Chicano Movement

Joining with other community-based Chicano and Chicana nationalist organizations, M.E.cH.A is committed to ending the cultural tyranny suffered at the hands of institutional and systematic discrimination that holds our Gente captive. We seek an end to oppression and Exploitation of the Chicano and Chicana community" (Knight 2).
             This organization has helped with issues that not only deal with Chicanos, but also minorities. This was evident in 1996 when proposition 209 was an issue and it passed. The proposition known as the California Civil Rights Initiative was, the extinction of using ethnicity, gender and race when it comes to school admission and hiring of positions. It would also eliminate the financial aid on those basis. Many members of M.E.cH.A took action as this proposition was passed. There were about "1,600 Chicano students who met at California State University at Northridge for the regularly scheduled fall statewide M.E.cH.A conference" (Rodriguez1). Having it's strong supporters, M.E.cH.A has proven it can unite and help people fight the 209 proposition. " The conference attracted more than fifty college chapters and several high school M.E.cH.A chapters. M.E.cH.A is prepared to wage a long struggle to counter proposition 209" (Rodriguez2). Although many people are unaware of the effect 209 can have on California, but M.E.cH.A is fully aware. Rudy Acuna's "Proposition 209 is that "it is disastrous". It's an attempt to push people of color out of the educational system" (Rodriguez2). It's been six years since this proposition has passed and minorities as well as Chicanos feel neglected in some areas of the state. .
             Other organizations such as the "New Raza Left", is an organization that helps the Latino community. Veterans of the 60's and 70's Chicano movement who fought against the people who oppressed the Chicano community created this organization. The New Raza Left held a conference in 1999; one of the purposes was to bridge the gap between the activists of the 1990's and those leaders of the 60's and 70's.