By Francisco ‘Chavo’ Romero

Special Report: Oxnard, Ca

Over 100 working class community and supportive members gathered at the Café on “A”/Acuña Gallery and Cultural Center on Monday evening, March 28, 2011. They converged to come to support the Save Ethnic Studies Tour event featuring Sean Arce, one of the principal plaintiffs that are in a counter-lawsuit against Arizona’s HB-2211. The event was part of a multi-city tour coordinated by the California Faculty Association (CFA) and the Save Ethnic Studies campaign to defend the K-12 ethnic studies program in Tucson, Az., co-sponsored by Union del Barrio and endorsed by the Colecitvo Todo Poder al Pueblo.

In 2010, there was an onslaught of anti-migrante legislation that hit the communities of Arizona. It was SB-1070 alone that sparked a wave of community resistance not seen since the attempt to push through HR-4437 in 2006 at a national level in which millions of workers, migrantes, and general community took to the streets in an unprecedented level not seen since the 1960’s.

Immediately after Arizona SB-1070, spearheaded by the Governor Jan Brewer, and backed by the ilk of politicians such as Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Russell Pearce, and Tom Horne came the attacks on public education programs. In fact, it was Tom Horne that nearly single handily pushed for the passing of what will be known forever in the history books as House Bill 2281. This bill aims to derail and debunk the achievements of the Ethnic Studies programs, including those that study the Native American, African, Asian, and Chicano/Mexican experience. Despite the clear and convincing fact that educational programs that focus, honor, and embrace the culture, and socio-political history of oppressed and marginalized communities overturn, challenge, and reverse the tide of high school drop/push out rates and general educational achievement, the openly racist politicos moved forward to dismantle four decades of sweat, blood and tears.

It is within these brutal and blatantly oppressive conditions, that a handful of maestros and students, with their humble means have openly challenged the farce, lies and rhetoric that Brewer, Arpaio and Pearce spew.

Every penny counts! There are few people that are willing to give it all up for the cause, but, the teachers and students from the Tucson, Arizona area have literally and physically challenged this notion! It is within this reality that ‘la lucha’ is playing itself out and will be written in the history books. To that end, representatives of this landmark and historical struggle have been traveling to voice and share their story about sacrifice, struggle and perseverance.

At every stop the Save Ethnic Studies Tour is collecting a dollar or two. Sometimes, a gracious person cuts out a check for $100 or so, but that is far and few between. When this type of legislation hits California, perhaps, when their job is on the on line they will feel the need to donate a couple of thousand dollars. Time will tell. For those are a bit more conscious, a few hundred dollars of donation is a drop in the bucket. This is why we have pushed and pressured those academics, professionals, etc, which have benefitted from the Chicano Movement, the “civil rights” movement, to donate!

Within this contextual reality, we held the forum. It was a humble way of honoring our compañera, Avie Guerra, a local Chicana warrior, a mujer, that that fought for human rights, for students and youth, and for Chicano Studies.

It was a way of honoring and calling for the local support of the Café on “A”/Gallery and Cultural Center, a bastion for our comunidad.

So, we moved forward with the Programa del Pueblo. We, the working people of Oxnard and Ventura County raised nearly $3,000 for this campaign. It was Danza Huitzlin Ihuan Xochitl, Inlakech Mariachi, Colectivo Todo Poder al Pueblo, Unión del Barrio, K.E.Y.S. Youth, Tacos Mi Pueblo, Café on “A”, Witness for Peace, Public Works Collective, Sicks Three, La Catrina Mexican Folk Art, Luz Ma, Mayo de la Rocha, Tomas Carrasco, Tara Yosso, Chuy Rocha, Gabriel Serrano, Xavier Montes, Daniel Zapata, Verónica Under the Sun, the Moreno and Romero Family, Culture One, Barrio Productions, El Güero, and many more.

A Voice of Progress and Revolution
The Raza Press and Media Association continues in its efforts to create a network of progressive and revolutionary Raza journalist/media workers. Since our last general meeting in Feb 5, 2011 (held in Oxnard, CA), our membership has been working hard to realize its goals and objectives. Members have been busy writing articles, producing podcasts, assisting grassroots/barrio based groups, and conducting workshops. The latest issue of our journal, Guerrillera/os de La Pluma is ready and will posted on our website within the next few days.

Our next general meeting will be held in San Diego (see agenda below) on Apr 23, 2011. The meeting will coincide with the annual “Chicano Park Day Celebration” and will be held at a restaurant near Chicano Park. This will enable the participants to attend both the RPMA meeting and the celebration at the park.

Besides on regular meeting items, we will have an informative round table discussion on “What Is The Role of the Raza Journalist/Media Worker Today?” . In light of the growing oppression and colonial wars throughout the world, the discussion will be of value to all who want to do something significant to change this world. More details on the meeting will be sent out in early April.

Finally, the RPMA welcomes new members to the association. The criteria for membership is simple: (1) must support the aims and objectives of RPMA, (2) attend 50% of RPMA activities or meetings, and (3) must be active in the production of any form of media (photography, journalism, film, radio, art, etc.) that supports Raza liberation. The constitution, goals, and structure of the RPMA are found in our website. If you would like to join us, please contact us at e-mail on our website.

Agenda For Next General Meeting (April 23, 2011, San Diego)
A. Welcome/Introduction
B. Report from Mesa Members
C. Reports from General Members
1. Coordinator
2. Finances
3. Website/Guerrillera/os de La Pluma
4. Membership
C. Update On RPMA Projects
1. International Delegation
2. Publication
D. Discussion: “What is the role of the Raza Journalist/Media worker today?”

Brief update on work of RPMA members
* The following are updates of work submitted by some of the members of the RPMA.
Pablo Aceves:
• Wrote article titled “Shawna Forde Trial in Tucson: A Culture of Violence And A Colonial Media that is an Accessory to Murder”, for the Spring 2011 Issue of Guerrillera/os de La Pluma.
Marc Baca:
• Wrote article on death of Native/Indigenous scholar-activist Jack Forbes titled “His Worked Affirmed That Chicano History Was In Fact –Real” in the Spring 2011 Issue of Guerrillera/os de La Pluma.
• Helped with editing article for Spring 2011 Issue of Guerrillera/os de La Pluma.
• Worked with media committee of the Southern California Immigration Coalition (SCIC).
Ernesto Bustillos:
• Wrote article for the Spring 2011 Issue of Guerrillera/os de La Pluma, tilted “Without A Colonial Education, Colonialism Cannot Exist!”
• Edited latest issue of Las Calles y La Torcida (Jan-March 2011), newsletter of the Chicano Mexicano Prison Project.
• Worked with publicity committee of the Association of Raza Educators (A.R.E) San Diego.
Martin Madrigal:
• As a member of SCIC’s (Southern California Immigration Coalition) Media and Steering committees, helped to draft press releases and writing specific letters to various elected and non-elected officials on a myriad of subjects.
Jose Moreno:
• Co-produced a podcast for Radio Free Aztlán with Norma and Jose Gonzalez from TUSD Mexican American Studies and Raza Studies Program. Also, worked on editing and collecting the articles for Spring issue of La Pluma.
• Presented at workshop titled Chicano/a And Latino Studies Within The Academic Industrial Complex (Conference On Critical Ethnic Studies and the Future of Genocide: March 10-12, 2011University of California, Riverside)
Luis Moreno:
• Updated the RPMA website
• Co-produced a podcast for Radio Free Aztlán with Norma and Jose Gonzalez from TUSD Mexican American Studies and Raza Studies Program.
• Edited/produced the Spring 2011 Issue of Guerrillera/os de La Pluma
• Presented at a workshop titled Chicano/a And Latino Studies Within The Academic Industrial Complex (Conference On Critical Ethnic Studies and the Future of Genocide: March 10-12, 2011University of California, Riverside)
Benjamin Prado:
• Translated the article written by the Save Our Barrio Coalition on the
Congreso de Barrio.
• Documented (video & photos) and an article on the 25th Anniversary
event of the Fraternal Relationship between Union del Barrio and the African
People’s Socialist Party on February 17th.
• Documented/published bilingual articles of the Comite de Mujeres Patricia Marin (CMPM) event commemorating International Working Women’s Day in San Diego on March 5, 2011 (Lincoln High School).
• Produced the following fliers for upcoming events:
a) 2011 US Labor Tour b) Marcha de Zapata San Diego 2011 c) May 1st action- San Diego
• Produced the newsletter/bulletin of the Raza Rights Coalition, PUEBLO UNIDO.
– Updated the Union del Barrio and Raza Rights websites/facebook.
Francisco Romero:
• Presented at the workshop titled Chicano/a And Latino Studies Within The Academic Industrial Complex (Conference On Critical Ethnic Studies and the Future of Genocide: March 10-12, 2011University of California, Riverside).
• Wrote an introductory article for the Spring 2011 issue of Guerrillera/o de La Pluma.
Antonio Velasquez:
• From January-March, wrote and posted a six part series of commentaries titled “Shooting at the OK Corral” and part one of “It’s Only Words, and That is All – Creativity, a Measure of Freedom”.