As one who feels privileged to have been part of the strike and the Chicano movement, I am pleased that at least part of my people's history of struggle will now be known to millions of my fellow Americans. The long awaited PBS Television series entitled "CHICANO! History of the Mexican-American Civil Rights Movement," which airs on April 12th and 19th, will include the story of the Strike, the farm workers movement in California, the land grants movement in New Mexico and the emergence of the Chicano political party, La Raza Unida, which was founded by Chicano movement activists. Although it is much shorter than the longer PBS "Eyes on the Prize" series about the Southern Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, "Chicano!" will contribute to correcting the notion held by many that Mexican Americans never participated in civil rights struggles, or have not historically resisted racial, class or gender oppression.

The time is long overdue for the American people to learn about the civil rights struggle of all people of color in our society. What is now needed is a documentary series that tells the story of all the people-of-color movements of the 1960s and '70s -- including the Puerto Rican, Asian-American, and the American Indian movements. Knowledge of past common struggles can help us forge the unity necessary to build the bridges between our respective communities. The anti-affirmative action and anti-immigrant politics of today are part of the race, class and gender war that has been declared on all people of color by Republican right wing politicians and other racists. The time has come for us to collectively contribute to the making of a new, more inclusive, and more powerful civil and human rights movement which not only can fight for the gains made by our past struggles, but which can play a major role in the making of a multiracial democracy in the 21st century.

COPYRIGHT 1996 Cox, Matthews & Associates
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group