Brown Berets in the United States

Brown Berets in relation to Crime and Race

Brown Berets is included in the Encyclopedia of Race and Crime (1), beginning with: The Brown Berets were the most prominent youth organization addressing issues in Chicano communities during the late 1960s and early 1970s. During their brief existence (1967 to 1972), the Brown Berets were involved in numerous protests and organized around aspects of Chicano life that would positively impact the lives of Chicano people. This section reviews the development of the organization, the assorted activities of the organization, and its eventual dissolution. As the population of Mexicans increased in the 1960s, a sense of cultural identity and a need to address inequitable treatment of this group fostered the development of several organizations. The Brown Berets, formed by David Sanchez in Los Angeles, was one such group. Sanchez’s initial involvement with the Young Citizens for Community Action spurred the development of the Brown Berets to serve as an alert patrol, with defending the Chicano neighborhoods as their primary objective.

Resources

Notes and References

1. Entry about Brown Berets in the Encyclopedia of Race and Crime

See Also