HAMEX UNIT 7

A useful set of flashcards for unit 7

Stonewall Riots (1969)

• A series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations against a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, New York City

• Took place on June 28, 1969 — considered the beginning of the modern Gay Rights Movement

• First major instance in American history where people in the homosexual community fought back against a government-sponsored system

• Sparked a nationwide movement for LGBTQ+ equality and the formation of advocacy organizations

AIDS

• Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome — an epidemic that emerged in 1981

• When first discovered, AIDS was wrongly believed to only affect gay men, increasing stigma and discrimination

• Was initially a death sentence; today, with treatments, people living with HIV/AIDS can live long lives

• Galvanized the LGBTQ+ community and allies to demand government action, research funding, and public education

Ryan White

• A 7th grader who contracted AIDS in 1984 through a blood transfusion — not through the gay community

• Became a national poster child for HIV/AIDS and shifted public perception that AIDS only affected gay people

• He and other prominent HIV-positive public figures advocated for more AIDS research and education

• After his death, Congress passed the Ryan White Care Act — the largest U.S. provider of services for people living with HIV/AIDS

DADT (Don't Ask, Don't Tell)

• Policy enacted by President Clinton in 1993 that prohibited military officials from asking about sexual orientation

• In practice, persecution of lesbian and gay military personnel soared rather than declining as intended

• Repealed by President Obama in 2010 — today, LGBTQ+ people can serve openly in the military

• Daniel Choi, an Iraq War veteran, publicly challenged DADT after coming out on TV in 2009

DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act)

• Passed in 1996 by President Clinton — defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman

• Allowed states to deny recognition of same-sex marriages originating in other states (no Full Faith and Credit)

• Ruled unconstitutional in 2013 under United States v. Windsor — same-sex marriages received federal recognition

• Overturned before the Supreme Court's Obergefell ruling that made same-sex marriage legal nationwide

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)

• June 2015 Supreme Court ruling that declared state bans on same-sex marriage unconstitutional

• Based on the 14th Amendment's equal protection and due process clauses

• Same-sex marriage became legal in all 50 states as a result of this ruling

• Landmark civil rights decision — the culmination of decades of LGBTQ+ legal advocacy

Bostock v. Clayton County (2020)

• June 15, 2020 Supreme Court ruling extending workplace protections to LGBTQ+ employees

• Ruled that under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it is illegal for businesses to fire employees based on sexual orientation or gender identity

• A major victory for LGBTQ+ employment rights — protected workers nationwide from discrimination

• Showed that landmark civil rights legislation from the 1960s applies to new categories of discrimination

HRC (Human Rights Campaign)

• Human Rights Campaign — the largest civil rights organization fighting for LGBTQ+ equality in the United States

• Advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Americans through lobbying, education, and political action

• Supports anti-discrimination legislation, same-sex marriage, hate crime laws, and transgender rights

• Uses the blue-and-yellow equals-sign logo as its symbol of equality

GLAAD

• The leading LGBTQ+ media advocacy organization — Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation

• Works to change culture and increase acceptance by influencing how LGBTQ+ people are represented in media

• Monitors news, entertainment, and social media for fair, accurate, and inclusive representation

• Publishes the annual GLAAD Media Report tracking LGBTQ+ representation in TV, film, and news

Daniel Choi

• United States Army officer who served in combat in Iraq during 2006–2007

• Came out publicly on The Rachel Maddow Show in March 2009 — a direct challenge to DADT

• Became a prominent LGBTQ+ rights activist, chaining himself to the White House fence in protest

• Applied to rejoin the U.S. Army on October 19, 2010, after DADT was repealed

Sarah McBride

• Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Delaware, elected in 2024

• First openly transgender person elected to the United States Congress

• Her election marked a historic milestone for transgender visibility and representation in American government

• Demonstrates the ongoing expansion of LGBTQ+ representation in politics and public life

LGBTQ+ Issues Today

• Transgender rights: discrimination, violence, hate crimes, and ongoing legal battles over gender identity

• Religious exemption cases: conflicts between LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination protections and religious freedom claims

• Education: many states restrict or ban teaching about LGBTQ+ topics in schools

• Healthcare: lack of coverage, refusal by doctors to treat, and barriers for transgender individuals

UFW (United Farm Workers)

• United Farm Workers — labor union founded in the 1950s, led by Cesar Chavez

• Goal: improve conditions and pay for migrant farm workers in the fields

• Used non-violent tactics: Delano Grape Strike, hunger strikes, boycotts, sit-ins, and marches

• Represents one of the most successful Latino labor and civil rights movements in U.S. history

Cesar Chavez

• Co-founder and leader of the United Farm Workers (UFW) union

• Led the five-year Delano Grape Strike and a 25-day personal hunger strike to draw national attention

• Used exclusively non-violent tactics inspired by Gandhi and the Civil Rights Movement

• His work improved wages, benefits, and conditions for hundreds of thousands of farm workers

Dolores Huerta

• Co-founder of the UFW alongside Cesar Chavez — her brother-in-law

• Began activism with the Community Service Organization (CSO) in the 1950s, registering Chicano voters

• Left teaching because 'she could not do anything for those who came to school barefoot and hungry'

• Worked in the Delano Grape Strike, became a feminist activist after meeting Gloria Steinem, and remains an advocate today

CSO (Community Service Organization)

• Community Service Organization — a Latino civil rights organization active in the 1950s

• Goals: register Chicano voters and provide citizenship classes for the community

• Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez both worked with the CSO before founding the UFW

• Represented an early organized effort to empower Latino communities through civic engagement

Delano Grape Strike

• A five-year labor strike by UFW farm workers in Delano, California, beginning in 1965

• Workers refused to pick California grapes; consumers nationwide were urged to boycott grapes and wine

• Led by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta with non-violent tactics: marches, hunger strikes, boycotts

• Result: growers agreed to better conditions, pay, and benefits for farm workers

LULAC

• League of United Latin American Citizens — founded in 1929, one of the oldest Latino civil rights organizations

• Founded to fight discrimination against Hispanic Americans in education, employment, and civic life

• Still active today, working to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans and increase voter registration

• Has fought landmark civil rights cases and advocated for immigration reform and equal access to education

La Raza / UnidosUS

• La Raza was originally a political advocacy group for the Latino community; now known as UnidosUS

• Works to empower Hispanic Americans through policy advocacy, community programs, and research

• Focuses on education, health, housing, immigration, and economic opportunities

• Represents the largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States

DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)

• Executive action signed by President Obama — deferred deportation for undocumented individuals brought to the U.S. as children

• Known as 'Dreamers' — young people raised in America who have no ties to their country of birth

• Still in effect today, though its legal future remains contested in courts

• Part of Obama's broader effort to create a path toward citizenship for long-term undocumented residents

DAPA (Deferred Action for Parents of Americans)

• Executive action by President Obama aimed at undocumented parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents

• Would have deferred deportation and granted work authorization to millions of undocumented parents

• Overturned by the courts — blocked before it could take effect

• Along with DACA, showed the executive and judicial struggle over immigration policy and a path to citizenship

ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

• Immigration and Customs Enforcement — the federal agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws inside the U.S.

• Under President Trump, ICE agents were used to deport undocumented immigrants, including long-term residents

• Deportation separates families and has a major impact on Latino communities across the country

• A central flashpoint in debates over immigration reform, border security, and human rights

Crisis at the Border

• Large numbers of migrants, many from Central and South America, arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border seeking safety and opportunity

• Many are fleeing violence, poverty, and instability in their home countries

• Over 120,000 unaccompanied children arrived in 2022; over 2.5 million people were processed in 2023

• Central political debate: humanitarian response vs. border enforcement; immigration policy divides both parties

Indigenous People

• Native Americans are the original, indigenous inhabitants of North America — they were here long before European colonists arrived

• Hundreds of distinct tribes, languages, and cultures existed across the continent

• European colonization brought displacement, disease, and violence that devastated Native populations

• Today, Native Americans continue to fight for federal recognition, treaty rights, land rights, and cultural preservation

Indian Removal Act (1830)

• 1830 law signed by President Andrew Jackson authorizing the forced relocation of Native Americans west of the Mississippi River

• Driven by westward expansion and white settlers' desire for Native-held land in the Southeast

• Led directly to the Trail of Tears and the forced displacement of tens of thousands of Native Americans

• One of the most devastating policies in U.S. history — violated prior treaties and caused mass death

Trail of Tears

• The forced relocation of Native Americans, particularly the Cherokee Nation, from the Southeastern U.S. to Indian Territory in modern-day Oklahoma

• Result of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 — thousands died from cold, disease, and starvation during the march

• The Cherokee challenged removal in Worcester v. Georgia (1832) — the Supreme Court ruled in their favor, but Jackson ignored the ruling

• Stands as a symbol of the U.S. government's betrayal of Native nations and violation of treaty obligations

Dawes Act (1887)

• 1887 federal law that broke up collectively held tribal lands into individual 160-acre plots

• Plots were often on poor, unfarmable land; the policy resulted in massive loss of Native land and culture

• The goal was to force assimilation by making Native Americans individual landowners like white Americans

• Native Americans lost approximately 90 million acres of land between 1887 and 1934 as a result of this policy

Indian Citizenship Act (1924)

• 1924 law that granted U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans born in the United States

• Despite gaining citizenship, the right to vote was not fully extended to all Native Americans until 1954

• Came after Native Americans had served and died in World War I defending a country that denied them basic rights

• Citizenship did not end discrimination, loss of land, or the ongoing violation of treaty rights

Assimilation / Sovereign Nations

• Assimilation: the U.S. government's policy of forcing Native Americans to adopt white American culture, language, and religion

• Included forced attendance at boarding schools where children were punished for speaking their native languages

• Many tribes chose reservation life to maintain independence — reservations are sovereign, self-governing nations

• Cherokee and Navajo Nations are examples of sovereign tribal governments that retained cultural identity despite pressure

Indian Civil Rights Act (1968)

• 1968 federal law requiring tribal governments to respect the basic civil rights of all people on reservations

• Incorporated key Bill of Rights protections: freedom of speech, religion, trial by jury, double jeopardy, and due process

• Acknowledged that Native Americans on reservations had historically been denied the same protections as other Americans

• Balanced tribal sovereignty with individual rights — a landmark step in Native American civil rights

NARF (Native American Rights Fund)

• Native American Rights Fund — a nonprofit legal organization defending the rights of Native American tribes and individuals

• Uses the legal system to protect tribal sovereignty, treaty rights, land claims, and cultural rights

• Works on cases involving voting rights, tribal recognition, natural resources, and child welfare

• One of the most important organizations fighting for Native American rights in federal courts today

AIM (American Indian Movement)

• American Indian Movement — a Native American activist organization founded in 1968 in Minneapolis

• Founded to address systemic issues: police brutality, poverty, treaty violations, and lack of political representation

• Led high-profile demonstrations including the 1972 Trail of Broken Treaties and the 1973 occupation of Wounded Knee

• Madonna Thunder Hawk is a prominent AIM civil rights activist; Nathan Phillips was an AIM member who protested the DAPL

DAPL (Dakota Access Pipeline)

• The Dakota Access Pipeline — an oil pipeline planned to run through or near Native American reservations and sacred land

• The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe led major protests in 2016, arguing the pipeline threatened their water supply and desecrated sacred sites

• Nathan Phillips and other Native activists joined thousands of protesters at Standing Rock

• Represents the ongoing conflict between Native American land and water rights and corporate/government energy interests

Not Invisible Act (2020)

• H.R. 2438 — the Not Invisible Act, signed into law in 2020

• Addresses the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous people, especially women and girls

• Statistics from NCIC: approximately 1,500 missing Native persons and 2,700 murders — roughly 4,200 unsolved cases

• Forces government officials to work with reservations and creates a new dedicated position focusing on missing, murdered, and trafficked Native Americans

NJ Native Americans

• Three main tribes in New Jersey: Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape (Salem/Cumberland County), Ramapough Lenape (northern mountains), and Powhatan Renape (South Jersey)

• A major issue for NJ tribes is lack of full federal recognition, which limits access to resources and legal protections

• NJ Native communities face environmental threats to their ancestral lands

• Also affected by the mascot controversy — NJ tribes have advocated against offensive Native American sports mascots

Native American Mascots Debate

• The use of Native American names, images, and caricatures as sports team mascots is widely considered harmful and disrespectful

• Critics argue mascots reduce rich, living cultures to stereotypes and dehumanize Native Americans

• Native American groups, including AIM and NJ tribes, have long campaigned for teams to retire offensive mascots

• The trend has shifted toward retirement — Cleveland Guardians and Washington Commanders are key examples of progress

Cleveland Guardians

• The Cleveland MLB team was formerly named the Cleveland Indians and used the caricature logo 'Chief Wahoo'

• Chief Wahoo was widely criticized as a racist caricature of Native Americans and was retired from jerseys in 2019

• Philip Yenyo fought prominently to change the Chief Wahoo mascot and Cleveland Indians team name

• The team officially became the Cleveland Guardians in 2022 — an example of progress in the mascot debate

Washington Commanders

• The Washington NFL team was formerly named the Washington Redskins — widely considered one of the most offensive Native American team names

• 'Redskins' is a racial slur that refers to the scalps of Native Americans collected for bounty payments in colonial times

• After decades of protests and a boycott by major sponsors in 2020, the team dropped the name

• The team became the Washington Commanders in 2022 — corporate pressure drove this change

University of Illinois / Chief Illiniwek

• The University of Illinois used 'Chief Illiniwek' as its mascot from 1926 to 2007

• The mascot featured a dancer in stylized Native American regalia performing at halftime

• Native American groups and the NCAA pressured the university to retire the mascot as a harmful stereotype

• The Chief was officially retired in 2007, though controversy about its use persists among some alumni

Florida State Seminoles

• Florida State University uses 'Seminoles' as its team name with the approval of the Seminole Tribe of Florida

• The Seminole Tribe has formally endorsed the use of the name and mascot, arguing it honors their heritage

• Often cited as an example of how Native team names can be used respectfully — with genuine tribal consent

• The key difference from other mascot debates: the depicted tribe has given meaningful, formal approval

LGBTQ+ Rights Timeline

• 1969: Stonewall Riots spark the modern Gay Rights Movement; 1993: DADT enacted; 1996: DOMA defines marriage as man-woman

• 2010: Obama repeals DADT; 2013: DOMA ruled unconstitutional (US v. Windsor)

• 2015: Obergefell v. Hodges legalizes same-sex marriage nationwide under the 14th Amendment

• 2020: Bostock v. Clayton County protects LGBTQ+ workers; 2024: Sarah McBride elected first openly trans member of Congress

Latino Civil Rights: Tactics & Strategy

• The Latino civil rights movement drew on non-violent tactics proven effective by the Black Civil Rights Movement and Gandhi

• UFW tactics: strikes, boycotts, hunger strikes, marches — economic pressure without violence forced growers to negotiate

• Legal and civic approaches: LULAC used courts and legislation; CSO registered voters to build political power

• Executive action (DACA, DAPA) showed the role of presidential power when Congress failed to act on immigration reform

Native American Rights Historical Arc

• Removal era (1830s): Indian Removal Act and Trail of Tears forcibly displaced Native nations from their homelands

• Assimilation era (1880s–1960s): Dawes Act broke up tribal land; boarding schools forced cultural erasure

• Recognition era (1924–1968): Indian Citizenship Act (1924) granted citizenship; Indian Civil Rights Act (1968) extended Bill of Rights protections to reservations

• Activism era (1968–present): AIM, NARF, DAPL protests, and the Not Invisible Act represent the ongoing fight for Native sovereignty and justice

Mascot Controversy: Why It Matters

• Mascots that caricature Native Americans reduce living cultures to stereotypes, perpetuating dehumanization

• For Native American students, seeing their identity mocked as a mascot has documented psychological harm

• Progress: Cleveland Guardians, Washington Commanders, and University of Illinois all retired offensive mascots

• The FSU/Seminole example shows a path forward: respectful use with genuine tribal consent is fundamentally different from imposed caricature