally or illegally. Statisticians, economists, political scientists, and other professionals began predicting toward the end of the 20th century, that before the midway point of the 21st century, Hispanics or Latinos would become the majority in the United States, and that white Americans would become one of numerous minorities in the United States, at least with respect to population and not necessarily to wealth and influence.

The Chicano Movement was also concerned with the improvement of Chicano communities. Improving the quality of education was at the forefront of this movement, and Bobby Kennedy was a prominent mainstream figure and leader who supported and advocated publically on behalf of the Chicano movement and others during the 1960s. Another important issue of the movement was organizing labor unions, so that Chicanos would receive better treatment in the workplace. It is a stereotype in the United States that Mexican-Americans have many jobs and their jobs do not pay very well. Mexican-Americans often take jobs that other Americans would not because the pay is so low, or the labor is heavily manual. Leaders such as Cesar Chavez fought for labor unions to be organized and led fairly so that people would receive better pay, better benefits, and better treatment all around. The Chicano Movement supported the fair treatment of Chicanos, and there was even a Chicana feminist movement.