PBS to air "CHICANO!" documentary
RUBENEWS
CHICANO!
HISTORY OF THE MEXICAN-AMERICAN
CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
A PBS Mini-series narrated by The Honorable Henry Cisneros
Parts I and II, April 12, 1996 (9 p.m. ET/PT)
Parts III and IV, April 19, 1996 (9 p.m. ET/PT)
PBS' four-hour mini-series, Chicano! History of the Mexican-American Civil
Rights Movement, tells the story of a proud people in search of social
justice, respect and a national identity. Spanning the tumultuous decade
between 1965 and 1975, the documentary examines the social and political
activism that was pivotal in uniting Mexican-Americans to stand up and be
counted as legitimate citizens of the United States.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS:
"Quest For A Homeland"
Produced by Mylene Moreno and Hector Galan, this episode examines the
events at Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico, which sparked a national movement
for social justice. Hour one focuses on the 1967 struggle to regain
ownership of New Mexico, the landmark Denver Youth Conference of 1969 and
culminates with the anti-Vietnam Chicano Moratorium March in East Los
Angeles.
"The Struggle in the Fields"
Producer Sylvia Morales chronicles the efforts of farm workers to form a
national labor union. Under the leadership of Cesar Chavez, farm workers
launched a strike against California grape growers in 1965 which
ultimately led to the passing of the California Labor Relations Act.
"Taking Back The Schools"
Produced by Susan Racho, episode three examines the Mexican-American
struggle to reform an educational system that failed to properly educate
Chicano students. The episode focuses on the 1968 walk-out by thousands of
Mexican-American high school students in East Los Angeles.
"Fighting for Political Power"
In the final episode, produced by Robert Cozens, Chicano! highlights the
emergence of Mexican-American political power and the creation of the
third political power, La Raza Unida.
The television broadcast of Chicano! will be accompanied by a national
educational and community outreach campaign component designed to engate
students, educators, and Latino community groups through multimedia
formats. These efforts include a Chicano! school kit for use in high
schools, colleges and universities, comprised of classroom-length versions
of the episodes, a poster-sized chronology of Mexican -American history
and an interdisciplinary teacher's guide; a Chicano! web site on the
Internet/World Wide Web; and a CD-ROM based on the series. A companion
book based on the series, written by Dr. Arturo Rosales, will be published
by Arte Publico Press; and a CD containing music associated with the
Chicano movement will also be produced.
NARRATOR: Henry Cisneros
PRODUCERS: National Latino Communications Center and Galan Productions,
Inc., in association with KCET, Los Angeles.
MAJOR FUNDERS: The Ford Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur
Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, The Charles Stewart Mott
Foundation and The CPB/PBS Challenge Fund.