Striving for Social Justice
And the Beat Goes On: Mexican American Liberals and the Quest for Educational Equality during the Chicana/o Movement, 1968-1978
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Guadalupe San Miguel
In the past several decades historians have investigated the complex origins, evolution, and legacy of the radical Chicana/o movement in the community. In most, if not all of these studies, the important role that liberal activists have played in promoting significant social change during the same period has been ignored. By liberal activists I mean those who rejected the politics of protest and continued to work for change within mainstream institutions. Some of these activists worked with or were members of Congress and enacted legislation aimed at promoting curricular changes in the schools. Others worked within federal agencies and participated in the development and implementation of policies aimed at eliminating many of the “invidious” discriminatory school practices that limited the educational opportunities of Mexican American students. Others still were grass-roots activists who contested discrimination in education by filing federal lawsuits against specific practices such as school segregation, special education testing, and unequal financing of the schools. Although we know about these efforts those who actively participated in them remain unknown and ignored. Who were these determined men and women that contested discrimination in American life during the years of the radical Chicano Movement? What actions did they take, what means did they use and how successful were they in their efforts? How did they relate to the radicalism swirling around them? What impact did this activism have on their lives and on the social, economic, and educational opportunities of Mexican Americans in general? These are the questions this historical study seeks to answer by looking and analyzing government documents, personal papers of important individuals, organizational sources, newspaper clippings, and oral histories of key activists.
Cultural Proficiency: An Ethnographic Perspective on Identities and Intersectionalities of the Blaxicana, African American/Latina in the United States
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Ana V Thorne
Navigation of the social, racial, and class strata of the Estados Unidos requires a studied practice of cultural proficiency on the part of its citizens, especially those who are black or brown. The historical failure of Latinos and African Americans to forge a sustainable, cooperative political bond in the struggle for democratic equality in the United States appears to be grounded in the signifying cultural difference between “racism” and “racismo.” The significance of this distinction and its impact on the mixed-race Latina-African female situates within the construct of identify formation, against a backdrop of color coding and culture clash, and the social construction of race. Within an ethnographic narrative frame, this discussion illustrates direct correlations of lived experiences to the broader community and cultural accounts that shape aspects of a mixed-race identity. The work connects a community's background, environment, and residents in a dialogue that includes the larger arenas of critical race theory, interracial marriage, and history that inform the characteristics implicated in the evolution of a Blaxicana identity.
New Social Movements for Supporting Government Programs : Study of Sokola Kaki Langit
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Maharanny Puspaningrum
In the life of nation and state, every human being has rights. It is the responsibility of government to guarantee those rights and one of the right is education. The government of Indonesia has attempted to carry out its duties by issuing twelve years of compulsory education program for all of the society. However, there are several factors that affect the implementation of the program such as geographic conditions in areas that are still difficult to access. This reasearch shows that with a new social movement, the students in areas that have many limitations can have the spirit to continue learning and continue education to the upper level. In addition, the new social movement is also able to provide a change of mindset in the environment to give more support to the children in order to learn and have spirit in education. This review considers Sokola Kaki Langit Movement as a new social movement and also political participation that could accelerate the government's programs especially in education. The method of this research follows a qualitative approach.
