Describe the racism that existed in South Texas during the time of the Elsa Edcouch school walkouts and the Pharr riots. Have we achieved equality today?
In Texas there has been a numerous amounts of cases where there is racism still today. It is hard to keep away from this subject because unfortunately it is a subject that started ever since Texas became a state. There has been people who feel victimized against the different state departments or the own cities´departments. For instance there were some riots in the city of Pharr, less than half a century, and some school walkouts from Elsa Edcouch.
In the city of Pharr Texas in the Rio Grande Valley, there were many mexican americans that were treated unfairly for quite a time, yet it was…show more content… Not only that, ut also the city itself was going through a time of segregation still against the black and mexican americans from the Caucasians. The caucasians would live South the of the railroad tracks, while the mexican americans and the blacks would live North of the railroad tracks. Schools were the same therefore there was an education deficit affecting other ethnicities other than caucasians. In 1971 the city of Pharr became famously known for the death of Alfonso Flores, who after getting out of a barber shop, he was shot to death by a policeman during the time of a nearby protest. The protest had started on February 6th with Efrain Fernandez and his wife Dora being the ones who organized the protest as two police officers were alleged to have beaten mexican americans while in jail. The charges against the policeman was denied and that gave rise…show more content… A major movement would start were students also felt the need to do something for their best academically against their own school. Students started speaking up for their rights by their actions. 175 students were doing a walkout, ad therefore they were all expelled from the school system. Moreover, not still content they started to speak certain demands that they believed were needed in their daily lives, and that unfortunately were prohibited such as speaking Spanish in schools. Also, the fact that the students were beaten by teachers. All of this allegations were ruled out by the superintendent R.W. Vell, during a parent- teacher conference. At the end it took some time for students to be readmitted, yet the demands have now been acknowledged and are being used in school today. Some of the accomplishments is that being part of the minority by being Hispanics there are a lot more opportunities such as scholarships, degrees, loans, and even more diversity that gives advantage to mexicans. Also, that people can get to speak their mother language if they need or want in schools, jobs with o problem at all, in fact today many people speak both languages at the same time. That school facilities would be implemented and that is something it is seen
