>> >>AMITA SHARMA: THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON AND MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR'S 1963 SPEECH
ALSO HELPED INSPIRE THE CHICANO CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND NOW MANY IMMIGRANT RIGHTS ACTIVISTS
DRAW FROM THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
ANDREA GUERRERO PUSHES FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND HELPS PUT ON THE ANNUAL MARTIN LUTHER
KING ALL PEOPLES BREAKFAST.
HOW BIG A ROLE DID LATINOS PLAY IN THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON?
>> >>ANDREA GUERRERO: LATINOS WERE PRESENT AT THE MARCH.
THE SIGNS, WHITES ONLY, REFERRED TO THEIR EXCLUSION AS WELL AS THE AFRICAN AMERICANS.
OFTEN, THE SIGNS WOULD SAY NO BLACKS, AND NO HISPANICS OR NO MEXICANS AND SO THEY WERE
IN THE SAME BOAT IN THAT RESPECT.
THEY DIDN'T EXIST IN THE SAME PROPORTION, IN THE SOUTH EAST WHERE THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
WAS FORGED.
THEIR FIGHT WAS MORE ON THE WEST COAST, BUT THEY WERE CERTAINLY PRESENT IN THE 1963 MARCH.
>> >>AMITA SHARMA: THEY WERE SUBJECTED TO A POLLING TAX WHEN THEY WENT TO VOTE?
>> >>ANDREA GUERRERO: THAT'S RIGHT, THE WHITE ONLY LAWS, SEGREGATION LAWS THAT EXISTED IN
THIS COUNTRY EXISTED FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXCLUDING BLACKS, MEXICAN AMERICANS, AS THEY WERE THEN
CALLED, JEWS, OTHER INDIVIDUALS.
>> >>AMITA SHARMA: SO THEY SHARED SOME OF THE SAME DISCRIMINATION, BUT HOW DID THE CHICANO
MOVEMENT DIFFER AT ALL FROM THE BLACK CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT?
>> >>ANDREA GUERRERO: WELL, THE BLACK CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
WAS A MOVEMENT FOR EQUALITY AND DIGNITY FOR ALL, AND SO ALTHOUGH THE MAIN ACTORS IN THAT
MOVEMENT WERE AFRICAN AMERICAN, THEIR FIGHT WAS FOR DIGNITY AND EQUALITY FOR ALL.
THAT'S THE MESSAGE OF DR.
MARTIN LUTHER KING.
THE CHICANO MOVEMENT HAPPENED IN THE WEST COAST AND IT WAS RELATED TO THE AGRICULTURAL
FIELDS AND THE BATTLE OVER THE TREATMENT OF MIGRANT WORKERS.
IT CERTAINLY EXPANDED INTO OTHER REALMS BECAUSE SEGREGATION LAWS WERE IN PLACE AT THE, YOU
KNOW, THE RESTAURANTS, IN THE HOUSING, AT THE LUNCH COUNTERS.
SO WE KNOW THAT CHICANOS WERE VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN FIGHTING FOR THEIR RIGHTS.
THEY FOUND AGENCY IN THEMSELVES AS PEOPLE THAT COULD DETERMINE THEIR OWN DESTINY AS
DID THE AFRICAN AMERICANS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.
THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT LAUNCHED BY AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THIS COUNTRY INFLUENCED ALL THE
MOVEMENTS THAT CAME AFTER, INCLUDING THE CHICANO MOVEMENT.
>> >>AMITA SHARMA: SO CESAR CHAVEZ WHO WAS TRYING TO IMPROVE THE WORKING CONDITIONS OF
MIGRANT WORKERS, THE POOR AND LATINOS IN GENERAL, HE RECEIVED A TELEGRAM FROM MARTIN LUTHER
KING JUNIOR SAYING THAT HE AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS WERE TOGETHER WITH HIM IN SPIRIT
AND DETERMINATION.
WHAT WAS THEIR RELATIONSHIP LIKE?
>> >>ANDREA GUERRERO: THEY WERE SUPPORTIVE OF ONE ANOTHER, THEY KNEW EACH OTHER, AND
WHERE THEY COULD HELP ONE ANOTHER, THEY DID.
I THINK THE MOST SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIP THEY HAD WAS THAT CESAR CHAVEZ TOOK HIS TEACHINGS
FROM DR.
MARTIN LUTHER KING, AND HE LEARNED THE PRINCIPLES OF NON VIOLENT RESISTENCE, THAT DR.
KING HIMSELF HAD LEARNED FROM GANDHI IN INDIA, AND HE CARRIED THAT LEGACY FORWARD.
>> >>AMITA SHARMA: YOU JUST RETURNED FROM WASHINGTON D.C.
COMMEMORATING THE MARCH, THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MARCH.
WHAT WAS THE ATMOSPHERE LIKE THERE?
>> >>ANDREA GUERRERO: IT WAS RIVETTING.
IT WAS A MOMENT OWS OCCASION, AND WE WERE THRILLED TO BE A PART OF IT.
WE SAW A DIVERSITY OF INTERESTS, A DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE, AND IT WAS REALLY HEART WARMING
TO SEE A SOLIDARITY IN THIS COUNTRY FOR CHANGE, FOR SOCIAL MOVEMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S
RARE TO SEE.
AND WE HOPE TO BRING THAT LEGACY BACK AND CONTINUE THE FIGHT FOR EQUALITY, DIGNITY,
AND JUSTICE.
>> >>AMITA SHARMA: WE'VE GOT TO END IT THERE, ANDREA GUERRERO, THANK YOU FOR COMING ON THE
PROGRAM.
>> >>ANDREA GUERRERO: THANK YOU.