Garcia: Legendary St. Mary s professor inspired three current City Council candidates
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Charles Cotrell, President Emeritus, Professor of Political Science, Director, Institute of Public Administration, Politics and Public Policy at St. Mary s University.J. Michael Short/SPECIAL TO THE EXPRESS-NEWS
After 55 years at St. Mary’s University, legendary professor Charles Cotrell plans to step down at the end of this semester.
His long tenure at St. Mary’s includes 13 years as university president, thousands of classroom hours as a political science professor and countless acts of mentorship for his students.
Even as Cotrell prepares to step away from his university duties, however, the evidence of his massive impact can be seen in this year’s City Council elections.
by V. Alexandra de F. Szoenyi
February 8, 2021
Besides the coverage we get during Latinx Heritage Month, these moments in our history are more often than not
not covered in U.S. History classes in schools even though Latin-Americans have been a part of the United States for about 500 years. Some major events includes the migrant farm workers, uniting Latinx voters, and the formation of The League of United Latin American Citizens.
We know of the work of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta but do you know who Willie Vasquez is? Do you know what happened with Mendez v. Westminster? Read on to learn more about these key figures and moments in Latinx history.
What’s the difference between Chicano, Latino, Mexican American, Hispanic, Chicanx or Latinx?
Historically, the question of identification for Mexicans left in the U.S. after the U.S.-Mexico War ended in 1848 as to who we are and how we identify ourselves remains a generational “problem” or “issue,” to date.
After 173 years, Chicanos remain a conquered, colonized, occupied, hunted, and powerless people due to this unresolved “problem” or “issue.”
Manifested by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexicans have been made strangers in their land, with thousands of babies and children incarcerated, a border wall, immigration raids, and more Mexican youth in prisons than colleges. Conditions created by decades of institutional racism, discrimination, and violence against Chicanos and Mexicans have stripped Chicanos of their history, language, and culture through the political tactics of divide and conquer.
Historically, the question of identification for Mexicans left in the U.S. after the U.S.-Mexico War ended in 1848 as to who we are and how we identify ourselves remains a generational "problem" or "issue," to date.
February, 2004
The California Coalition for Immigration Reform (CCIR) produced a CD with excerpts of radical, racist speeches by fifteen Latino elected officials, professors, students and community activists, with additional comments by Congressman Tom Tancredo, L.A. Talk Show Host Larry Elder, former CA Governor Gray Davis ending with disturbing chants by MEChA students. [You may download each individual clip in mp3 format. A link is provided at the end of each individual transcript for your convenience].
These are the verbatim transcripts:
1) Armando Navarro, Prof. Ethnic Studies, UC Riverside at Latino Summit Response to Prop 187, UC Riverside, 1/1995 These are the critical years for us as a Latino community. We re in a state of transition. And that transformation is called the browning of America . Latinos are now becoming the majority. Because I know that time and history is on the side of the Chicano/Latino community. It is changing in the future and in the present the