Today in lecture we watched the film "Pa'lante, Seimpre Pa'lante" about the Young Lords Party. In previous American history classes I have taken, I have learned all about the Civil Rights movement, Women's liberation movement, and American Indian Movement, but never has the Chicano movement been mentioned. Before this class, I had never heard of the Young Lords Party or the extreme oppression Puerto Ricans faced. It is sad that such a significant part of American history is completely ignored. And to think that Puerto Ricans ARE American citizens, yet racism and discrimination had so much control over American society that Puetro Ricans living in New York City did not even have garbage pickup or a sanitary hospital to treat their sick.
The Young Lords Party is an inspiration to all young people that we can make a difference if we stand up for what we believe in and fight for it. The Young Lords Party helped to unite Puerto Ricans and other poor people to fight for an important cause and what they deserve as American citizens.
Ana Mitropoulos-Rundus
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2 comments:
Going along with your post about the Young Lords Party, I found it very interesting how they did more than just fight for their own rights. I too learned about these movements before, but did not realize how they did things like clothes drives and breakfast programs. These things are great examples of how they not only fought for their own right, but also gave back to their local communities.
That was the most important part to me: giving back to their communities. I LOVED seeing the children eating and grabbing clothing. It really empowered me to continue doing community service and creating programs to help those who are unable to help themselves.
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