Aug 28, 20202 min read

50th anniversary of the National Chicano Moratorium- Poster of the Week

Chicano! Power!!!

Bilingual Communications

Offset, Circa 1970

Los Angeles, CA

10960

Tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of the National Chicano Moratorium March against the Vietnam War. On August 29, 1970, between 20,000 and 30,000 demonstrators made their way through East Los Angeles, to protest the war and the disproportionate drafting of Chicanos. At the time, Chicanos were less than 10% of the population, but 28% of casualties in Vietnam. The Moratorium was an organized effort to mobilize Mexican Americans to oppose the Vietnam War and bring attention to this disparity.

Viva La Revolucion

Mechicano Art Center; Carlos Callejo

Silkscreen, Circa 1969-1976

Los Angeles, CA

9300

The rally that followed the peaceful anti-war march, was brutally attacked by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. They fired tear gas canisters into the crowd and beat people with their clubs. Hundreds were injured and 150 were arrested. Three were killed that day, and a fourth died days later. The fatalities included Brown Beret Lyn Ward, José “Angel” Diaz, Gustav Montag, and award-winning journalist Ruben Salazar. Salazar, L.A. Times reporter and news director of KMEX, had provided a voice for the Chicano Movement with his reports on civil rights, often exposing the racism and police brutality that targeted the brown and black communities. Salazar became a symbol of the Chicano movement, and the name of the park where the march ended was changed from Laguna Park to Ruben Salazar Park.

Registrese Y Vote

La Raza Unida Party; Aemaro

Offset, 1972

California, United States

33271

Multiple demonstrations and protests were held from November 1969 through August 1971, the largest being the August 29th march and rally. Chicano activism continued, and the Moratorium inspired other groups in the fight for civil rights. As Carlos Francisco Parra says in Nomadic Border, “Although the Vietnam War is long over, nationwide racial justice protests across the U.S. in the summer of 2020 are a reminder of the Chicano Moratorium’s unfinished business against discrimination.” Our fight for civil rights is far from over and remembering historic moments like these can help guide us for a better future.

As a young Chicanx student in Los Angeles, I am extremely grateful to those who came before me in this movement. Decades later, we still stand together with other communities of color to fight for justice. Viva la Raza!

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium march, we are sharing posters from our archives that highlight the impact the Chicano Moratorium and movement have had on civil rights. Scroll down to see the posters. This post was written by Getty Marrow Undergraduate intern, Haley Vallejo. They are studying Digital Media at Whittier College.

Sources: The Chicano Moratorium 50 Years Later

Chicano Moratorium: Commemorating 50 Years

50th Chicano Moratorium

The Chicano Moratorium KCET

The Chicano Moratorium 50 Years Later:

Retracing the Mexican American Struggle Against the Vietnam War

Chicano Moratorium 50th Anniversary UCLA Film & Television Archive