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WATCH: Ruben Salazar ¡Presente!' The Lessons Behind The Chicano Moratorium
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium — a decisive moment in the Chicano movement.
On that day, 30,000 protesters marched through East Los Angeles against the Vietnam War and civil rights violations of Mexican Americans. While the U.S. Latino population was less than 10% then, Latinos made up 20% of all deaths in Vietnam.
With its depictions of passionate protest and law enforcement violence against the demonstrators, including the police killing of Los Angeles Times columnist Ruben Salazar, the event made national and international news on this day in 1970. Yet for many, the lessons of the day have faded into history, if they were taught at all.
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Mis Ángeles columnist Erick Galindo and LAist videojournalist Chava Sanchez spent the past week searching for the meanings behind the historic day. Watch their video above, and read his column here.
The Moratorium is being marked today with a series of events, including a march and car caravan retracing the original protest route along Whittier Boulevard. There's more information on day's events here, and there's additional coverage on Facebook Live.
Classic cars highlighted a caravan that traveled the route of the 1970 Chicano Moratorium to mark the 50th anniversary of the historic protests. (Josie Huang/LAist)
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Fernando Guerra, director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University and a KPCC life trustee, says inequities motivating the Moratorium still exist:
"Today, the number one issue is COVID-19. And again, we see the disparity of people of color bearing the brunt of the virus, the essential workers, Latinos on the front lines. So to some extent, the more things change, the more they stay the same."
Found Brown Beret Cynthia Baragas by the mural for the #ChicanoMoratorium.
— Josie Huang (@josie_huang) August 29, 2020
The kids call her OG now. But she was 17 when she came from Riverside for the peace march through East LA. She recalls the chaos of that day. pic.twitter.com/ygr1nAsBDC
(Josie Huang / LAist)
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The car caravan and marchers for the #ChicanoMoratorium have merged & reached RubenSalazar Park, named after the groundbreaking @latimes columnist and Chicano studies leader at Cal State Long Beach. He died 50 years ago today, killed by a tear gas canister. pic.twitter.com/gXNm8jO449
— Josie Huang (@josie_huang) August 29, 2020
(Josie Huang / LAist)
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MORE ON THE CHICANO MORATORIUM:
We Went Searching For Meaning In A 50 Year Old Police Killing And The Chicano Moratorium (LAist)
- The Chicago Moratorium 50 Years Later (L.A. Times)
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