Plan Espiritual de Aztlán facts for kids

The Plan Espiritual de Aztlán (which means "Spiritual Plan of Aztlán" in English) was an important document. It was like a big statement or manifesto that supported Chicano nationalism and the idea of Mexican Americans having control over their own lives and future. This plan was officially accepted at the First National Chicano Liberation Youth Conference in March 1969. This meeting was held in Denver, Colorado, and was organized by Rodolfo Gonzales's group, the Crusade for Justice.

Why the Plan Was Created

In 1848, the Mexican–American War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This event created a new group of people known as Xicanos. These were people of Mexican heritage living in lands that became part of the United States.

Over time, people in these lands, who had been living there for centuries, started to rediscover their own identity. This identity was deeply connected to the ancient history of the Americas and to being Indigenous. The idea of Aztlán became very important. Aztlán is a name for the land in the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. For many Chicanos, it represents their ancestral homeland.

The Chicano Movement of the 1960s and 1970s helped people see themselves as Indigenous again. They felt they were not foreigners in their own land. This movement continued a long discussion about the rights of Indigenous people and their national identity. People had been talking about freedom and removing foreign control for over 500 years. For example, the Plan of San Diego in 1915 also called for people to stand up against unfair treatment. This showed a long history of people wanting to control their own destiny.

Working for Freedom

The Plan Espiritual de Aztlán is all about achieving freedom for the Chicano people. The idea of Aztlán is used to build strength for the Chicano Movement.

Corky Gonzalez once said that sharing revolutionary ideas is as important as winning a battle. He believed that proclaiming a political plan is like a fierce fight. These actions are all part of a rebellion. He said that revolutions always start with new ideas and then involve difficult struggles. The main goal of this document was to bring people together for cultural and political action. The idea of Aztlán has survived many challenges and hundreds of years of colonial rule. This shows that the connection to the land and Indigenous identity is a powerful force for bringing people together.

The goal of this movement was to create a strong community and return to their historical roots. They wanted to declare full control over the Southwest from the United States. A group at the 1969 Chicano Youth Conference stated:

"We are a people who were not defeated, living in a land that was taken from us. We have come together hoping to create a plan for freedom. This plan would be a real program for change that everyone in the Southwest can agree on. We have been living under a system that has taken away our human dignity. Our rights are also being denied under a constitution we had no part in creating. More importantly, the rights protected by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which gives us the right to our own culture, have been broken. For 144 years, we have tried to live peacefully, but there has been no peace in our communities. Change is the only way for us. We owe no loyalty or respect to any of the laws of this unfair country. Our fight for freedom is a fight for survival."

This group was calling for actions like those described in the Plan Espiritual de Aztlán. They wanted Chicano and Indigenous lands to be completely separate from a nation that did not see them as fully human.

Achieving this separation means that a people must have complete control over their own nation. They must be fully removed from the systems designed to hold them back. This involves creating a new national identity and building a new nation. Gonzales explained that his group, La Crusada Para La Justicia, was created by Chicanos. They wanted to build social systems that were separate from the American systems. These systems were put in place through war and conquest. The Crusade offered many services, like education, counseling, legal help, and medical care. It was also a center for art, music, and drama. It helped build community identity, political power, and economic strength. This statement gave Chicanos a clear idea of what to achieve and how to build power for their communities.

Aztlán strongly represents the idea of being Indigenous and having a natural right to land that was taken. Aztlán gives the Chicano and Indigenous community the power to build a movement for national freedom. Rodolfo Gonzalez wrote:

"Aztlán, a mythical land of the Aztecs? Aztlán, an abstract idea of a Nation? Aztlán is a common idea that the people of La Raza, the mestizo, the Chicano can agree upon. It is not based on a fantasy of romantic dreams. It is built on historical facts. Its existence can and will be proven by law. This is not a law based on unfair political courts or cold American legal rules. It is based on human truth and historical inheritance."

In other words, Aztlán means building power. This power is based on historical facts and what is right. It is the land of the Mexica, Dine, Hopi, Apache, Yaqui, Yavapai, and many other Indigenous peoples.

Goals of the Plan

The Plan de Aztlán itself lists these important goals:

• 1. Unity: This means that all Chicano people should think together about their neighborhoods (barrios), towns (pueblos), and rural areas (campos). Everyone, from the poor to professionals, should work together for the freedom of La Raza (the Chicano people).
• 2. Economy: Chicanos should control their own money and communities. This means removing those who take advantage of them. They should develop their own skills, work, and resources. Their culture values people more than money. This will help them buy things together and share resources. This will create a strong economic base for growth. Lands that rightfully belong to them will be fought for and protected. The community will own land for the well-being of the people. Economic ties should be strong because of nationalism and Chicano defense groups.
• 3. Education: Education must be relevant to the Chicano people. This includes their history, culture, and bilingual education. It also means learning about their contributions. The community should control its own schools, teachers, administrators, counselors, and programs.
• 4. Institutions: These are organizations like hospitals or community centers. They should serve the Chicano people by providing necessary services for a good life. This should be seen as making up for past wrongs, not as charity. This means making up for past economic hardship, political unfairness, cultural harm, and denial of rights. Any institutions in the community that do not serve the people should not be there. These institutions belong to the people.
• 5. Self-Defense: The community must protect itself using the combined strength of its people. The first line of defense will come from the neighborhoods, rural areas, and small towns. Those who protect their people will be respected. They, in turn, will take responsibility and risk their lives for their people. Those who stand up for their people do so out of love and brotherhood (carnalismo). Any institutions that benefit from Chicano people, but mostly help others, should only do so as acts of liberation and for La Causa (the cause). For young people, actions that might have been called "juvenile delinquency" will now be seen as acts of standing up for change.
• 6. Cultural Values: The cultural values of the Chicano people make their identity stronger. They also give the movement a strong moral foundation. Their culture brings the family of La Raza together and teaches them about freedom with one heart and one mind. Writers, poets, musicians, and artists must create works that appeal to their people and relate to their revolutionary culture. Their cultural values of life, family, and home will be a powerful way to defeat the American money-focused system. They will encourage love and brotherhood.
• 7. Political Liberation: Freedom in politics can only happen if Chicanos act independently. This is because the two main political parties are seen as similar. Where Chicanos are the majority, they will control things. Where they are a minority, they will be a strong group that pushes for change. Nationally, they will represent one party: La Familia de La Raza (the family of the Chicano people)!

How it Started and Was Adopted

During the conference, a young poet named Alurista spoke. He was born in Mexico but grew up in San Diego. He read these powerful words to an attentive audience:

"In the spirit of a new people that knows its proud history and also knows about the harsh invasion of our lands by the 'gringo' (a term for a non-Latino person, often American), we, the Chicano people who live in and built the northern land of Aztlan, where our ancestors came from, are taking back the land of our birth. We are dedicating ourselves to the determination of our people of the sun. We declare that the call of our blood is our power, our responsibility, and our certain future."

This poem, called El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán, became the title of the main document. The poem itself became the introduction to the plan. Alurista later became known as the "poet laureate of Aztlán," meaning he was a very important poet for the movement.