SJSU forum focuses on 50th anniversary of Chicano activists' walkout

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Sunday, October 13, 2019
SJSU forum focuses on 50th anniversary of Chicano activists' walkout
This year marks the 50th anniversary of when Chicano activists began demanding social justice for the South Bay's Latino community.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- This year marks the 50th anniversary of when Chicano activists began demanding social justice for the South Bay's Latino community.



On Friday, San Jose State University hosted a forum that focused on a student walkout that helped start that movement.



A longtime San Jose State and Stanford professor explained why he and others walked out of San Jose State University's 1968 commencement ceremonies.



"In San Jose, we had less than one percent of the graduating class was Chicano out of a population base of 12-to-15 percent in the area. So we wanted to correct that inequity," said Armando Valdez, Ph.D, professor emeritus.



San Jose State responded to that walkout by offering ethnic studies courses and expanding opportunities for students of color.

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