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The KUT Longhorn Radio Network Presents: Mexican American Experience Collection

Audio recordings including interviews, music, and informational programs related to the Mexican American community and their concerns in the series "The Mexican American Experience" and "A esta hora conversamos" from the Longhorn Radio Network, 1976-1982.

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PROGRAM INFO

Title:
The Chicano Movement Today
Program #
1980-13
Themes:
Politics, Society

Series:
Social Issues
Host:
Linda Fregoso
Guest:
Fred Cervantes
Date:
Mar 1, 1980

The Chicano Movement Today

Guest Fred Cervantes discusses the origins of the Chicano movement and recent demographic shifts that have affected its development. Cervantes explains that the Chicano movement borrowed heavily from the civil rights and counterculture movement of the 1960s, yet the Chicano movement remained isolated from other activists. Nonetheless, the movement made some gains as they galvanized interest within their community in electoral politics and forced the Democratic Party in Texas and California to begin supporting Chicano candidates. They have also increased the numbers of Chicano students in higher education. However, Chicanos still face widespread discrimination in the job market and in major education institutions.

Cervantes then discusses recent demographic trends affecting the movement. He talks about the declining fertility rate of Mexican American women and claims of Chicano demographic growth. He also discusses the 1980 census and predicts that the numbers of Spanish-origin people will increase. He argues that the movement needs to focus less on increasing the voter base and instead work to ensure that more Chicanos turn out to vote. He comments on studies that have found that Hispanics vote at one half the rate of non-Hispanics and explains that voter turn out is closely related to socioeconomic status. He also elaborates on the link between political alienation and low voter turn out. The interview concludes with a brief discussion of Chicano support for third world movements. Cervantes concludes that despite the heterogeneity within the community, there is common ground to build support for such movements.

KEYWORDS

1970 Census
1980 Census
Anti-War Movement
Birth Control
California
Chicanos and the Democratic Party
Chicanos and the Third World
Citizenship
Civil Rights Movement
Conspicuous Patriotism
Contraceptives
Corpus Christi State University
Counterculture
Crystal City
Democratic Party
Demographic Growth
Discrimination
Divisions with Mexican Origin Population
Electoral Politics
Ethnic Rivalry
Ethnic Solidarity
Fertility Rates
Fred Cervantes
Impact of the Chicano Movement
Indigenous Roots of the Chicano Movement
La Opinion
La Raza Unida
Latin American Indigenous Movements
Latino Representation in the Census
Leo Estrada
Los Angeles
Mexican American Representation in Higher Education
Mexican American Representation in Politics
Panama
Panama Canal Treaty
Political alienation
Political apathy
Political efficiency
Social Movements
Student Movement
Texas
Third world Orientation
U.S. Mexicano: Essays of Political Struggle
Undergraduate
University of Southern California
Vietnam
Voter participation
Voter Registration
youth culture
 

Center for Mexican American Studies | Department of History | The Benson Latin American Collection

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