Castañeda v. Granger Public Schools (1973): Cementing El Movimiento in the Yakima Valley, Washington, 1969-74

Abstract

In 1973, a Washington State Human Rights Commission tribunal ruled against the Granger Public School system in the Yakima Valley in Castañeda v. Granger Public Schools. The tribunal found racial bias was the main reason for denying Guillermo V. Castañeda a teaching position in the district. He identified as Chicano. Additionally, the tribunal found widespread educational discrimination against Mexican Americans. The victory came at a moment of backlash against the Chicana/o Movement in Washington state by White dominated school districts. The ruling coincided with a larger resistance against Mexican American farmworker unionization efforts. The victory signified the ways in which the Mexican American community in the Yakima Valley used schools to cement El Movimiento (Mexican American Civil Rights Movement) and civic integration in the state. Despite its historical significance there is little historical literature on the legal victory. This article seeks to address this historical educational gap, illuminate a key moment of El Movimiento outside of the US Southwest and provide an important example of resisting authoritarianism for today’s educators.