Blowout!

In March 1968, thousands of Chicano students walked out of their East Los Angeles high schools and middle schools to protest decades of inferior and discriminatory education in the so-called "Mexican Schools." During these historic walkouts, or "blowouts," the students were led by Sal Castro, a courageous and charismatic Mexican American teacher who encouraged the students to make their grievances public after school administrators and school board members failed to listen to them. The resulting blowouts sparked the beginning of the urban Chicano Movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s, the largest and most widespread civil rights protests by Mexican Americans in U.S. history.

This fascinating testimonio, or oral history, transcribed and presented in Castro's voice by historian Mario T. Garcia, is a compelling, highly readable narrative of a young boy growing up in Los Angeles who made history by his leadership in the blowouts and in his career as a dedicated and committed teacher. Blowout! fills a major void in the history of the civil rights and Chicano movements of the 1960s, particularly the struggle for educational justice.

“This book is a significant contribution to the literature of the Chicano/a movement.-- Journal of American History”

This book is an important contribution to Chicano history and the field of American education.--The El Paso Times This book is a significant contribution to the literature of the Chicano/a movement.--Journal of American History The influence of [Castro's] teaching methods and the walkouts resonate today, underscoring the importance of this publication in Chicano and U.S. History.--49th Parallel The book fills an important place in the history of the Chicano movement.--The Latin American Review of Books An important perspective on a major event in the history of Los Angeles schools and the reform efforts, however controversial, that needed to be made on behalf of Chicano students.--Los Angeles City Historical Society An excellent read for casual readers as well as serious students of the Chicano experience, education, the history of the 1960s, leadership development, and California history. It will make an excellent choice for undergraduate classroom use and reading lists.--Western Historical Quarterly A worthy learning experience. Solidly researched, with extensive notes, photographs, and a valuable appendix of Chicano historiography. Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.--Choice A compelling story of individual courage and commitment personified by Sal Castro. . . . A masterful and inspirational life story that is brilliantly contextualized by the larger Chicano Movement.--Journal of American Studies

Mario T. Garcia is professor of Chicana/o studies and adjunct professor in history and religious studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

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