Latino Voting Rights by Omar Hamda https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88 Made with good vibes en-us 2022-02-08 13:47:22 UTC 2025-10-12 01:55:27 UTC hello@padlet.com Voting Rights Act of 1965 23mangesa1 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2035576445 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]]> 2022-02-08 14:24:16 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2035576445 Southwest Voter Registration Education Project 23mangesa1 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2035583465 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/]]> 2022-02-08 14:26:48 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2035583465 Voting Rights Language Assistance Act of 1992 23mangesa1 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2035593953 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


]]> 2022-02-08 14:30:35 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2035593953 The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021 23mangesa1 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2035603903 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
]]> 2022-02-08 14:34:26 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2035603903 1975 amendment of the Voting Rights Act 23mangesa1 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2038695509 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]]> 2022-02-09 19:11:04 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2038695509 23mangesa1 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2038725330 https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/03/10/the-changing-face-of-congress/]]> 2022-02-09 19:25:51 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2038725330 Background 23mangesa1 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2044719961 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]]> 2022-02-13 16:49:48 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2044719961 Los Tigres del Norte, “La jaula de oro” 23mangesa1 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2044748141 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
]]> 2022-02-13 17:16:43 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2044748141 25 year extension of the voting rights act 1982 23mangesa1 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2044763386 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/]]> 2022-02-13 17:32:01 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2044763386 Reconsidering the act again in 2006 23mangesa1 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2044829348 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]]> 2022-02-13 18:36:00 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2044829348 The Chicano Movement 23mangesa1 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2045050426 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]]> 2022-02-13 23:23:55 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2045050426 23mangesa1 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2045076103 https://www.history.com/news/chicano-movement]]> 2022-02-14 00:06:48 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2045076103 Los Alvarados, "Yo Soy Chicano" 23mangesa1 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2045077170 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.
]]> 2022-02-14 00:08:01 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2045077170 Lack of current Latino representation in the U.S. Government. 23mangesa1 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2045087494 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/ ]]> 2022-02-14 00:20:59 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2045087494 Notable Latino/Latina Congressmen - AOC Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 23hamdao2 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2046769248 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



]]> 2022-02-14 17:18:29 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2046769248 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. 23hamdao2 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2046810608 https://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/HAIC/Hispanic-Americans-in-Congress/]]> 2022-02-14 17:36:05 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2046810608 23mangesa1 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2048648149 2022-02-15 14:15:22 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2048648149 23mangesa1 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2048652647 2022-02-15 14:17:13 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2048652647 Bibliography 23mangesa1 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2048655280 2022-02-15 14:18:18 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2048655280 23mangesa1 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2048668908 https://quest.eb.com/search/latino-voting/1/139_1965551/Voting-Information]]> 2022-02-15 14:23:37 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2048668908 Chicano Movement protest video 23mangesa1 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2048758884 https://www.pbs.org/video/chicano-rights-movement-y13qkx/]]> 2022-02-15 14:58:23 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2048758884 Conclusion 23hamdao2 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2051415132 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]]> 2022-02-16 17:23:38 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2051415132 Political art of Cesar Chavez - a labour activist in the Chicano Movement, and the founder of the United Farm Workers 23hamdao2 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2051425327 2022-02-16 17:27:35 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2051425327 23mangesa1 https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2051747011 https://depts.washington.edu/moving1/map_latinx_migration.shtml]]> 2022-02-16 19:46:55 UTC https://padlet.com/23hamdao2/6nliglaszgvyxc88/wish/2051747011