L.A. Times honors Hispanic Heritage Month

Reflecting on the Moratorium ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Los Angeles Times]( [The Chicano Moratorium, 51 years later]( [The Chicano Moratorium, 51 years later]( [READ MORE]( Hi, Steve Padilla here. As a way to honor Hispanic Heritage Month, I invite you to explore our unique coverage of the [Chicano Moratorium](. Fifty-one years ago, 20,000 people converged on Los Angeles’ Eastside to protest the war in Vietnam and the disproportionate numbers of Mexican American military personnel dying there. But what began as a peace march on Aug. 29, 1970, turned into the biggest, bloodiest disturbance in Los Angeles since the Watts riots five years earlier and led to the death of columnist [Ruben Salazar]( then a rare Latino voice in mainstream media. Last year, on the 50th anniversary of the march, my Los Angeles Times colleagues produced a [vivid and compelling series of stories]( documenting the lasting significance of the day. As we reprise that series this year, I find myself reflecting on how that project touched many of us. For several of my colleagues—many of them Latino and from Southern California—the 50th anniversary offered a chance to draw upon their own experiences and backgrounds as they recounted events that reverberate to this day. I was one of the editors on the project and well remember how my parents, who grew up in East L.A., talked about the senselessness of Salazar’s death and how he had been a strong advocate for the Mexican American community. Like many Latino journalists of my generation, I was inspired by Salazar’s example. In this series of stories, videos, graphics and archival materials, our team of reporters, photographers, videographers and designers recalled the chaos of Aug. 29, 1970, and showed how it reflected bitterness and frustration in the Mexican American community over, not just the war, but police brutality, biased media coverage and underfunded schools with some of the worst drop-out rates in the nation. Then, as now with the Black Lives Matter movement, it was a tense summer when an often neglected community demanded to be heard. Among the highlights of our coverage: [interviews with Angelenos]( explaining how the Moratorium shaped their lives; [a detailed recreation]( of the chaos that erupted up and down a 3-mile stretch of Whittier Boulevard; the [influence of the Moratorium on the arts]( from music to murals to literature; an assessment of [the influence of Salazar]( who has been viewed as a martyr in the fight for civil rights for Latinos. Even if you saw the series last year, it’s worth revisiting. Hope to see you there, and thanks for reading. Steve Padilla Editor of The Times front-page Column One feature More Coverage Highlights: - Watch the online community forum about the Chicano Moratorium [here](. - Explore our stories, videos and archival materials [here](. - See what our readers remember about this monumental event [here](. - Read more about the women of the Brown Berets [here](. [Chicano moratorium zine]( Before it sells out again, grab your copy of our best-selling Chicano Moratorium zine from [Shop L.A. Times](. [Sign up for Newsletters]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [Do Not Sell My Personal Information]( | [CA Notice of Collection]( Copyright © 2021 | Los Angeles Times 2300 E. Imperial Highway, El Segundo, California, 90245 [View Email in Browser]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [YouTube](