Building the Next Left

Friday, October 25, 2013.  Oakland, California

Sponsored by DSA.

The Government is Open. Now Fight for Just Gover...

SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: The Government is Open. Now Fight for Just Gover...: The Government is Open: Now fight for Just Government Policies By Joseph M. Schwartz  Progressives  welcome the defeat of R...

Making Change in Education for Chicano Students

Over 80 graduates of the Mexican American Education Project  and community members came together on Oct. 11/12, 2013 at CSU Sacramento to begin the recording of the history of the Mexican American Education Project ( 1968-1973) in Sacramento. The event was recorded and a video transcript should be available by 2014. 

The fundamental purpose of the Mexican American Education Project was to prepare activists as change agents- usually working in schools. Follow up research will document the success and the problems of the effort.

Photos from the event are up on the Chicano Digital History Project .

These  are of participants in the event: Recuerdos del Moviemiento Chicano 1965-1980.

A preliminary  report  and photos are  at https://sites.google.com/site/chicanodigital/home/mexican-american-education-project/mexican-american-education-project-evaluation

Dia de La Raza

El Día La Raza :What happened to the indigenous race?

By  Rodolfo F. Acuña

When César Chávez was asked what he thought about the term la raza, he answered the question with a question, asking, what was wrong with the indigenous race? 

The word raza was popularized by José Vasconselos who in 1925 wrote an essay titled “La Raza Cósmica” (The Cosmic Race). Vasconcelos was an intellectual and intellectuals at the time took it to mean that Latin American was comprised of races from all over the world, and that the mixture had produced a new people who would transcend the "old world".

Demands for Immigration Reform Produce Nonviolent Direct Action at Capitols

 Demands for Immigration Reform Produce Nonviolent Direct Action at the Capitol
Update.

At least eight Democratic lawmakers were arrested Tuesday at an immigration rally on the National Mall in Washington.

The staff of Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., confirmed to Al Jazeera that Ellison, who sat in the middle of Independence Avenue together with other House Democrats, had planned his act of civil disobedience to push for a law that, among other things, would allow millions of undocumented immigrants to apply for U.S. citizenship.

Ellison is expected to release a formal statement on his protest after his release.

Representatives of the social policy organization Center for Community Change and The Associated Press witnessed the arrests of House members John Lewis of Georgia; Luis Gutiérrez and Jan Schakowsky of Illinois; Raúl Grijalva of Arizona; Ellison; John Crowley and Charles Rangel of New York; and Al Green of Texas.

Source: Al Jazeera. 

October 8, thousands of people from across the country  gathered  in the nation’s capital to demand the House Republican leadership pass comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship. After the rally at the National Mall and march to the U.S. Capitol, two hundred of the attendees – national and local community and labor leaders, impacted immigrants, civil rights and faith leaders, and Members of Congress,  follow the event at the steps of the U.S. Capitol with nonviolent civil disobedience aimed at underscoring the urgent need to vote and pass fair immigration reform this year. Speakers at the rally include Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Democrat Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA), Reps. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Mario Diaz Balart (R-FL), civil rights leader Julian Bond, AFT Pres. Randi Weingarten. Other Members of Congress, national and local community, faith, and labor leaders will be standing on stage during key moments before the march begins.

Some of the national and local leaders participating in civil disobedience  include Tefere Gebre, Executive Vice-President of the AFL-CIO, Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, Bruce Goldstein, Executive Director of Farmworker Justice Fund, Gustavo Torres, President of CASA in Action, Bernard Lunzer, Vice-President of the Communication Workers of America, Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice, Abel Nuñez, Executive Director of the CARECEN DC office, D. Taylor, President of UNITE HERE, Maryland Delegate Ana Sol Gutierrez, John Stocks, Executive Director of the National Education Association, Maria Elena Durazo, President of the LA County Federation of Labor,  New Haven Alderman Delphine Clyburn, Joslyn Williams, President of the DC Central Labor Council, Jaime Contreras, Vice-President of SEIU 32BJ, Giev Aaron Kashkooli, Vice-President of the United Farmworkers, Terry Cavanagh, Executive Director of SEIU MD/DC State Council, Javier Valdes, Co-Director of Make the Road New York, Lawrence Benito, Executive Director of Illinois Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, and Javier Morillo, President of SEIU Local 26. For more on the Washington events go to www.AmericasVoice.com

These arrests follow the arrests of Women Activists for immigration on Sept.13, and union activists on Aug. 10.

by Duane Campbell

In Sacramento the California Republican Party headquarters across the street from the State Capitol was the site of a demonstration by Unite/Here and  SEIU members as well as community activists.  The Republican party was confronted with a message of,  “ We will remember your candidates in  November.

Immigration Reform Demonstration - Contra Republican Party - Oct. 8

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The "Implacable" War Against Migrants

The "Implacable" War Against Migrants

Oct 5, Immigration Reform Marches

Rallies took place in more than 150 cities across the U.S. on Saturday in an effort to restart the push for comprehensive immigration reform led by a group of bi-partisan lawmakers earlier this year.

Organizers of the "Day of Dignity and Respect" events in cities from New York to Los Angeles hope to draw fresh attention to an issue that was at the forefront of the national dialogue in July when the Senate passed an immigration bill that would have included a path to citizenship for the millions of undocumented individuals in the U.S., but House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has refused to put to a vote.

Meanwhile, Democrats in the House introduced a similar measure Thursday, which will likely also face opposition from House Republicans, many of whom are wary of supporting anything that could be perceived as "amnesty" for individuals who broke immigration laws to get to the U.S.

House Republicans have also let it be known that they prefer a more step-by-step approach to the immigration issue in contrast to the broader measures in the Senate bill.  

Oct.5. Immigrants march for dignity -Sacramento

Miles de inmigrantes participarán este sábado 5 de octubre en al menos 160 eventos organizados en más de 60 ciudades de 37 estados para exigir a la Cámara de Representantes –controlada por los republicanos- que apruebe una reforma migratoria comprensiva.

También pedirán al gobierno del Presidente Barack Obama que frene las deportaciones, que durante su primer mandato bordean los 2 millones y de ellos más del 40% no tenía antecedentes criminales.

“Este 5 de octubre es el día nacional de acciones coordinadas”, dijo a NoticiasUnivision.com Natalia Jaramillo, directora de comunicaciones del Florida Immigrant Coalition. “Es el punto en que se inicia el escalamiento de nuestras actividades con un mensaje claro: vamos a seguir aumentando la presión sobre la Cámara y sobre ambos partidos para que aprueben la reforma migratoria y paren las expulsiones”.

En Los Ángeles, California, las organizaciones están de buen ánimo sobre todo por la promulgación, el jueves, de la Ley Sb60 que otorga licencias de manejar a indocumentados a partir de enero de 2015.

Más en Univision.com: http://noticias.univision.com/inmigracion/reforma-migratoria/article/2013-10-04/todo-listo-para-las-marchas-por-la-reforma-migratoria#ixzz2gohdaiZh

CSUS Indian Conference

Excellent many nations conference at CSU.
Information at www.californiaindianconference.org

Eliseo Medina, Retires from SEIU

Eliseo Medina, Who Reshaped Labor and Immigrant Rights Movements, Retires from SEIU

Today is Eliseo Medina’s last day as the Secretary-Treasurer of SEIU International. Medina is retiring from his job, though not from immigrant rights activism, after nearly fifty years working for social change. Medina helped expand Latino union membership, and increased Latino voting and political empowerment. He secured SEIU resources to implement Latino voter outreach strategies that effectively changed the course of national politics, and played a leading role in broadening a network of immigrant rights groups into a national labor and church-backed movement.

Medina’s activism began in 1965 at age 19 as an organizer with Cesar Chavez and the UFW. He was trained by the legendary Fred Ross Sr [1]., who also mentored Chavez. Seen by many as Chavez’s successor, Medina abruptly left the UFW in 1978 over concern with the group’s direction. His departure began a mass exodus of the UFW’s key organizing talent, whose future endeavors became the subject of my previous book, Beyond the Fields [2].

Jose Montoya, artist, poet, teacher, activist, friend, ally,

 Jose Montoya, artist and activist, died Wed. Sept. 25, 2013 in Sacramento, California. Jose was a teacher, a poet,  and a community activist important to the Chicano movement as it developed in the 1960s and 70’s.  He was a poet Laureate of Sacramento and a co founder of  the Royal Chicano Air force- an artist collective who helped to define Chicano art and commit their art to political involvements.

See  https://sites.google.com/site/chicanodigital/home/table-of-contents/royal-chicano-air-force

The son of farmworker champion Cesar Chavez, Paul F. Chavez, and United Farm Workers President Arturo S. Rodriguez said in a joint statement, “We will always cherish Jose for how he inspired us as well as so many others through his art. But we will also remember him for the countless times when he walked picket lines, helped organize UFW events and fed the farmworkers during every major strike, boycott and political campaign. He was truly a servant of the farmworker movement and we will always be in his debt.”

  See: https://sites.google.com/site/chicanodigital/home/the-farmworker-movement-in-sacramento-1972-1976

Montoya influenced thousands of students and teachers during his 27 years as a professor of art at California State University Sacramento, as well his earlier years as a teacher in Wheatland.  He was a sought after speaker on issues related to using art  in teaching.

House Republicans plan to kill immigration reform

House Republicans plan to kill immigration reform

Sept.27, 2013.

 In August, as Congressional leaders turned their attention to Syria, cutting food stamps, and provoking a   budget crises, efforts to pass immigration reform  by progressive pro immigration  groups intensified.  In California, labor and its allies targeted Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield with demonstrations by thousands of farm workers, faith communities, and immigrant rights groups, including a 285-mile pilgrimage  of protest to the Bakersfield office of  McCarthy,  the  majority whip for the Republican Party  in the House. (see photo)  McCarthy is not usually counted among the extreme Tea Party Congresspersons.  The Bakersfield area district has a 35 percent Latino population and 22.8 percent of the voters in the 2010 election were Latino.

While most Republicans remain with the Tea Party’s anti-immigrant position to only pass legislation to enhance border security and  intensify enforcement, bringing  even more mass prosecutions and deportations,  two  California Republican Congressmen from districts with a high density of Latinos ( Jeff Denham and David Valado)  have called for some features of reform  including a path toward citizenship, but oppose the  provisions of Senate bill.   Community groups are focusing on changing the votes of  Republican holdouts in districts around the nation.  However on September 20, Texas Republicans John Carter and Sam Johnson  resigned from the house bi-partisan effort known as the Gang of Seven.  Their action probably ends the possibility of House compromise or a bi-partisan bill from the House.  In response two progressive Democrats from the group of 7, Grijalva  (Arizona) and Becerra (Ca.)  intend to introduce a bill similar to  the Senate Bill S 744, stripped of its Republican amendment to add  $ 26 billion of additional border enforcement.

The Right to Stay Home

Mexico Police Repress Opponents of Neoliberal School Reform

Zoot Suit

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A New Bracero Program Will Hurt Farmworkers

David Bacon
Most media coverage of immigration today accepts as fact claims by growers that they can't get enough workers to harvest crops. Agribusiness wants a new guest worker program, and complaints of a labor shortage are their justification for it. But a little investigation of the actual unemployment rate in farmworker communities leads to a different picture.

There are always local variations in crops, and the number of workers  needed to pick them. But the labor shortage picture is largely a  fiction. I've spent over a decade traveling through California valleys and I have yet to see fruit rotting because of a lack of  labor to pick it. I have seen some pretty miserable conditions for workers, though.

As the nation debates changes in our immigration laws, we need a  reality check. There is no question that the demographics of farm labor are changing. Today many more workers migrate from small towns in southern Mexico and even Central America than ever before. In the  grape rows and citrus trees, you're as likely to hear Mixtec or  Purepecha or Triqui - indigenous languages that predate Columbus - as  you are to hear Spanish.

March on Washington- Report Back.

1963-2013

Commemorating the 50-Year

Anniversary of the March on Washington

Join the Talking Drums News 

Report–Back Session featuring local activists

“Telling Their Story”

Marion Woods, Community Activist, Former Director, SAEOC/SETA, and Former Director Calif. Dept. Social Services

Nailah Pope-Harden, member of Avondale Glen Elders Neighborhood Association (AGENA)

and Capital Region Organizing Project (CROP)

Kevin Carter, Urban Outreach Social Justice Activist

Sunday, September 29, 2013 from 2-5:00pm

Stockton Boulevard Partnership

5625 Stockton Boulevard, Sacramento, California 95824

(Located in FRUITRIDGE SHOPPING CENTER)

 Sacramento, CA 95824

Please RSVP by 9/25/2013 to Faye fayek@springmail.com