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187

187: The Rise of the Latino Vote

Proposition 187 was a California ballot measure passed in 1994 that sought to deny public services to undocumented immigrants.  While the initiative was meant to keep the “immigrant threat” at bay, it mobilized non-immigrants and immigrants in Latino communities as well as their allies across the state. The political awakening of this powerful group would dramatically change the state’s electoral politics, transforming the state into a Blue and progressive state for the first time. Proposition 187 created new and enduring political faultlines across California and across the nation as well as molded the political careers of a new generation of leaders.

Watch a pivotal moment in California history unfold through more than 20 interviews with major political figures, artists and thinkers such as California state senator Maria Elena Durazo, Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund (MALDEF) president Antonia Hernández and former California State Assembly speaker Fabian Núñez and more. See how the historic events helped awaken a new generation of political Latinos that would soon rise to power including former California State senator Gil Cedillo, former California State senate president pro tempore Kevin de León and MALDEF president Thomas Saenz. Watch how the fight for immigrant rights in California influenced artists such as Culture Clash and Lalo Alcaraz. Witness the dawn of a new era in California politics.