How did the counterculture and expanding rights revolution of the 1960s and 1970s affect American society? Counterculture has gained relevance and shaped the minds of the youth on various topics. Women began to fight against social norms. Other minority groups such as Latinos, Asian Americans and Indians have begun asserting their rights. Americans have begun to notice and protest our destruction of the environment. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayThe counterculture movement aimed to go against the norms established by mainstream culture. The main things that the counterculture went against were traditions of dress, music and personal behavior. Baby boomers who had counterculture ideals can be considered hippies. Hippies are about peace, love and freedom. Musicians had an effect on the political views of Baby Boomers. Artists like Bob Dylan have written songs about civil rights and peace. The general counterculture has convinced young Americans to stand up for what they believe in. government." (Section 1, page 683) After World War II women were content to let men go back to work and women go back to staying at home. But after the counterculture and civil rights movements began to grow in popularity, women also began to fight to be equal to their male counterparts. “The civil rights movement inspired women to demand gender equality and taught them how to achieve it.” ) Women also wanted to have jobs in typically male-dominated fields. Betty Friedan, author of The Feminine Mystique, helped form the National Organization for Women also known as NOW first is to pass the Equal Rights Amendment which would ensure gender equality across the nation. The second was to protect women's reproductive rights. So that women don't have to take illegal and dangerous paths to get rid of a pregnancy they don't want. Feminism has had vocal opposition from conservatives and even other women such as Phyllis Schlafly. The ball started rolling when the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed and Roe v. Wade. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 gave feminists a legal tool to use to ensure that they would not be discriminated against solely because of their sex. Roe v. Wade ensured women's right to legal abortion. After seeing the expansion of rights for African Americans and women, other ethnic minorities also wanted to take part in the action. Latinos were harshly discriminated against especially after World War II. Latinos were usually migrant farm workers where they had to endure deplorable conditions, without any benefits. Cesar Chavez was a very outspoken activist who fought for farm workers and better conditions for Latinos. He formed a union and then merged it into what became the United Farm Workers, or UFW. After some worker strikes and a grape boycott, California passed a law ensuring that farm owners had to bargain with union representatives. Overall Latinos were finally able to finally get representation. “In 1980, six Hispanics sat in Congress, representing districts from New York to California.” (Section 3, page 694) Indians also formed groups such as the American Indian Movement to make 699).