"¡Mi Raza Primero!" (My People First!): Nationalism, Identity, and Insurgency in the Chicano Movement in Los Angeles, 1966-1978

by Ernesto Chávez

¡Mi Raza Primero! is the first book to examine the Chicano movement's development in one locale—in this case Los Angeles, home of the largest population of people of Mexican descent outside of Mexico City. Ernesto Chávez focuses on four organizations that constituted the heart of the movement: The Brown Berets, the Chicano Moratorium Committee, La Raza Unida Party, and the Centro de Acción Social Autónomo, commonly known as CASA. Chávez examines and chronicles the ideas and tactics of the insurgency's leaders and their followers who, while differing in their goals and tactics, nonetheless came together as Chicanos and reformers.

Deftly combining personal recollection and interviews of movement participants with an array of archival, newspaper, and secondary sources, Chávez provides an absorbing account of the events that constituted the Los Angeles-based Chicano movement. At the same time he offers insights into the emergence and the fate of the movement elsewhere. He presents a critical analysis of the concept of Chicano nationalism, an idea shared by all leaders of the insurgency, and places it within a larger global and comparative framework. Examining such variables as gender, class, age, and power relationships, this book offers a sophisticated consideration of how ethnic nationalism and identity functioned in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s.

Genres: History

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 24, 2002

Reviews

[Lee]

A short, well written book on the Chicano Movement in Los Angeles from 1966-78, often known as the 'Chicano Power Period'. The book also highlights the evolution of the Chicano through various clubs and organizations since the 1930's, which I found to be very interesting. Mi Raza Primero shows that because of the sense of powerlessness resulting from racism, police brutality, persistent poverty, an inadequate educational system and limited political representation, a people attempted to put an end to their role as second class citizens.
The book briefly covers important aspects of the Chicano Movement such as The Chicano Moratorium, The Brown Berets, La Raza Unida Party, etc..
Two things I really like about the book is that because of the disproportionate loss of Chicanos in U.S. wars, the movement at one time organized a huge protest against the Vietnam war. The other was the mention of the great Oscar Zeta Acosta, a very important figure in the Chicano Movement which many books on Chicano history fail to mention. Some may know of Acosta through Hunter S. Thompson's 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas', the crazy ass lawyer. CHICANO POWER!

[Kim Fay]

Although quite academic in its approach, this book is an important document for understanding Mexican-American history in L.A. and in particular this group's various political activities in the middle and last half of the 20th century. As to be expected, it's heart-breaking when it comes to systematic injustices, from education to police brutality. It's also fascinating in its exploration of the evolution of the various types of political efforts over time, which often corresponded to the larger political climate (McCarthyism, 1960s militant revolution, etc.). One of the key issues dealt with is the diversity of opinions and approaches within Southern California's Mexican-American community, which was one of the major reasons for the demise of the 1970s Chicano movement.

[Charlie Devlin]

A short yet interesting explanation of the Chicano movement and it’s evolution and deconstruction within and after the civil rights era. The book is mostly a summary of the many groups of the era and doesn’t go into to much depth but for someone like me who knew vary little of the Chicano movement I got much out of it. Although the author made some impromptu and derogatory claims on the current state of Chicanos and the presidency.