Title: Civil Rights and Conservatism - Texas Our Texas
Headings: 
Explore Texas by Historical Eras Civil Rights and Conservatism 1945-Present by Darcy McNutt
Content: Their numbers grew so quickly that Texans with Hispanic roots – many from families that had lived here since colonial times – soon became a minority in the state. The Anglos’ political power strengthened as their numbers grew. So, too, did prejudice against Hispanics – especially after the Texas Revolution against Mexican rule. While laws enforcing segregation between whites and African Americans did not extend to Hispanic Texans, segregation by custom was strong. Like African Americans, most Latinos at the time lived in segregated neighborhoods, attended inferior segregated schools and found their voting power limited by the white majority. World War II saw many Hispanic Texans serve – in the military and in related jobs on the home front. But access to good jobs, political office and education remained limited for many Latinos. As with African Americans, the fight for equality for Hispanics was led largely by people from the middle class. Organizations like the League of United Latin American Citizens and the American G.I. Forum offered support. Those groups were joined by the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund in 1968 and by Raza Unida in the 1970s.