Final answer:
Option (2), During the 1960s and '70s, minorities sought equal protection under the law primarily influenced by the success of the African American civil rights movement, which led to a rise in consciousness regarding civil rights among other ethnic groups and encouraged them to pursue equality through similar activism and legal challenges.
Step-by-step explanation:
The influential factors that led some minorities to seek equal protection under the law during the 1960s and '70s are multifaceted, but one of the key influences was the success of the African American civil rights movement. This movement was marked by grassroots activism and demonstrations that prompted the federal government to implement civil rights protections and equal opportunities. As a result, other ethnic minorities were inspired by the African American cause and utilized similar tactics to advance their own rights.
Federal efforts, spurred by concern for the dispossessed and Cold War pressures, further galvanized civil rights protections and opportunities. Additionally, the legal framework set by the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause expanded to encompass a wide range of attributes, encouraging legal challenges against discrimination based on race, color, ethnicity, and other factors.
Despite significant legislative victories like the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the movement faced challenges in the 1970s as changing public attitudes and resistance to policies such as affirmative action and desegregation emerged. Nonetheless, minorities continued to build upon the strategies of the African American civil rights movement to fight for equality, expand civil rights, and challenge the status quo through collective action and advocacy.