By snoadmin
Sal Castro, a former Lincoln High School teacher and longtime community activist, spoke to a full audience at the University Student Union, Alamitos Bay room on Thursday about his life as a history teacher who fought for equality in education.
As a teacher in 1968, Castro helped students from various East Los Angeles high schools engage in a series of walkouts and protests in the fight for equality.
Castro also took the opportunity to promote his book, “Blowout! Sal Castro and the Chicano Struggle for Educational Justice,” which was co-authored by UC Santa Barbara professor Mario Garcia, and talk to students about the struggles Chicanos in Los Angeles went through.
“It was really, really, a tremendous heroic act in an attempt to make schools better [and] to open up college doors … and students today should know about the sacrifices and things that were done to make it a little bit easier for them,” Castro said.
According to Garcia, during these times, East Los Angeles schools or “Mexican schools,” were facing 50 percent dropout rates, low reading scores and low expectations from teachers — all of which had been mounting for years.
Students realized they had been told for a long time that their parents and their culture were the problem, but they began to conclude that their schools were the problem, he added.
“So it came to the conclusion that something had to be done, some kind of dramatic action,” Garcia said.
Castro also talked to students about the necessity of activism and community organization to get the youth and adults alike involved in such issues. He also stressed the importance of college students going back to their elementary and high schools and talk to children about the importance of education.
“Always look back to give a helping hand to those behind you and give them encouragement … because our kids can succeed,” Castro said.
But, he said he stressed the need for students to get their degrees.
“Get all your papers, and I don’t mean green card, your masters, your Ph.D.,” Castro said.
The event was hosted by Chicano and Latino Studies professors, Armando Vazquez-Ramos and Marisol Moreno and their classes, and was in commemoration of the 43rd Anniversary of the East Los Angeles Walkouts of March 1968.
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