Chicano Movement Co-Founder: “Take Pride in Killing Cops”

These are two excerpts from a speech made by Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales in 1969 at UCLA, one of the four founders of the radical Chicano political movement. The “Mission” incident he talks about is apparently a then well-known case, in which Chicanos killed a cop in the Mission District of San Francisco in 1969. The Chicanos were members of radical Chicano organizations, including the Brown Berets de Aztlan. See the video description for a link.

These revolutionary ideas are still taught in Chicano studies classes in universities and high schools across the nation. The ashes of Corky Gonzales are scattered in Chicano Park in San Diego, according to the Chicano Park Steering Committee chairman, Tomasa Camarillo. The Chicanos consider the park to be “sacred”, as the first piece of reconquered land.

A Chongo (monkey) is a slur for the police and “vato” means “guy” or in this case presumably a Chicano street tough. The “Comancheros” was a group that terrorized innocent ranchers, whom they claimed were living on land that belonged to them.

Corky Gonzales is honored in the historical mural at Chicano Park, along with others, such as communist dictators, Fideo Castro and Che Guevara. He is fourth from the left in this image of the historical mural.