|
|
|
 Editorials | Issues | March 2008 
40 Years After Walkouts, Little has Changed, Latinos Say
 Irantzu Pujadas - Eastern Group Publications
go to original
| | (John Ung/EPG) | | |
Los Angeles - In March of 1968, thousands of Chicano students, tired of suffering educational injustices, decided to walkout of their classrooms in protest and to demand changes to their educational plight. Students from the predominantly African-American Thomas Jefferson High School in South Central Los Angeles joined them in solidarity, according to La Prensa-San Diego.
Last week, marking the 40-year anniversary of the historic student action, student leaders of the 1968 protests were honored for their courage and bravery.
On Saturday, March 8, as part of a reenactment of the 1968 student walkouts in East Los Angeles, more than 2000 people walked from Lincoln High School in Lincoln Heights to Hazard Park.
They were led by “Los Ninos Heroes” (The Child Heroes) who helped orchestrate the Walkout. Paula Crisostomo, Harry Gamboa Jr. and Vicky Castro marched along side Sal Castro, the Lincoln High School teacher who supported and fought for the Chicano student movement, and helped the students organize their protest.
They were joined by local elected officials, including Los Angeles council members Jose Huizar, (CD-14), Ed P. Reyes (CD-1), LAUSD Board of Education President Monica Garcia, and state Sen. Gloria Romero (East L.A.-24) among others.
“I’m proud to be here with a brown shirt to show my respects to the Chicano, Chicana, Mexican and Latino history, because we all know that too often we have been left out of the history books. But today, after 40 years, we know that we have all been the foundation for this country,” said Sen. Romero.
Paula Crisostomo, a student leader at Lincoln High School during the Walkouts, told the marchers last Saturday that 40 years ago the world defined Chicanos as nothing more than a bunch of poor kids from East Los Angeles.
“We were destined to be the next generation of undereducated cheap labor,” said Crisostomo.
But while the students who lead the 1968 walkouts were responsible for many changes in public education, such as the inclusion of Chicano history classes and an increase in college enrollment among Chicanos, many at the march pointed out that today, the Latino community still has many obstacles in education to overcome.
“The fight for equality and social justice continues in our community today. Students pay for the harsh realities of not graduating,” said Jose Gamez, a junior at Roosevelt High School.
Lizette Patron, education coordinator for the non-profit organization Inner City Struggle, which states its goal is to empower students to fight for quality education in East Los Angeles, told EGP that the demands students made 40 years ago are still very relevant today.
“We’re continuing the legacy. They laid the foundation for us but many of the same problems exist today,” said Patron referring to overcrowded schools and lack of support mechanisms to go to college.
Inner City Struggle supports the implementation of A-G classes, a series of academic courses needed to gain college admission. But despite 40 years of struggle, many of those classes aren’t available to all students at East Los Angeles high schools, according to the advocacy group.
The dropout rate in East Los Angeles is still very high. In fact, “The dropout rate is higher today than 40 years ago,” says Patron. “It’s difficult to maintain an acceptable level of education when the resources for teachers and schools are not enough. The problem is not only in the schools but in the state; the budget cuts are going to very negatively affect education,” added Patron.
Castro told marchers that the student movement is not over and now, with the state budget cuts on education on the horizon, now is a good time to become active again.
“The movement is alive and well. I am a great believer in education. Education is critical and it’s really criminal what they are doing with the cutbacks,” he said. |
| |
|
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us