In East Los Angeles during the late 1960s and 1970s, a group of young activists used creative tools like writing and photography as a means for community organizing, providing a platform for the Chicano Movement in the form of the bilingual newspaper.
In the 1960s and 70s, a group of young idealists-activists came together to work on a community newspaper called La Raza that became the voice for the Chicano Movement. With only the barest resources, but a generous amount of dedication, these young men and women changed their world and produced an archive of over 25,000 photographs. Hear their thoughts on the times and its relevance today, while perusing through some photographs not seen in public for decades in this series of narrated slideshows.
Click right or left to look through the images from the 1960s and 70s. Hit the play button on the bottom right corner to listen to the audio.
1/21 Man speaks to a crowd at Chicano Moratorium anniversary | Patricia Borjon Lopez, La Raza photograph collection. Courtesy of UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
2/21 Man, possibly Nacho Uribe, speaks to a crowd at Chicano Moratorium anniversary | Patricia Borjon Lopez, La Raza photograph collection. Courtesy of UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
3/21 La Raza Unida delegation march during the Mexican Independence Day parade in East Los Angeles | Patricia Borjon Lopez, La Raza photograph collection. Courtesy of UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
4/21 Man holds sign during Centro de Accion Social Autonomo (CASA) march in front of the California State Building | Pedro Arias, La Raza photograph collection. Courtesy of UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
5/21 Man holds sign at the immigration march against Dixon-Arnett Act | Pedro Arias, La Raza photograph collection. Courtesy of UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
6/21 Women carry coffins during the memorial march for Guillermo and Gildardo Sanchez, who were killed by LAPD officers | Patricia Borjon Lopez, La Raza photograph collection. Courtesy of UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
7/21 Two protesters with a sign at an anti-Vietnam War demonstration in front of L.A. City Hall | La Raza photograph collection. Courtesy of UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
8/21 Anti-Vietnam War demonstration on Wilshire Boulevard | La Raza photograph collection. Courtesy of UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
9/21 Protesters at the San Francisco Peach March | Raul Ruiz, La Raza photograph collection. Courtesy of UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
10/21 People march at Fresno Moratorium | Raul Ruiz, La Raza photograph collection. Courtesy of UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
11/21 Women march at Fresno Moratorium | Raul Ruiz, La Raza photograph collection. Courtesy of UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
12/21 People march at Fresno Moratorium | Pedro Arias, La Raza photograph collection. Courtesy of UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
13/21 People march at Fresno Moratorium | Pedro Arias, La Raza photograph collection. Courtesy of UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
14/21 Person lying on stage during a performance at Fresno Moratorium | Pedro Arias, La Raza photograph collection. Courtesy of UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
15/21 People march at Fresno Moratorium | Daniel Zapata, La Raza photograph collection. Courtesy of UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
16/21 Rosalio Muñoz speaks at the San Fernando Moratorium | Raul Ruiz, La Raza photograph collection. Courtesy of UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
17/21 Young men protest in front of Parker Center, the headquarters of the LAPD. | Raul Ruiz, La Raza photograph collection. Courtesy of UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
18/21 Rosalio Muñoz exits the Armed Forces Examining and Entrance Station | La Raza photograph collection. Courtesy of UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
19/21 Protesters at Roosevelt High School strike | La Raza photograph collection. Courtesy of UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
20/21 Rally to free the L.A. 13 at La Placita | La Raza photograph collection. Courtesy of UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
21/21 Protest at Roosevelt High School walkouts | La Raza photograph collection. Courtesy of UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
Narrated Photo Essay: Continuing the Struggle for Social Justice Today
Gil Lopez
My name is Gilbert Lopez. I was active with La Raza magazine/newspaper thereafter La Raza Unida, and at the time, I was also a student at Roosevelt High School. Probably one of the most enlightening experiences I had at La Raza was becoming a photographer. I think the photos tell a story of what were the conditions at the time. Many demonstrations, pickets and union organizing and things that we did, we show how things — tough at the time — that still exist today. If people can translate those photos and say, "What's changed?" not to be sarcastic or cynical about it, but to say, "Wait a minute. If those guys had to put their foot in the door and they were improving things for us to have these positions, we should put our foot in the door and we should continue those types of struggles.
Top Image: Protesters with "We Will Not Be Intimidated" sign at the Marcha Por La Justicia rally at Belvedere Park | Oscar Castillo, La Raza photograph collection. Courtesy of UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Audio mix by: Michael Naeimollah
