Proposition 187 Generation: Reflecting On My Activism And Pedagogy In Oxnard, California, 1994-2014

This past November 8, 2015, marked the twenty-first anniversary of the passing of California’s Proposition 187, which aimed to prohibit undocumented immigrants from gaining access to social services, health care, and public... [ view full abstract ]

This past November 8, 2015, marked the twenty-first anniversary of the passing of California’s Proposition 187, which aimed to prohibit undocumented immigrants from gaining access to social services, health care, and public education in California. Since, its passing in 1994, Chicana/os and Latina/os continued to faced and witnessed decades of anti-immigrants rhetoric and policies throughout California.

The legacy of Proposition 187 has influenced numerous ballot initiatives or laws in other states, especially Arizona’s SB 1070 and Georgia's HB 87. I’m personally linked to this period, which I have identified as the Proposition 187 Generation, were many Chicana/os and Latina/os gained and developed their political consciousness to become community organizers or scholar-activists.

In this paper, I reflect on my own activism during and after Proposition 187 in Oxnard, California between 1994 and 2014, which has played a significant role in my pedagogy in and out of the academy.