It’s been more than five decades since the Chicano Moratorium of 1970, when nearly 30,000 people marched through the streets of East Los Angeles in one of the largest Mexican American anti-war demonstrations in U.S. history.
Though a crackdown by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies led to chaos, injuries and three deaths, including journalist Ruben Salazar, it became a pivotal moment in the Chicano civil rights movement.
Today, that legacy continues to shape activism in Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles, including ongoing efforts to resist immigration enforcement and police brutality and fight for environmental justice. This month, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors formally recognized the Moratorium’s significance by approving a motion to strengthen protections for journalists covering protests.
We asked three voices connected to this multigenerational movement to reflect on what the Moratorium means today: Chris Zepeda-Millan, associate professor of public policy and Chicana/o and Central American Studies at UCLA; Carlos Montes, a longtime organizer who marched in the original Chicano Moratorium; and Samantha Nieves, a student researcher and artist whose work focuses on community engagement in East L.A.
Here’s what they had to say.
“Chicanos and Mexican immigrants in Boyle Heights can be credited for laying the foundation for the modern-day national immigrant rights movement.”
Chris Zepeda-Millan, Associate professor, UCLA
Chris Zepeda-Millan first heard about the Chicano Movement as a child during a summer program at Wabash Park in Boyle Heights. “An old man came to speak to us about these events and about the importance of taking pride in our community and in being Mexican,” he said.
Years later, he found out that the man was the famous teacher Sal Castro, one of the leaders of the 1968 East L.A. student walkouts.
“The Chicano Moratorium was part of the broader Chicano Movement. During this time, Boyle Heights-based labor organizers Bert Corona and Chole Alatorre created the template for organizing the undocumented—including against raids—and trained cadres of Chicano activists in the belief that migrant rights were human rights…So in many respects, Chicanos and Mexican immigrants in Boyle Heights can be credited for laying the foundation for the modern-day national immigrant rights movement, and that’s something we should be proud of.”
Zepeda-Millan sees today’s youth continuing that same fight and urges them to see their place in history.
“Today’s activists in Boyle Heights and the broader East L.A. area are carrying on that legacy of fighting to protect and expand the rights of all members of our community, regardless of their citizenship status,” he said.
“Decades from now, your grandchildren will read about the horrific times we’re living in and ask what you did when the most powerful man in the world–the president of the United States — attacked our community and tore apart our families? My message for youngsters in Boyle Heights is that at this moment, you have the ability to shape how history will remember you and how you will answer that question.”
“The moratorium is a way to organize our people, educate our people, and bring in a new generation of activists to the streets of East L.A.”
Carlos Montes, Activist
As a young student, Carlos Montes remembers his friends from Roosevelt and Garfield high schools were being drafted and sent to Vietnam. Around the same time, he also learned that Chicanos were dying at a high rate in the war. “When I turned 18 years old, the vice principal called me into the office to sign me up for the U.S. Selective Service System, which I thought was unjust,” he said.
He eventually became a co-founder of the Brown Berets and marched in the original Chicano Moratorium.
Today, Montes continues to organize, connecting the past struggles to current fights against immigration enforcement.
“The struggle for immigrant rights, for legalization for all, to stop the deportation, stop ICE is all part of our struggle for equality and self-determination,” he said.
“This is what I call intensification of national oppression against the Chicano nation. They realize that we’re a powerful force that, in the long run, we’re going to challenge the U.S. government for economic and political power in the Southwest… The moratorium is a way to organize our people, educate our people, and bring in a new generation of activists to the streets of East L.A.”
To young people taking action today, Montes has a clear message:
“Continue to stand up. Fight back. Organize your family, your apartment building, your block, and join the fight against ICE raids and join the fight against U.S. wars.”
“Be open to learning from our elders, neighbors, and each other.”
Samantha Nieves, student and artist
Samantha Nieves attended her first Chicano Moratorium commemoration event in 2020.
Learning about the death of journalist Ruben Salazar — and how he was assassinated on the same East L.A. street she grew up on — left a lasting impact on her. “As a Chicana raised in East Los Angeles, this event hinted to me that the energy of unrest and violence has long persisted in our community,” she said.
For Nieves, who has documented her community as a contributor at Boyle Heights Beat and throught her work in art spaces throughout Los Angeles, the legacy of the Chicano Moratorium continues to inform activism among artists and community members like herself.
“Then and now, we utilize symbols and colors of visual culture that open the path for discourse on current issues. Today, we see many silk-screened posters of ‘Trucha con ICE’ with a phone number to Boyle Heights rapid response, along with messages meant to uplift local youth to feel empowered,” she said. “Today, organizations continue to call out the unjust killings of community members with the awareness of local history.”
Looking ahead, Nieves believes community knowledge and connection are essential to continuing the movement’s legacy.
“Be open to learning from our elders, neighbors, and each other. Take advantage of local resources that support your growth in cultural and local knowledge. Challenge yourself to innovate and take up space that you deserve to be in.”
