Huelga Schools

In 1970, federal courts mandated that the Houston Independent School District integrate its public schools. In order to bypass full integration, board members emphasized the white legal status of the growing Mexican-American population. This upset the Latino community because its status as white prevented the residents from having full representation in desegregation. The Houston Mexican-American community chose to boycott the board's decision by not attending the public schools. As a result, activists created temporary alternatives called Huelfa, or strike, schools. The first set of schools opened on August 21 with the purpose of continuing traditional courses such as math, reading, and writing while at the same time emphasizing a distinct Mexican-American identity. Many certified teachers and volunteers from the University of Houston offered their services for the Huelga Schools. This proved inadequate, however, because the number of students enrolled, approximately four thousand, was much higher than anticpated. In total, the activists established twenty-one schools during the boycott that officially ended September 16. The Huelga Schools illustrated the community's commitment to culture-oriented education while engaged in protst activity. The two-week-long boycott of the Houston Independent School District demonstrated the Mexican-American community's level of dedication to education. It also validated its struggle for legal recognition and equal treatment in local schools. Out of the experience emerged a new generation of leaders in education, the city council, and state and federal government. (2016) Marker is property of the State of Texas