Chicano Studies 1a Final Review

Neoliberalism

A political/economic ideology that advocates for free market capitalism and limited government involvement as the most effective way to allocate resources and become wealthy. In the book, “Bans, Walls, Raids, Sanctuary” by A. Naomi Paik, it says that neoliberalism was prominent in the 1980s under Ronald Reagan’s “Reaganomics”. This resulted in tax cuts for wealthy people and corporations, reduced government fundings for social programs, and increased funding for the military. This was suppose to help the economy, but instead it helped the rich get richer and left everyone else to struggle.

Reagan (Make America Great Again)

President Reagan was the first to coin the phrase “make America great again”. He was the 40th president of the US and often downplayed the US’s involvement in El Salvador. We discussed his presidency and policies in lecture, and it was also discussed in Paik’s book “Ban, Walls, Raids, Sanctuaries”.

North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

NAFTA was an agreement that evolved from neoliberalism and passed in 1994. It economically united the US, Mexico, and Canada, eliminating tariffs. This competitively lowered prices and pushed out the local market, resulting in loss of jobs in agriculture. This displaced a lot of workers, majority of them were Chicanx. This was more beneficial for the wealthy sectors.

Operation Gatekeeper

Implemented under Bill Clinton, its goal was the slow down/stop the illegal immigration to the US from Mexico. They did this by increasing funds to border patrol to increase activity and build walls. This started in 1994 and was implemented in separate stages.

Alex Odeh and Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)

Alex Odeh was a Palestinian human rights activist and West Coast director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee who was killed in a targeted office bombing in Santa Ana. He worked in the American Anti-Discrimination Office, and his death was never fully investigated. His work pushed back against the Arab threat narrative, similar to the Latino Threat Narrative. There are speculation that the Jewish Defense League was the one that planted the bomb in his office.

Nakba and Palestine

Nakba is the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people by the Israelis. This started in 1947 from the Arab-Israeli War and continues today. The Israelis are violently seizing Palestinian land, property, and belongings, stripping Palestinians of their society and culture.

Irv Rubin and Jewish Defense League

Irv Rubin was a Canadian-born, American political and religious activist who served as the chairman of the Jewish Defense League. He was suspected of planting the bomb in the Anti-Discrimination Office that killed Alex Odeh, but he committed suicide before this was confirmed. The Jewish Defense League’s ideology aligned with the Latino Threat Narrative because they believed that the changing demographic was threatening and violence was justified to maintain ethnic security.

Central American sanctuary movement

1980s religious and political campaign in the US where over 500 congregations offered shelter and aid for those affected by the civil wars and violence in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. This directly protested US immigration policies and advocated for immigrant rights.

Father Luis Olivares

Chicano Catholic priest who opened his church in LA, Placita Olvera, as a sanctuary for refugees. His sermons highighted the struggles of undocumented immigrants and he was able to provide sanctuary when LA started becoming dangerous for Central American refugees.

Alicia Rivera

Salvadoran refugee that escaped to LA and began working to help refugees and support the sanctuary movement. She was only 21 when she arrived in LA, but immediately began helping as a translator for refugee relief agencies. She soon found herself at the center of the movement to transport and protect refugees.

Women of Conscience

A feminist group that was actively protesting the deportation in LA during the 1980s. The feminist revolution was on the rise, and a group of church-affiliated women formed a group that would block the driveways of federal buildings that detained immigrants. Women of Conscience was discussed in Kramer’s “Solidarity Unmasked”.

Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES)

CISPES is a national activist organization that led the Central American Solidarity Movement in the early 80s. They were led by Salvadoran, Chicanx, and white activists. They organized protests in McArthur Park, and it became a historic site for protests in LA for decades. They opposed the US and the Salvadoran military and government during the El Salvador Civil War.

South African anti-apartheid movement

A decade-long struggle led by Black South African activists and international supporters who fought to end the apartheid system of racial segregation. It took place in South Africa and eventually succeeded in the downfall of apartheid and the building of a democratic government. This was discussed in class as a global example of resistance to the state-sanctioned racism.

Farabundo Marti

He was a Salvadorian Marxist-Leninist revolutionary and activist during La Matanza. He was involved in founding the Central American communist party. He led a peasant revolt in 1932 that was violently suppressed, leading to a massacre and his execution.

1932 Matanza (El Salvador)

Massacre that occured in El Salvador where the Salvadoran military killed tens of thousands of indigenous peasants. This was done in response to trying to control peasant uprisings. People stopped wearing their traditional clothings and speaking in their native tongue to avoid being singled out by the military.

Archbishop Oscar Romero

El Salvadoran bishop who regularly spoke out against the El Salvador Civil War. He used his church masses to speak out against the war, and was eventually assassinated in his church. He was very influential, even after his death.

El Mozote Massacre and Rufina Amaya

In December 1981, 900 women and children were massacred in El Mozote and Rafina Amaya was the only survivor. This massacre was under the order of Domingo Monterrosa. Mark Danner’s book, “The Massacre at El Mozote” speaks about this massacre and Rafina Amaya.

4 US Churchwomen (1980)

In December of 1980, 4 US Churchwomen were captured, raped, and killed in El Salvador. This got into the press, and the US government pulled back its support for a month as a result. This was significant because the thousands of El SAlvadorians that were killed prior produced no reaction from the US government, but the death of these 4 white women got them to cut off American aid for a month.

School of the Americas (SOA)

These were US Military training facilities that trained soldiers and El Salvadorian kids into US soldiers who then went back to Central America to kill their own people. Any activists called it the “school of assassins”. Prof Ralph and students traveled to Georgia to participate in a SOA protest. He spoke about wanting to cross the line, but did not.

School of Americas Awareness Week

Students were outraged after learning about the SOA from Prof Ralph’s assigned reading of “Massacre at El Mozote.” They wanted to do something and spread awareness about the SOA, so they organized an SOA awareness week where they tabled, had film screenings, music, and more.

Sacrificial Activism

How much is an activist willing to sacrifice for the cause? Sometimes it is not a physical act, but a line in your heart that you cross. It is important to note that those who do risk more are usually affluent, white, older people who have less to lose.

Crossing the Line(s) (concept & protest strategy)

“Crossing the line” typically refers to doing something that is not acceptable, going too far, or breaking a boundary. People who are protesting will cross the line to emphasize how important it is to them, the degree of seriousness, and attract attention to themselves. An example of this is the storming of the SOA at the Georgian protest. Prof Ralph and his students discussed the extent of their protest and said they would not cross the line because they could not afford to risk it all, but Ralph was very tempted to.

Harvest of Empire (concept and film)

“Harvest of Empire” was a documentary that captured the US’s involvement in the Latin American Civil Wars. The title means Latin American immigrants are the unintended harvest of the US empire. This explains that the majority of immigrants from Latin America into the US is ironically due to how involved the US was in their wars.

Oscar Torres

Oscar Torres wrote and produced the film “Voces Innocentes,” which was a reflection of his life and his childhood. He used this film as a therapy for the trauma that it caused, and to honor his friends who were killed during the war.

“Voces Inocentes”

A movie about a child named Chava growing up during the El Salvador Civil War. Based on Oscar Torres’ real childhood. He and his friends faced many near-death experiences, and Chava/Oscar lost a lot of them to the war. It recieved a lot of backlash during the process, they were even offered money to downplay the US’s involvement, but he denied and wanted to keep it as accurate as possible.

Jesuits Massacre (1989)

US military entered a Salvadorian campus and killed 6 Jesuit priests, a housekeeper, and a young woman for promoting peace and speaking out against the US dictatorship in El Salvador. This act was used to establish their control and to silence those who disagreed. This was mentioned during lecture and in Paik’s book.

Berta Caceres

She successfully protested against the construction of a dam and was later assassinated by a SOA graduate. She was a Honduran woman, an environmental activist, and an indigenous leader.

Tree of Life massacre and Central American caravans (2018)

The Tree of Life massacre in 2018 was an attack on a Jewish synagogue, which shows how white nationalists and anti-immigrant violence have been rising in the US. Around the same time, the Central American caravans were being formed of migrants from Central America trekking to the US to escape poverty, war, and violence.

Walmart El Pase massacre and great replacement theory (2019)

In 2019, a white gunman in El Paso opened fire in a Walmart, killing 23 people. He explained that he was doing this because the immigrants were slowly taking over, and he was scared they were replacing white people. He was afraid of becoming the minority (ironic because this fear stems from him knowing how they are treated).

Proposition 187

Prop 187 was passed by voters in 1994 under President Eisenhower, and it was to ban illegal immigrants from public services. It was originally called “Save Our State” which means it was created from the Latino Threat Narrative. It required all teachers and public workers to report any illegal students or workers and was meant as a way get rid of illegal immigrants. It eventually got struck down before it was put into action because it was deemed unconstitutional.

Mass Incarceration and prison-industrial complex

During the 1980s, the US targeted minorities and justified it using the Latino Threat Narrative to mass incarcerate as many people as they could. In the decade between 1980 - 1990, 22 new prisons were built while only 1 new university was built. This goes to shows the government priorities and how they believe that all these minorities are going to be going to prison instead of getting an education.

Aaron Bushnell

He was an active member of the US Air Force. At 25 years of age, he set himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy to protest the war in Palestine. His last words were “Free Palestine”. This is an extreme form of protest, but he was able to get the attention on the issue and donated all his life savings to help Palestine.

1994 UCSB Hunger Strike

In 1994, 8 Chicano students and a professor went on a 2 week hunger strike in front of Cheadle Hall. After two weeks, the university agreed to add a Chicano Studies PhD program and hire more professors. This was not the first hunger strike, and both were demanding equality at UCSB.

1968 North Hall Black Student Union Protest

In 1968, Black students peacefully took over North Hall for hours to protest. They demanded the university make some changes in regards to racism and to better support their black students. Their protest successfully resulted in the creation of the Department of Black Studies, Center for Black Studies Research, increased hire and admission of black students and faculty, and more resources, cultural space, and institutional accountability,

Naomi Garcia and Alma Flores

These are two of the eight Chicano students who participated in the 2 week hunger strike. They gave speeches and community support to protest against the inequality towards Chicanx people and camped in front of Cheadle Hall during the hunger strike.

Cynthia de la Rosa, Alejandra Meja-Pulido, and Diana Sanchez mural

All 3 of these people worked together to create a mural under the guidance of Palila Paola Mendez, a queer, indigenous Salvadorian and Guatemalan. They created this mural at UCSB for the 20th anniversary of the Chicano Studies PhD program.

Oscar Gomez Jr

Oscar Gomez Jr. was a student activist who attended UC Davis for his undergrad. He went down to UCSB to participate in the strikes but was found dead on the beach in IV. He did get into a heated altercation right before, but decided to walk away before falling off of a cliff and passing away. They ruled it a drunk accident, but there are suspicions of foul play.

Zoraida Reyes

She was a notable transgender, Chicanx UCSB student who was also an immigration rights activist and organizer for queer advocacy. She was apart of the Orange County Dream Team, which focused on immigration rights for undocumented children. She unfortunately passed away in 2014 at the age of 28 due to a hate crime.

Muslim Ban 2017

During Trump’s first administration, he prohibited travel and refugee resettlement from predominantly Muslim countries. This Muslin ban reveals how national security rhetoric can mask xenophobia and Islamophobia. This ban was mentioned in the first chapter of Paik’s book. The Chinese Exclusion Act was the beginning of the ethnic bans that followed.

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

This act banned the immigration of Chinese people and set the precedent for discriminatory and race-based immigration policy in the US. This was also discussed in Paik’s book. At first, Chinese women were banned because they were associated with sex work, while men were still allowed in because they were needed for labor. This discrimination led to families being torn apart and this was the first usage of the term “illegal alien”. The Chinese men had to go through vigorous inspections before they were granted into the US.

Johnson-Reed Immigration Act (1924)

This act established a quota system, severely limiting immigration from Asia, essentially ending it. This was mentioned in Paik’s book in the “Bans” chapter. This act was established under President Coolidge, setting a quota of only 2% of the number of immigrants are allowed in the US according to the census. The census was taken during a time where there were little immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe, therefore, there was a massive influx of immigrants from there.

Immigration Reform and Control Act (1986)

This act was passed under President Reagan to require the Immigration and Naturalization Services to create a system where undocumented people could not get hired legally without consequences. This was an attempt at discouraging immigrants from coming illegally. This was mentioned in the Latino Voters documentary.

Plenary Powers

A legal doctrine that gives the US Congress broad authority over immigration policy. Although on paper it grants congress complete control over immigration policies, in reality, it still is limited by constitutional limits. This concept is important because it explains how exclusionary acts like the Chinese Exclusion AcAct were upheld.

Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (1996)

The IIRIRA was an act signed into effect my President Clinton to make immigration stricter. It increased the funds to border patrol to increase personnel and increased the rate of deportations by removing the need for court hearings. This made it harder for undocumented people to gain legal status. This was mentioned in Paik’s book, specifically in the Raids chapter.

Family Separation/Zero Tolerance Policy (2018)

This policy was iplemented under the Trump administration and was used to separarte thousands of famillies. This made it difficult for fmailies to reunite because of the poor tracking system. This was used against those who crossed the border without authorization. They would take the children and classify them as “unaccompanied alien children” and take them into the Department of Health and Human Services.

Border Spectacle

This phrase describes how the US - Mexico border is staged and dramatized trhough media, where it is used as a prime example for border practices. This is important because it normalizes the militarization, surveilance, and restricktibe immigration policies while shaping public perception of immigrants as a threat. This was talked about in Paik’s book.

Fong Yue TIng vs US (1893)

This Supreme Court case was mentioned in chapter one of Paik’s book that upheld the federal government’s authority to deport non-citizens without judicial trial. This case was suppose to challenge the Geary Act of 1892 that ended and amended the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. This is a key example of the use of plenary powers and it legitimized racial exclusion and set precedents that later shaped restrictive policies against Mexican and other immigrant groups.

9/11 and Patriot Act

9/11 was the day the terrorist attacked the World Trade Center buildings and the Pentagon. This reshaped US domestic and foreign policies. The Patriot Act was a response to 9/11 and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. This expanded executive authority to deport any noncitizen that gave any reason to believe they were tied to terrorist activity without judical review. This was discussed in Paik’s book the in the Raids chapter.

Big Beautiful Bill and ICE Funding (2025)

This bill was passed under Trump that would provide funding for ICE and border enforcement. This provided billions for border patrol, detention camps. and deportation activity for over four years. The money is being funded by the cut in medicaid, food stamps, health care, etc.