Sal Castro
Sal Castro | |
|---|---|
 At the May 17, 2006 screening of Walkout in the Isla Vista Theatre in Isla Vista, California | |
| Born | October 25, 1933 |
| Died | April 15, 2013 (aged 79) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Teacher |
| Known for | East Los Angeles high school walkouts |
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Salvador B. Castro (October 25, 1933 – April 15, 2013) was a Mexican-American educator and activist. He was most well known for his role in the 1968 East Los Angeles high school walkouts, a series of protests against unequal conditions in Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) schools. After he retired from teaching, he continued to lecture about his experiences and the importance of education, especially for Mexican Americans.
Castro was born in Los Angeles and began kindergarten at Belvedere Elementary School in
Career and activism
Around 1956, while still a student at LACC, he got his first job in the educational field, as an assistant playground director in the
Meanwhile, Castro continued his education, undertaking a
The result of the network was the holding of Chicano Youth Leadership Conferences (CYLC), training grounds for student activists, the first of which was held in 1963. At conferences, students discussed inequalities between schools within the LAUSD, the need for bilingual and culturally relevant education, and the need for systemic reforms that would place students on the track to higher education. They founded the Piranya Café, which became the headquarters for the movement.
As Castro helped students make demands of the school board, underground newspapers floated the idea of a
Following the small walkouts, students from the five public schools in East Los Angeles and North East Los Angeles (
In the wake of the
Castro continued educating and pressing for educational reform in Los Angeles-area schools.
Sal Castro speaking in 1963 with the principal of
Belmont High Schoolin Los Angeles, where he was a teacher:
"You know, Mrs. Lord, more than half the kids are Latino, Mexican kids, and we've got no kids in any of the leadership positions or even this program." She said, "Mr. Castro, the Mexican kid has a charming passivity, and you tell me you want to take that away?" I said, "Oh, shit, I've got problems here."
— from "Teaching Is a Fight • An Interview with Sal Castro" (2010).[4]
Later activities
In the 2006 HBO film Walkout, Castro's role was played by Michael Peña. Edward James Olmos directed the film.
Also in 2006, Castro was highly critical of radio DJs who encouraged students to walk out of classes in
He also publicly denounced the members of the Minuteman Project as racists.
Castro continued to lecture student groups across the country and helps run leadership conferences for high school students.
On October 13, 2009, the Los Angeles Board of Education voted to name a new Middle School, located on the campus of
"As President Obama said when told that he had won the Nobel Peace Prize, I too am surprised and honored that a school is being named after me," said Castro, visibly moved by the honor. "It is extremely humbling for me and East L.A. kids to be put on the same list with giants of our country, including Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington, Grant, Roosevelt, and Garfield; also, Kennedy, Mendez and Ochoa. "I know that by naming a school after me you are really honoring the students who, 41 years ago, tried to improve education with their courageous walkouts," he added.
"The naming of the Middle school on the Belmont High School campus in honor of Sal Castro is much more than a token acknowledgement of his long career in education; it serves as a constant reminder to those staffing the school and to those served by the school, to strive for the model of education to which Sal Castro has devoted his entire life" said former student and mentee Carlos R. Moreno, a current California Supreme Court judge who spoke before the board in favor of naming the school after his mentor.
Castro was a Park and Recreation Commissioner for the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation.
References
- ^ Elaine Woo, Sal Castro dies at 79; L.A. teacher played role in 1968 protests, Los Angeles Times, April 15, 2013
- ^ Teresa Watanabe, Sal Castro, teacher who led '68 Chicano student walkouts, dies at 79, Los Angeles Times, April 15, 2013
- ^ Ayyoub, Loureen (2020-08-29). "Chicano Moratorium Recognizes 50 Year Anniversary in East LA". SPECTRUM NEWS. Charter Communications.
- ^ Teaching Is a Fight • An Interview with Sal Castro "Rethinking Schools", Winter 2010.
External links
Latino and Hispanic American portal
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