Mexican Americans In The 1960's

In the 1960’s, the population in the United States grew from 3 million to more than 9 million. Mexican Americans, have lived mostly in the Southwest and California. Immigrants began immigrating to the US in 1898. In 1960, almost 900,000 Puerto Ricans were living in the US with half a million living in New York. Large Cuban Communities began to form in New York City, Miami, and New Jersey. Hundreds of thousands fled from their leader, Fidel Castro’s communist rule. Many came across ethnic discrimination in jobs and housing once they arrived. Many Mexicans lived in barrios, which is Spanish-speaking neighborhoods that were often poor. Thousands of immigrants worked on California’s fruit and vegetable farms which was backbreaking work for subtle

The Brown Berets organized walkouts demanding smaller class sizes, more Chicano teachers, administrators, and programs. Chicano Studies programs were then established in Universities. Then, the Mexican American Political Association (MAPA). This organization helped elect Edward Roybal to the House of Representatives. During the 1960’s, eight Hispanic Americans served in the House; one Hispanic senator was elected. La Raza Unida, which was the United People Party, ran Latino candidates in five states and there were races between them for mayor, as well as positions for school boards and city

Others just “dropped out” and separated themselves from the mainstream culture through their appearance and lifestyle. Women began to protest about the traditional roles of housewife roles that society had put on them and viewpoints toward sexuality appeared to loosen as they protested. Members of the counterculture were usually known as hippies, shared some beliefs about materialism, technology, and war with the New Left Movement. Hippies would protest against wars such as the Vietnamese War, or they would choose to protest against society by completely leaving it. Many would drop out of school or college to create their idealistic community of peace, love, and harmony. This creation was called the Age of Aquarius. It was all about rock ‘n’ roll music, bizarre fashion, sexual license, illegal drugs, and practicing Eastern religions such as Zen Buddhism. Once it came to rock ‘n’ roll, concerts with the most famous artists like The Beatles would perform. On particular even was the Woodstock Music and Art Fair that had almost 400,000 people attend, over a three-day experience. A man named Timothy Leary experimented with a drug called LSD, which often caused hallucinations, promoted the drug as a “liberating” and “mind-expanding” way to inner peace. As to their attire, women as well, as men thought of long hair as doing their own thing and defying the social