Howard Zinn’s “A People 's History of The United States (1492-PRESENT)” has a variety of chapters explaining the timeline of American progress. Zinn’s chapters were titled after his points of focus and what he wanted to present to his …show more content…
Rudy Acuna is one of the founding fathers of the Chicano Studies Department that supported the incorporation of Ethnic Studies in our college education. In his interview composed by Dr. Gabriel Buelna, Acuna mentioned all the work and effort that has been put into building Chicano studies. Acuna declared that the future of Chicano Studies is in jeopardy due to the great diversity of cultures and the ignorance of Americans. In my opinion, it was apparent that Acuna’s central theme is focused on the involvement of Latinos in America. In the interview and articles, he emphasized that it was essential for Mexican Americans to have better education and be knowledgeable in politics. However, Latino students faced obstacles in achieving success. In “The Illusive Race Questions & Class,” Acuna provided statistics of Latino graduation rates reported by the Los Angeles Unified School District. “…just 39% of Latinos and 47% of African Americans graduated, compared with 67% of whites and 77% of Asians. Statewide, just 57% of African Americans and 60% of Latinos graduated in 2002, compared with 78% of whites and 84% of Asians.” (Acuna, 13). Acuna believed that location affected the education of Latino students. “The reality is that most Latino students live in segregated neighborhoods and attend segregation schools that are separate and unequal. They are dropping out at a rate twice as high as white students” (Acuna, …show more content…
Acuna also noted the struggles caused by American politics that affected Chicano families due to inequality and discrimination. In the interview, Acuna stated, “They don’t want Mexicans, only when they want them” (Dr. Acuna). He notifies viewers that Mexicans were only seen as equal when they are beneficial in contributing to the American industrialization and the economy. In “The Illusive Race Questions & Class,” Acuna mentioned that the redefinition race has a role in the mistreatment of Mexicans and increase of anti-immigration laws. Dr. Acuna stated, “…that like bacteria, the definition of race has changed much faster than the academicians have defined it” and “Like a bad virus, racism continues to mutate. Inequality will worsen” (Acuna, 13). On the other hand, Zinn noted the struggles that females and ethnic communities had to face. White women were portrayed as the property of their white husbands. People of different ethnic backgrounds were only used as slaves and the labor force to improve America’s economy. “As white violence rose in the 1870s, the national government, even under President Grant, became less enthusiastic about defending blacks" (Zinn,