League of United Latin American Citizens
Encyclopedia
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) was created to combat the discrimination
that Hispanics
face in the United States. Established February 17, 1929 in Corpus Christi, Texas, LULAC was a consolidation of smaller, like-minded civil rights groups already in existence. Since its creation, the organization has grown; it has a national headquarters, active councils in many states, and a professional staff. LULAC continues to operate; however, while it is perhaps more nationally visible than ever, in recent decades it has lost considerable strength due to a decreasing and less-active membership base and decreasing funds.
groups around the time of the Great Depression
. During this time, the population of Mexican descendants in the United States experienced a demographic shift. Due to population increases (which led to a greater number of the population being born with U.S. citizenship) and the deportation of an estimated 500,000 Mexican nationals and Mexican Americans during the Depression, the proportion of Mexican descendants who could claim U.S. citizenship greatly increased. Benjamin Marquez asserts, "[t]his demographic shift favored the rise of a more assimilated political leadership". Unlike earlier organizations, such as the mutual-aid associations (mutualistas) and labor-based groups (which emphasized the importance of cooperation between recent Mexican immigrants, Mexican residents and Mexican Americans to combat economic, cultural, and political discrimination), LULAC specifically excluded non-American citizens from membership.
While praising its Mexican cultural heritage in its rhetoric, LULAC promoted the full adaptation of its members into the dominant U.S. Anglo-Saxon culture, believing this strategy would be the most successful in combating discrimination. Asserting that it was not the economic or political intuitions that were flawed but discrimination was the result of racism alone, LULAC took an arguably-conservative stance. It promoted capitalism and individualism, believing that through hard work and assimilation into American culture Mexican Americans could improve their socioeconomic standing in American society. That is, by adapting to American institutions, LULAC believed individuals could change negative perceptions Anglo-Saxons held of Mexican Americans and achieve economic success.
As a method of increasing assimilation, LULAC emphasized American patriotism. It asserted that Mexican Americans should disavow any allegiance to Mexico, remain permanently in the United States, and commit fully to the democratic ideals of the U.S. This patriotism is evident in the structure of the organization. The league’s official song is "America"; its official language is English and its official prayer is the "George Washington Prayer". Its constitution is modeled on the United States Constitution
.
Because of LULAC’s assimilation ideology, it advocated immigration restriction. LULAC's central means of achieving equal status with Anglo-Saxons was dependent on promoting the image of Mexican residents as conforming to the cultural norms of the United States. Even though the league was ultimately concerned with the status of Mexican American citizens, it recognized the fact that the dominant society did not distinguish between those of Mexican descent. (For example, during the Great Depression, both non-citizens and citizens alike were deported "back to Mexico".) New immigrants from Mexico facilitated against this strategy. The new immigrants brought with them stronger ties to their native culture, limited English proficiency, and were willing to work for low wages. Mexican Americans knew that they would be lumped together with the recent immigrants and also seen as "un-American", "backward", "poor" and would be discriminated against. The league also shared the fear of many working-class Americans that the new immigrant, willing to work for low wages and contributing to job competition against Mexican Americans due to their numbers, would economically harm Mexican Americans.
A focus on education was perhaps another byproduct of the assimilation ideology. Benjamin Marquez asserts that "[s]egragated schools, inferior equipment, and the lack of qualified teachers were seen as the primary obstacles to the full economic and social assimilation of the Mexican American". LULAC believed that the public-school system, with the aforementioned issues corrected, would serve as a central instrument in the assimilation process of children, and thereby the Mexican American community as a whole. Through formal education, Mexican Americans would learn how to function in American institutions, socialize with Anglo-Saxon children, and would be able to qualify for more-skilled jobs.
Though the two civil rights
groups may have possessed some institutional similarities, LULAC tried to distance itself from the African American
struggle against discrimination and racism. LULAC believed that blacks were more oppressed; thus, joining forces with them would not strengthen its own struggle for equality. Probably due to its understanding of the already-existing race relations in American society, LULAC asserted the idea that Hispanics fell into the "white" category of the dichotomous black-white construction of race. In 1936 the league even "engaged in a series of lobbying activities as soon as it discovered that Mexican Americans would be categorized as part of a group of dark-skinned minorities" by the U.S. Bureau of the Census.
), which began in 1942 to fill the farm-labor shortage which accompanied the U.S. involvement in WWII. Although Mexican workers in this program were under contract with the government to come to the United States to work and then return to Mexico after a set amount of time, LULAC saw the program as paving the way for increased permanent immigration from Mexico. LULAC's opposition to the Bracero Program was consistent with its support for restricted immigration, as described earlier.
When the war ended LULAC experienced a rebirth in enthusiasm, as returning veterans sought to claim the civil liberties they felt they were owed. The group continued to help the Mexican community with local activities such as Christmas toy drives, sponsoring Boy Scout troops, and poll-tax repeal drives. During the 1950s LULAC began the Little School of the 400
program, which was a precursor to Head Start
. The program was designed to teach Mexican American children 400 English words before they began first grade. The project was initially run by volunteers, and shown after the first class to be successful; out of 60 participating children, only one had to repeat first grade. The program expanded, and LULAC convinced the Texas legislature to underwrite it. Between 1960 and 1964 over 92,000 children benefited from the LULAC-initiated, English-centered preschool program. LULAC also sued school districts which practiced segregation. Examples of successful cases include Mendez v. Westminster
in 1945 and Minerva Delgado V. Bastrop Independent School District in 1948. As Marquez notes, "[r]elying strictly on the volunteer labor of LULAC attorneys and their staff, from 1950-1957, approximately fifteen suit or complaints were filed against school districts throughout the Southwest". These victories would help lead the way to the outcome of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education
case.
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
that Hispanics
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
face in the United States. Established February 17, 1929 in Corpus Christi, Texas, LULAC was a consolidation of smaller, like-minded civil rights groups already in existence. Since its creation, the organization has grown; it has a national headquarters, active councils in many states, and a professional staff. LULAC continues to operate; however, while it is perhaps more nationally visible than ever, in recent decades it has lost considerable strength due to a decreasing and less-active membership base and decreasing funds.
Philosophy
LULAC follows an assimilation ideology which emerged among Mexican AmericanMexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
groups around the time of the Great Depression
Great Depression in the United States
The Great Depression began with the Wall Street Crash of October, 1929 and rapidly spread worldwide. The market crash marked the beginning of a decade of high unemployment, poverty, low profits, deflation, plunging farm incomes, and lost opportunities for economic growth and personal advancement...
. During this time, the population of Mexican descendants in the United States experienced a demographic shift. Due to population increases (which led to a greater number of the population being born with U.S. citizenship) and the deportation of an estimated 500,000 Mexican nationals and Mexican Americans during the Depression, the proportion of Mexican descendants who could claim U.S. citizenship greatly increased. Benjamin Marquez asserts, "[t]his demographic shift favored the rise of a more assimilated political leadership". Unlike earlier organizations, such as the mutual-aid associations (mutualistas) and labor-based groups (which emphasized the importance of cooperation between recent Mexican immigrants, Mexican residents and Mexican Americans to combat economic, cultural, and political discrimination), LULAC specifically excluded non-American citizens from membership.
While praising its Mexican cultural heritage in its rhetoric, LULAC promoted the full adaptation of its members into the dominant U.S. Anglo-Saxon culture, believing this strategy would be the most successful in combating discrimination. Asserting that it was not the economic or political intuitions that were flawed but discrimination was the result of racism alone, LULAC took an arguably-conservative stance. It promoted capitalism and individualism, believing that through hard work and assimilation into American culture Mexican Americans could improve their socioeconomic standing in American society. That is, by adapting to American institutions, LULAC believed individuals could change negative perceptions Anglo-Saxons held of Mexican Americans and achieve economic success.
As a method of increasing assimilation, LULAC emphasized American patriotism. It asserted that Mexican Americans should disavow any allegiance to Mexico, remain permanently in the United States, and commit fully to the democratic ideals of the U.S. This patriotism is evident in the structure of the organization. The league’s official song is "America"; its official language is English and its official prayer is the "George Washington Prayer". Its constitution is modeled on the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
.
Because of LULAC’s assimilation ideology, it advocated immigration restriction. LULAC's central means of achieving equal status with Anglo-Saxons was dependent on promoting the image of Mexican residents as conforming to the cultural norms of the United States. Even though the league was ultimately concerned with the status of Mexican American citizens, it recognized the fact that the dominant society did not distinguish between those of Mexican descent. (For example, during the Great Depression, both non-citizens and citizens alike were deported "back to Mexico".) New immigrants from Mexico facilitated against this strategy. The new immigrants brought with them stronger ties to their native culture, limited English proficiency, and were willing to work for low wages. Mexican Americans knew that they would be lumped together with the recent immigrants and also seen as "un-American", "backward", "poor" and would be discriminated against. The league also shared the fear of many working-class Americans that the new immigrant, willing to work for low wages and contributing to job competition against Mexican Americans due to their numbers, would economically harm Mexican Americans.
A focus on education was perhaps another byproduct of the assimilation ideology. Benjamin Marquez asserts that "[s]egragated schools, inferior equipment, and the lack of qualified teachers were seen as the primary obstacles to the full economic and social assimilation of the Mexican American". LULAC believed that the public-school system, with the aforementioned issues corrected, would serve as a central instrument in the assimilation process of children, and thereby the Mexican American community as a whole. Through formal education, Mexican Americans would learn how to function in American institutions, socialize with Anglo-Saxon children, and would be able to qualify for more-skilled jobs.
Comparisons with the NAACP
With respect to organizational structure, the League of Latin American Citizens was similar to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). David G. Gutierrez claims, "considering themselves part of a progressive and enlightened leadership elite, LULAC's leaders set out implement general goals and a political strategy that were similar in form and content to those advocated early in the century by W.E.B. DuBois and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People: for an 'educated elite'".Though the two civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
groups may have possessed some institutional similarities, LULAC tried to distance itself from the African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
struggle against discrimination and racism. LULAC believed that blacks were more oppressed; thus, joining forces with them would not strengthen its own struggle for equality. Probably due to its understanding of the already-existing race relations in American society, LULAC asserted the idea that Hispanics fell into the "white" category of the dichotomous black-white construction of race. In 1936 the league even "engaged in a series of lobbying activities as soon as it discovered that Mexican Americans would be categorized as part of a group of dark-skinned minorities" by the U.S. Bureau of the Census.
Before World War II
Overall, LULAC was consistently politically involved as it struggled to erase discriminatory laws and practices in the U.S. Southwest. Although it was a nonpartisan group, it encouraged members to vote for candidates who were supportive of the group’s ideals. During the 1930s, LULAC’s activities included voter-registration and petition drives, poll-tax repeal drives and litigation to improve the conditions of Mexican Americans. They also worked to improve education for Mexican Americans by conducting community-education campaigns and setting up a college scholarship program. These activities conformed with institutional structures already existing in the United States.After World War II
During World War II the membership and activity of the organization decreased significantly, as many of the members joined the armed forces hoping to prove their patriotism (or were drafted). LULAC campaigned against the Emergency Farm Labor Program (also known as the Bracero ProgramBracero Program
The Bracero Program was a series of laws and diplomatic agreements, initiated by an August 1942 exchange of diplomatic notes between the United States and Mexico, for the importation of temporary contract laborers from Mexico to the United States.American president Franklin D...
), which began in 1942 to fill the farm-labor shortage which accompanied the U.S. involvement in WWII. Although Mexican workers in this program were under contract with the government to come to the United States to work and then return to Mexico after a set amount of time, LULAC saw the program as paving the way for increased permanent immigration from Mexico. LULAC's opposition to the Bracero Program was consistent with its support for restricted immigration, as described earlier.
When the war ended LULAC experienced a rebirth in enthusiasm, as returning veterans sought to claim the civil liberties they felt they were owed. The group continued to help the Mexican community with local activities such as Christmas toy drives, sponsoring Boy Scout troops, and poll-tax repeal drives. During the 1950s LULAC began the Little School of the 400
Little School of the 400
The Little School of the 400 was created in 1957 to meet the educational needs of Spanish speaking children in Texas. The goal of the program was to teach 400 basic English words to help Spanish-speaking children to manage instruction given in English in the regular public educational system.LULAC...
program, which was a precursor to Head Start
Head Start
The Head Start Program is a program of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families....
. The program was designed to teach Mexican American children 400 English words before they began first grade. The project was initially run by volunteers, and shown after the first class to be successful; out of 60 participating children, only one had to repeat first grade. The program expanded, and LULAC convinced the Texas legislature to underwrite it. Between 1960 and 1964 over 92,000 children benefited from the LULAC-initiated, English-centered preschool program. LULAC also sued school districts which practiced segregation. Examples of successful cases include Mendez v. Westminster
Mendez v. Westminster
Mendez, et al v. Westminster School District, et al, 64 F.Supp. 544 , aff'd, 161 F.2d 774 , was a 1946 federal court case that challenged racial segregation in Orange County, California schools...
in 1945 and Minerva Delgado V. Bastrop Independent School District in 1948. As Marquez notes, "[r]elying strictly on the volunteer labor of LULAC attorneys and their staff, from 1950-1957, approximately fifteen suit or complaints were filed against school districts throughout the Southwest". These victories would help lead the way to the outcome of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
case.
Recent efforts
Towards the end of the 1950s, members decreased their active support for LULAC. Marquez atributes this largely to the group's conservative ideology, which “prompted many of its members to restrict the number of hours they were willing to contribute after many of the goals they had set for themselves seemed to have been achieved”. That is, LULAC consistently emphasized the importance of individual success for the improvement of the Mexican American community’s status as a whole. By this time, most of the members were predominantly middle- and upper-class; as race relations began to improve, members did not derive as much benefit from LULAC. LULAC also faced competition from other, more-focused Mexican American groups. The league found it difficult to meet the needs and desires of an increasingly-diverse Mexican American population. Thus, with only social solidarity as a benefit, “while the league’s public profile grew in the mid-1960s and the group was involved in a wide range of political activities, these events occurred with decreasing mass participation, increased leadership innovation and a heavy dose of outside financial support”. The mass media continues to seek out the opinions of LULAC leaders on current events; these leaders are viewed as experts on Latino affairs because of the organization’s rich history.Subsidiaries
The LULAC National Educational Service Centers (LNESC) are part of a non-profit educational advancement organization which helps students with direct-service programs and scholarships.See also
- LatinoLatinoThe demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
- NALEONALEOThe National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials is the leadership organization of the nation's more than 6,000 Latino elected and appointed Latino public officials in the United States. -History:...
- NCLRNCLRThe four-letter abbreviation may refer to:*National Center for Lesbian Rights*National Council of La Raza*National Conference of Law Reviews*National Council for Learning Resources*North Carolina Law Review...
- American GI ForumAmerican GI ForumThe American G.I. Forum is a Congressionally chartered Hispanic veterans and civil rights organization. Its motto is "Education is Our Freedom and Freedom should be Everybody's Business". AGIF currently operates chapters throughout the United States, with a focus on veteran's issues, education,...
- SVREP
- National Immigration ForumNational Immigration ForumThe National Immigration Forum is an immigrant rights organization based in Washington, DC that publishes studies, lobbies congress members, and networks local organizations with the goal of increasing public support for immigration to the United States...
- Arnoldo TorresArnoldo TorresArnoldo Torres is a journalist, consultant, partner in the Sacramento, California based public policy consulting firm Torres & Torres, and the executive director for the California Hispanic Health Care Association...