Many demonstrations by different racial groups have successfully reformed the American political and social landscape. The coverage of these events and movements play a large role in creating a public awareness and stance of these issues. Whether on a local or national level, manipulation of the media can hinder or facilitate the growth and acceptance of these movements. Resentment towards the growing ethnic movements of the sixties provided a backdrop for many biased articles presented in newspapers of the time. While print media claimed impartiality, coverage of demonstrations allowed the general public to become sympathetic to a particular ethnic movement 's cause. In comparing and contrasting the coverage of blacks and Chicanos, the coverage
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Some articles did advocate that the situation with the blacks had to be dealt with, but it as a white mans issue where they had to “solve” the black problem8. Similar to opponents of affirmative action, this created the impression that African Americans were dependents. Like civil rights, social programs of affirmative action sought to “combat poverty and unemployment,”9 but was criticized as “reverse racism”10 where whites become exploited. Another article in the New York times twisted the message of the march as “not only asking for equal opportunity,… but for preferential treatment on jobs.”11 The problems faces by the black community is the white man’s “burden” and “annoyance.”12 This tactic of blaming the victim, maintained the power dynamic where whites were superior. It delegitimized the civil rights movement by painting the outcry for equal right as a demand for advantages at the expense of the white man. As a result the media portrayal of the two racial groups established them as separate groups whose goals clashed. To the white reader, this would mean that black were threatening to take away from the common man rather than equality. Unlike the March on Washington, the coverage of the East Los Angeles blowouts did not degrade Chicanos as it encouraged Latino pride and …show more content…
Instead of demanding for equal employment opportunity and civil rights legislations, they wanted school reform; bilingual instruction, emphasis on cultural heritage in curriculum, and expanded students rights.13 These were geared for the perseveration of Latino culture, the movement of Viva La Raza was translated on print to convey its meaning; Raza means race “but is used in the sense of ‘our people.’”14 In the same new article, barrio was translated into neighborhood to distance the word from the negative connotations of the hood or the latino equivalent to ghetto.15 By demonstrating cultural pride, students were able to challenge the education system valued conformity instead of diversity. The translation allowed non-Latinos to understand the motives and emotion behind the blowouts and to eliminate negative connotations associated with it. But this was not the only tool that aided the Chicano
Some articles did advocate that the situation with the blacks had to be dealt with, but it as a white mans issue where they had to “solve” the black problem8. Similar to opponents of affirmative action, this created the impression that African Americans were dependents. Like civil rights, social programs of affirmative action sought to “combat poverty and unemployment,”9 but was criticized as “reverse racism”10 where whites become exploited. Another article in the New York times twisted the message of the march as “not only asking for equal opportunity,… but for preferential treatment on jobs.”11 The problems faces by the black community is the white man’s “burden” and “annoyance.”12 This tactic of blaming the victim, maintained the power dynamic where whites were superior. It delegitimized the civil rights movement by painting the outcry for equal right as a demand for advantages at the expense of the white man. As a result the media portrayal of the two racial groups established them as separate groups whose goals clashed. To the white reader, this would mean that black were threatening to take away from the common man rather than equality. Unlike the March on Washington, the coverage of the East Los Angeles blowouts did not degrade Chicanos as it encouraged Latino pride and …show more content…
Instead of demanding for equal employment opportunity and civil rights legislations, they wanted school reform; bilingual instruction, emphasis on cultural heritage in curriculum, and expanded students rights.13 These were geared for the perseveration of Latino culture, the movement of Viva La Raza was translated on print to convey its meaning; Raza means race “but is used in the sense of ‘our people.’”14 In the same new article, barrio was translated into neighborhood to distance the word from the negative connotations of the hood or the latino equivalent to ghetto.15 By demonstrating cultural pride, students were able to challenge the education system valued conformity instead of diversity. The translation allowed non-Latinos to understand the motives and emotion behind the blowouts and to eliminate negative connotations associated with it. But this was not the only tool that aided the Chicano