Presidential Politics

Chicanos in the 1960s

Viva Kennedy

Viva Kennedy clubs had been

instrumental in helping John F.
Kennedy win Texas which led to a
narrow victory in 1960
presidential election.

After his assassination in 1963,

Lyndon B. Johnson used the
changing public mood to skillfully
push major civil rights legislation
through congress.

Viva Johnson

Johnsons 1964 campaign established a

Viva Johnson network to gain the
Mexican American vote.

Under Johnsons Great Society

program, a War on Poverty was
declared and

This dramatically escalated job training

programs, created Head Start, and
bilingual education. All of which
benefitted Mexican Americans and was
administered by the Office of Economic
Opportunity (OEO).

The Black-White Syndrome

Another result of the War on Poverty

was that minorities competed for
resources.

The intensity of the African American

struggle and the size of its population
forced the federal government to pay
more attention to the demands of
blacks.

As a consequence of the Civil Rights

movement, President Johnson was able
to push through the Voting Rights Act
of 1965.

The Illusion fades

The War on Poverty had problems

almost from the beginning as the
Johnson administration siphoned off
funds to finance the Vietnam War.

Johnson did not seek reelection in

1968 due to Vietnam and Senator
Robert Kennedy was assassinated.
This dealt a serious blow to the hopes
of Mexican Americans.

The election of Richard Nixon in 1968

put a final nail in the coffin.

Impact of the War on Poverty

The impact of the War on Poverty on

Chicanos was huge.

Chicanos served on EOE advisory

boards and became more politically
conscious and active.

This atmosphere created an ideology

that legitimized protest.

The number of poor fell dramatically

between 1965 and 1970 as Social
Security, health, and welfare programs
more than doubled.

Magnetization of the Border

A population boom in Mexico

intensified the push factor as millions
were tossed into Mexicos labor pool.

The end of the bracero (guest worker)

program in 1964 worsened Mexicos
economic plight.

Mexico agreed to the Border

Industrialization Program (BIP) which
imported raw materials from the US to
Mexico along the border, 100% of the
finished product was imported back to
the US, and 90% of labor force was
Mexican.

In 1966, 20 BIP Plants operated

along the border.

In 1970 there were 120.

In 1976 there were 476.

The so-called maquiladoras

(assembly plants) did create jobs but
not enough to relieve Mexicos
unemployment.

Like the bracero program earlier, the

BIP increased Mexican dependence
on the United States.

The Immigration Act of 1965

Before the act there were no quotas

for Latin Americans.

The law stated that 120,000

immigrants from the Western
Hemisphere would be admitted
annually.

Mexico had been the principal source

of immigrants but the new law put a
cap of 40,000 from any one nation.

However, this law greatly benefitted

Asian immigrants.

Mexican American Reaction to Nativism

During the 1950s Mexican American

organizations had supported
restricting undocumented workers
because of job competition.

However, Mexican American

organizations had become distressed
with the human rights abuses
against Mexican workers.

Still, immigration was not a priority

issue for most Mexican Americans in
1965.