It’s been nearly 6 decades since the East LA walkouts happened. There have been many civil rights and anti-war protests against the Vietnam War. But in March 1968, a group of Chicanos and Chicanas walked out of schools to improve living conditions for students.
Many schools with high dropout rates, like Garfield, Roosevelt, Lincoln, Belmont, and Wilson High School, saw thousands of Chicano students walk out in support of these demands.
This demand includes but not limited to: Bicultural/Bilingual Education: Demanded that Spanish be recognized as a valid language of instruction and that classes be taught in both English and Spanish, Chicano History: Inclusion of Mexican-American history, culture, and contributions in the standard curriculum, Textbook Updates: Removal of textbooks that contained racist or derogatory depictions of Mexican-Americans,Hiring Practices: A demand for more Mexican-American teachers, counselors, and administrators who understood the community’s culture, Teacher Training: Requirement for existing teachers to undergo sensitivity training and learn the Spanish language, Community Oversight: The creation of a citizens’ grievance committee to hold the school board accountable, End to Corporal Punishment: An immediate stop to the physical discipline used against students for speaking Spanish, Open Campus: Demands for more freedom during lunch hours and the removal of locked gates, Facility Improvements: Equal funding for East L.A. schools to fix dilapidated buildings, broken restrooms, and outdated athletic equipment, End to Vocational Tracking: A demand to stop funneling Chicano students into “manual labor” tracks (like upholstery or janitorial work) and instead provide college-preparatory courses and IQ Testing Reform: Challenging the use of culturally biased IQ tests that often resulted in students being incorrectly placed in “Special Education” or “remedial” classes. They would also demand that Sal Castro, who is part of the East LA 13, be released and reinstated for the teaching job after being arrested and let go by the school.
In the end, the school, after months, would meet with the walkouts. Corporal punishment has been abolished, and schools have started hiring more Chinese teachers and administrators. They would also slowly introduce Bilingual Education and Ethnic Studies programs. The biggest win was that all charges against the members of the East L.A. 13 were dropped after an appellate court ruled that their actions were protected by the First Amendment.
In the years that followed, CSU Northridge would become the first university to introduce Chicana/o Studies departments in the country. Followed by UCLA, CSU LA, and other universities. Enrollment among Chicanos at universities would skyrocket after the programs were introduced. Dropout rates in high schools would also plummet to around 20%.
These walkouts were historical and would inspire other walkouts, including the 2026 walkouts in support of the Minnesota shooting victims. This goes to show that with the power of people or students, they can change anything.
