Chicano Studies Segregation Helped Form

Chicano Studies

Segregation helped form an intense cultural exchange between different ethnic groups in 1940s Los Angeles, mostly because the ethnic groups all existed in the same basic area, which means they attended the same schools, shopped in the same stores, and socialized in the same clubs and restaurants. Of course, this was not always the case, but it occurred enough to crate true cultural exchange and social relations among the many different immigrant groups converging on Los Angeles and other U.S. cities. They were determined by the segregation of ethnic minorities from the white communities, and they have continued to form youth identity, as these communities tend to continue to exist, even after segregation ended, but discrimination and misunderstanding continued.

Ethnic boundaries are the boundaries placed on a people by society, and the boundaries that many ethnic groups still adhere to and support, even unconsciously. They form out of prejudice and misunderstanding, and they support the subjugation of a people by not allowing them to move across borders in society. For example, ethnic boundaries are still in place in much of America education, which is why fewer Hispanics make it to college and then into the upper levels of the American economy. They are maintained by everyone who believes minorities cannot achieve the same things whites can, and they impact ethnic studies because they indicate there is still prejudice and disparity in America.

3. Today, political consciousness is valued, and even encouraged as it was in the 1940s. Chicanos today are becoming much more involved in the fight for citizenship, immigration issues, and better pay. They are becoming much more vocal, even if it threatens their own lifestyle, and they are trying to get others to understand the rigors of immigration and work in the U.S. This is similar to those who protested the war and democracy in the 1940s, and different from other eras, where for the most part, Chicanos have not been as vocal about their plight and their desires to better their lives in the U.S. They have always struggled for dignity and will continue to do so.

4. The quebradita clubs indicate that social hierarchies and political consciousness exist at all levels of society, and that young people want something to fight for and believe in. The dance became so popular in the U.S. because it represented a fight against the backlash against immigrants and Hispanics, and also gave new information on Mexican culture to a generation that was attempting to learn more about their origins and background. The style was not popular in Mexico because the Mexican population is in tune with their culture, while the young Hispanics were exploring, developing, and attempting to broaden theirs, while they used the movement as a political platform to criticize Governor Wilson and many of his policies enacted in California.