Expedition through Aztlan

By David Sanchez,

Founder and former ‘Prime Minister’ of the Brown Berets

originally published in 1978

David Sanchez was born in East Los Angeles in 1950. He founded the Brown Berets in December, 1967 and became their ‘Prime Minister.’ Sanchez has been portrayed as a civil rights leader in the media and US history textbooks. Nothing could be further from the truth. He was a leader in the violent Chicano movement.

According to critics, an examination of Sanchez’s autobiography, Expedition Through Aztlan, presents a very different picture. They contend that the book promotes ethnic separatism, ethnic nationalism, and hostility toward those outside the movement, while also containing historical interpretations they consider inaccurate or misleading.

In a letter written on behalf of the Chicano Movement and published in the Los Angeles Times in January 1971, Sanchez criticized Anglo America on a variety of issues. He attributed tensions between law enforcement and Mexican Americans to the United States’ acquisition of the Southwest following the Mexican-American War. He also criticized the deportation of Mexicans during the Great Depression, the treatment of Mexican Americans during the 1943 Zoot Suit Riots, and what he viewed as shortcomings within the Catholic Church regarding educational outcomes for Chicano students. Additionally, Sanchez argued that Chicanos suffered disproportionately high casualties in the Vietnam War and lived under conditions in Los Angeles that he compared to a repressive system.

Critics reject these claims, arguing that they are historically inaccurate or greatly exaggerated. They further contend that the Brown Berets embraced the concept of “Aztlan,” a term used by some Chicano activists to describe the American Southwest, and that elements within the movement envisioned regaining cultural or political control over the region. Critics view this ideology as divisive and incompatible with an integrated American society.

More broadly, some critics argue that resentment over the outcome of the Mexican-American War has persisted among certain activists, who continue to regard portions of the Southwest as land unjustly taken from Mexico. They claim that a small number of activists have advocated removing Anglo influence from the region or promoting forms of ethnic-based political power.

This perspective remains controversial and is strongly disputed by supporters of the Brown Berets, who characterize the organization as a civil rights movement focused on addressing discrimination, social inequality, and the rights of Mexican Americans.