La Raza
Joe Razo worked for La Raza, a magazine that focused on the Chicano rights movement. He was a writer, a photographer and a co-editor. He saw just how different it was living as a Chicano in America. He tried to help the Chicanos realize how much they were worth and saw the difference in how many Latino youth were going to college compared to how many white youth were going to college. Not only that, some teachers would discriminate against the *Chicano students. Some teachers did not think Chicanos would be able to finish college, so they would assign them hands on labor classes rather than academic classes. In response to the racism and bad treatment they received, they organized multiple student walk outs and marches. They were protesting not only against the racist system of their schools but also the racism against Chicanos from the police and others. Joe Razo identified with the Chicano movement so he decided to join La Raza. He first got involved by writing some stories for La Raza. La Raza had started becoming very influential and crucial to the Chicano movement because there was not a lot of representation of Chicanos and how they were getting discriminated against in mainstream media. La Raza showed the inequality and the unjust treatment by the police and others in society towards the Chicanos . Joe Razo was one of the people telling these important stories.
*Chicano--Someone who is born in the United States with parents who were born in Mexico. The term can also be used as a political term for people that feel connected to the culture, pride and struggle of Latinos and especially the Mexican-American community.
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Images Joe Razo took during the student walk outs and rallies
for La Raza magazine.
for La Raza magazine.
I think what it takes to be an upstander is that YOU have to be that person that stands up for what you believe in. YOU have to be the person to say I am going to do something that might be hard and scary but it's the right thing to do. You will be brave and keep going through life and you will have a story to tell that helps the world be a better place.
Video for Power of One
Joe Razo lives in a house in Alhambra with lots of pets and his wife. Even though he is retired he still tries his hardest to help minorities to this day. Although Joe Razo is now already 80 years old he has done some very amazing photography and had his work at a recent exhibit located at the Autry Museum. (https://theautry.org/press/autry-presents-la-raza-2017-08-09) . Mr. Razo is still trying to educate people about the struggles of Chicanos and immigrants. He regularly puts up signs containing struggles of immigrants, the struggle of racism, and other struggles we face in our lives today.