Latino Americans: War and Peace

Lesson Plan I focuses on Macario Garcia, the first Latino American to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. As students learn in War and Peace, Garcia was later refused service at a café in Richmond, Texas. 

Lesson Plan II examines the Zoot Suit Riots, a series of attacks on Mexican Americans by U.S. servicemen in Los Angeles. Many of those attacked were targeted because they were dressed in baggy and flamboyant "zoot suits" that were associated with Mexican American, African American, and Filipino American youth during the 1940s. 

Lesson Plan III highlights Hector P. Garcia–doctor, veteran, and advocate. He founded the American G.I. Forum to fight for the civil rights of Hispanic veterans, work that eventually led him to serve on the United States Commission on Civil Rights. 

These lessons use several newspaper articles as primary sources, including an article from the West Texas based Sweetwater Reporter describing the “surrender” of the Zoot Suiters. Use historic newspapers from Chronicling America to explore how these events were reported by local papers throughout the country. Consider comparing articles from mainstream publications as well as papers serving specific populations, such as "Negroes Involved as 'Zoot Suit' Rioting Grips Los Angeles, Calif." from the Jackson Advocate, a Mississippi publication for African American readers. How do these accounts differ? What is at stake for these different publications? 

We offer a Chronicling America Teacher's Guide that provides tips, lessons, and activity ideas for working with historic newspapers. 

Students can use our Smithsonian Learning Lab collection on Race, Gender, and the U.S. Military to get a broader understanding of how issues of race and gender have acted as barriers to equal treatment in the military. Practice analyzing these primary sources with your students or use the collection as a starting point for a research project.