The Escuela of Aztlán

Chicane education in Denver, CO

Escuela Tlatelolco in Chicane History

Escuela Tlatelolco was a school in Denver, CO that taught students to practice activism and Chicane values. It operated for 47 years, until it closed in 2017.

While other schools like Escuela have been founded since El Movimiento, none have had the same lasting success. This makes Escuela unique in El Movimiento overall, and an important site for Latines living in Denver.

Fig. 1. Image of front of Escuela Tlatelolco. c. 2015. Latino Cultural Arts Center. Accessed Mar. 5, 2023.

History of Chicane Education in America

Scholars studying Chicane people tend to focus on California and Texas as the most important sites of El Movimiento. Education has also stood out as one of the most prominent topics in this research.

However, what goes under appreciated is the role Colorado played in El Movimiento, especially regarding education for Chicane people.

This exhibition will elevate the story of Escuela Tlatelolco, which represents the importance of Colorado in El Movimiento, and how education has been a tool to continue the huelga—or activist struggle—into the 21st Century.

Fig. 2. Chicano Power image in Escuela Yearbook (cropped portion of original image). 1973. Courtesy of the Denver Public Library, Western History Collection, [WH1971].