Sal Castro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sal Castro
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At the May 17, 2006 screening of Walkout in the Isla Vista Theatre in Isla Vista, California
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| Born | October 25, 1933 |
| Died | April 15, 2013 (aged 79) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Teacher |
| Known for | East Los Angeles high school walkouts |
Salvador B. Castro (October 25, 1933 – April 15, 2013) was a Mexican-American teacher and activist. He is best known for his important role in the 1968 East Los Angeles high school walkouts. These were a series of protests against unfair conditions in Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) schools. After he stopped teaching, he kept sharing his experiences. He also talked about how important education is, especially for Mexican Americans.
Sal Castro was born in Los Angeles. He started school in East Los Angeles. Later, his family moved to Mexico for a while. When he returned to East L.A., he faced unfair treatment for speaking Spanish in class. After high school, he joined the Army. He later went to college and earned a degree in social science. He passed away in Los Angeles on April 15, 2013.
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Sal Castro's Career and Activism
Around 1956, Sal Castro started working in education. He held different jobs in Los Angeles schools. He became a social studies teacher at Belmont High School. There, he helped Mexican-American students run for student government.
One time, students spoke Spanish at a school assembly. This was not allowed back then. The assembly was stopped, and the students were suspended. Mr. Castro, who didn't know about the rule, had said it was okay to use Spanish. Because of this, he was moved to Lincoln High School.
Working for Better Education
Mr. Castro kept studying and joined the Mexican-American Education Committee. This group wanted to improve services for Mexican-American students. He also started meeting with Mexican-American college students. These students were beginning to call themselves Chicanos and Chicanas. Soon, a group of education activists began to form.
This group started the Chicano Youth Leadership Conferences (CYLC) in 1963. These conferences helped train young student leaders. Students talked about unfair differences between schools. They also discussed the need for bilingual (two-language) and culturally relevant education. They wanted changes that would help students go to college. The Piranya Café became a meeting place for this movement.
The East L.A. Walkouts
Sal Castro helped students share their demands with the school board. Some underground newspapers suggested students should boycott (refuse to attend) East L.A. schools. When school officials didn't listen, calls for a boycott grew stronger.
In March 1968, students from Wilson High School walked out of class. The next day, another walkout happened because of a school rule about boys' hair length.
Soon, students from five public high schools in East Los Angeles and North East Los Angeles joined together. These schools were Roosevelt, Wilson, Lincoln, Garfield, and Belmont. With help from college students, they planned unified protests. These protests were called the "Chicano Blowouts." The first day of protests was peaceful. But on the second day, police used force against students from Roosevelt and Belmont high schools.
After the protests, Sal Castro was arrested. He was accused of trying to disrupt public schools and disturb the peace. Twelve other people were also arrested. All charges were dropped in 1972.
Sal Castro continued to teach and push for better education in Los Angeles schools. Anaheim's Savanna High School celebrates Sal Castro Day every March 27.
Sal Castro's Later Years
In 2006, a HBO film called Walkout was made. It showed Sal Castro's role in the protests. Michael Peña played Sal Castro in the movie, and Edward James Olmos directed it.
Also in 2006, Sal Castro spoke out about radio DJs. These DJs encouraged students to walk out of classes to protest a new law. While he supported the idea of protests, Castro was worried. He felt that those encouraging the walkouts did not go with the students to protect them, unlike how he and others had done in 1968.
He also spoke publicly against the Minuteman Project. He called their members racists.
Sal Castro kept giving talks to student groups across the country. He also helped organize leadership conferences for high school students.
On October 13, 2009, the Los Angeles Board of Education voted to name a new middle school after him. This school, Sal Castro Middle School, is on the campus of Belmont High School. It was officially opened on June 5, 2010.
"I am surprised and honored that a school is being named after me," Sal Castro said. "It is very humbling for me and East L.A. kids to be on the same list with great people like Lincoln and Roosevelt." He added, "By naming a school after me, you are really honoring the students. They bravely tried to improve education with their walkouts 41 years ago."
Carlos R. Moreno, a former student and friend of Castro, spoke at the dedication. He said, "Naming the school after Sal Castro is more than just a thank you for his long career. It reminds everyone at the school to work for the kind of education Sal Castro spent his life fighting for."
Castro also served as a commissioner for the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation.
See also
In Spanish: Sal Castro para niños
