Chicano Movement

More than a century of prejudice against one of the largest minority residing in the United States that continues today. To these days Hispanics are targets of discrimination and are not offer equal opportunities in jobs and education. The roots of discrimination go back to the end of the Mexican War when thousands of Mexicans became American citizens overnight. The sign of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo not only transfer land to the United States but also the people that live there before it became territory of the United States. These people began to suffer from discrimination in their owl land. Their sons and daughters did not have better luck because even thought they were born in the United States therefore they are American citizens also continue to suffer from discrimination because of their background. After more than three generation of being born in America Chicanos decided to revolt. The Chicano movement bloomed in the 1960s when the generation was tired of the racial discrimination and decides to fight for their rights. They created organizations to help Chicanos, organize walkouts to protest against inadequate learning environment and they protested against unequal opportunists in jobs.

"The United States of America and the United Mexican States animated by a sincere desire to put an end to the calamities of the war which unhappily exists between the two Republics and to establish Upon a solid basis relations of peace and friendship, which shall confer reciprocal benefits upon the citizens of both, and assure the concord, harmony, and mutual confidence wherein the two people should live, as good neighbors." The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which was signed at the end of the Mexican War, was implemented to give the rights to the thousands of Mexicans that lived in the border. The treaty establish borders and most importantly gave citizenship rights to the Mexicans stated in the article IX of the treaty by saying "The Mexicans who, in the territories aforesaid, shall not preserve the character of citizens of the Mexican Republic, conformably with what is stipulated in the preceding article, shall be incorporated into the Union of the United States and be admitted at the proper time (to be judged of by the Congress of the United States) to the enjoyment of all the rights of citizens of the United States, according to the principles of the Constitution; and in the mean time, shall be maintained and protected in the free enjoyment of their liberty and property, and secured in the free exercise of their religion without; restriction." However many of the right that Mexican Americans deserve were denied to them because since the beginning they were targets of discrimination in their own country. Finally after many deacades of suffering the Chicanos decided to make their voices be heard around the country and fight discrimination and to demand the rigthts they desrve as Americdan citizens. The Chicano movement began since the U.S took hundreds of miles from Mexico at the end of the Mexican War in 1848. The thousands of Mexican that were living in the territory that became part of the U.S became American citizens overnight and since then countless Chicanos have confronted discrimination, racism and exploitation in their own country.

Mexican Americans is the term used to describe people who have Mexican ancestry but were born in the United States and therefore they are Amerian citizens. Chicanos are usually the second or third generation that has been born in the United States and that live in communities were the majority is Hispanic. The census that took place in the 1930 showed that

people of Mexican descendants born in the United States outnumbered Mexican immigrants. The Mexican Americans thought of themselves as "Americans" and they stressed their American citizenship in the basis of being treat equaly under the law that offered freedom and equality to all its citizens. Being Chicano represents the struggle of being a citizens of an Anglo society while being raised in the Hispanic culture. Chicanos are proudm of their heritage but they are also aware of their American culture. These American citizens had suffer from discrimination based on their Spanish surmane and because they keep their customs form their Hispanic culture. They have been denied equal acdces to education, jobs, healthcare and politcal representation.

Discrimination against Mexican Americans has not been as overt as discrimination against African Americans.Howeve the fact that discrimination against Chicanos wasn't

institutionalized did not meant that they still didn't

suffer from deasecrimination regarding housing,