The influence of the Chicano Walkouts
All across the country students have been walking out of school in protest of issues such as
gun violence or climate change and in support of legislation such as DACA, which gives
immigrant youth who came to the United States as children a work permit and protection from
deportation. Just last November 12th the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles
urged youth to join in a walkout in support of DACA. Reports say hundreds of Angeleno youth
from high schools such as John Marshall and Garfield walked out. I find the energy and spirit of
our generation inspirational. I know for me, walking out on April 20, 2018, for the National
School Walkout, which protested gun violence and advocated for stricter gun laws, was so
powerful. Seeing hundreds of other Angeleno youth fill the streets of Downtown Los Angeles
gave me hope. With all of the recent walkouts occurring, I have been thinking a lot about the
Chicano walkouts or blowouts that occurred in East Los Angeles and their influence on
modern-day student walkouts.
On March 5, 1968 students at Garfield High School walked out of school to demand equality.
Students were protesting racist teachers, decrepit campuses, and a lack of college prep classes.
Walkouts also ensued at Roosevelt High School, Lincoln High School, Wilson High School,
Belmont High School, and East LA College. Overall, 22,000 students walked out.
Fun fact: my uncle, Victor Torres, was the Associated Student Body President-Elect at East LA
College during the walkouts. He helped mediate between the students and the school to bring
everyone together and reach an agreement. At the time, the dropout rates at many East LA high
schools were very high. At Lincoln the dropout rates were at 39%, at Garfield they were 57%,
and at Roosevelt, they were 45%. The walkouts were symbolic. David Sanchez, the founder of
the Brown Berets, says that “After the walkouts, no one could deny that we were ready to go
to prison if necessary for what we believed, which was this: With better education, the Chicano
community could control its own destiny.”
Questions:
gun violence or climate change and in support of legislation such as DACA, which gives
immigrant youth who came to the United States as children a work permit and protection from
deportation. Just last November 12th the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles
urged youth to join in a walkout in support of DACA. Reports say hundreds of Angeleno youth
from high schools such as John Marshall and Garfield walked out. I find the energy and spirit of
our generation inspirational. I know for me, walking out on April 20, 2018, for the National
School Walkout, which protested gun violence and advocated for stricter gun laws, was so
powerful. Seeing hundreds of other Angeleno youth fill the streets of Downtown Los Angeles
gave me hope. With all of the recent walkouts occurring, I have been thinking a lot about the
Chicano walkouts or blowouts that occurred in East Los Angeles and their influence on
modern-day student walkouts.
On March 5, 1968 students at Garfield High School walked out of school to demand equality.
Students were protesting racist teachers, decrepit campuses, and a lack of college prep classes.
Walkouts also ensued at Roosevelt High School, Lincoln High School, Wilson High School,
Belmont High School, and East LA College. Overall, 22,000 students walked out.
Fun fact: my uncle, Victor Torres, was the Associated Student Body President-Elect at East LA
College during the walkouts. He helped mediate between the students and the school to bring
everyone together and reach an agreement. At the time, the dropout rates at many East LA high
schools were very high. At Lincoln the dropout rates were at 39%, at Garfield they were 57%,
and at Roosevelt, they were 45%. The walkouts were symbolic. David Sanchez, the founder of
the Brown Berets, says that “After the walkouts, no one could deny that we were ready to go
to prison if necessary for what we believed, which was this: With better education, the Chicano
community could control its own destiny.”
Chicano students rose up in demand of equal opportunities and equal treatment.
The impacts of the walkouts are immense. For example, there are connections between the
walkouts and the establishment of ethnic studies and Chicano studies in many schools.
Today, as we still fight for equality and justice, I can’t help but see some similarities between
the present and the past. As Chon Noriega, director of UCLA’s Chicano Studies Research
Center, says “The relevance of the history of the Chicano walkouts is that we are entering
into another period in which youth are compelled to walk out in protest because their lives are
endangered.”
The impacts of the walkouts are immense. For example, there are connections between the
walkouts and the establishment of ethnic studies and Chicano studies in many schools.
Today, as we still fight for equality and justice, I can’t help but see some similarities between
the present and the past. As Chon Noriega, director of UCLA’s Chicano Studies Research
Center, says “The relevance of the history of the Chicano walkouts is that we are entering
into another period in which youth are compelled to walk out in protest because their lives are
endangered.”
Questions:
- Do you think the Chicano walkouts have influenced modern-day walkouts? If so, how?
- How do modern-day walkouts differ from past walkouts?
- Do you think receiving permission to walk out of school from authoritative figures constitutes as a “true” walkout? Why or why not?
- Do you think walkouts are effective ways of creating change? Why or why not?
- Write about anything else you are thinking about with regard to this essay.
I am not sure if the Chicano Walkouts had an influence on modern day walkouts. I would like to think that even if they are not in the minds of every person in our generation who has walked out, I would like to think that they set a precedent as a peaceful and youth driven way to make change and spark activism. At their core, I am not sure that there is any difference between the walkouts of the past and the walkouts today. At their simplest, they are about students rising up in support of something they believe in. Of course there are differences in terms of the political climate, the causes, and the targets of this activism, but at the end of the day, it is just students feeling empowered to make change.
ReplyDeleteI think getting permission to walk out depends on what you are protesting. If you are protesting your school or the school system in general, then yes, I think it would defeat the purpose of the walk out to get permission from the people you are protesting. However, I think in the case of other issues that go beyond your school, perhaps getting permission from your school does not invalidate your activism. As in the case of the climate strike we went to earlier this year, I don’t think getting permission from Poly was problematic because it was not to Poly that we were making a point, it was to the greater public. It was our presence on the steps of city hall that mattered more than whether or not we had unexcused absences.
Finally, I do think that walkouts are an effective way to make change. Historically, we have seen that youth can make change. That in no way means they are always effective and that the goal is always achieved but I do think they are an effective way of bringing attention to an issue and demonstrating that it is an issue youth believe in enough to take a stand.
As Bianca articulated in her post, I too believe that the Chicano walkouts forever changed the landscape of American student protests. Before these protests, it was relatively unheard of to see such large scale disobedience of school boards and administrations. In 1968, corporal punishment was still prevalent in our country's schools, as it was not deemed unconstitutional until around 1977. In this way, any school walkouts that occurred before this change in legal doctrine have a lot more validity then any ones that occurred afterwards. Modern-day walkouts carry with them a diminished possibility of retaliation, and therefore, at least in my eyes, aren't quite as serious. As far as schools giving permission for walkouts, I do not believe that it makes them any less "true". Schools act "in loco parentis" whenever they are in the care of minor students, and should be entitled to keep track of them in order to keep them safe. Finally, walkouts are clearly an effective way of creating change. We know this because of tangible examples throughout history. However, they must be handled carefully as they are fragile, and have the potential to do as much harm as the good intended.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I believe we have lost the grit, the bravery, and recalcitrance that Chicanos had in the Chicano walkouts. During the gun control walkout from two years ago, many people did not leave the Polytechnic campus because people did not want to face the repercussions. Missing a test meant you were getting a zero, missing a presentation meant you would have to make it up another day, and missing a rehearsal/practice meant you were letting your team down. The Chicano's knew that their rights and dignity was more important than attending a school that did not give them the opportunities that they deserved. Also, the Poly walkout was planned with the administration. We had to sign out of school to participate. How in any shape or form is that rebellious? It's not. Yes, we still have walkouts. Yes, we're still passionate about political and social issues. More than ever though, we care about conforming to a capitalistic society. Poly students have been put on a track. Good grades lead to good colleges which then lead to monetary gain in adult life, and that is success in the eyes of capitalism. I remember in AP English Language last year, we talked a lot about how students have become so compliant in American society. We've lost a sense of passion and fearlessness that people had during the Civil Rights Movement. We say we want change but we take zero risks to get it. Change is about taking risks. That's why change is scary. Walkouts used to be extremely effective in being a catalyst to change. Now, walkouts are pointless. When one walks out in a school group with school teachers or run by school administration, the power of the walkout is taken away. When bunches of people walkout of school without permission, they are effecting the entire school. The teachers have not planned for it. There lesson plans are effected. No one knows where these students are going. The parents do not know where the kids are going. Parents start complaining. The school day is put on a pause. Order is lost. To fix order, why not make the students happy? There is complete order in a walkout that the whole school is aware is going to happen and teachers have planned accordingly for. No problem is being presented, so why should the government actually listen. You gotta be loud to be heard.
ReplyDeleteI do not really think that the Chicano walkouts have influenced modern-day walkouts. Essentially, I don’t really think that there was much difference between past walkouts and present walkouts. In both, the goal is the same: to walk out of school/work to show support or protest various issues with a unified front. I think that receiving permission to walk out of school from authoritative figures does not constitute a “true” walkout in some cases, but primarily, I do not think it would matter that much. I think the main point of a walkout is for students to band together and support a single cause, whether it be climate change or gun violence. By getting your school’s permission to leave is just the cherry on top; you don’t get an unexcused absence, you can rally with your peers. I think that walkouts are an effective way of creating change but not directly. Walkouts, in my personal experience, create more awareness as well as create a more cohesive argument. By creating more awareness and a more unified front, I think the issue being debated receives a wider audience with more publicity. With more publicity means that the important people will see that this is an issue that needs to be dealt with. Also, the walkouts are mainly made up of students, the youth, and the youth is our future.
ReplyDeleteI would say that the Chicano walkouts have greatly influenced modern-day walkouts, and even that they were the starting place of modern-day walkouts. Sadly, I do not know a whole lot about the Chicano walkouts and even the Chicano movement as a whole, but I think the modern-day walkouts have used the Chicano walkouts as a role-model. These protests were a great way for Chicano students to express their frustrations about the abhorrent situations in their schools. Today, students all across the world are using protests to voice their frustrations toward a wide range of issues like gun violence and climate change. One way present day walkouts may differ from past walkouts is the number of participants. There is no doubt that past walkouts were contained a massive number of people, but I think social media has provided an easier way for information about such events to spread. Most of the time when I hear about a protest it is through something that pops up online or in a post on Instagram. This allows information to spread across the country and even all across the world quickly. I think that just being part of a walkout, with or without administrative permission, is powerful because you are increasing the numbers just by being present. There is strength in numbers and there is a level of power by being involved and by showing your support. I believe walkouts are very effective ways of creating change. At the Climate Strike in September, a man from City Hall stayed in contact with us throughout the protest and answered any questions we had about what Pasadena is doing to combat climate change. Walkouts are very effective because they are a physical representation of the citizens’ frustrations. It is a public way of saying “we are not happy with the way the system is running and something must change.” It is hard to avoid the attention that a protest receives, and walking out of school is similar to saying this issue is so pressing that we are willing to sacrifice part of our education to bring attention to it in hopes of bringing much needed change.
ReplyDeleteI think that to productively analyze walkouts as a mechanism of mass resistance, we must consider the core purpose of a walkout — why would a walkout work? How I see it, school walkouts are most effective when the sole action of walking out of school (and physically not attending class) forces the administration, adults, or whatever authoritative figure/body you are in disagreement with to address the issue at hand. At a private school like Poly, a student being absent doesn’t impact the school in the way it can for public schools. A KPBS article I found online stated that, “On average, a student with perfect attendance is worth about $5,230 to a school district in San Diego County.” Additionally, I found on a Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) website that the “total gross revenue lost for the three days of the [United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA)] strike [was] $69.1 million based on [student] attendance numbers reported.” My point is: school districts lose money (and in some cases extremely large amounts of it) when students do not attend school. Thus, when students choose to walkout out of school as a means of protesting, the administration/school district is highly incentivized to solve the issue as soon as possible. So, in a public school setting, it makes logical sense why a walkout might be effective as a form of protest/civil disobedience. As far as I know, private schools like Poly do not have a similar system of administrative figures/bodies financially profiting off of student attendance. So, in this vein, I’m curious as to what you all think about the effectiveness of walkouts in a private school setting.
ReplyDeleteI believe the Chicano walkouts have definitely influenced modern-day walkouts. Although they may have not had a direct impact on modern-day walkouts, the impact they have had on the mentality of Angeleno youth is prominent. The Chicano walkouts exhibited the true power the youth can have on society.
ReplyDeleteAlthough modern-day walkouts exhibit a multitude of similarities to past walkouts, I think there is one major difference. The retaliation and violence from the police and administration are not comparable to what we experience today. “They walked out despite school administrators barring doors. They walked out despite helmeted police officers wielding nightsticks. At the time, there were two reported cases of student beatings during the March 6 walkout at Roosevelt… Despite news outlets like CBS, NBC, and the L.A. Times being at the walkouts, the police violence toward the students was not covered in the media.”
I think even if you have permission to walk out from authoritative figures walking out can still achieve the desired impact. You don’t have to defy your authoritative figures in order to make a difference by walking out.
I think walkouts might be one of the most effective ways of creating constructive change. When thousands of people take precious time out of their education to walkout in solitude, people listen. More importantly, the media always put the walkouts on display for the whole country to see. Whether it’s practical or not, when the media displays a community outrage with something, politicians often time make the desired changes in order to protect their image within the community.
I think that the Chicano walkouts have had an influence on modern day walkouts without us knowing it. Before 1968, there had been walkouts and marches, but the Chicano walkouts marked one of the first and most notable times that the youth spoke/acted out for their rights and beliefs. It paved the way for youth activism today by being the first of its kind. I think one of the biggest differences between modern and past walkouts is the method of organization. Toady we find out about walkouts at an instant through social media and news coverage, but in the 1960s that was not the case. Students planned the Chicano walkout through word of mouth. I think that is something that made it so powerful. Not only were their actions not allowed, but they occurred because students were extremely passionate and did everything they could to raise awareness. Although I don't doubt that nowadays people are just as passionate for their causes, the simplicity of raising awareness through the click of a button makes the message slightly less powerful. As for whether or not a walkout is "true," I think the walkouts now are different. The Chicano walkout was something specifically against the school system, while now walkouts are usually related to political conversations or issues that schools have little to no power over. I think walkouts now are more affective in creating awareness, but other actions must be taken before change is made.
ReplyDeleteChina's Communist Party is waging a misinformation war on Hong Kong protestors by rewriting their stories and intentions via the government-controlled media. In drawing out our most recent Timeline of LA History, we decided on sharpie-ing in the Watts Rebellion and the Los Angeles Uprising rather than the alternative Watts Riots and LA Riots. The East LA Walkouts were peaceful demonstrations in response to objectively unacceptable schooling conditions yet are sometimes referred to as blowouts. And police showed up in riot gear. I'm interested in the language protestors use to describe themselves and the language assigned to them. Poly's March for Our Lives was a walkout; that's what it said on the website next to the photo of all of us taken by the school photographer on the blocked off road, so she could leave her back to traffic. I'm grateful to the school for being willing to collaborate, but the "risks" taken by students who "walked out" are negligible when compared to the earlier examples of civil disobedience and the international past of public protest. Government corruption and dysfunctionality is nothing new and neither is demonstration. But while protesting and political literacy have perhaps become more expected of youth, it's a lot easier these days to prove yourself an activist. I won't go into the pitfalls of social media; this is old news. The other thing is that there are still risks to protesting in accordance with persisting racism, cultural stigmas, class discrimination, etc. But my point still stands: despite all this lauded democracy, the picket lines were dangerous. People were dying, disproportionately if they were of color. Now, picket lines are replaced by harbored social media campaigns. (I sound like my mom). And the more we rely on social media for protesting and civil disobedience, the more we trust that Instagram and Twitter is reporting veritable news and is representing protestors and their movements with neutral integrity.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if I can say whether or not the Chicano walkouts have influenced modern day walkouts. I do think they are an important part of LA and US history, but I almost think that people would have gotten to the idea of peaceful protest in the form of walkouts in some way or another at some point in time. Perhaps the Chicano walkouts expedited how the civil disobedience "caught on" with the rest of the population. One of the biggest differences between modern walkouts and the past walkouts is the prevalence and influence of technology and social media. The social media age that we live in adds another dimension to the effectiveness and the reasoning behind why people participate in the walkouts. Before the walkouts could be widely publicized (before and after they happen), I would have to assume that participants would have to be fairly in the know about the cause in order to participate. Additionally, I think a larger crowd would need to be gathered to have the same effect that a smaller crowd would today due to the fact that it can't be spread on the internet — the reach wasn't as far. As for peoples' motives for attending, I'm not sure if intention matters as long as you show up. I don't mean that it's ok for people to attend for the "wrong reasons" such as clout or the Instagram post to prove their "community involvement", but in a way, as long as there are bodies there, does it not have the same effect? This also plays into the question of getting permission to walk out. I think at a school like Poly where we have the consequences of not being able to participate in sports practices/games or rehearsals after school if we have an "unexcused absence", there is a different attitude toward seeking permission to demonstrate civil disobedience. However, I acknowledge that it could/should be argued that "true" civil disobedience means you have to deal with the consequences of breaking whatever rules. Despite that, I think it is worth considering the overall effect. Like I said earlier, I believe it effectively sends the same message to the public/politicians/whatever as long as there are people who show up. No one is going to know who got permission and who didn't, who is a "true" participant and who isn't. It all looks the same.
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of thoughts about walkouts as a form of protest, but I’m not sure I can coherently shape them into a well-formed paragraph. I have participated in walkouts. I have also known people who “couldn’t” participate in walkouts because of what the punishments would be, or because they couldn’t miss practice or rehearsal or something similar. Does that not defeat the entire purpose of civil disobedience? Historically, activism comes with a price - whether it be arrest or violent countermovements or societal shame, there tends to be a price for standing up for something. Activism at a place like Poly really discourages / disappoints me. Students shouldn’t care about practice if they really care about these issues. They shouldn’t care about getting a 0 on a test if they have a chance to make a tangible change in the world. I think activism has turned into a convenience thing rather than a truth thing. Because of that I think walkouts aren’t as effective as they could be, or maybe as they used to be. I think that walkouts with permission lose the disobedient side of civil disobedience - at that point, is a statement about what the students and future generations of voters stand for really being made? or is it just an excused day off school to go downtown, then come back in time for practice? I don’t know. I think I’d like to see more truth in activism, and I am in no way saying i am the model activist and that I know and do everything correctly, I think I’m just frustrated by what walkouts have turned into, especially considering what they used to be.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think it is stupid to ask for permission to walkout. The whole purpose of a walkout in my opinion is to enact change by going against either an administrative figure or the school. If permission is granted previously, it is not a walkout and more of an organized protest. This is a big difference between walkouts today and walkouts from the past. In the past, walkouts were in my opinion more effective because of the controversy they caused. However, I do still believe that walkouts are an effective way of creating change. Even if permission is granted prior to a walkout, it still spreads awareness for the topic, thus still making it at least partially effective. But to return to my point, I do think that asking for permission takes away from the walkout and its true purpose.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think the Chicano walkouts have influenced modern day walkouts. Although there may not be an active acknowledgement of the walkouts today, the Chicano walkouts demonstrated the power of "strength in numbers". Like Julian articulated in his post, without the Chicano walkouts, there wouldn't even be a thought of anything like this. In my opinion, modern-day walkouts are definitely less of a commitment than walkouts in the past solely because of how consequences have changed. When you are sacrificing less, like an unexcused absence rather than an arrest, you are committing yourself less to a cause. I think walkouts are especially ineffective when students ask for permission. The entire point of a walkout is to demonstrate that you're fed up with something and will take a stand so that it can be changed. When you double-check that you're not risking anything when you walk out, your protest is less meaningful.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete1. Do you think the Chicano walkouts have influenced modern-day walkouts? If so, how?
1. I don't think the walkouts of today carry the same amount of impact that those of the Chicano ones did. Not only did Chicano activism take place during a time of great political activism.
2. How do modern-day walkouts differ from past walkouts?
1. Modern-day walkouts can seemingly happen at any time, they require much less planning because of social media and the internet and can also be much larger than before. Because information can not only spread quickly but far people across the world can organize to protest and do walkouts.
3. Do you think receiving permission to walk out of school from authoritative figures constitutes as a “true” walkout? Why or why not?
1. Receiving permission to walk out of school takes away the point. As students we do not have many ways of rebellion but NOT going to school or leaving in large numbers can be an effective way to protest. After permission is granted the whole part that could hurt the school actually means that
4. Do you think walkouts are effective ways of creating change? Why or why not?
1. In the era of “slacktivism” social media posts, walkouts, and protests can often be double edge swords. On one hand while they work out to help move political and social movements they can often be farces and allow people to not really care about the cause they are working for and just show up for the wrong reasons.