Michelle Nazar Young Lords

The young lords consisted of the children of rural migrants from Puerto Rico who arrived in New York in the 1930s-40s. These children grew up with not a lot of money, which meant not a lot of opportunity. Communities did not have an abundance of money to spend on health care, schooling and other community needs. Therefore, this group used confrontational tactics to bring attention to the services needed in East Harlem (El Barrio). The Young Lords piled garbage on 3rd Ave and set it to fire, as well as confronted people at a church in order to bring awareness. Clearly, this group is extremely adamant about their values, and about changing the society in which they live in for the better. The Young lords matter today because they are able to influence and inspire other people that are in similar conditions to speak up and act upon their opinions and rights. They create a sense of power for the people of the future. In addition, they showcase a rare form of pride in one’s culture, one thing that gets lost when immigrants come to America. The film frames this journey of the young lords in a very eye-catching and interesting way. It follows a group of college students who are at a disadvantage because of the way they grew up and shows how their persistence shines through accomplishing certain goals, being inspired by the young lords of the past. Overall, the film does an amazing job of educating us the mark the young lords made on the youth of today and how their legacy shines through the present.