Legacy courses through the veins of a multitude of generations, superseding the previous, yet its power can only be accessed through knowledgeability. The Young Lords, a street gang turned national civil and human rights organization, has paved a road in uncharted territory for Puerto Rican immigrants. Through education, perseverance, and a collective consciousness, they were able to reach reform for their communities across the United States. The film, Millie and the Lords, their legacy is focused primarily in New York City. In the late 1960’s sanitation reform, as well as social reform, swept the communities, yet as their legacy lives on, full justice has not been brought to the Puerto Rican community.

Formed by a group of college students from Columbia University, SUNY-Old Westbury, and Queens College, a five-year plan has been established: you either be free, go to jail, or die, as the movie stated. The need for this type of determination manifests itself through the film’s cinematography. Reform is still needed in low income communities due to the copious amounts of social issues. Discriminatory stop and frisks, the absence of insurance, frequent thefts and burglaries, impossibly low wages, alcohol dependency, gang activity, and minimal college opportunities stump the growth of these communities and give off the illusion that nothing can be done. The uninformed public is conditioned to believe that change is impossible to attain and their voices and wishes will never truly be heard. Thus, one may see where the tactics of the Young Lords can be applicable. By uniting, speaking out, and participating in activism change is possible.

Today, the Young Lords give a sense of unity and pride to the people. Without a collective sense of identity, one would “continue to accept oppression”. Knowledge is a big threat to the establishment and an inconvenience to the oppressor. The Young Lords were infiltrated from within, where factionalism was promoted by pitting group members against one another, stumping the efficiency of their campaigns. Nowadays, by believing that class is not multiracial and focusing on class a subcategory of race, the same factions form.

According to Mouffe, communities have set needs that should be easily accessed by any citizen, regardless of race or class. Some basic rights cannot be denied, and public safety, access to community centers, and decent job opportunities could fall under that category. Throughout the film we see the protagonist struggle with finding money to bring home, battling the danger of the streets at night, the cutting of hours, and domestic abuse which all holds the possibility to shift once there is a call to action. The Young Lords from the 60’s may not be around now, yet their legacy to unite and fight lives on. A shop owner in the film even said, “If it weren’t for them [The Young Lords], I don’t know where I would be.”

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The article by The New Yorker discusses the role of pop culture as a form of mass resistance or as a catalyst for social change. Political art remains in the spotlight when it comes to identifying the main form of pop culture that acts as an instrument for economic and political control. Alex Ross quotes Walter Benjamin, ‘“There is no document of culture which is not at the same time a document of barbarism”’ (newyorker.com), which relates to the visual activism utilized in the abolitionist movement. One visual aid that sticks out is that of a drawing of an African American hanging by his/her leg, being harassed by two white males. This image documents the culture of what slavery was like, releasing its barbarism into the media, which at that time would have had a much greater impact on the population as these images weren’t as widespread or as easily accessible. Illustrations help bring unseen issues inside a community to the surface, challenging the already questionable societal norms, such as slavery. “…Mass culture advances radical politics,” states Ross, “One great contribution that they made to the art of criticism was the idea that any object, no matter how seemingly trivial, was worth a searching glance” (newyorker.com). Seemingly trifling symbolism holds great power in steering political and social reform. Luca discusses the importance of political competence where a citizen utilizes his/her role in society to “advance her interests successfully as a member of various social groups” (18). Being able to decipher symbols in political art verifies this “political competence”.

Luca in, “Questions on Citizenship”, depicts what makes up a good citizen, which includes being involved in the country’s affairs, respecting the laws, and educating the children. In relation to political art, being able to decipher the underlying tone serves as that education. Art is a “safe” yet powerful form of activism, abiding by the laws, and it often deals with the current pressing issues of the nation. “Citizenship implies a ‘sense of community’” (19), as Luca mentions, and a tension arises when there is a need to critique that community; citizenship allows all people, even the “socially disempowered,” as Luca states, to gain competence, to defend their interests, and thus, to criticize their community. Political discussion or expression between citizens acts as a form of confrontation and communication, as we see is the case with political art. Moreover, in democratic life, symbols are vital as they connect distinct groups of people and provide a common ground. Luca describes symbols as being for a collective identification; for instance, the abolitionist art, due to its heavy focus on symbolism (from visuals to captions), the art pertained to a large and varying audience.

In general, Luca states that collective identification becomes challenging with immigrants as their political identities remain with their original nationality, religion, or language. However, as communication expands, separate communities embrace the same pressing social problems, which places the communication at risk of getting lost in the “nonsense”, as Luca describes it; “The critique of the media…produced a succession of complacent exhibitions of criticism” (28). Essentially, critique becomes part of what communication stands for. Similar to the delusions that communication can fall victim to, political art is also susceptible to being twisted. Jackson opens “Making it Otherwise” by saying, “…artists are afflicted by a more than ordinary inability to accept things as they are” (167). This reminded me of Paul Revere’s engraving of the Boston Massacre where, for the purpose of communication, Crispus Attucks, an escaped slave, was depicted as a white male and not African American. Jackson discusses art in a more spiritual and sacred manner, illustrating how art can be an extension of one’s body or soul if one ceases to materialize the artwork and look deeper into it, not just at its surface. Any art, not only political, is known to evoke this deeper sense as it serves as a stimulus for reform, evoking strong emotions, and resonating with the viewer–it reveals the unseen aspects of the world.

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Assimilation of newcomers has always been a pressing issue in America; however, ever since the American Revolution, the concern of accommodating to a rising and diversifying wave of people troubled America even more. One would expect the population to expand due to an increase in job opportunities in the city and the abandonment of rural duties, but the aftermath of war, such as the French Revolution, also “encouraged both republicans and monarchists … to seek refuge on Manhattan island” (34). For instance, the slave revolt in Santo Domingo produced an influx of 4,000 refugees. The demographics change constantly, as while some remain as permanent residents, the rest move back to their home country, providing space for the next wave of immigrants. Established communities would assimilate into the larger white society, visible through tangible objects such as local newspapers; For instance, the German Society aided refugees and promoted useful knowledge. The Council of Revision became afraid that this would horde immigrants who will be ignorant of the Constitution. On the other hand, New Yorkers still proved to be “charitable towards newcomers in difficulty” (35), raising money and opening hospitals. Essentially, the Atlantic wars discouraged migration, and the restoration of peace encouraged this wave. The concentration of skills brought over to New York established it as a magnet for mercantile affairs and domestic trade. As a result, NYC emerged as a financial center of the nation. The demand for “banks, insurance companies, auction houses, and permanent stock exchange” (36) rose, and by the 1840’s Wall Street became the center of the city’s financial district, as it is still today. European nations constituted the largest group of foreign businessmen, establishing the long line of white control. Historian Richard B. Scott pointed out that the majority of the immigrants arriving to New York City in the period prior to the Civil War were young rural men.

Moreover, many issues came up to the surface with the new wave of immigrants which demanded accommodation. As time progressed, immigration became more accessible due to advancements in technology; establishment of private passenger lines and invention of steam ships served as a catalyst for New York City’s dynamic growth and diversity. With this growth, as anticipated, immigrants faced troubles other than being in a foreign country with limited financial resources. “Runners” would falsely gain the trust of disordered migrants and misinform them to rob them of their cash as much as possible. To accommodate to these issues, new facilities were set up such as central landing stations for immigrants, like Castle Garden, which was later replaced by Ellis Island.

The effects of the rapid population growth also led to pushed physical boundaries, northward. Lower Manhattan was converted for commercial use as residents moved upwards or to Brooklyn, while Staten Island was used to hold quarantined or ill immigrants.  The need for an easy commute transformed the city as mass transportation took place; omnibuses and horse-drawn railways increased the pace of the city. The people, jobs, transportation, infrastructure, and poor housing undoubtedly led to hygiene issues and disease, causing yet another need for new agencies and establishments. The Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor (AICP) documented “appalling conditions and called for reform legislation” (43). To place in a nut shell, the dynamic growth of New York City triggered a chain of events that only pointed in one direction: to reform and adaptation. However, adaptation often leads to exclusion rather than inclusion, paving the path for discrimination and racism, jumpstarting the loop of accommodation once again. The need to immigrate led to an increase in jobs, leading to a rise in industry and housing. Rise of industry led to the expansion of living quarters and the need to repurpose infrastructure. The trial and error aspect of trying to adapt to all the needs led to the development of agencies and legislations, many of which helped New York City become what it is still today: a bustling microcosm.

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