Event Planning Toolkit for Organizations. Photo credit: John J Herrera Collection, Houston Public Library

Transcription

1 Event Panning Tookit for Organizations Photo credit: John J Herrera Coection, Houston Pubic Library

2 Photo credits Left: Jordi Vadés Top midde, bottom right, and bottom eft: Lee (Russe) Photograph Coection: Spanish Speaking Peope of Texas Center for American History UT-Austin Top right: San Antonio Light Coection, UTSAs Institute of Texan Cutures, Courtesy of the Hearst Corporation Tabe of Contents 1. Introduction About the Fim About A Cass Apart, A Night Together Event From the Fimmakers 2. Panning Your Event 5 Basic Steps Event Panning Checkist 3. Faciitating Discussions of A Cass Apart Tips for a Successfu Pane Faciitating Group Discussions Discussion Questions 4. A Cass Apart In Context Impact of the Hernandez v. Texas Case Latinos in the United States Today 5. What You Can Do For Audience Members For Your Organization 6. Resources Fims Onine Books 7. A Cass Apart Nationa Partner Organizations

3 Introduction About the Fim A Cass Apart is a new documentary by award-winning fimmakers Caros Sandova (Farmingvie) and Peter Mier (Sacco and Vanzetti, Passin It On). The first major fim to bring to ife the heroic post-word War II strugges of Mexican Americans against the Jim Crowstye discrimination targeted against them, A Cass Apart is buit around the andmark 1951 ega case Hernandez v. Texas, in which an underdog band of Mexican Americans from Texas bring a case a the way to the Supreme Court - and win. The fim begins with a murder in a gritty sma-town cantina and foows the ega journey of the Hernandez awyers through the Texas courts and utimatey to the United States Supreme Court. We see them forge a daring ega strategy that caed their own racia identities into question by arguing that Mexican Americans were a cass apart who did not neaty fit into a ega structure that ony recognized backs and whites. A grassroots nationa movement supports the ega efforts, with tiny contributions sent by Latinos from around the country paying for the Hernandez case to go forward. The fim dramaticay interweaves the story of its centra characters - activists and awyers, returning veterans and ordinary citizens, murderer and victim- within the broader history of Latinos in America during a time of extraordinary change. About A Cass Apart, A Night Together Events A Cass Apart raises important questions about incusion, American identity, and equaity before the aw that are as resonant today as ever. There is no better way to ceebrate this moment in our nation s history than to share it. On and after the night of the broadcast premiere (February 23, 2009 on PBS s AMERICAN EXPERIENCE check oca istings), groups throughout the country wi host house parties and community screenings of A Cass Apart in community centers, paces of worship, cutura institutions, civic groups, campuses, and homes across America, guided by this discussion and panning tookit. The A Cass Apart, A Night Together Project is brought to you by Active Voice and Camino Buff Productions, in partnership with: The American Constitution Society The American G.I. Forum The Hispanic Association of Coeges and Universities The Hispanic Nationa Bar Association Latino Pubic Broadcasting The League of United Latin American Citizens The Mexican American Lega Defense and Education Fund

4 A Conversation With the A Cass Apart Fimmakers Caros Sandova: I discovered the story of the Hernandez case oddy enough on the subway one day whie reading a New York Times editoria, and it was on the 50 th anniversary of the case. I had gone to aw schoo, I d never heard about this case. It surprised me that this case existed. I decided to deve further into it, and once I found out about the case and the fact that it covered not ony issues of discrimination and the expansion of the Fourteenth amendment but it aso aowed for a way to expore the issues of identity that surround being a Latino I thought this was a case that was reay, reay captivating. Photo credit: Jordi Vadés Peter Mier: Caros: Peter: Caros: I m aways interested in stories from American history, and in particuar stories about peope who have been eft out of the traditiona teings of our history. When Caros approached me about this fim and said he was making a fim about the Mexican American civi rights movement of the post-word War II era, I thought, I don t know anything about that, this is a civi rights movement I shoud know about. So naturay, I was intrigued. And then when I got to earn a itte bit more about the story, I reaized that not ony was this a very important story that the pubic needed to know about, but it aso was a fantastic subject for a fim with reay compeing characters and with a wonderfu dramatic storyine. I think that one of the greatest chaenges of teing a story ike this, a story that is in the past but not so distant past, and that comes out of a community that itsef has not been documented for a variety of reasons, is trying to piece together that story. Indeed, when we started working on this project, there [was] very itte historica iterature about this and we reay were on our own in many ways, digging through the archives, taking to witnesses of this history, and trying to figure out what happened and putting together this eaborate puzze. The Hernandez vs. Texas case is one that has not been generay documented by historians. This eary Mexican American civi rights movement is ony now coming into its own. Caros Sandova (Producer/Director) is the co-producer/director of the highy accaimed documentary Farmingvie. A awyer and writer, Sandova s work has appeared in the New York Times and other pubications. Of Mexican-American and Puerto Rican descent, Sandova worked on immigration and refugee affairs as a member of the U.S. deegation to the United Nations, and as a program officer for The Century Foundation. He has participated on severa pubic teevision funding and programming panes as we as on fim festiva juries and panes. Peter Mier (Producer/Director) has worked on dozens of historica and socia issue documentaries, incuding as a producer of severa of Ken Burns s fims and of Barbara Koppe s Academy Award-winning American Dream. His own work incudes the criticay accaimed documentary Sacco and Vanzetti, The Internationae (Oscar short-ist), and Passin It On (shown on P.O.V., winner of over twenty fim festiva prizes).

5 Panning Your Event Connect With A Cass Apart Onine! Connect with other A Cass Apart fans on the Facebook! Just og into and search for A Cass Apart, or visit Take pictures at your event and share them onine! Send photos from your event to ACassApartTheMovie@gmai.com, and we post them on our Facebook page! 5 basic steps #1: Define Your Objectives Figuring out your objectives is the first step in panning a great event! Are you interested in the civi rights movement? Do you want to heighten your organization s profie and buid new partnerships? Do you fee strongy about what happened to Latinos before, during and after Word War II? Do you ove documentaries? Having a sense of what you d ike peope to take away from their evening with A Cass Apart wi hep you pan and set a good tone. Here are some possibe objectives (not a definitive ist get creative!): Raise pubic awareness of the history of Latinos in the United States. If your main objective is pubic education, pan to set aside at east haf an hour for Q&A with the audience, and have fact sheets handy. Highight ongoing civi rights strugges and connect motivated audiences with ways to get invoved. For an action-oriented event, prompt paneists and participants to focus on what needs to be done and how audience members can contribute. Buid coaitions with new aies who are beyond the choir. If this is your goa, be sure to recruit co-sponsors for your event, and think outside the box! A oca Rotary or Chamber of Commerce are two possibe ideas. Identify new poicy stakehoders and potentia eaders, particuary among Latinos and other communities of coor. A screening of this type might hep to buid visibiity for an existing eadership program, or invite audience members to vounteer as mentors. Raise the visibiity of your organization. If your goa is to showcase your organization s work, invite peope who can raise the profie of your event, incuding press, potentia funders and other infuentia decision makers. #2: Identify Your Target Audience Do you hope to engage an audience that is motivated around the issues and ready to get more invoved? Woud you ike to reach beyond the choir, and introduce the issues to new audiences? Have A Spanish-Speaking Audience? The A Cass Apart DVD wi be avaiabe with a Spanish audio track and subtiting. Host your event in Spanish, or use the Engish anguage track and Spanish subtites to bring in a mixed crowd. If you pan to have a pane or discussion at your event, make your screening as accessibe as possibe by finding a transator and biingua faciitators (vounteers may be abe to do this for free).

6 #3: Recruit Partner Organizations Partner organizations can hep broaden your outreach and estabish new, potentiay ong-term partners. Ask partners to contribute ideas, time, resources, and/or paneists for the event. Partners can get invoved in a variety of ways, but even if it s as simpe as getting the word out about the event through their istservs or websites, every itte bit heps! Civi and human rights organizations, student groups, pubic interest aw firms, universities and coeges, faith-based organizations, ibraries, museums, and media/fim centers are some possibe co-sponsors. To reay broaden your reach, try contacting an organization you ve never worked with before that wi share an interest in A Cass Apart. This wi hep you reach new potentia supporters and bring your messages beyond the choir. #4: Get the Word Out Visit to downoad emai, fyer and press reease tempates for your event! Pubicize onine. The simpest thing you can do to promote your event is to create an emai bast and send it out widey via istservs. We recommend you send out the emai twice: two weeks before, and then a reminder severa days before your event. If your organization has a website, be sure to post information about your event there, and ask any co-hosts to do the same. Post fyers in your community. Create an A Cass Apart fyer to advertise your event. Make copies (in coor if your budget permits) and post them in high traffic areas, such as coege campuses, shopping mas, grocery stores, churches and recreation centers. Contact oca media. Ten days before your event, send a press reease to oca media outets, incuding ethnic media. Try to target reporters covering civi rights issues, and customize your press reease to highight the fim s reevance to your community. If your event wi feature prominent paneists or oca heroes, make sure to mention them! Make cas to oca teevision and radio programs incuding oca news, pubic affairs programs, tak radio and Spanish anguage stations. Let them know about your event, expain its importance to your community, and if possibe direct them to a oca expert or advocate who can be avaiabe for interviews. Try contacting assignment editors (for oca TV news) or producers (for pubic affairs programs or tak radio). #5: Set the Agenda Invite a Keynote Speaker: Invite a oca eader or schoar to speak about some of the themes the fim raises, such as the fairness of the judicia system, the gap between ega and socia equaity, and/or the impacts of racia prejudice in the United States. Host a Pane Discussion: Paneists can hep put the fim in context, whether it s providing historica background or connecting the issues in A Cass Apart to current events. It s aways a good idea to have a range of perspectives represented possibe paneists might incude representatives from civi rights organizations, Latino or otherwise; oca professors or historians; ega professionas; veterans; community organizers; and eected officias. Co-sponsors are great resources for potentia

7 paneists for the discussion, and they be even more eager to promote the event if they re being represented. Sti stuck? Try contacting the oca branches of the A Cass Apart partner organizations isted at the back of this manua. Hod a Pubic Reception: Pan a specia post-screening meet-and-greet to aow opportunities for networking and continued discussion after the screening. (If you have a budget for refreshments, even better!) Highight Current Advocacy Efforts: Highight a piece of oca or nationa egisation around ega justice reform or civi rights and provide concrete steps audience members can take to show their support. (Inviting peope to participate in a etter-writing campaign to eected officias to initiate a specific egisative change is one idea.) Suggest Further Outets for Action: Offer audience members concrete ways they can get invoved and support your and your partner organizations work. These might incude visiting your website to find out about upcoming events, vounteering for a specific initiative, becoming a member, making a donation, etc. Stay In Touch! Have a system for coecting emai addresses and phone numbers at your event, and foow up with audience members and co-sponsor organizations in the days after. You ve worked too hard to et those reationships disappear! Panning Checkist Hosting a pubic A Cass Apart, A Night Together screening is easy if you pan ahead! Visit to downoad customizabe fyers, emai basts, and press reeases. Preiminary panning at east 8 weeks prior Book the venue and date for your screening. Recruit oca organizationa partners to broaden your reach, and hep identify roes for each one (such as pubicity, paneist coordination, and reception panning). Determine speakers, paneists, and moderator (if appicabe). Logistica panning and initia outreach 3-4 weeks prior Create an emai bast and get the word out eectronicay. Make sure to incude your website or RSVP information, if appicabe. Choose the format for your screening (TV broadcast or DVD), and check a of your equipment we in advance. TV: Find your oca station and search for broadcast times on PBS s website. 1 DVD: Order A Cass Apart through the AMERICAN EXPERIENCE website Onine at tvschedues/. 2. Onine at wgbh/americanexperience/cass/. Secure food for reception. Draft event agenda and vet with partners.

8 More ogistica panning 2 weeks prior Contact press, incuding oca teevision stations and/or radio programs. (See Get the Word Out for more information.) Contact community caendars about your event. Create a fyer to pubicize your screening, and post in high-traffic areas. Confirm a detais with event staff (caterer, venue, IT, etc.). Media outreach 10 days prior Send out press reeases to media outets. Make cas to oca teevision and radio programs. Fina panning severa days prior Test screen your event equipment one ast time to make sure there aren t any gitches. Send a reminder emai bast. Foow up with press who expressed an interest in covering the story. Finaize agenda. Make copies of handouts to distribute at the event. At the event itsef Take photos! As peope arrive, ask them to sign up to receive updates from your organization. Have a timekeeper so that paneists/speakers remain within their assigned time. Announce a ca to action or have materias avaiabe for attendees to foow up. Let audience members know that they can earn more about the fim on the AMERICAN EXPERIENCE A Cass Apart website, and invite them to host screenings of their own! After your screening Foow up with audience members and invite them to future meetings and events. Send your event photos to ACassApartTheMovie@gmai.com. View them and connect with other fans on the A Cass Apart Facebook page! 3 3. Onine at A-Cass-Apart/

9 Faciitating Discussions of A Cass Apart Tips for A Successfu Pane Give your paneists an idea of who wi be in the audience, so they can taior their comments to the audience s needs and interests. (For exampe, if you anticipate a genera audience, ask paneists to tone down any sector-specific jargon.) Decide what you d ike the paneists to say. Depending on time, you may want to ask each speaker to give a brief reaction to the fim in context of their work, or just jump straight into the discussion. If time permits, aow each speaker to briefy introduce themseves and expain how their work is reevant to the issues raised in the fim. (You can aso create a hand-out with your paneist s bios to distribute to the audience.) Have an experienced moderator keep the discussion moving and fied questions from the audience. As the paneists speak, encourage them to choose specific scenes from the fim and ink them to their comments. Remember to reserve as much time as possibe for Q&A with the audience! Faciitating Group Discussions If you are hosting a arge screening of A Cass Apart, breaking out into sma groups of 6-8 peope may be a good way of generating more intimate conversations. If you go this route, identify a handfu of faciitators we in advance and make sure to go over these guideines with them before your screening, so they be ready on the day of the event. The faciitators basic job wi be to guide interesting conversations and ensure that everyone participates. Ask faciitators to encourage peope to share their reactions, provide some background information, and hep the group think about ways they can continue to engage with the issues. Additiona tips: Take a Minute to Refect. Right after you screen A Cass Apart, ask peope how they fet about it. Let peope speak from their hearts before you move the conversation into the discussion questions. A Cass Apart is a powerfu experience, and sharing it on an emotiona eve is one great reason to host a house party. Expain the purpose of the conversation. To keep the group on track, ceary articuate your goas for the diaogue at its outset. Why did you bring everyone together? Set ground rues. Encourage peope to participate, activey isten, and eave enough time for others to speak.

10 Guide the discussion, but don t micromanage! Pick a few of the discussion questions you think your audience wi find most interesting to get the conversation started, but be fexibe. Peope wi bring in unique ideas and experiences, so et the conversation fow! Provide some context. You needn t be an expert, but most audiences wi enjoy hearing a bit of context about the fim. This guide incudes key facts you may want to share. Encourage everyone to participate! Factors ike age, ethnicity, socioeconomic cass, education eve, and famiiarity with a topic can a infuence how comfortabe peope fee about sharing their reactions, especiay if peope don t know each other aready. Keep this in mind and activey encourage everyone to participate! Emphasize that everyone brings something unique to the tabe, and provide a variety of ways for peope to share. For exampe, you might ask everyone to write down a sentence about their initia reaction and have a coupe of peope read their thoughts aoud before starting the conversation. Brainstorm ways peope can continue to engage with the issues. What opportunities are there in your community for peope to get invoved? Come prepared with suggestions for ways to take action and et everyone contribute ideas. Thank everyone! Thank your guests for participating, and ask them to share cosing thoughts. D i s c u s s i o n Q u e s t i o n s Genera What did you earn from this fim, and how might you act on what you earned? Imagine that you coud send a copy of this fim to anyone in the word. To whom woud you send it and what woud you say to them about why you want them to see it? Describe a moment in the fim that you found particuary inspiring or disturbing. What was it about that scene that moved you? The Significance of Historica Memory Did you aready know about the history recounted in the fim? What is the impact of peope and communities knowing or not knowing this history? Who benefits and who is harmed by having this history remain invisibe? In particuar, how might greater knowedge of the Hernandez case infuence the way Latinos see themseves today? What roe does the acknowedgment of historica wrongs pay in a nation s abiity to hea from ong-term discrimination? In your view, what form shoud that acknowedgment take? In the fim, we hear a radio interview in Spanish with García, an exampe of oca media coverage of the case. Esewhere the case received itte coverage. How does media coverage infuence the impact of an event ike a Supreme Court civi rights victory? Do you know of current strugges for justice that are not reported in mainstream media outets? What are the effects of their excusion?

11 Citizenship and Constitutiona Protections What is the significance of the fim s tite, A Cass Apart? The fim observes that, Lega citizenship for Mexican Americans was one thing; equa treatment turned out to be quite another. In what ways can aws guarantee equaity? In what ways are aws imited in their abiity to guarantee equaity? In addition to changing aws, what kinds of things need to happen to eiminate discrimination when it is infused in the socia code (not just the ega code) of a community or country? For decades, Americans have debated the vaue of diversity and whether or not it shoud be activey promoted by aw (e.g., in affirmative action poicies). What do you earn about the vaue of diversity from the questions about Mexican Americans that members of the Supreme Court asked Gus García and Caros Cadena? Why did attorneys representing the State of Texas support the right of the court to excude Mexican Americans from juries? How woud incusion of Mexican Americans, especiay in trias of white defendants, chaenge the socia order? How woud you define or describe a jury of your peers? Woud it have to incude peope of your race, ethnicity, socioeconomic cass, age, or gender? Why or why not? Why is judgment by a jury of peers important enough to American democracy that it is guaranteed by aw? What do you earn from the fim about the significance of the Supreme Court? Why did the Hernandez awyers fee the need to have their case heard before the Supreme Court? How does the Supreme Court differ from oca, state, and ower federa courts, both in terms of jurisdiction and in terms of who serves and how they come to hod their positions? In what ways did the victory in Hernandez v. Texas benefit Mexican Americans? How did the decision benefit a Americans? Prejudice and Discrimination Prior to viewing the fim, what images came to mind when you heard the term Mexican American? What were the sources of your ideas about Mexican Americans? In what ways did the fim confirm or chaenge your ideas? Given the history of discrimination against Mexican Americans because they were not perceived as white, how is it that America came to define Mexican Americans as egay white? What roe did racism pay in the designation of Mexican Americans as white? How was the experience of Mexican Americans simiar to and different from the experiences of African Americans? Thousands of Mexicans came to be American citizens as the resut of a miitary confict in 1848 in which the United States took contro of former Mexican territory. What did you earn from the fim about the integration of a resident popuation into a new nation? In what ways does this history impact your view of today s immigration debates? What essons does the experience of these eary Mexican Americans hod for peope in the word today who are dispaced by war or forced to ive under a new government? What essons does it hod for today s Latino Americans? Describe the discrimination faced by Mexican Americans prior to the Hernandez decision. For those in the room who were part of that community, what discrimination did you experience or witness? What are the ong-term effects of pervasive discrimination such as being denied jobs, being prohibited from buying homes in good neighborhoods, not having quaity schoos, or the existence of sundown towns? How have those effects fitered through subsequent generations, even after the most batant discrimination has ended? Is there discrimination against Latinos today? If so, how has it changed?

12 Veteran Ramiro Casso says, We went to fight to give peope iberty and to give them their civi rights, and then we come back home and we find that it is the same way as we eft it. What roe did WWII veterans pay in making demands for civi rights? How did their miitary service change perceptions and expectations? Why was the 1949 denia of a memoria service to Pvt. Feix Longoria a pivota moment? What is the current reationship between miitary service and strugges against discrimination? Leadership and Change Woud you ca Gus García a hero? Why or why not? What essons about him woud you teach in schoos? Woud they incude his battes with acoho and menta iness? Why or why not? What are the benefits and drawbacks from the desire for perfection in our heroes? History often recounts ony the stories of eaders or famous peope. In what specific ways did ordinary peope make possibe the victory achieved by the awyers? What did you earn about community invovement in change from the experience of peope ike Pauine Rosa or those who contributed their pocket change? How do you think the Supreme Court victory infuenced the way that Mexican Americans saw themseves? How did it infuence the community s abiity to fight for and caim their civi rights?

13 A Cass Apart In Context The Impact of the Hernandez v. Texas Case 4. Source: LexisNexis.com, a ega database onine at When the Supreme Court rued in 1954 that Mexican Americans were a cass of persons deserving equa protection of the aw under the U.S. Constitution, it aid the groundwork for many important ruings over the next 55 years. As of January 2009, over 602 court decisions and 38 Supreme Court decisions incuded citations to the Hernandez case. 4 Recenty, the Mexican American Lega Defense and Educationa Fund reied on the Hernandez case in an important awsuit protecting the rights of Latino chidren and famiies. Santamaria v. Daas Independent Schoo District (2006) charged the Daas ISD and an eementary schoo principa for segregating Latino chidren from white chidren in cassrooms. MALDEF successfuy argued that under Hernandez, Latino chidren had a right to be treated on equa terms as white chidren, and the Court ordered the schoo to desegregate its cassrooms. Beow is a brief timeine of some important cases that have reied on the Hernandez v. Texas case. May 1954 Hernandez v. Texas: Supreme Court hods that the excusion of Mexican Americans from juries vioates the equa protection rights of Mexican Americans. June 1973 White v. Regester: Supreme Court uphods a district court s decision to dismante voting districts in Texas that were based on past discrimination against Latino and African American voters. June 1973 Keyes v. Denver Schoo District No. 1: Supreme Court hods that because Latinos and African Americans suffer from simiar discrimination, the combined number of back and Latino chidren reative to whites shoud be considered for purposes of determining whether a schoo is segregated. June 1978 Teamsters v. United States: Supreme Court affirms decision in favor of Latino and African American empoyees who were channeed into ower paying, ess desirabe jobs than those reserved for white empoyees. Feb 2003 Nov 2006 Mier-E v. Cockre: Supreme Court reverses murder conviction of an African American mae in part on the basis of historica, systemic excusion of African American jurors by the Daas prosecutor s office. Santamaria v. Daas ISD: Federa district court stops cassroom segregation of Latino students from white students, which had been maintained on the fase pretense that the Latino students were imited in Engish proficiency. Sept 2008 Northwest Austin MUD No. 1 v. Mukasey: Federa district court pane concudes that the 15 th Amendment gave Congress authority to extend voting rights protections to anguage minority persons, incuding Spanishspeaking Latinos.

14 Latinos in the United States Today A note on anguage: Hispanic is derived from the Spanish word hispano, and was first used in the U.S. census in Though often appied to a Spanish-speakers, it more specificay refers to those with cutura heritages tied to Spain. In contrast, Latino comes from the word atinoamericano, and describes peope of Latin American origin. It is the preferred term for many in the U.S. today, though Hispanic and Latino are often used interchangeaby. 5 Here, we ve used the terms used by our sources. Latinos in the United States have come a ong way since the 1950s, but inequaities persist. Some fast facts: Hispanics represent a disproportionate percentage of peope iving in poverty. As of 2006, one of every four peope iving in poverty in the U.S. was of Hispanic origin, 6 though Hispanics accounted for ess than 15% of the tota popuation (excuding Puerto Rico). 7 Most Latino students face discrimination. Eighty-four percent of Hispanic students reported in 2007 that discrimination is a probem in schoos, up from 38 percent in Hispanics are severey underrepresented in America s board rooms. Ony 1% of executive officer positions were fied by Hispanics in There are reativey few Hispanics in the ega profession. In 2004, just 3.3% of a awyers and 5.7% of a aw students were Hispanic. 10 There are very few Latino judges. Ony 2.8% of a judges serving in state courts are Latino, 11 and to date, the Supreme Court of the United States has never had a Latino Justice. (In fact, of 110 Justices in the Supreme Court s history, 108 have been white maes.) Hate crimes against Latinos continue to rise. In 2008, the F.B.I reeased statistics showing that hate crimes against Latinos had gone up a staggering forty percent from Despite these ongoing chaenges, the power of Latinos in the U.S. is significant and growing: Neary 75% of Hispanics are U.S. citizens. As of 2004, neary three-quarters of Hispanics residing in the U.S. were either native or naturaized citizens. 13 And, the majority of Latinos in the United States are native-born. 14 Hispanics are the argest minority. According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data, Hispanics make up more than 15% of the U.S. popuation, and are the fastestgrowing minority group. 15 The number of Latino eected officias is ow, but steadiy increasing. Athough there are ony 31 Hispanics serving in the 111 th U.S. Congress (5.7% of a members), 16 the number of Latino eected officias overa increased by 37% from At the highest eves of office, there was an even greater increase in that period, with the number of Latinos serving in federa and state egisatures growing by more than 50%. 18 Latinos are a significant voting constituency in the U.S. In the 2008 eection, 9% of the eectorate was Latino, up from 8% in Want to earn more? Try reading Are Chicanos The Same As Mexicans? (onine at chicano.htm) or Hispanic vs. Latino: Cuá es a diferencia? (onine at 6. Income, Poverty, and Heath Insurance Coverage in the United States 2006, Tabe 3, p.12. U.S. Bureau of the Census. Onine at pubs/p pdf 7. U.S. Hispanic Popuation Surpasses 45 Miion, Now 15 Percent of Tota, U.S. Bureau of the Census, May 1, Onine at gov/press-reease/www/reeases/archives/popuation/ htm. 8. Fry, Richard and Feisa Gonzaes. One-in-Five and Growing Fast: A Profie of Hispanic Pubic Schoo Students. Washington, DC: Pew Hispanic Center, August The Aiance for Board Diversity Women and Minorities on Fortune 100 Boards.Onine at ABDfinareport12208.pdf. 10. Mies to Go: Progress of Minorities in the Lega Profession (Executive Summary). American Bar Association Commission on Racia and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession Onine at org/abastore/index.cfm?fm=product. AddToCart&pid= Nationa Database on Judicia Diversity of State Courts: Nationa Report. American Bar Association. Onine at judind/diversity/nationa.htm. 12. Potok, Mark. Anti-Latino Hate Crimes Rise for Fourth Year In A Row, October 29, Onine at org/bog/2008/10/29/anti-atinohate-crimes-rise-for-fourth-year/. 13. Ramirez, Roberto. We the Peope: Hispanics in the United States. U.S. Census Bureau, Dec Onine at pubs/acs-03.pdf. 14. We the Peope: Hispanics in the United States. 15. U.S. Hispanic Popuation Surpasses 45 Miion, Now 15 Percent of Tota, U.S. Bureau of the Census, May 1, Onine at gov/press-reease/www/reeases/ archives/popuation/ htm. 16. Membership of the 111 th Congress: A Profie. Congressiona Research Service. Onine at opencrs.com/rpts/r40086_ pdf. 17. NALEO Educationa Fund Reeases 2007 Directory of Latino Eected Officias, NALEO Educationa Fund, Juy 12, Onine at pr htm. 18. NALEO Educationa Fund Reeases 2007 Directory of Latino Eected Officias. 19. Lopez, Mark Hugo. The Hispanic Vote in the 2008 Eection. Washington, DC: Pew Hispanic Center, November Onine at reports/98.pdf.

15 What You Can Do A Cass Apart shows everyday peope making change in extraordinary ways from the attorneys who pushed the unikey case forward, to the woman who stood up to ensure her chidren woud be treated fairy in schoo, and the countess men and women who contributed their hard-earned doars to see that the Hernandez case went to the Supreme Court. How can you make a difference? Beow are possibe actions to suggest to your members and audience members, and a few ideas for next steps if your organization is interested in using A Cass Apart as part of ongoing efforts. For Audience Members Continue the Conversation. Host a screening of A Cass Apart with your neighbors, in a community group, at your pace of worship, or at a oca coege, aw schoo or high schoo. Have a specia event for immigrants and hep them earn about this important chapter of American history. Introduce A Cass Apart to as many peope as possibe and keep the diaogue going! Share Your Story. A Cass Apart tes the story of many of the brave men and women who heped advance the Mexican American strugge for civi rights, but there are many more whose stories remain untod. Do you know your oca heroes? Tak to your famiy and friends and find out if and how they were invoved in civi rights strugges for Latinos or other groups. Veterans can contribute stories to the Library of Congress s Veterans History Project. 20 Part of the A Cass Apart generation? Add your story to the archive at the U.S. Latino & Latina WWII Ora History Project at the University of Texas at Austin 21, which has coected over 500 interviews since its inception in Register to Vote. Between 2004 and 2008, the number registered Latinos voters doubed, and Latinos have become increasingy infuentia in the poitica process. If you are a citizen 18 or over and haven t yet registered to vote, visit or for instructions specific to your state. is a great resource for Latino-specific issues. 20. Onine at vets-home.htm. 21. Onine at edu/ww2atinos/. Invite Your Loca Poicymakers to Watch A Cass Apart. Many eected officias are unfamiiar with the cuture and history of their Latino constituents, and given the increasing poitica power of Latinos, many poiticans are eager to earn more! Ca or write your oca officias to encourage them to watch A Cass Apart to gain a better understanding of the history of Latinos in the United States. Join the Movement. Caros Cadena and Gus García were civi rights pioneers, and many organizations are continuing the strugge for Latino civi rights today. The A Cass Apart nationa partners (see fina page of this Tookit) are just some of the many groups that are continuing to fight for equaity today. Vounteer, donate, visit their websites or join a oca chapter to find out how you can get invoved.

16 For Your Organization Organize a Screening with Loca Poicymakers. Hep eected officias or other eaders gain a better understanding of the history of Latinos in the United States, and use your screenings as an opportunity to open a diaogue about your organization s priority areas. Possibe tie-ins to the fim might incude anguage access for Spanish-speaking chidren in schoos; the importance of diversity in judicia appointments and other eadership positions; the need to raise awareness of Latino history within the community; and so on. Hep Extend Lega Services to Underserved Popuations in the Community. Many peope ack access to ega representation, but pro bono services and ega aid cinics can hep reduce unmet demand. Use a targeted screening of A Cass Apart as an opportunity to inspire oca aw students or attorneys to provide free ega services to those in need. Law firms and aw schoos may be interested in partnering with you on these efforts. Inspire an Art Show. A Cass Apart highights many of the compexities of identity in the United States and wi give many audience members a new perspective on a seemingy famiiar time and pace. Host an A Cass Apart-inspired art show to encourage peope to share their own experiences in a creative way! Ask oca artists to create pieces inspired by issues raised in the fim this might incude visua art, photography, fim, music, and/or performance pieces. This activity wi work especiay we with youth. Provide opportunities for discussion, and use your artistic dispay to inspire and faciitate new diaogues about issues in your community. Upift Loca Heroes. Use a screening of A Cass Apart as an opportunity to highight oca heroes in your community peope who fought for civi rights in the post-word War II era, or those who are doing so today.

17 Resources Fims Border Bandits, Directed by Kirby Warnock (Daas: Trans-Pecos Productions). After a group of Mexican banditos raided the McAen Ranch in 1915, Texas Rangers set out for punishment. What happened next infuenced the reationship between whites and Latinos in Texas for generations to come. Farmingvie, Directed by Caros Sandova and Catherine Tambini (New York: Camino Buff Productions, 2003). An intimate ook at tensions in a sma Long Isand town reveas the chaenges faced by communities across America as a growing numbers of Latinos head to the suburbs and the heartand. Justice for My Peope: The Hector P. García Story (Corpus Christi: KEDT, South Texas Pubic Broadcasting System, 2002). This fim tes the story of Dr. Hector P. Garcia Mexican Revoution refugee, medica doctor to the barrios, decorated war veteran, civi rights activist, American G.I. Forum founder and presidentia confidante - and his fight to ensure justice and equaity for Mexican Americans. Mendez vs. Westminster: For A the Chidren/ Para Todos Los Niños (Koce-TV, PBS). When Syvia Mendez and her sibings were banned from attending the a-white schoo near their Orange County home, the Mendez famiy fought back. Their 1946 victory desegregated pubic schoos in Orange County, Caifornia and heped pave the way for schoo desegregation across the nation. Sat of the Earth. Directed by Herbert J. Biberman (Independent Productions/Internationa Union of Mine, Mi & Smeter Workers, 1954). Mexican- American mine workers strike to achieve equa pay and equa treatment in this cassic fim. With A Deiberate Speed. Directed by Peter Gibert (Serviam Media, Inc. and TELEDUCTION, 2004). This fim examines Brown v. Board of Education and its impact a haf-century ater, as communities sti strugge to ensure equa educationa opportunities for a. Onine Conference on Hernandez v. Texas at Fifty. Provides a weath of artices and primary materia about the case from a 2004 conference sponsored by the University of Houston Law Center and Arte Pubico Press. The Oyez Project, Hernandez v. Texas, 347 U.S. 475 (1954) 406/ Lega summary of the Hernandez case. Handbook of Texas Onine A vast storehouse documenting the rich and compex history of the state of Texas. The Pew Hispanic Center A nonpartisan research organization designed to improve understanding of the U.S. Hispanic popuation and to chronice Latinos growing impact on the nation. Books White But Not Equa: Mexican Americans, Jury Discrimination, and the Supreme Court. Ignacio García (University of Arizona Press, 2009). More than just a ega discussion, this book ooks at the Hernandez v. Texas case from start to finish and paces the story within the arger issue of the fight for Mexican American civi rights. Coored Men and Hombres Aquí : Hernandez v. Texas and the Emergence of Mexican-American Lawyering. This edited coection of essays contains the papers presented at the University of Houston Law Center s 2004 Hernandez at 50 conference, as we as source materias, tria briefs, and a chronoogy of the case. View suggestions for further reading and additiona resources at the AMERICAN EXPERIENCE A Cass Apart website, onine at

18 A Cass Apart Nationa Partner Organizations Active Voice ( Active Voice uses fim, teevision and digita media to te the human stories that spark socia change. Our team of strategic communications speciaists deveops partnerships among fimmakers, funders, and thought eaders; pans and manages screenings and high profie events; repurposes digita content for vira distribution; produces educationa coatera; and consuts with industry and sector eaders. Since our inception in 2001, Active Voice has buit a portfoio of campaigns focusing on issues incuding immigration, crimina justice, heathcare, and sustainabiity. Camino Buff Productions, Inc. ( Camino Buff Productions, Inc. is dedicated to making independent fims that refect and are inspired by the Latino experience in the United States. Founded by Caros Sandova in 2001, Camino Buff produced both the documentary A Cass Apart and the Sundance award-winning documentary Farmingvie. The American Constitution Society ( ACS is one of the nation s eading progressive ega organizations. Founded in 2001, ACS strives to ensure that fundamenta principes of human dignity, individua rights and iberties, genuine equaity, and access to justice enjoy their rightfu, centra pace in American aw. The American G.I. Forum ( Founded in 1948, the American G.I. Forum is a Congressionay-chartered Mexican American veterans and civi rights organization with chapters throughout the U.S. The Hispanic Association of Coeges and Universities ( HACU represents more than 450 coeges and universities committed to Hispanic higher education success in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Latin America, Spain and Portuga. HACU is the ony nationa educationa association that represents Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and its member institutions are home to more than two-thirds of a Hispanic coege students. The Hispanic Nationa Bar Association ( HNBA is a not-for-profit nationa membership organization that represents the interests of the more than 100,000 Hispanic attorneys, judges, aw professors, ega assistants, and aw students in the United States and its territories. Since its founding three decades ago, the HNBA has acted as a force for positive change within the ega profession through a combination of issue advocacy, programmatic activities, networking events, and educationa conferences. Latino Pubic Broadcasting ( Latino Pubic Broadcasting supports the deveopment, production, acquisition and distribution of non-commercia teevision that is representative of Latino peope, or addresses issues of particuar interest to Latino Americans. The League of United Latin American Citizens ( The mission of the League of United Latin American Citizens is to advance the economic condition, educationa attainment, poitica infuence, housing, heath and civi rights of the Hispanic popuation of the United States. The Mexican-American Lega Defense and Education Fund ( Founded in 1968 in San Antonio, Texas, the Mexican American Lega Defense and Educationa Fund (MALDEF) is the eading nonprofit Latino itigation, advocacy and educationa outreach institution in the United States. The A Cass Apart Project in Texas is supported by The Meadows Foundation. A CLASS APART is a co-production of Camino Buff Productions, Inc. and the Independent Teevision Service (ITVS), in association with Latino Pubic Broadcasting (LPB), with funding provided by the Corporation for Pubic Broadcasting (CPB), for American Experience, with additiona production funding provided by: Houston Endowment, The Horace & Amy Hagedorn Fund at the Long Isand Community Foundation, New York State Counci on the Arts, Humanities Texas a State Partner of the Nationa Endowment for the Humanities, and Funding Exchange/Pau Robeson Fund for Independent Media.