CHICAGO METRO HISTORY FAIR

2015 SUMMARY STATEMENT

Attach an annotated bibliography (AB) that is divided between primary and secondary sources.
Submit two copies of the SS and AB at the competition. Please type.

Mario Mejia and Jose Saldana

Student name(s) _____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Title _The Young Lords Organization _
Check if applicable (and respond to Question 3):
This project uses the 2015 National History Day theme, Leadership & Legacy in [Chicago/Illinois] History
Project Category:

Exhibit

Website

Paper

Student Composed
Word-Count:

Student Composed
Word-Count: 1500

Total Word-Count
(excluding citations):

Documentary Performance
Time:

Time:

1. THESIS STATEMENT

Present the projects argument or interpretation in two sentences. If you are using the NHD theme, you might want to make it
evident in your thesis statement.

Then the Young Puerto Rican men created the Young Lord gang. They created it to defend themselves
from the abuse and racism of the white gangs. After sometime they evolved into an organization to
fight for Puerto Rican rights. The Organization was started by Jose "Cha Cha Jimenez. The
Organization was known as the Young Lords Organization (YLO). This organization started during the
1960's. The Young Lords helped the Puerto Ricans to become politically involved, helped fight urban
renewal, and helped the Puerto Ricans with Social Services.
2. SUMMARY OF PROJECT

Briefly explain your project and its conclusion. Include: How and why did change happen and what was the impact? Why is
it historically significant? What historical meaning or importance can we learn from your findings?

Despite racial conflict between The Young Lords gang and the police they evolved into an organization
do the fact of the mistreatment of the Puerto Rican community. The change happened when the Young
Lords gang realized that they needed power in the government in order to defend their people. This is
when they became The Young Lords Organization (YLO). The YLO showed the people how to fight
for the rights with conflicts such as the urban renewal which was happening in the 1960s in Lincoln
Park. This is historically significant because it shows how the bad such as a gang, like in this case The
Young Lords, turned into a political party. They became more intellectual and politically involved in
the community which influenced the community. In our we learned how unity in the community could
lead into solutions to our problems.

3. Required for projects using the National History Day theme only.

Explain how this project integrates the NHD theme Leadership & Legacy in [Chicago/Illinois] History into its argument.

The History Fair theme, Leadership & Legacy, integrates into our argument because the YLO showed leadership by
defending themselves and the people from the system (The government). During the 1960s, Puerto Ricans were denied
social services and were getting kicked out their homes due to Urban renewal. During this time the Young Lords gangs
saw that their people were abused of their rights. Into order to help their community, they became an organization which
was called the Young Lords Organization (YLO). The YLO not only had a potential to help their people but influenced
them to become politically active. The YLO influenced the people by showing that they needed to vote for someone who
would stand up for the community. They influenced by passing out flyers, newspaper and mail which requested the Puerto
Ricans to come to meetings and riots to make a change in the community. The legacy of The YLO was that they influenced
that they influenced not only the Puerto Rican community but also other minorities which had similar conflicts. Some of
the influenced were college students which adapted the name of the Young Lords and they located in New York City, New
York.
4. PROCESS
A. What historical question did you start off withand how did it change once you began doing your research?

I didnt have a historical question to start off with. I came across an article of the Young Lords, which interested us in
investigating more about their organization. We started to look for primary sources and we came along many historical
newspaper of the YLO. This started to intrigue us to know why they started their organization and how it made an impact
in their community.
B. What kinds of sources did you use as evidence to develop your argument (for example, letters, photographs,
government documents, interviews, etc.)?

I used a wide variety of sources as evidence to develop my argument. I discovered that De Paul University web page
has many of the Young Lords newspaper. These helped us to start developing our arguments and start using these articles
as evidence. These newspaper date from the early 1960s to the late 1970s. They have images of important members of the
YLO. One of the members shown in the newspaper was the leader of the organization, Jose Cha Cha Jimenez.
C. Select one piece of evidence that you used and explain how it influenced your argument.
See link for full example

D. List libraries (other than school), museums, and other institutions that you visited to do your research.
See link for full example

De Paul University special collection center

Harold Washington Library