Occupation of Catalina Island
Occupation of Catalina Island | |||
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Part of Chicano Movement | |||
![]() Members of the Brown Berets in formation, 1972 | |||
Date | August 30 – September 22, 1972 | (23 days)||
Location | 33°20′52″N 118°19′44″W / 33.34778°N 118.32889°W | ||
Caused by | Violations of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo | ||
Goals | Awareness of oppression of Mexican Americans | ||
Parties | |||
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Lead figures | |||
Raymond Rydell | |||
Number | |||
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The Occupation of Catalina Island began on August 30, 1972, when the Brown Berets, a Chicano-rights organization, occupied Catalina Island, off the coast of Los Angeles, for three weeks. The Berets, led by their "Prime Minister" David Sanchez, claimed the territory rightfully belonged to Mexico and demanded that its 42,000 acres of undeveloped land be developed into housing.
Background
Sanchez was inspired by the
Occupation
On August 30, 1972, the local island paper, The Catalina Islander reported "a group of young Brown Berets were discovered encamped on the bluff above the Casino, on Santa Catalina Island Company property."[2] The group, which consisted of 26 members of the Brown Berets, posted a large Mexican flag on the point above the Chimes Tower and called the spot “Campo Tecolote” (Camp Owl).[3]
According to Sanchez, the group did not come to the island with many resources. He later stated, “I went over there with $800. That's all I had for the whole operation. We bought food and, you know, a lot of the Mexican American girls [from the island] came to our camp, they would bring us enchiladas and beans."
Local reaction
The local reaction to the Brown Berets' presence largely fell along racial lines. Some local Mexican American families, who mostly worked as maids or in the service industry on Catalina, supported the group. Maria Lopez, a resident of Catalina at the time, told the Los Angeles Times that her mother and aunts made food for the group, and her father delivered it to the Berets' campsite. Lopez stated, “The Mexican people here, the Chicanos, welcomed them. But a lot of the gringos, they were afraid they were coming to take over.”[6]
White townspeople's reactions to the Berets was overwhelmingly negative. Mayor Rydell described the occupation as "an invasion" and compared the Berets to
Ending
This article is part of a series on the |
History of Chicanos and Mexican Americans |
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A little more than three weeks after the occupation's beginning, policemen from the
Legacy
In 1978, six years after the occupation, the government of Mexico explicitly recognized U.S. sovereignty over Catalina and the Channel Islands in a
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Markowitz, Ariella (August 14, 2020). "The Forgotten Occupation of Catalina Island". KQED. Archived from the original on April 23, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
- ^ Torgerson, Dial (August 31, 1972). "Santa Catalina a Bit Up-tight over 'Invasion'". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, CA. pp. A-1.
- ^ B., Michele (January 31, 2017). "A Step Back in Time: Brown Berets". Visit Catalina Island. Catalina Island Company. Archived from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
- ^ Torgerson, Dial (September 1, 1972). "Avalon 'Invaders' Now Just Tourist Attraction". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, CA. pp. B-1.
- ^ "Catalina 'Invaders' Blockaded". The Southland. Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles Times. September 11, 1972. pp. A-2. Archived from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
- ^ Mejia, Brittny (August 16, 2020). "Nearly half a century ago, Chicano activists occupied Catalina Island. Locals feared a Mexican 'invasion'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 23, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
- ^ a b c Saucedo, Marcelino (2008). Dream Makers and Dream Catchers: The Story of the Mexican Heritage on Catalina Island. Virginia Beach, VA: Donning Co. Publishers. pp. 125–126.
Quoted remarks from the Catalina Islander (Aug. 31, 1972)
- ^ Martinez, Al (September 23, 1973). "Judge Asks Berets Leave – They Do". LA Times. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
- ^ Sánchez, David (1978). Expedition Through Aztlán. La Puente, CA: Perspective Publications. pp. 180–181. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
- ^ "Treaty on maritime boundaries between the United Mexican States and the United States of America" (PDF). May 4, 1978. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
Further reading
- Parra, Carlos Francisco (January 20, 2020). "THE 1972 BROWN BERET INVASION OF CATALINA ISLAND | A CHICANO HOMELAND IN MEXICO'S LOST ARCHIPELAGO". Nomadic Border.
External links
- David Sanchez film of the occupation on YouTube
- "22 Interesting Things About Avalon and Santa Catalina Island". LA Almanac. Retrieved April 23, 2022.