{"id":5825,"date":"2025-09-05T08:30:55","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T15:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/layes.info\/?p=5825"},"modified":"2025-09-05T08:42:44","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T15:42:44","slug":"history-of-the-1968-east-los-angeles-school-strikes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/articles\/history-of-the-1968-east-los-angeles-school-strikes","title":{"rendered":"History of the 1968 East Los Angeles School Strikes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, students in Los Angeles faced significant educational inequality. The consequences were stark: about 60% of Mexican-American students dropped out of school. Those who did manage to graduate had an average reading level equivalent to an eighth grader. To learn more about the background and impact of these school walkouts, check out <a href=\"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/\">Layes<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_76 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a47922591a99\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a47922591a99\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/articles\/history-of-the-1968-east-los-angeles-school-strikes\/#Educational_Inequality\" >Educational Inequality<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/articles\/history-of-the-1968-east-los-angeles-school-strikes\/#Arrests_and_Activism\" >Arrests and Activism<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/articles\/history-of-the-1968-east-los-angeles-school-strikes\/#50th_Anniversary_of_the_Walkouts\" >50th Anniversary of the Walkouts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/articles\/history-of-the-1968-east-los-angeles-school-strikes\/#A_Call_to_Action\" >A Call to Action<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Educational_Inequality\"><\/span>Educational Inequality<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The groundwork for the walkouts was laid by discriminatory practices. In some schools, students were forbidden from speaking Spanish. In others, Mexican-American students were funneled into a specific program intended for students with learning disabilities. School administrators actively discouraged these students from pursuing higher education. The pressure kept building until it reached a breaking point.<\/p>\n<p>In response, students, parents, and teachers began organizing. This marked the beginning of the East Los Angeles school walkouts, which became famously known as the &#8220;Blowouts.&#8221; They were a massive reaction to deep-seated educational disparities and inequality. From March 1 to March 8, 1968, approximately 15,000 students walked out of their classrooms in protest of the inequalities within the public education system.<\/p>\n<p>This led to the formation of the Educational Issues Coordinating Committee. Even after the walkouts ended, the committee continued its work. As a result, the Los Angeles Board of Education was presented with a list of demands, including recommendations for changes to the curriculum. The demands also called for bilingual education and a dedicated item about hiring Mexican-American administrators.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1009\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.layes.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/09\/2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5812\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.layes.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/09\/2.png 1009w, https:\/\/cdn.layes.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/09\/2-300x181.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.layes.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/09\/2-768x463.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.layes.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/09\/2-696x419.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1009px) 100vw, 1009px\" \/><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Arrests_and_Activism\"><\/span>Arrests and Activism<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Due to a lack of funding, the demands could not be met. Subsequently, police arrested 13 organizers and charged them with conspiracy. Twelve of them were released, but Sal Castro remained in jail. A leader of the walkouts and a graduate of UCLA, he was a teacher of Mexican-American social studies at Lincoln High School at the time. He saw firsthand the inequalities in the public education system. He taught Mexican and Mexican-American history and culture, instilling a sense of pride in his students about their heritage.<\/p>\n<p>At the start of the protests in March 1968, students from Lincoln, Wilson, Roosevelt, Garfield, and Belmont high schools took part.<\/p>\n<p>Demonstrations continued in support of Sal Castro. Under pressure from the public, authorities and law enforcement eventually had to respond. He was released and reinstated at his school, a major victory for the movement.<\/p>\n<p>It was Sal Castro who helped students formulate their demands for reform. In a 2010 interview with the Cal State LA alumni magazine, he humbly remarked:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>&#8220;I was just doing my job.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>He argued that change happens through education. It&#8217;s a sentiment that&#8217;s hard to disagree with. Sal Castro passed away in 2013, and the LAUSD high school on the Belmont High campus was named in his honor.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"569\" height=\"569\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.layes.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/09\/foto-raulya.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5815\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.layes.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/09\/foto-raulya.png 569w, https:\/\/cdn.layes.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/09\/foto-raulya-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.layes.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/09\/foto-raulya-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 569px) 100vw, 569px\" \/><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"50th_Anniversary_of_the_Walkouts\"><\/span>50th Anniversary of the Walkouts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In March 2018, California State University, Los Angeles, commemorated the 50th anniversary of the East Los Angeles school walkouts. Hundreds of students symbolically walked to the campus for a series of workshops and discussions on the educational legacy of the protests. The two-day tribute on March 1 and 2 educated students about the historical context and the profound impact of the walkouts. It served as a powerful reminder to the modern generation of the bravery and determination of Los Angeles youth in their fight for change.<\/p>\n<p>During the event, Cal State LA faculty, students, and staff held panel discussions and workshops to encourage students to pursue higher education.<\/p>\n<p>Visitors explored an exhibition of historical photographs, documents, and local newspapers from that era. The display included photos taken in 1968 by Raul Ruiz, a student, journalist, photographer, and activist for the Chicano Student News. His photos show school administration blocking students from leaving and law enforcement officers arresting protesters. His photography is featured in a well-known exhibition at the Autry Museum. Ruiz noted that the main organizers of the walkouts were students and alumni of California State University, Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<p>At the event, attendees remembered Sal Castro for his deep care and love for his students. His passion for educational equality inspired many.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Call_to_Action\"><\/span>A Call to Action<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The East Los Angeles school walkouts became a powerful <a href=\"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/eternal\/trial-of-the-century-the-o-j-simpson-case\">call to action<\/a> for civil rights and educational access for the city\u2019s Latino youth. Despite the Board of Education\u2019s initial refusal to meet the demands, these events went down in history as some of the largest student protests in U.S. history.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1009\" height=\"446\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.layes.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/09\/3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5818\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.layes.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/09\/3.png 1009w, https:\/\/cdn.layes.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/09\/3-300x133.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.layes.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/09\/3-768x339.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.layes.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/09\/3-696x308.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1009px) 100vw, 1009px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, students in Los Angeles faced significant educational inequality. The consequences were stark: about 60% of Mexican-American students dropped out of school. Those who did manage to graduate had an average reading level equivalent to an eighth grader. To learn more about the background and impact of these school walkouts, check [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":384,"featured_media":5810,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[490],"tags":[3435,3432,3433,3434,3431,3426,3436,3428,3430,3427,3429],"moimportance":[100,523,101,104],"motype":[493,491],"moformat":[89],"class_list":{"0":"post-5825","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-pro-polituky","8":"tag-access-to-education-for-latino-youth","9":"tag-board-of-education","10":"tag-civil-rights","11":"tag-east-los-angeles-school-strikes","12":"tag-educational-equality","13":"tag-inequality-in-public-education","14":"tag-largest-school-protest-in-history","15":"tag-loudest-call-to-action","16":"tag-mexican-american-students","17":"tag-sal-castro","18":"tag-school-strikes","19":"moimportance-aktualna-bilshe-roku","20":"moimportance-523","21":"moimportance-golovna-novyna","22":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatory","23":"motype-articles","24":"motype-eternal","25":"moformat-vlasna"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5825","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/384"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5825"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5825\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5826,"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5825\/revisions\/5826"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5810"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5825"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=5825"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=5825"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=5825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}