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Since immigration from Mexico to America started after the Mexican-American War, Mexicans and Latinos have faced discrimination because of their race.  As large influxes of Latinos came to America in search of a better life, they would often have to settle for low-paying jobs that required physical labor.  Latinos would often be used to build railroads and farm crops which are both jobs that would have been looked down upon.  Because Latinos were not often able to secure high-paying jobs, they were segregated into poor communities and kept away from the average American Citizen.  They were also barred from entering certain establishments and attending certain schools due to their race.  Stereotypes also arose about Latinos that suggested that they lived in poor communities because they were dumb and lazy people.  One way of targeting Latinos as a racial group was denying their right to vote.  Similar to other minority groups such as African Americans, Latinos were also oftentimes refused from the polls and told they could not cast their vote.  Through this timeline, you will see the various obstacles that Latino voters have had to face, just to have representation in our democracy.  You will even see obstacles to voting that are still in place that largely affect the Latino Community.  Although you will see the tremendous progress that has been made so far throughout the timeline, there is still a long way to go to secure equal voting rights for all Americans.

https://www.history.com/news/the-brutal-history-of-anti-latino-discrimination-in-america

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https://depts.washington.edu/moving1/map_latinx_migration.shtml

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Mapping the Latinx Great Migrations

by James Gregory

see interactive map below

Latin Americans have lived in what is now the United States since the 16th century. In the early 1800s, when the United States annexed Florida, Louisiana, and the northern half of Mexico, more than 100,000 Spanish-speaking residents became US citizens. Today the descendants of those 1850 citizens are part of a Latinx American population that has grown enormously. As of 2017, more than 58 million Americans claimed Latin American heritage. [continue introduction below]

These maps allow you to explore the history of Latinx migration both into the United States and within its borders. You can separately track the migration history of people from every nation in Latin America. The maps are hosted by Tableau Public. If slow, refresh the page.

Move between six maps, charts, and tables by selecting the tabs below

Source: These maps are based on U.S. Census data from the Minnesota Population Center's IPUMS USA: Steven Ruggles, Sarah Flood, Ronald Goeken, Josiah Grover, Erin Meyer, Jose Pacas and Matthew Sobek. IPUMS USA: Version 9.0 [dataset]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS, 2019. https://doi.org/10.18128/D010.V9.0. The following samples: 1850 1%, 1860 1%, 1870 1%, 1880 1% 1900 1%, 1910 1%, 1920 1%, 1930 1%, 1940 1%, 1950 1%, 1960 5%, 1970 1% State FM1, 1980 5% State, 1990 5% State, 2000 1%, 2010 ACS, 2017 ACS.

Note: Decade by decade there have been inconsistencies in the questions the Census Bureau asks about race and ethnicity. Here is IPUMS explanation of the questions and rules used to identify Latinx. Some of the categories are hard to interpret. It was common practice for people in earlier eras to identify as "Spanish-Americans," "Tejanos," "Californios," or "Criollos." We have folded the latter three into the category "Other or not stated" while leaving the category "Spanish" which should be interpreted as including some persons of direct Spanish heritage and others whose ancestries are rooted in Latin America.

Maps and calculations: James Gregory.

Latin Americans have lived in what is now the United States since the 16th century. In the early 1800s, when the United States annexed Florida, Louisiana, and the northern half of Mexico, more than 100,000 Spanish-speaking residents became US citizens. The 1850 US census, taken shortly after the conquest of Mexico, counted more than 80,000 former Mexicans, 2,000 Cubans and Puerto Ricans, and another 20,000 people from Central and South America. Today the descendants of those 1850 citizens are part of a Latinx American population that has grown enormously. As of 2017, more than 58 million Americans claimed Latin American heritage.

Gold Rush

The United States invaded and conquered Mexico in 1847 and the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo was signed on February 2, 1848, under which Mexico lost all of what are now the states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah in addition to Texas which had been lost a decade earlier. The ink was barely dry when word spread that gold had been discovered in California. The ensuing gold rush brought fortune seekers from around the world and inspired the first of many Latinx migrations. It was small. Several hundred Chileans and several thousand Mexicans headed for California joining larger numbers of Spanish-speaking Californians in the mining camps--for a time. Two years later, the fast growing Anglo American population drove Latinx miners out of gold country and in some cases out of the new state of California.

Facing racism and violence as Anglo-Americans and Europeans pushed into the Southwest in the decades that followed, the Latinx American population grew slowly and mostly from natural increase. The 1880 census counted 333,000 people who can be identified as Hispanic, rising to 496,000 in 1900, roughly three-quarters of them born in the United States.

1900-1965

The new century brought big changes. The expanding economy of the American West, with jobs in agriculture and railroad construction, combined with revolutionary turmoil in Mexico inspired the first 20th century great migration of Mexicanos. The 1930 census counted more than 1.6 million people of Mexican heritage.

Cuba and Puerto Rico had been taken from Spain in 1898, and Panama was taken from Columbia a few years later. These US moves into the Caribbean triggered the first sustained immigration from the region. In 1930, 87,000 Puerto Ricans and 51,000 Cubans made their homes in mainland states. The Great Depression interrupted both Caribbean and Mexican migration sequences, indeed turned them around. With jobs scarce and facing xenophobic hatred in many areas, some Latinx voluntarily left the United States. Tens of thousands of Mexican Americans had no choice. Deportation campaigns, especially in Southern California, forced people to board Mexico-bound trains or buses. From 1930 to 1940 the census records a substantial decline (237,000) in the number of Mexican-born residents. US-born Mexican Americans were also expelled in the "repatriation" campaigns.

World War II reversed the reversal. Needing workers for the defense industries and especially for agriculture, the US government negotiated guest worker programs with Mexico and various Caribbean colonies and countries. The 1940s saw the population of Latinx Americans jump by more than a million, followed by still larger increases in the 1950s and 1960s. By 1970, 7.6 million people of Latin American heritage lived in the mainland states, a more than three-fold increase since 1940.

Mexican Americans accounted for two thirds of that number, but equally momentous was the escalating migration of Puerto Ricans from the island. 1970 found 1.4 million Puerto Ricans living on the mainland, mostly in the New York area. Cubans had been part of Florida's population since the 19th century and more than 100,000 lived in the US before the Castro Revolution in 1959 initiated the great Cuban exodus. In 1970, more than 580,000 Cubans were living in Florida and a few other states. The number exceeded one million by 1990 and two million in 2017.

Since 1965

Congress rewrote American immigration law in 1965, ending a system that had imposed drastic restrictions on people from Asia, Africa, and most of Europe while imposing fewer restrictions on peoples from the Americas. The new law established uniform national quotas and a variety of special statuses. For Puerto Ricans, already US citizens, nothing changed; and Cubans, granted special status as refugees from a Communist country, were welcomed with open arms. But for all other Latin Americans the law made it difficult to obtain immigration visas and dangerous to settle in the US without them.

Migration patterns have been very different in the past fifty years, both because of the law and the changing political economy of the Americas. People have been coming north in numbers never before seen and no longer just from Mexico and a few other nations. Every country in Central America and South America is now represented in substantial numbers in the United States. The Latinx American population surged decade by decade from 7.6 million in 1970 to 14 million in 1980 to 21 million in 1990, 35 million in 2000, 50 million in 2010, and most recently 58 million in 2017.

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Mapping the Latinx Great Migrations Latin Americans have lived in what is now the United States since the 16th century. In the early 1800s, when the United States annexed Florida, Louisiana, and the northern half of Mexico, more than 100,000 Spanish-speaking residents became US citizens.

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Previous to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, many black people and minorities like Latinos were turned away on voting day and were told that they were not able to vote.  They would often receive excuses such as they were there on a wrong day or were at the wrong place.  If minorities could get past these excuses, many would-be faced with literacy tests that would challenge uneducated people and immigrants who have not become proficient in English.  The Voting Rights Act of 1965 helped to break down these racist practices and allow for all people no matter their race or language barrier to stop them from casting their vote.  The Voting Rights Act banned literacy tests and authorized the investigation into the use of poll taxes in state and local elections.  This act was ultimately considered a success because it led to larger voter turnout in the south where these laws were primarily enforced.  Although this Act did secure the right to vote for a lot of minorities especially in the south, many people who could not read English were still unable to vote because the ballots were not available in any other language.  Despite everyone not having equal voting rights, this bill played an extremely significant role in initiating more inclusive policies for minorities.

https://www.justice.gov/crt/history-federal-voting-rights-laws

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Throughout the 1960s a movement arose called The Chicano Movement or El Movimento in Spanish.  Members of this movement were Mexican-Americans who had often faced racism and scrutiny from other racial groups.  "Chicano" was a term used for agricultural workers and Mexican immigrants in general.  Along with being called numerous slurs, Mexican immigrants also were treated as second-class citizens in many cases.  There are also many instances where Mexican-Americans wanted to be classified as white and not Chicano so they would be able to enjoy the same rights as white people.  When this strategy failed, the Mexican-American people embraced their heritage and fought for their rights.  They reclaimed the term "Chicano" as their own and used it as a mark of pride for their home country.  The Chicanos engaged in many protests across the country to protest various issues like restoration of land grants, farmworkers' rights, better education, and political and civil rights.  These large-scale demonstrations led to reform in many different sectors such as education, agriculture.  More Chicano teachers were hired, and conditions for agricultural workers increased.  It also led to increased Mexican-American representation in government.  This movement was a crucial step for the rights not only of Mexican-Americans but all Latino people.  With the increased presence in government, they were able to further advocate for issues that many Latino immigrants faced.

https://go.gale.com

https://www.history.com/news/chicano-movement

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https://www.pbs.org/video/chicano-rights-movement-y13qkx/

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VOCES | The Chicano Rights Movement | Season 2018 | Episode 1 | PBS

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The Chicano Movement included not only physical protests but also musical ones as well.  Yo Soy Chicano was first released in 1973 on Los Alvarados' El Movimento Chicano album.  The song expresses the group's deep love of their heritage and where their ancestors have come from.  There are also multiple references to "the revolution" which is The Chicano Movement and the fight for rights.

link to song

(Refrain)
I am Chicano, of color,
Pure Chicano, a brother with honor. When they tell me there is revolution, I defend my people with great valor.

I have all my people
For the revolution.
I am going to fight alongside the poor To end this oppression.

I have my pair of pistols
For the revolution.
One is a thirty-thirty,
And the other is a thirty-two.

I have my pair of horses
For the revolution.
One is called The Canary
And the other is called The Sparrow.

I have my pride and my manliness My culture and my heart.
I have my faith and differences And I fight with great conviction.

I have all my people
For the revolution.
I am going to fight alongside the poor To end this oppression.

I have my pride, I have my faith.
I am different, I am of brown color. I have culture, I have heart,

And no son-of-a-gun will take it away from me.

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https://www.history.com/news/chicano-movement

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 Southwest Voter Registration Education Project

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 Southwest Voter Registration Education Project

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Founded in 1947 by William C. Velásquez, the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP), was created to help mobilize the Latino vote and advocate for the voting rights of Hispanic people in America.  To increase the vote of Latinos, Velásquez helped organize many voter registration drives.  He also assisted with many lawsuits pertaining to voter discrimination against Latinos.  From 1974 to 1988, the Latino voter turnout rose from 2.1 million to 3.7 million.  SVREP was a crucial step in securing Latinos the same voting rights as white people.  The project not only helped to organize a voting base of Latinos who cared about the same voting rights issues but also establish a larger portion of the voter demographic which would make it more advantageous for political groups to give the Latinos what they wanted.  With the assistance of Velásquez and his team, Latinos representation in government dramatically increased, but the barriers like having ballots only in English still existed.  The help of SVERP and other similar organizations advanced not only the idea of inclusive voting rights for all but also used their platforms to coalesce a large group of like-minded individuals all fighting for the same causes.  This coalition is what really helped to advance Latino voting rights.

https://remezcla.com/features/culture/latino-voting-rights-1960s/

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The amendment of the Voting Rights Act in 1975 took the initial voting rights bill and expounded upon it.  This amendment made it so that districts with a large percentage of non-English speakers must provide assistance and translated materials in order to allow all citizens to vote regardless of their language.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/94th-congress/house-bill/3344?s=1&r=15

https://www.justice.gov/crt/history-federal-voting-rights-laws

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Political art of Cesar Chavez - a labour activist in the Chicano Movement, and the founder of the United Farm Workers

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Political art of Cesar Chavez - a labour activist in the Chicano Movement, and the founder of the United Farm Workers

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25 year extension of the voting rights act 1982

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25 year extension of the voting rights act 1982

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As the provisions made in previous amendments were close to expiring.  The Senate revisited the Voting Rights Act to possibly extend these provisions for years to come.  The House revisited the amendments first and decided that they would pass legislation that would extend the amendments indefinitely.  This, however, was not the case in The Senate.  After intense debate, The Senate and The House compromised and agreed to extend the amendments for twenty-five more years for everything except Section 203(c).  This section was the bilingual election section that provides language assistance for people familiar enough with English to vote.  This provision mainly affected Latin-American immigrants who had recently come to America looking for work and were not educated in English.  This is important because it is singling out new immigrants, many of which were from Latin countries, and not extending rights pertinent to them for as long as other minority groups.

https://www.justice.gov/crt/history-federal-voting-rights-laws

https://remezcla.com/features/culture/latino-voting-rights-1960s/

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link to music video

"La jaula de oro", which translates to "The golden cage" is a song about a Mexican-American who illegally crosses the border with his family.  He struggles with the idea that his family does not remember or want to go back to Mexico while he longs to live there again where he does not have to worry about being undocumented.  This song shows a particular example of how difficult it can be living as an undocumented citizen in America and all of the struggles that you face.  Although not mentioned in the song, another struggle that undocumented Mexican-Americans face in voting rights.  Although many illegal immigrants still pay both federal and state taxes, they can not vote for the risk of being deported.  This is unjust because they are paying taxes but still receiving no representation in the U.S. government.

established here

In the United States
Ten years have passed
Since I crossed as a wetback
With no proper documents
I'm still an illegal

I have my wife and children
Whom I brought when they were young
And they've already forgotten
My beloved Mexico
Which I can never forget
And cannot return to

What's money good for
If I live like a prisoner
In this great nation
When I'm reminded of this, I cry
Although this cage is made of gold
It's still a prison

Listen son,
Would you like to go back and live in Mexico?
"What are you talking about dad?
I don't want to go back to Mexico,
No way dad."

My kids don't speak to me
They've learned another language
And they've forgotten Spanish
They think like Americans
They deny that they're Mexicans
Though they have my skin color

From work to my house
I don't know what's going on with me
Although I'm the head of the household
I almost never go out
Because I'm afraid that they'll catch me
And deport me

What's money good for
If I live like a prisoner
In this great nation
When I'm reminded of this, I cry
Although this cage is made of gold
It's still a prison

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Los Tigres Del Norte - La Jaula De Oro (Live At Folsom Prison)

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FACT - Delegate Joseph Marion Hernández of Florida became the first Hispanic American to serve in Congress, a total of 136 Hispanic Americans have served as U.S. Representatives, Delegates, Resident Commissioners, or Senators. 

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FACT - Delegate Joseph Marion Hernández of Florida became the first Hispanic American to serve in Congress, a total of 136 Hispanic Americans have served as U.S. Representatives, Delegates, Resident Commissioners, or Senators. 

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https://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/HAIC/Hispanic-Americans-in-Congress/

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Since 1822, when Delegate Joseph Marion Hernández of Florida became the first Hispanic American to serve in Congress, a total of 136 Hispanic Americans have served as U.S. Representatives, Delegates, Resident Commissioners, or Senators. This Web site, based on the publication Hispanic Americans in Congress, contains biographical profiles of former Hispanic Members of Congress, links to information about current Hispanic Members, essays on the institutional and national events that shaped successive generations of Hispanic Members of Congress, and images of each individual Member, including rare photos.

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Hispanic Americans in Congress | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives

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Since 1822, when Delegate Joseph Marion Hernández of Florida became the first Hispanic American to serve in Congress, a total of #HAIC#Total# Hispanic Americans have served as U.S. Representatives, Delegates, Resident Commissioners, or Senators.

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Voting Rights Language Assistance Act of 1992

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Voting Rights Language Assistance Act of 1992

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The Voting Rights Language Assistance Act of 1992
Amended the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to extend the termination date on the prohibition of covered States and political subdivisions providing voting materials only in English. It also modifies criteria, for determining whether a State or subdivision is covered. This helped overcome more legal barriers that prevented many individuals in the Latino community from voting.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/102nd-congress/senate-bill/2236

https://www.congress.gov/bill/102nd-congress/house-bill/4312/text

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Once again, in 2006 the amendments to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were about to expire.  This led to the reconsideration of the amendments once more.  The amendment was passed by both the House and the Senate and on July 27, 2006, George W. Bush signed the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 into law.  This extends all of the amendments for another 25 years and they are set to expire on July 27, 2031.  Although this amendment did pass, it does have its shortcomings.  The Act no longer requires a voting examiner who would oversee voter registration.  This provision leaves the door open to potential voter discrimination if there is no one there to audit the voting process and make sure everyone is treated fairly and equally.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/house-bill/9

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The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021

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The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021

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This act expanded on the previous voting rights act, by establishing new criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must obtain preclearance before changes to voting practices may take effect.

- Pre-clearance is the process of receiving approval from the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before making legal changes that would affect voting rights.

(https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4.)

Some key provisions of the act are shown below.

States will be covered by preclearance if, within the past 25 years, they or their localities committed at least 10 voting rights violations and at least one violation was by the state, or localities within the state committed at least 15 voting rights violations

Subdivisions in noncovered states will be covered if they committed at least three voting rights violations in the previous 25 years

Voting rights violations are determined on the basis of (1) court judgments under the Constitution or the Voting Rights Act; (2) preclearance denials; and (3) consent decrees, settlements, or agreements undoing voting changes, in which the jurisdiction admitted liability

DOJ decides whether a matter counts as a violation and whether a jurisdiction is covered

A covered jurisdiction will be subject to preclearance for 10 years, after which it will exit coverage as long as it no longer has qualifying violations during the preceding 25 years (the review period is rolling)

A jurisdiction may also exit coverage if it has no violations within the prior 10 years

This act played on the original Voting Rights Act of 1965, and I'm aimed at strengthening the law, which would move the Latino community further away from discrimination and inequality at the ballots.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4

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Lack of current Latino representation in the U.S. Government.

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Lack of current Latino representation in the U.S. Government.

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Although Latinos and other minority groups have achieved many great feats in securing the right to vote and not be discriminated against at the poles, there is still a long way to go.  Although Latinos are the second-largest racial group in America, they only hold 6,700 elected government positions.  As of 2018, there were only four Latino U.S. senators.  This underrepresentation in the federal government is a disservice to Latinos because they do not have many elected representatives that can advocate on their behalf in regard to race-specific issues.  In recent years, however, there has been an increase in Latino candidates running for political office.  This can be partly attributed to the divisive rhetoric surrounding immigration, especially during Donald Trump's time in office.  If the trends continue, we should see more representation for Latin Americans in state and federal governments.

https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/nation/2020/01/06/aoc-julian-castro-underrepresented-hispanics-aim-change-politics/4253316002/

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https://quest.eb.com/search/latino-voting/1/139_1965551/Voting-Information

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https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/03/10/the-changing-face-of-congress/

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Notable Latino/Latina Congressmen - AOC Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

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Notable Latino/Latina Congressmen - AOC Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez serves as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of the Democratic Party.
- In January 2019, she became the youngest woman and Latina ever to serve in Congress and she quickly introduced the Green New Deal Resolution, which would put millions to work in good-paying, union jobs repairing the nation’s infrastructure, reducing air and water pollution, and fighting the intertwined economic, social, racial and climate crises crippling the country.
- AOC would go on to introduce a total of 23 pieces of legislation in her first term, and see three amendments pass into law despite Republican control of the Senate and Presidency.

https://ocasio-cortez.house.gov/about

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Early Life

Born in the Parkchester neighborhood of The Bronx, Alexandria's parents moved the family 30 minutes north to Yorktown in search of a stronger public school for her and her brother. Alexandria's mother was born and raised in Puerto Rico and worked throughout her childhood as a domestic worker. Alexandria's father was a second-generation Bronxite, who ran a small business in The Bronx. Throughout her childhood, Representative Ocasio-Cortez traveled regularly to The Bronx to spend time with her extended family. From an early age, the stark contrast in educational opportunities available to her and her cousins, based on their respective zip codes, made an impression on her.

After high school, Alexandria attended Boston University, and graduated with degrees in Economics and International Relations (and tens of thousands of dollars in student loans). During this period she also had the opportunity to intern in the office of the late Senator Ted Kennedy. Her role in Senator Kennedy's office provided a firsthand view of the heartbreak families endured after being separated by ICE. These experiences led the Congresswoman to organize Latinx youth in The Bronx and across the United States, eventually, she began work as an Educational Director with the National Hispanic Institute, a role in which she helped Americans, DREAMers and undocumented youth in community leadership and college readiness.

Following the financial crisis of 2008, tragedy struck when her father passed away suddenly from cancer. The medical bills and other growing expenses placed their home at risk of foreclosure. Alexandria pulled extra shifts to work as a waitress and bartender to support her family, deepening her commitment to issues impacting working-class people.

First Political Campaign

During the 2016 presidential election, Alexandria worked as a volunteer organizer for Bernie Sanders in the South Bronx, expanding her skills in electoral organizing and activism.

Shortly thereafter, she was inspired by demonstrations being led by indigenous communities at Standing Rock, South Dakota in opposition to a new pipeline. She decided to travel across the country to join them, and left the experience resolved to dedicate her life to public service. A few months later, she launched her first campaign for Congress.

"The campaign was a long shot from the start. 'Everyone said, 'She's really cute, but maybe next time,'' Ocasio-Cortez recalls. Crowley, the fourth-ranking House Democrat, was a prolific fundraiser who had been in Congress since 1999. Her campaign was mostly volunteers. Staffers wrote their job titles on Post-it notes above their desks in their small Queens office. Ever the activist, her campaign had an informal, flexible structure resembling "leaderless" social movements like the one she saw at Standing Rock." - Time magazine, March 21,2019

In June 2018, Alexandria's campaign shocked the political establishment, when she defeated incumbent Joe Crowley. Her campaign was driven entirely by grassroots volunteers and donations. The Congresswoman refused to take any contributions from corporations, a practice she continues to this day.

First Term

In January of 2019, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez was sworn-in as the youngest woman and youngest Latina ever to serve in Congress. Her first piece of legislation was the Green New Deal resolution, which envisions a 10-year national mobilization, akin to FDR's New Deal, that would put millions to work in good-paying, union jobs repairing the nation's infrastructure, reducing air and water pollution, and fighting the intertwined economic, social, racial and climate crises crippling the country.

Over her first term, she introduced a total of 23 pieces of legislation. Among them is her Loan Shark Prevention Act, which would cap credit card interest rates at 15%. The Congresswoman also introduced a group of bills collectively titled 'Just Society,' which would raise the federal poverty line, include immigrants in social safety net programs, require federal contractors to pay a living wage, strengthen renters' rights, and decrease recidivism.

In her first term, the Congresswoman saw three amendments pass into law, despite Republican control of the Senate and Presidency. One shifted $5 million from the failed war on drugs to treatment for opioid addiction and another secured $10 million to clean up toxic bombardment sites in Puerto Rico. Most notably, the Congresswoman also worked with Senator Schumer to include a Funeral Assistance Program into the COVID-19 relief package. To date, the program has reimbursed over a billion in funeral expenses to Americans who lost loved ones to COVID-19.

"There are some politicians who are very good on policy, and there are some politicians who are good communicators, and there are some politicians that have a way about them that relates very well to ordinary people. Alexandria has all three of those characteristics." - Senator Bernie Sanders

The Congresswoman also quickly gained a reputation as an effective questioner in committee hearings. Through committee hearings, she pressured a major pharmaceutical company into lowering the price of a drug that reduces HIV transmission; forced a defense contractor to return $16.1 million in federal funding; and got Michael Cohen to state on the record that President Donald Trump was engaging in tax fraud and to divulge other information that helped the New York Attorney General open an investigation into the Trump Organization.

The Congresswoman also maintained a commitment to doing a town hall nearly every month of her first term, hosting a total of 25 town halls, all of which provided language translation services and accessibility for the hearing impaired. The District Office also opened cases for 1,400 constituents, assisting with everything from immigration visas and Social Security payments to small business loans and veterans benefits. Various institutions in NY-14 also received $470M in federal grants during our first term.

Second Term

In January 2021, Rep. AOC was sworn-in for her second term in Congress. Just a few days later, on January 6, the Capitol was breached for the first time since the War of 1812. Along with several colleagues, Rep. AOC hid in one of the office buildings until the Capitol was secured and the House was called to vote to verify the results of the 2020 presidential election. In the wake of the attacks, the Congresswoman called to expel Members of Congress who had voted to invalidate the elections and who had urged on those domestic terrorists that attacked the Capitol. She also voted for a second time to impeach President Trump.

In March, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan - President Biden's plan to help the nation recover from COVID-19. The Congresswoman and other progressives fought hard to include key provisions, including an expanded Child Tax Credit, which most families began receiving in monthly installments that summer.

"When I ask [Rep. Ayanna] Pressley what popular narratives [about Rep. Ocasio-Cortez] miss, she cites humility. 'She certainly did not set out to be an icon or even a history maker. I think it was her destiny, but there is no calculation.' As Ocasio-Cortez puts it, 'I don't want to be a savior, I want to be a mirror.'" - Vanity Fair, October 28, 2020.

In April 2021, the Congresswoman reintroduced her Green New Deal resolution - growing the list of co-sponsors to over 115. In the three years since the resolution was first introduced, the Green New Deal has inspired over a dozen pieces of legislation and 10 regional Green New Deals.

In August 2021, after the federal eviction moratorium expired, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez joined Rep. Cori Bush for a sit-in on the Capitol Steps that lasted several days. Ultimately, the Biden administration reversed its position and extended the ban. Though their executive order was struck down by conservatives on the Supreme Court several weeks later, this time was invaluable for families and landlords trying to access Emergency Rental Relief and stay in their homes.

Later that month, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez worked with the State Department to help Afghan evacuees. Along with Rep. Barbara Lee, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez led 70 Members of Congress in calling on the Biden administration to increase the cap on refugees to 200,000 people.

In September, unprecedented floods devastated the Congresswoman's district and other parts of New York and New Jersey. Sadly, several constituents were killed - having drowned in basement apartments. In the aftermath, the Congresswoman worked with the President and others to get one of the fastest FEMA disaster declarations in history. So far, almost 25,000 New York families have received $165 million in assistance.

By the end of 2021, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez had submitted 30 amendments, including one which doubled the funding to replace and update lead water infrastructure in schools and childcare programs - and another which prohibited funds from being used to provide weapons or military aid or military training to Saudi Arabia's Rapid Intervention Force (RIF), the unit responsible for the murder of U.S. journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

In March of 2022, President Biden signed into law an omnibus bill to keep the federal government funded and open. This legislation included nearly $7 million in funding for 10 community projects that will serve New York's 14th Congressional District. The community projects include youth violence interventions, educational supports, workforce training in green jobs and home healthcare, and support for Plaza Del Sol Health Center and Elmhurst Hospital.

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As we move further into the 21st century, the Chicano Movement is still alive and evolving. More modern issues such as racism, harassment at work, and immigration reform still plague the Latino community however, the Chicano Movement was anything but a failure. With the help of the Chicano Movement, Latino and Latina Americans now serve as elected officials, there were huge educational reforms for the Chicano community(such as Chicano teachers being hired), and better working conditions for migrant workers.

Proposals:
we have made three proposals that ensure that new immigrants and specifically Latinos are afforded the same rights as everyone else in this country.

1. we would extend all amendments to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 indefinitely.  This would ensure that future congresses could not let the amendments expire and deny non-English speaking Latinos access to translated materials when voting.

2.  Our second proposal would be to require counties with large percentages of non-English speaking Americans to have government employees that could help register to vote and translate other documents.

3. Our final proposal would be to give citizenship to all illegal immigrants who can prove that they have paid federal and state taxes in the last year. Many undocumented immigrants still find ways to pay their state and federal taxes even though they are not citizens. This is taxation without representation and should be ended. That is why we propose that all Americans who participate in taxation should be considered citizens and therefore allowed to vote.

https://www.history.com/news/chicano-movement

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