Other
Hidalgo, Francisco (audio interview #1 of 1)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This short interview was conducted by a student for a USC Ethnic Studies Project. 5/1/1972
- Date
- 2019-10-08
- Resource Type
- Creator
- Campus
- Keywords
- Handle
- Notes
- SUBJECT BIO - J. Francisco Hidalgo was involved in United Mexican American Students and later was among the organizers of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanos de Aztlan. The second group was formed to try to bring together many Chicano student groups throughout the southwestern United States into a single organization and one whose name more clearly expressed their goals. To they chose a Spanish name that included the concept of Aztlan and Chicano. Many of the members became cultural nationalists. Hidalgo attended graduate school at USC where he received a doctorate in Education and went on to teach at CSULB and train others to become teachers. This single interview was conducted by a student as part of an Ethic Studies Project at USC. TOPICS - Topics included on this side of the tape include, the Chicano student movement , United Mexican American Students, Plan de Santa Barbara and Chicano Studies programs;
- *** File: mamfhidalgo1.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-3:14)... Hidalgo was involved in the Chicano student movement during the 1960s. More Chicanos began going to college in the 1960s and although there were not many of them, there were enough to create a larger movement that had a lasting impact on society. There were earlier movements among Chicano students, but, at the time of the interview, little was known about them. And Chicanos had observed the precedent of the Black civil rights movement and realized that they faced similar discrimination although some of their issues were different. (3:14-7:05)... The Chicano student movement had different origins in different parts of the southwest and Hidalgo's experience was primarily limited to southern California. Chicano student activists in southern California knew about organizations in other parts of the southwest, but weren't involved directly with them. United Mexican American Students (UMAS), for example, started in 1966 or 1967 and groups were organized in several colleges in the Los Angeles area. There were centralized UMAS meetings, but they became cumbersome. Beyond that, there were other groups in San Diego, the San Francisco bay area, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Hidalgo believes that Chicano students in Los Angeles and San Jose emerged as the leaders of the student movement. They observed that Black student organizations had a common name, Black Student Union, but Chicano organizations functioned with several different names. So at a series of conferences that attracted student leaders from throughout the southwest, they decided to choose a single new name and they decided on Movimento Estudiantil Chicanos de Aztlan (MEChA). (7:05-10:52)... Activist Chicano students chose the name MEChA for several reasons. They wanted a common name for student groups throughout the southwest and they wanted it to be in Spanish. They used the word "movement" to distinguish their groups from social organizations. They wanted to include the concept of Aztlan, although it had a vague definition. And they wanted to call themselves Chicanos rather than Mexican Americans. These reasons show, according to Hidalgo, a transition in philosophy from UMAS to MECHA. The organization's founders decided to focus primarily on student issues rather than broader problems in society. (10:52-14:08)... A conference where participants adopted the Plan de Santa Barbara triggered advocacy for the organization of Chicano Studies departments. At the same time, Chicano student activists struggled to open colleges to more Chicano students, to introduce new courses relevant to Chicano students and to establish closer relationships with off campus communities. (14:08-18:41)... The 1960s was the era of President Kennedy, the time of the civil rights movement and the student power movement. And the last one tended to accelerate the Chicano movement on campuses. The prevailing ideology of the Chicano student groups was cultural nationalism. Some students focused on Indianism as the root of Chicano identity although Hidalgo says it was rather a distorted one. Most Chicanos advocated separatism rather than integration. This was part of their quest for self-determinism and a new identity for Chicanos. Chicanos, they asserted, are no longer Mexicans once they enter the US. They become members of a different cultural and political group. Chicano is the name they chose for this group. Before the creation of MEChA, it had been a word used among themselves, but in the 1960s, the movement tried to legitimate it as a public term. (18:41-22:17)... The high school student strikes in 1968 were initiated by students in East Los Angeles, and they sparked a call for educational reform. Parents were drawn into the struggle as some had to choose between siding with their children or school authorities. So the Chicano movement was no longer limited to college students. Some older groups, such as the League of Latin American Citizens, GI Forum or Mexican American Political Association, were responded to student activism, although the older groups didn't change their names. Militancy is hard to define, but Brown Berets were called militants by newspapers; sometimes the papers called other activists militant as well. Later the Chicano Moratorium organizers were called militants because they challenged even the federal government over the death rate of Chicanos in Vietnam; more died than their percentage in the population. And the other issue that emerged from the Moratorium organizing was police brutality. (22:17-24:30)... Student participation in Chicano activism became less common as other groups took up the struggle. Additionally, as students moved on to graduate schools or professional work, they become involved with other issues that are not as sensational or newsworthy. Because of student activism, many of the issues they organized around are no longer novel so they receive less notice. Standards for college admission have been changed so more Chicanos are being recruited to go to college and offered financial aid so that they can attend. This is an example of the institutionalization of the Chicano student movement and one of its accomplishments. End of tape
- Rights Note
- This repository item may be used for classroom presentations, unpublished papers, and other educational, research, or scholarly use. Other uses, especially publication in any form, such as in dissertations, theses, articles, or web pages are not permitted without the express written permission of the individual collection's copyright holder(s). Please<a href="http://www.csulb.edu/library/Common/SubmittedForms/digital_rep_request.html"> contact the CSULB Library Administration</a> should you require permission to publish or distribute any content from this collection or if you need additional information or assistance in using these materials.
Relationships
- In Collection:
Items
| Thumbnail | File information | Actions |
|---|---|---|
|
6133728437285304-mamfhidalgo1.mp3 Public
|
Download |