LatinaLista — According to Wikipedia,
the Chicano Movement encompassed a broad cross section of issues–from restoration of land grants, to farm workers’ rights, to enhanced education, to voting and political rights, as well as emerging awareness of collective history. Socially, the Chicano Movement addressed what it perceived to be negative ethnic stereotypes of Mexicans in mass media and the American consciousness.
How sadly ironic that a movement that is considered to have reached its peak during the 1960s Civil Rights era still exists trying to achieve all those same things in the 21st Century.
Yet, that fact doesn’t take away from the accomplishments that were gained by the pioneers of the Chicano Movement. Unfortunately, the history and those trailblazers are fading from memory in younger generations.
All the more reason why the 21st Century Chicano Activist Convention to be held in Dallas, Texas on August 21-23, 2009 will be an important event.
It’s been 20 years since a gathering like this has occurred. Organizers say there are multiple reasons to meet now:
•TO CELEBRATE NEARLY HALF A CENTURY LATER MANY OF THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE CHICANO STRUGGLES AND EVENTS SINCE THE 1960s
•TO REVISIT, RETELL, RELIVE EVENTS AND EPISODES OF YEARS PAST
•TO LISTEN AND LEARN FROM EXPERTS, ONCE PARTICIPANTS, THEIR ANALYSES OF SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES OF THE CHICANO MOVEMENT
•TO MEET AND GREET THOSE INSTERESTED IN CARRYING FORTH THE CHICANO/MEXICANO STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY AND JUSTICE
•TO PASS THE TORCH OF STRUGGLE FOR CONTINUED GROUP ASCENDENCY
•TO REMEMBER, REFLECT, AND EULOGIZE THOSE DEPARTED FROM OUR RANKS
•TO VIEW DOCUMENTARIES AND FILMS ABOUT THE CHICANO MOVEMENT
•TO SOCIALIZE AND REJOICE ABOUT OUR CIVIL RIGHTS STRUGGLE
The opportunity to meet and hear from the men and women who, in their younger years, led the civil rights struggle for Latinos is an awesome opportunity for anyone who loves Chicano/civil rights history or is a student of Chicano studies.
Such an event promises to make history come alive for all ages who attend the convention.
An added bonus is that the convention is paired up with the National Tejano Music Convention. The Tejano Music Convention features Tejano music artists in concert, as well as, the pioneers of Tejano music.
Tickets for the Tejano Music Convention can be bought through the 21st Century Chicano Activist Convention.
All in all, it promises to be a weekend where the past meets the present — to learn how to move into the future.
