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- Cabañas Barrientos, Lucio -Lucio was a teacher, organizer, revolutionary from the Mexican state of Guerrero.
- Cadre - Also known as the "cuadro" in Spanish, cadres are the most committed and advanced forces in an organization or political party - i.e. the ones that an organization can depend on.
- California - Califas, Califaztlán.
- Calo - Chicano/pachuco style of talk.
- Cananea - The Mexican mining town that went on strike in 1908? and was attacked by Porfirio Díaz, seen later as the spark that set off the Mexican Revolution.
- Canek, Jacinto - An eighteenth-century Maya revolutionary who fought against the Spanish in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico.
- Capital - Not to be mistaken for "capital" referring to a city, this is an economic term. Money to invest in the labor, machines, and raw materials needed for industry. Money that is used to create/make more money without work. When money is transformed into power. This is large amounts of money transformed into power in the form of huge businesses, corporations, banks, companies, and factories. Only people from the upper class have large capital.
- Capitalism - A social and economic system where the "means of production" (everything necessary for production: raw materials, factories, labor, markets, etc.) is concentrated in the hands of wealthy individuals (the bourgeoisie or capitalists). The capitalists have the right to manage their properly anyway he or she wishes (hire who he/she wishes, produce what they feel will sell, etc.), and make as much profit as possible. The wealth and ownership of property gives the capitalists tremendous power and social influence. They control the schools, markets, factories, the media, and so forth. The main goal and principle of unity in capitalism is the accumulation of wealth. It is in contradiction to socialism, where the wealth of the nation and the means of production are "publicly" owned, and the goal and principle of unity is human progress and social advancement. A capitalist is a person with capital.
- Cárdenas, Cuauhtémoc - .
- Cárdenas, Lázaro - One of the greatest presidents Mexico ever had, he came through on many of the promises made to poor people during the Mexican Revolution.
- Caribs - The indigenous people of the area now known as the Caribbean (named so after this group).
- Carranza, Venustiano - Northern rich land owner that later formed a part of the Mexican Revolution, and even later became president of Mexico. He ordered the assassination of Emiliano Zapata.
- El Castillo - One of the main pyramids of Chichen Itza in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. It had been restored and represents one of the many amazing achievements in design and mathematics of the Mayan people.
- Castro, Fidel - Cuban revolutionary, under whose leadership the Cuban Revolution was victorious in 1959. The island nation was transformed into the first socialist state in the Western Hemisphere. He has been one of the most effective revolutionary leaders in Latin American history.
- Castro, Sal - .
- Catastrophe - A terrible and massively destructive event.
- Catholic Church - This is the powerful religious institution based in Rome, Italy that has greatly impacted world history. It has generally been on the side of the rich and powerful throughout Latin American history, although a small movement known as "liberation theology" had a strong influence on the side of the people during the second half of the 20th century.
- Central America and the Caribbean - The region from the south of Mexico to the north of South America. The countries of Central America are: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. The Caribbean (named after the Caribs) includes thousands of islands and territories. The principal nations of the Caribbean include: Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) - Responsible for the vast majority of coups in Latin America and for offering support to the majority of violent dictatorships.
- Central Powers - In WWI these nations fought against the allies: Germany and Austria Hungary, with their allies Turkey and Bulgaria.
- Centro Cultural de La Raza - Chicano Mexicano cultural center founded in 1970. Located in Balboa Park, San Diego, Califas.
- Centro de Accion Social Autonoma (CASA) - This was a very important Mexican community organization that believed that Mexicans should organize and struggle for our rights. One of the most important founders was Bert Corona.
- Chauvinism - An ideology (or way of thinking) that creates contempt and hatred for another race, sex, people, and/or nation. It represents itself as feelings and expressions of superiority over other people. For example "male chauvinism" (one of its forms), claims men are superior to women.
- Chávez, César - Founded the UFW. Known throughout the world as a leader in the struggle for farmworkers rights in California.
- Chiapas - The southernmost state of Mexico, located towards the southeast of the country.
- Chicana/Chicano - A word that became widely used in the 1960's - 1970's as a progressive political identity for raza born in the U.S. It has become less commonly used in the barrio since the 1990s, although still common at colleges and universities. At times it is used to represent a Mexican living in the United States, and is proud of her/his history and culture.
- Chicano Federation of San Diego - A social service agency in San Diego that had a positive early history in community struggle.
- Chicano Mexicano Prison Project (CMPP) - A project founded in 1993 by UdB to defend the rights of raza prisoners.
- Chicano Moratorium of the 1970s - The series of activities during the Chicano Power Movement that was against the war in Vietnam. The largest of the events was the August 29, 1970 marcha that was attacked by a police riot.
- Chicano Park - One of the most important outdoor spaces in the world celebrating mural art. Its murals tell the story of struggle of la raza. It is located in Barrio Logan, San Diego, one of the most historically combative raza communities in Southern California.
- Chicano Park Steering Committee (CPSC) - The community based committee that defends Chicano Park and makes decisions as to its maintenance and development. Tommie Camarillo has been the principal leader of the CPSC for many years.
- Chicano Pinto Union - An organization that was based in San Diego during the 1970s that worked with prisoners.
- Chicano Power Movement - Also known as the "Chicano Movement", this was the social movement by and for Chicanas/os in the United States that lasted from the late 1960s to the mid 1970s. Chicano Power had as one if its goals the general progress of our communities through winning better educational opportunities, better jobs, and more social/political rights. The movement was repressed by the U.S. government along with the Black Power and American Indian Movements through COINTELPRO. Because it was ideologically weak internally, and thus had not consolidated a form of organization to lead the movement, the Chicano Power Movement rapidly declined by the late 1970s into the 1980s. When the U.S. federal government declared the 1980s as the "Decade of the Hispanic", it was to have been the final defeat of the ideals of the Chicano Movement.
- Chicana/o Studies - A field of study that was established through the struggles and demands of the Chicano Power Movement.
- Chichen Itza - This is a beautiful Maya ceremonial center on the Yucatan Peninsula, and the Southern Mexican state of Quintana Roo. It's most significant pyramid is called "El Castillo."
- Child Labor - The employment of children below an age determined by law or custom. Child Labor was allowed during the Industrial Revolution in England and the U.S., because the factory owners did not care about the rights of workers, not even children, and just wanted to make more money. It was not until many years later that it became illegal.
- Chile - A republic in SW South America, on the Pacific coast. 12,680,000; 286,396 sq. miles. Important to this section because of the presidency of Salvador Allende.
- Chi Minh, Ho - President of North Vietnam during 1954 to 1969, and leader of the reunification and communist revolution in that country.
- China Trade - In the early 19th century China's trade involved the exchange of sliver and opium for Chinese silk and tea for the markets of Europe and America. Today China has Most Favored Nation (MFN) status with the U.S., and is becoming the clearest economic, political and military superpower competing the U.S.
- Chinese Communism - Led by the ideas of Mao Tse-Tung, Chinese communism has been seen as being different from Soviet communism in several ways...
- Chinese Revolution - The events that culminated in the establishment of the People's Republic in China in 1949, the Chinese revolution was led by Mao Tse-Tung and was one of the most important events in history. This communist revolution broke China from the hundreds of years of colonial and imperial domination, and today the country has become one of the most powerful in the world.
- Chiques - Famous barrio in Oxnard, Califas.
- Churchill, Winston - Anti-communist leader of England during WWII, and most well known for his naming of the division of Germany and the rise of communism in Europe as an "Iron Curtain".
- Cinco de Mayo - The day raza celebrate the battle of Puebla in May 5,1862. It was there that the Mexican Liberation Army won a victory over the French, who had invaded México.
- Citizen (Citizenship) - Official status and recognition by the state of an individual living within its border or political boundaries.
- Civil Rights - A struggle supported by individuals to achieve equality for different people under the current laws of a certain country. In other words, civil rights require recognition of the power, authority, and legitimacy of the state, even if the state deny's you your civil rights, or does not even recognize your right to exist. In the U.S., this phrase usually refers to the struggle of African Americans, and "the movement" was a term used to refer to the activities of organizations in the forefront of the struggle during 1950s to 1960s. The struggle included efforts to attain voting rights, access to public accommodations, and better educational and economic opportunities for Black people within the U.S. This can also include rights to personal "liberty", as established by the 13th and 14th amendments to the U.S. constitution, and certain other congressional acts from the U.S. government.
- Class - A number of person's or things regarded as belonging together because of common attributes, qualities, or traits; kind; sort. Capitalist society and nations are divided into social classes according to their relationship to the means of production. For example, the owners of the means of production are the ruling or capitalist class (or upper class). The intellectuals, managers, lawyers, supervisors, etc. are the middle class. And, the workers and poor, are the working class (also referred to as the proletariat). The vast majority of raza living within the U.S. are working class.
- Class Antagonism - The name given to when the two main social classes (ruling and working) have conflicts based on their opposing economic and political interests and influences the other in the struggle for social power. See "Class Struggle."
- Class Collaboration - Those willing to put aside the interests of their class, and work with those of a different class. When workers collaborate with the capitalist class, they are basically selling out their class for short term gains. We see this situation represented by most of union/labor leaders within the U.S. When ruling class people support liberation struggle (which actually happens sometimes) they know they are surrendering some of their class privileges.
- Class Consciousness - Knowing what class you belong to, and trying to do what is in the best interests of your class. The awareness and understanding of the workers and poor of their situation within the economic strata (division of society based on how much capital/money they have), what is in their best interests, and that they must unite/fight to win economic, social, and political demands. Most of the time it is only the working class that is not conscious of its class interests. The upper and middle class know very well what is good for them, and try to convince (sometimes coerce) the working class to think the same way as them, and put aside working class solidarity.
- Class Interest - This represents what each class wants for itself - for example the upper class wants workers to "Work More & Get Paid Less", while workers want "More Pay & Less Work". There can be other forms of interests: national, race, collective, individual, etc.
- Class Peace - When all the social classes are not openly fighting, and are content with what they have. The workers generally have more rights (higher pay, benefits, etc.), and the middle class is growing. This can only occur on a temporary basis matching the high points of the business cycle.
- Class Stratification - When a society is separated into groups called "social classes" - i.e. upper, middle, and working class.
- Class Struggle - The conscious and organized struggle for political and economic power carried on between capitalists and workers. Historically, the struggle between the oppressor and the oppressed. In the past, this struggle was between the slaves and the slave owners, later between the serfs and the nobles/ lords, and today, between the workers/poor and the rich capitalists. Also known as the struggle between the “haves” and the “have-nots”. See also class antagonism.
- Class Values - The ideas and values held by a given social class. See also class interests. The values that dominate any time come from the most powerful class (which controls the means of production). Over time, it has been the capitalist class that has been in power and therefore capitalist values have been dominant around the world, not because they are better, but because they have in power. This can be seen as a simple for of class ideology.
- Coalition (Political) - A limited alliance or union of different political groups to form one broad group. The different groups keep their differences, but unite only around what they have in common, which could be a community issue, a campaign, etc.
- Cochabamba - Combative region of Bolivia.
- Coerce - To force against your will, sometimes under threat of violence.
- Cold War - The official name given (in capitalist countries) to the worldwide confrontation between capitalism, led by the United States, and communism, led by the Soviet Union. It was not really a "cold" war because millions of people were killed over it throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America from 1945 to 1993. The idea of a "cold war" just made killing people in the Third World more acceptable to people in capitalist countries. The Cold War started right after the U.S. dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, which aside from the military justification, was used to send a deadly message to the Soviet Union about who was in charge of the planet.
- Collective - A group of people coordinating their time and discussion for a common effort. In an organized form, this can represent the organizational spaces that, when they are meeting, have more authority than smaller bodies and individual leadership.
- Colombia - A republic NW south America. 27,900,000; 489,828 sq. miles. capital: Bogota.
- Colony - A territory or people under the occupation (usually through armed force) of a foreign power. Sometimes it refers to a settlement of foreigners (settlers) outside their native land. See also colonialism.
- Colonialism - The practice of establishing and maintaining colonies. The objectives of colonialism are: (a) to steal natural resources from other places; (b) to use the colonized population as a source of cheap labor/slavery; (c) to use the colony as a place to sell its products (a market); and (d) the colonizer oftentimes uses it as a place to send its "excess" (unwanted) population. The practice of a powerful country going into and directly taking over a weaker country, and stealing it's most valuable resources. The system or policy by which a nation seeks to extend or retain it's authority over other people's territory. This system is named after Christopher Columbus. Decolonization is the struggle to end colonialism.
- Columbus, Christopher - The Italian man who, while in the service of the Spanish monarchy, got lost and was found by the indigenous peoples of what is today known as the Caribbean on October 10, 1492. This let loose a system of colonialism upon the Americas and the world that was based on genocide of Native people, and the enslavement of African people.
- Columbus, New Mexico - On March 9, 1916, the revolutionary forces of General Francisco Villa crossed the US/Mexico border and attacked and burned this town. This attack was in retaliation for U.S. intervention in the Mexican Revolution in support of Venustiano Carranza against Villa and Zapata.
- Combativeness - .
- COMECON - An association of communist countries, founded in 1949 to facilitate trade and economic development.
- Comité de Mujeres Patricia Marín (CMPM) - Originally born from the UdB Women's Commission, the CMPM is now a community project named after Compañera Patricia Marín.
- Committee on Chicano Rights (CCR) - Organization from National City/San Diego who struggled for raza rights during the 1970's to the early 1980's. See "Herman Baca".
- Commodification - A socio-economic process by which all things are degraded to the point of being bought and sold, including people, and the work people do.
- Commodity - Something useful or valuable that is produced, and that is sold and bought in the markets of the capitalists.
- Communism - A classless society with equal distribution of economic goods envisioned by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. A final stage in social development where the state (also known as the political organization of society that includes police, military, and authoritative leadership), has withered away (disappeared and no longer needed). It will be a situation where all wealth produced is shared equally (no rich or poor; no social classes), all the needs of individuals are met (housing, food, education, etc.), and people must work according to their ability (young work more than old, stronger more than the weaker, etc.). The old communist slogan is... "...from each, according to their ability, to each, according to their needs..." A communist is a person or group that works to build a society based on communist principles.
- Concentration Camp - A large prison camp where war prisoners are held. The name comes from those camps used in Nazi Germany and areas they controlled.
- Concentration of Poverty - This refers to the opposite of the Accumulation of Wealth, in that as a small group of people known as the upper class gets more rich, the great majority of people become more poor.
- Concretize - To make real.
- Congo - A republic of central Africa west of Zaire: a former French colony; gained independence in 1960. 2,270,000; 132,046 sq. miles. Capital: Brazzaville.
- Conquistadores - The name used for the Spanish conquerors of the Americas, especially in Mexico and Peru in the 16th century. They came searching for gold, silver, and power, and they destroyed all of the civilizations they came in contact with throughout the Americas. They were pirates, thieves, rapists, and genocidal assassins.
- Concession - To give up something small in order to get something else in exchange.
- Constructive Criticism - An important process used within democratic centralism that helps us overcome contradictions. See also Self-Criticism.
- Consciousness - This is what every person should achieve so each of you can have control over your own lives now and in the future. Human consciousness is what makes us cherish and struggle for freedom.
- Conservative - Relates to politics, culture, economics, etc. Not wanting change or progress, but holding on to what is in the present or even looking to move backward to how things were in the past. Most of the time people who call themselves conservatives use it as a nicer name to describe themselves for acting like assholes.
- Consolidated Copper Company of USA - This was the name of the US owned mining company in Cananea, Sonora where a terrible massacre took place that came to be seen as the spark of the Mexican Revolution.
- Constitution - A set of rules for government - often made real as a written document that describes and lists the powers and functions of a larger political group or nation. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is.
- Constitutional Monarchy - Government in which monarch's power is demoted by a constitution.
- Containment - Truman administration policy designed to prevent the spread of communism. See "Truman Doctrine".
Contradiction - In dialectics, a contradiction is the conflict between different (opposing) forces; or the struggle of opposites. In political struggle contradictions are those things we do or say that are opposed to our political ideology or practice, whether in our political work or our own "lifestyles".
- Corona, Bert - An important leader of the Chicano Mexicano people.
- Corporation - A type of capitalist organization.
- Cortes, Hernán - A "Conquistador" from Spain that came from Europe and led the invasion against the Mexica civilization. He was responsible for the destruction of Tenochtitlan in 1519.
- Cortez, Gregorio - Famous Mexicano from Texas in the 1900's who defended his rights against racist white police.
- Cortina, Cheno - During the late 1800's he fought for the rights and lands of Mexicans against the racist white attacks in Texas.
- Costa Rica - Small Central American country.
- Counter-Revolutionary - People, organizations, actions, or ideas that are used to resist and/or overturn a revolutionary process.
- Coup d'Etat - Also known as "golpe de estado". This is usually led by the military to violently remove a government and install another made up of the military or their allies.
- Crazy Horse - Great indigenous leader.
- Critical Pedagogy - A theory and style of teaching that focuses on developing the ability of students to better understand the world they live so they change it. The student is the center of learning with discussions being an important part of the class. It was primarily developed by Paulo Freire.
- Critical Thinking - Being able to look at things in history and in the world in a way that is intelligent and knowledgeable; understanding how things relate to each other, and how they affect your own life.
- Criticism/ Self-criticism (Political) - In organized struggle and within democratic centralism criticism/self-criticism is a practice that is absolutely necessary as a method for dealing with individual contradictions in a way that is not based on personal attacks. It is also known as "constructive criticism", and no person regardless of age, rank, experience, etc. is above criticism.
- Crusade for Justice - A Chicano Power organization founded in 1965 in Denver, Colorado by Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzáles. Corky "declared it a 'movement born out of frustration and determination to secure equality with dignity.' He insisted that the crusade be separate and independent of private or government agencies. The Crusade became Gonzáles's base for expressing Chicano and Chicana demands for better housing, equal educational opportunities, jobs, and land reform as well as the medium for articulating his own philosophical pronouncements on the Chicano/a movement. The crusade published a newspaper, El Gallo." It was one of the most important organizations of the time, and fought for the rights of Raza within the U.S.
- Cuba - An island nation of the Caribbean.
- Cuban Missile Crisis - The confrontation between the United States, Cuba, and the Soviet Union in October 1962 that threatened to open up an nuclear war. The world had never been closer to nuclear war before and since that time.
- Cuban Revolution - The revolution led by Fidel Castro against the Batista dictatorship that transformed the way Latin America looked, and became the first socialist country in the Western Hemisphere.
- Culture - The sum-total of what humans produce through our social relations among and within each other. Language, art, food, dress, etc. are all part of what makes up culture.
- Cultural Domination - Under imperialism, this is used to make people in the dominated countries want to look, act, speak, and dress like the people in the imperialist country. This is done using books, movies, music, holidays, etc.
- Cuauhtémoc - He was the nephew of Moctezuma II, and later became the the last great Mexica emperor. He dedicated himself to fighting against Spanish colonialism, and the Spanish tortured and killed him by burning his feet. He is also known as Guatemotzin.
- Czar - .
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