La Raza Student Cultural Event

La Raza Student Cultural Organization played a vital role on the University of Minnesota campus from 1972-2010. The student-led group of Chicano and Latino students from colleges in the Twin Cities promotes greater historical, political, and cultural awareness concerning the Latino community through cultural and educational programs and events. Each year nearly all student groups submit a request to receive student service fees to fund their various events and activities. These formal requests are multi-page documents that describe all activities and events for which the funds will be used. In this paper, I analyze a Student Fees Request from 1999-2000 along with a La Raza event flyer from September 1999 to paint a picture of the La Raza Student
This document was titled “Nuestra Lucha Permanente por Dignidad, Independencia y Sobernía” (Our Permanent Struggle for Dignity, Independence, and Sovereignty). During September 1999, RSCC planned to show the three-part documentary La Batalla de Chile which captures the political unrest leading up to the violent counter-revolution against Chile’s peaceful socialist revolution. This film was intended to educate viewers on Chilean history and the RSCC planned to show it in three parts throughout the month. In mid-September, La Raza scheduled a presentation on “Human Rights in Latin America: An Analysis of Chilean Dictator Augusto Pinochet’s Case” to be presented by Professor Kathryn Sikkink. Sikkink’s presentation analyzed how the “on-going” case surrounding the Chilean dictator would influence human rights claims in international law. The cultural center also held multiple panel discussions throughout the month of September. The first, on September 13, 1999, was on the topic of “Social Conditions of Chican@/Latin@ Workers in the Americas” and was led by two professors who had conducted extensive research on the topic. Their discussion intended to provide insight into the multiple social costs of contemporary globalization needs. The second panel discussion took place on September 15 and analyzed contemporary
The student group accomplished this through events held at La Raza Student Cultural Center. I assert that La Raza Student Cultural Organization was the leader and ground-breaker for Minnesota’s Chicano Movement. La Raza represented the larger on-going Chicano Movement through actions (such as peacefully protesting in Morrill Hall) and general teachings (such as emphasizing Chicano nationalism). It is through these avenues that members of La Raza Student Cultural Organization cemented themselves as Civil Rights