La Voz de Aztlan, May 5 1978
Item
Title
La Voz de Aztlan, May 5 1978
Creator
Associated Students of Fresno State
Relation
La Voz de Aztlan (Daily Collegian, California State University, Fresno)
Coverage
Fresno, California
Date
5/5/1978
Format
PDF
Identifier
SCUA_lvda_00095
extracted text
)
Saragoza speaks of regressiorl rather than progression
Cinco de Mayo: La Raza Studies' sad reflections
Former Fresno State professor Alejandro Saragoza said although Cinco de · Mayo is an
important day for Chicanos, it
also is a sad one.
Speaking at an opening day observance of FSU's weeklongCinco de Mayo celebrations he said,
''It's unfortunate that today I
cannot speak about progression.
I can't say that in 10 years,
or even in the - pa.st 10 years,
we've come a long way. We've
gone through a regression campuswide, statewide, and nationwide.''
sary of school walkouts by Chicano students in Los Angeles
who ''were tired and had enough
of being second-class citizens
and second class students."
He said those students sacrificed their education for justice
and put up with ridicule and humilation, and he added, ten years
later, Chicanos still are trying
to make · real gaines in education.
''It is sad that we still have
to put up with faculty being fired
and dismissed for any variety
of reasons," he said. "We're
''o~scenity" that the FSU administration ls ra,ising millions
of dollars for a stadium, but
says it doesn't have money for
professors and student recruitment.
"This university is raising
millions of dollars for a hole
in the ground, but will only give
the Chicano Youth Conference
$900. That'll hardly buy shoestrings for the football team.''
Saragoza said he "bas nothing
against" the football
.t eam ,
but he would like to see that
same kind of enthusiasm in financing Bia.ck studies, womenstudles, and La Raza Studies.
Saragoza asked Chicano students not to forget the real mean-
ing of CiJlco de Mayo. "What
are we going to do the day after
to transfer the good vibrations
and the good feelings from that
night to those who could not
bave a good time? What are
we going to do to help others?
That's the real meaning of Cinco de Mayo--everyda.y of our
lives.''
' ... Like tired of being mig _rant farmworkers,
we're tired of being migrant pFofessors ... '
The audience, mostly Chicano
students, welcomed home the man
whose name is synonymous with
La Raza Studies at FSU. He
is on leave and teaching at tb:e
University at Berkeley.
Semana commenorates Cilico
de Mayo, (5th May), marking
the day Mexico defeated French
forces 110 years ago, preserving
loss of national independence and
liberty.
still being excluded from education."
He said several Chicano professors have been denied tenure, .despite theiracademicachievements and their contributions
to the Chicano community.
'' I hope no one thinks that
Chicano
professors complain
about being fired because they
are worried about losing their
jobs,'' said the 32 year old na-
Alex Saragoza, former co-ordinator of La Raza Studies (LAR) Program, cbat:a with Dr. Jesus
Luna, current LAR co-ordinator and Ernesto Martinez,LAR professor since the program's
inception nearly a decade ago.
' .. What are we going to do the day after
to transfer the good vibrations ... to those
•·-• wa.-
who could not have a good time? ... '
Saragoza joined the FSU faculin 1971 and took over the La
Raza Studies chairmanship after
the entire Ethnic Studies staff
had been fired.
In his speech, ·Saragoza noted
that 1978 is the tenth anniver-
ty
tive of Madera. "It's the principle."
''We're tired of being migrant.
Like tired ofbeingmigrantfarmworkers, we're tired of being
migrant professors."
Saragoza said it is a terrible
•• •••&•-•
CINCO DE MAYO, 1978
LA VOZ DE; AZTLAN
Farm group endorses Davis
SACRAMENTO AP - Former
Los Angeles Police Chief Ed
Davis' campaign for governor
Tuesday won support from a
Japanese farm group that previously endorsed Ken Maddy for
the Republican nomination for
govenor.
Mamoru Yamaichi, president
of the 300-member San Joaquin
Nisei Farmers, said Maddy's
opposition to Proposition 13, the
Howard Jarvis tax limitation initiative ''critically damag_ed''
Maddy's cami;aign.
Yamaichi said his group's 11member boa.rd of directors voted
unanimously to endorse Davis
and contribute $2,500. Yamaichi said his group contributed
the first $1,500 to Maddy and
helped launch the FresnoassemMaddy, saying his concern W'lS
blyman's campaing last year.
that Maddy could not win the
A Maddy spokesman, Jack
election and that it was improWoodard, minimized the important to find a candidate who
tance of the switch, and Harry
could beat Attorney General EvKubo, president of the 1,500-- elle Yo1,mger in the June 6 GOP
member Nisei Farmers League,
primary and Democratic Gov.
said his group is still solidly Edmund Brown Jr. in November.
in support f}f Maddy.
He described both Brown and
''We feel we have solid supYounger as enemies of agriculport in the agricultural community, and we'r~ not concerned ture.
"Ed Davis is our last chance,
about this," Woodard said.
and he · can win both in June
and November,'' Yamaichi said
Yamaichi said news stories
at a joint appearance with Davts
about a former Maddy aide's
at a Capitol news conference.
ties with the Mexican Mafia priThe most recent California
son gang also damaged Maddy's
Poll showed Younger favored by .
chances.
23 percent of California RepubYamaichi, who{arms 900acres
licans, followed by Davis at 22
in Stanislaus County near Westpercent and Maddy at 13 perley, avoided personal criticism of
cent.
Federal court rules black College
discriminates against whites
Andres Segura, ·
un da~zante par.a siempre
(se·e story on page 3.)
MONTGOMERY, Ala. AP - A
federal judge ruled today that
predominantly black Alabama
State University has discriminated against whites in the hiring and promotion of faculty
members.
Ruling Monday on a suit filed
by a white English instructor
whose contract was not renewed,
U.S. district Judge Frank M.
Johnson Jr. said the evidence
"presents strong proof that, in
its hiring, promotion and tenure
of faculty • . • ASU has ..•
engaged in a pittern and practice of discrimination against
to offer "any convincing explanation" for the university's decision not to renew Craig's contract. The instructor had been
rated "competent and dedicated''
by his superiors in December
1972.
A hearing has been set for
July 19 on Craig's request for
$11,000 damages, reinstatement
and back pay.
In ordering an end to the discrimina.tiol, Johnson directed
the university to report every
six months on the racial makeup of its staff.
Founded at Marion, Ala., in
1866 as an all-black teachers'
college, the institution was
brought under state cootrol in
1873 and moved to Montgomery
in 1887 as the Alabama Colored
Peoples University.
Today, its student body remains predominantly black.
whites."
Johnson ruled that the decision not to renew the contract
of Charles R. Craig for the
1973-74 school year "was racially motivated."
CINCO DE MAYO, 1978
PAGE 2
LA VOZ de AZT!Ji
Bakke: debate continues
CSUF students were asked by La ·
VOZ's roving reporter, "What ls your
feeling or opinion on the Bakke case?"
The following are the answers given
by CSUF students.
Divine August
Salvador
Divine ,August, Mechanized Agriculture
Senior'
"I don't la1ow too much about the
Bakke case, but since he ls already
a professtonal man he should have stuck
to his profession. He is already a
middle-aged man by the time he would
graduate from medical school he woldn't
be able to serve the people too well
too long•
Salvador Garcia, Art major, Sophomore"1 tbiDk 1t is another racist attempt
by the .ga.ba.cho to set back all the ·gains
we have made In the 60's. It ls history that all the oppressed people must
fight for our rights - and we will continue fightitlg."
or
. Ken Olstad
Ken Olstad, Industrial Technology,
Junior "I feel that I don't know too much
about it. I do Imow that it has gone
to the Supreme Cour • l can see how
some people can be upset by not getting
their position, though they feel they
deserve it, although it may be tough
for minorities. I do believe there is
such a thing as reverse discrimination
and that it does occur." .
Linzy Hud.son .
Jaime Huerta
Linzy Hudson, History & Industrial Arts,
Junior"I don't feel discrimination should ·
be involved in hiring or firing on any
job or situation. Who cares what color .
someone ls or racial background if
they can do the job, let them."
Jaime Huerta, Special Major, Senior"I tmnk there are a lot o{people
that are uninformed about the issue,
basically because the media has been
biased on reporting about the issue,
either by writing in favor of the decision or by not publishing the true facts.
about it. It affects all of us one way
or another, and we should struggle
for the common cause of the people."
Jesus Sepulveda
Jesus Sepulveda, Child Development,
Sentor''1 have fears about the Bakke case.
If it goes toward Bakke this action can
eliminate Affirmative Action policies.
A lot of people say 'you should get
your people educated'. We do have
educated minorities, but we don't have
people in positions such as admission
boards, we are trying to get people
educated so they can fill these positions. We need people who are sensitive towards the needs of minority .
communities and of women.;;
Charlotte Karubnik, Political ·Science,
Junlor''I believe that everybody should
have the sami chance as anybody else,
no special p!"ivllege to race, creed,
color or sex."
Margar_
e t Haynes
Margaret Haynes , Predentistry, High
School student ''For a lot of minorities, the Special programs are our opportunity to
attend college, so I am against Bakke.",
LA VOZ de AZTLAN
CINCO DE MAYO, ·1978
PAGE 3
A Conversation with
He says he is "very old" and "very
new."
New - 46 years olEf. Old many thousands of years old in the
ancient tradition of the meshica tenochla people who inhabited Aztlan -long
before the Spaniards came for gold,
glory and God.
He $peaks with a kaleidoscope of
expression, through his hands, voice
and his eyes, of a way of I ife, a philosophy, that is new to us, yet so very
much a part of our existence. •
He has studied medicine at the University of Mexico, where he earned
a BA in Biological Science. He has
stu~\ed the fine arts, and was a tea·cher at the Academy of Modern Dance
in Me?Cico,• wher-e he · also headed a
dance troupe.
All of his knowledge comes from the
dance, or ''la danza". The fact that
he is regarded as an· authority of indigenous (native) dance in Mexico only
hints at the things he knows.
Danza has become a way of I ife
for him.
How
long has he been dancing?
*Since before I · was. born • • ~ I was
kicking!'
His persistent · humor augments the seriousness of the things
he teaches.
He ·shares this knowledge with his
students through tales of the ancient
Aztec deities. Tales that, thousdands
of years later, can tel 1. us what we.
are al I about.
Andres Segura
BY FELIX J. CONTREJRAS
DIANNE SOLIS
1tance that the Chicano lla.s W:thin him,
even though the Chicauo culture does
not negate the lnfiuenee of this area.
. It ls :i necesslty to 1emoustrate
that whlch ls w!thin us.. Consclous1y,
unc011c;ciously, o·,.,.. sabconsciously, W9
a.re showing w!iat is w.'.thin us. The
majo: manifestation ~hat you could call
'Chicano culture', is within the paintings and literature.
Segura: - For us in Mexico, and in the
indigenous . language, we have this dif•
ference- bailar is a social, emotional
movement. But 'danza' is for us, a
special movement, and it has a special nature; has a special meaning.
And It is always rellgious.
" ... -earth, wind,
In regards to the literature, (thanks
to the friars and the priests who col- ·
l~cted manuscripts after thfl:onquest},
today it had been studied that 'the indigenous people bad a great literature.
The great movement of the Mexican
artist has been the mural. Diego Ri-
-La Voz: - You don't cons.ider yourself an Indian, but rather an indigenous. Why?
We are not Indians. Indians
are from India. We do not call ~urselves Indians because it was a geographic mistake made by Chrlsb~h,~::
(.c,L·.1bus.
He thought he landed in
the Indies. We are indigenous. We
are natives of this conttnent.
Segura:
La Yoz:
What significance .does the
incence~ candle and water that is pre.
sent in al I your classes have to do
with what you are teaching?
Segura:
It is indigenous eustom to
use _the fire in the incense burner,
the co~l (incense) the water and the ·
canme as wltness to our word, To
give it value. Because they signify
the four elemenf.s o! our tradition, earth,
wi..nd, fire and water.
The history of the coP'3,l tells us
that copal was the blood of the tree
which represents the blood o! mankind. It tells as that it w::is used to
cleanse the surroundings o! the bad ·
spirits.,
La Voz: · Why did you come here to·
teach?
Seg-.ira: Primarily, it is beca:JSe the
faculty here at La Raza Studies invited me to pa:.·ticipate ~ their program, That is for la raza. Secondly, the firs: time I ever came to the
Un:ted States (9 -or 10 _years ago), I
came here to Fresno, and it was because the brotllers from Tea:tro Campes~o, primarily Luis Valdez, invited
me, And since Pve come to Fresno,
I feel that I am W: th iny people as
I feel I _am with my people in Mexico,
La Voz:
Why do you think that we,
as students should know what you are
teaching?
Segura:
So you can acquire ·a con~
sclousness ot identity. Because I feel
that this is the problem of the Mexican
de alla (of Mexico), and of the Chicano
over here. Over there, like over here,
we have the meztizo complex. That
is a historical social phenomena~ After the conquest, the indigenous people,
were negated· a cultural value. And
when a meztizo became something, he
bad that problem of identity, because
ff he considered himself of human value, it was not because of the lndigen..
ous presence, but for the other pirt
that was not indigenous.
La . Voz: Who taught you the things
that you teach?
Segura: I can truthfully say wth sincerity · that everything that I know, I
have learned through the indigenous
tradition of the danza. There were
various. people who have been my guid0s
and masters · in the learning of this
tradition. These guides have been spiritual and physical.
La Voz: What 'do you think of the people
and the culture that exists here?
Segura: We have a saying in Mexico,
"No one gives what he does aot have".
And if I re·t er to the Chl~o ,.. nlture,
it ls nothing mor~ than a gen,t_:{E her-
vero,
Siqueros, · Orosco •.• these men
were all Mexican muralists recognized
throughout the world. It ls within our
blood.
That is why in the barrios
you see walls with writing on them.
The Euro~ans used little canvasses, ·
but the Mexicano uses walls to piint
on.
Another incredible expression is teatro. We have always done teatro. Te:.
atro is in all the great ceremonies
of the indigenous people. These ceremonies were done in the grea~ plazas
for the people, and that is Wilt teatro
Chicano does here today in Aztlan.
La Voz: When speaking of dance, you
don't use "bailar', but rather 'danzar'.
Why?
fire, earth ... "
La Voz:
Studies
early 1990's, there
Chicano population
How do you think
thi!i?
predict that by the
will be a very large
here in California.
we can prepare for
Segura:
I think that we must prepire ourselves, not just the people
born here (United States), but also the
Mexicanos born in Mexico, the ones
who migrate, and the ones who stay
over there.
That preparation calls
for us to know and aquire a conscious. ness that we have a great cultural
heritage, that being the great Nahuatl
culture, or Mexica (pronounced 'meshica'). A culture that is at the same
level of the geat cultures of the world.
ancient and modern. The Nahuatl culture is the brother of the Mayan culture, of the Inca, and of the cultures
. of the United States that were cultures
before the arrival of the stranger to
- this continent, white, black or yellow
strangers who have ignored this culture. That ls why they try to lgnor~
us. But we were here even before.
That is what I think ls the preparation-to aquire that conciousness of the
value that -we have as a people . .
CINCO DE MAYO, 1978
PAGE 4
• •
'Las Escaraffluzas' doing it with prec1s10n
Adelita spirit lives thru riding team
By ELVIA RUIZ
Staff Reporter
The eight girls dressed in traditonal Mexican charro unlforms
"Wearing large sombreros slt
sidesaddle ·high atop their spirited horses.
Their defiant expressions and
stances remind people of the adelitas during the Mexican revolution.
They call themselves Las Escaramuzas Jesusitas; a girl's
horse riding drill team from
Madera.
Las Escaramuzas, formed -fu
1974, perform precision riding
drills at fairs and charreadas
and appear in parades exhibiting
the traditional Mexican sport to
the people of the San Joaquin
Valley.
Under the direction of drill
master Jesse Lopez, Jr., the
drill team has had major performances in the Fresno and
Madera District Fairs, Fresno
City College and have appeared
in parades in Tulare, Kerman
and Chowchilla.
Through fundraisers such as
bake sales and car washes, they
raised enough money to purchase
Mexican-style side saddles. The
girls also handm~de their authentic-looking riding uniforms all
the while practicing drills and
routines two to three times a
week.
The girls, who range in ages
from 14 to 24, practice during
the months from March to October with a final performance
in the Mexican rodeo at the
Fresno District Fair.
During their exhibition, Las
Escaramu~
perform such
participate, too," Lopez said.
drills an1 routines as El Albanico
The riding team encourages
(the 1 fan), El Reloj (the clock),
El Peine (the comb) and Las
girls to join the group if they
Cruzada.s (the crosses).
are willing to put their interLopez said Mexican audienests in this project. "The girls
ces feel proud to see Chicapractice twice a week and on
nos in the United States parweekends,'' Lopez said.
ticipating in sports from MexThere are no age requirements
ico such as the riding teams.
but one demand is that they be
He said Las Escaramuzas are
willing to work closely with the
unique because they are the onhorses.
ly female riding team in this _
Patsy Morales, a three-year
area.
veteran of the group, also said
"Las Escaramuzas not only
a girl needs courage to '' stick
show their skill in the riding
it out" but said the audience
drills, but they also show the
reception makes it all worth
Mexican people that women can
while.
"It makes you feel so g
when the people are wa
that you want to do it very mu
It keeps you more intere
also," she said.
Instructor Lopez said bis
tima te goal for Las Escara
zas would be to see them tr.
vel and compete against t
and also travel to Mexico
compete against teams the
"Some of the girls
really .fast and some
scared to death the first
they rode the horse,"
said.
For the timid and shy pr
usually the beginners-sepan
training is required.
are trained on calm and
horses until they build theirett
fidence in working with the am
mal.
:::::::::::::::~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~:::::::
····•:•·····•:•··············································•·1·
·,·..:t·h·;·;···;·;·~·;f~-;;·;····;···
you might say, to
horse with more
spirit ... '
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;
: ~:~:~=;=t:=~=-~:·;•~:: =:=~:~: : :J=::
m~IIm~iim~mmmI~I ~~;~~~;~~~m\
to _death the first time
they rode a horse·...
:::::=:•:::::::::::::=:=::::.:::.... :·:·:·::;:;:;:;:.:..-.-·_::::::::::
Las Escaramuzas are a J)'lrt
of Los Charros Onidos de Mad- ·
era, a male riders team.
Twenty-five year old Lopez,
a Fresno City College student
and member of Los Cbarros
Unidos, formed Las Escaramuza.s four years ago with only
a few horses and girls and no
riding uniforms.
"I feel so proud. It started
out as an idea and it seemed
so far-fetched,'' Lopez said.
Las Esca~amuzas Jesusitas, a Madera girl;s horse riding drill te~m seek to make the publ 1c aware of the famous Mexican sport.
Urgent
From
- "Then they graduate,youmi
say, to a horse with more s~
rit," said Lopez.
Although most of Las Escara
muzas already had experience·
working with horses, two CJ!
members had never even rid
one before.
Alicia Lopez, a Las Escara
muzas member, was scared
horses when she joined the gr
but easily adjusted to the an!
mal since she rode the gentl
horse of the team.
"If a girl wants to join tll
team I suggest all you need h
a horse and lots of courage,''
she said.
Message
El Comitd
The Committee ·to save La Raza will m.arch from CSUF to
FCC on Monday, May 8, to expose and protest the fact that Baxter has not responded to tire deII1;3.llds and requested community
meeting.
The march wm gather to leave at 10:00 in the Free
Jpeech area..
~-~~~~
i i'!:i....
/
'
_/:!.
'
~-.
.,
'
-
Baxter ns given the demands and a letter requesting Ills
µ-esence .at the commmifty meet!Dg scheduled for Wednesday,
May 10, 7:00 p.m., at the Mosqueda Center. He W?.; urged to respond immediately and said that he would do so by Wednes<!.ay.
Thus far, no word has been received from him, and the Committee
feels that he Is stalling to " ••• let the clock run down."
Members of the Committee be1ieve tba' if Baxter can ignore
this second request for a meeting, (a request delivered to his
office with the support of about 200 p~.cketing studentc;), he. will
certa.lnly not , respond to the demands for Chicano faculty and
supportive services.
·
To allow Baxter to buy Ume Is exactly what be wants. Raza
students and, -:faculty must move swiftly in pressing for the comI
mun.ity meeting and a resolution to the problem of racist insensitivity and arrogance at CSUF.
'I
the true
revolution ·a·r·v·"ls ...g·u·ided
Y ar.eat f a!IJ11 gs of Io v e." ~.GI..)~
Saragoza speaks of regressiorl rather than progression
Cinco de Mayo: La Raza Studies' sad reflections
Former Fresno State professor Alejandro Saragoza said although Cinco de · Mayo is an
important day for Chicanos, it
also is a sad one.
Speaking at an opening day observance of FSU's weeklongCinco de Mayo celebrations he said,
''It's unfortunate that today I
cannot speak about progression.
I can't say that in 10 years,
or even in the - pa.st 10 years,
we've come a long way. We've
gone through a regression campuswide, statewide, and nationwide.''
sary of school walkouts by Chicano students in Los Angeles
who ''were tired and had enough
of being second-class citizens
and second class students."
He said those students sacrificed their education for justice
and put up with ridicule and humilation, and he added, ten years
later, Chicanos still are trying
to make · real gaines in education.
''It is sad that we still have
to put up with faculty being fired
and dismissed for any variety
of reasons," he said. "We're
''o~scenity" that the FSU administration ls ra,ising millions
of dollars for a stadium, but
says it doesn't have money for
professors and student recruitment.
"This university is raising
millions of dollars for a hole
in the ground, but will only give
the Chicano Youth Conference
$900. That'll hardly buy shoestrings for the football team.''
Saragoza said he "bas nothing
against" the football
.t eam ,
but he would like to see that
same kind of enthusiasm in financing Bia.ck studies, womenstudles, and La Raza Studies.
Saragoza asked Chicano students not to forget the real mean-
ing of CiJlco de Mayo. "What
are we going to do the day after
to transfer the good vibrations
and the good feelings from that
night to those who could not
bave a good time? What are
we going to do to help others?
That's the real meaning of Cinco de Mayo--everyda.y of our
lives.''
' ... Like tired of being mig _rant farmworkers,
we're tired of being migrant pFofessors ... '
The audience, mostly Chicano
students, welcomed home the man
whose name is synonymous with
La Raza Studies at FSU. He
is on leave and teaching at tb:e
University at Berkeley.
Semana commenorates Cilico
de Mayo, (5th May), marking
the day Mexico defeated French
forces 110 years ago, preserving
loss of national independence and
liberty.
still being excluded from education."
He said several Chicano professors have been denied tenure, .despite theiracademicachievements and their contributions
to the Chicano community.
'' I hope no one thinks that
Chicano
professors complain
about being fired because they
are worried about losing their
jobs,'' said the 32 year old na-
Alex Saragoza, former co-ordinator of La Raza Studies (LAR) Program, cbat:a with Dr. Jesus
Luna, current LAR co-ordinator and Ernesto Martinez,LAR professor since the program's
inception nearly a decade ago.
' .. What are we going to do the day after
to transfer the good vibrations ... to those
•·-• wa.-
who could not have a good time? ... '
Saragoza joined the FSU faculin 1971 and took over the La
Raza Studies chairmanship after
the entire Ethnic Studies staff
had been fired.
In his speech, ·Saragoza noted
that 1978 is the tenth anniver-
ty
tive of Madera. "It's the principle."
''We're tired of being migrant.
Like tired ofbeingmigrantfarmworkers, we're tired of being
migrant professors."
Saragoza said it is a terrible
•• •••&•-•
CINCO DE MAYO, 1978
LA VOZ DE; AZTLAN
Farm group endorses Davis
SACRAMENTO AP - Former
Los Angeles Police Chief Ed
Davis' campaign for governor
Tuesday won support from a
Japanese farm group that previously endorsed Ken Maddy for
the Republican nomination for
govenor.
Mamoru Yamaichi, president
of the 300-member San Joaquin
Nisei Farmers, said Maddy's
opposition to Proposition 13, the
Howard Jarvis tax limitation initiative ''critically damag_ed''
Maddy's cami;aign.
Yamaichi said his group's 11member boa.rd of directors voted
unanimously to endorse Davis
and contribute $2,500. Yamaichi said his group contributed
the first $1,500 to Maddy and
helped launch the FresnoassemMaddy, saying his concern W'lS
blyman's campaing last year.
that Maddy could not win the
A Maddy spokesman, Jack
election and that it was improWoodard, minimized the important to find a candidate who
tance of the switch, and Harry
could beat Attorney General EvKubo, president of the 1,500-- elle Yo1,mger in the June 6 GOP
member Nisei Farmers League,
primary and Democratic Gov.
said his group is still solidly Edmund Brown Jr. in November.
in support f}f Maddy.
He described both Brown and
''We feel we have solid supYounger as enemies of agriculport in the agricultural community, and we'r~ not concerned ture.
"Ed Davis is our last chance,
about this," Woodard said.
and he · can win both in June
and November,'' Yamaichi said
Yamaichi said news stories
at a joint appearance with Davts
about a former Maddy aide's
at a Capitol news conference.
ties with the Mexican Mafia priThe most recent California
son gang also damaged Maddy's
Poll showed Younger favored by .
chances.
23 percent of California RepubYamaichi, who{arms 900acres
licans, followed by Davis at 22
in Stanislaus County near Westpercent and Maddy at 13 perley, avoided personal criticism of
cent.
Federal court rules black College
discriminates against whites
Andres Segura, ·
un da~zante par.a siempre
(se·e story on page 3.)
MONTGOMERY, Ala. AP - A
federal judge ruled today that
predominantly black Alabama
State University has discriminated against whites in the hiring and promotion of faculty
members.
Ruling Monday on a suit filed
by a white English instructor
whose contract was not renewed,
U.S. district Judge Frank M.
Johnson Jr. said the evidence
"presents strong proof that, in
its hiring, promotion and tenure
of faculty • . • ASU has ..•
engaged in a pittern and practice of discrimination against
to offer "any convincing explanation" for the university's decision not to renew Craig's contract. The instructor had been
rated "competent and dedicated''
by his superiors in December
1972.
A hearing has been set for
July 19 on Craig's request for
$11,000 damages, reinstatement
and back pay.
In ordering an end to the discrimina.tiol, Johnson directed
the university to report every
six months on the racial makeup of its staff.
Founded at Marion, Ala., in
1866 as an all-black teachers'
college, the institution was
brought under state cootrol in
1873 and moved to Montgomery
in 1887 as the Alabama Colored
Peoples University.
Today, its student body remains predominantly black.
whites."
Johnson ruled that the decision not to renew the contract
of Charles R. Craig for the
1973-74 school year "was racially motivated."
CINCO DE MAYO, 1978
PAGE 2
LA VOZ de AZT!Ji
Bakke: debate continues
CSUF students were asked by La ·
VOZ's roving reporter, "What ls your
feeling or opinion on the Bakke case?"
The following are the answers given
by CSUF students.
Divine August
Salvador
Divine ,August, Mechanized Agriculture
Senior'
"I don't la1ow too much about the
Bakke case, but since he ls already
a professtonal man he should have stuck
to his profession. He is already a
middle-aged man by the time he would
graduate from medical school he woldn't
be able to serve the people too well
too long•
Salvador Garcia, Art major, Sophomore"1 tbiDk 1t is another racist attempt
by the .ga.ba.cho to set back all the ·gains
we have made In the 60's. It ls history that all the oppressed people must
fight for our rights - and we will continue fightitlg."
or
. Ken Olstad
Ken Olstad, Industrial Technology,
Junior "I feel that I don't know too much
about it. I do Imow that it has gone
to the Supreme Cour • l can see how
some people can be upset by not getting
their position, though they feel they
deserve it, although it may be tough
for minorities. I do believe there is
such a thing as reverse discrimination
and that it does occur." .
Linzy Hud.son .
Jaime Huerta
Linzy Hudson, History & Industrial Arts,
Junior"I don't feel discrimination should ·
be involved in hiring or firing on any
job or situation. Who cares what color .
someone ls or racial background if
they can do the job, let them."
Jaime Huerta, Special Major, Senior"I tmnk there are a lot o{people
that are uninformed about the issue,
basically because the media has been
biased on reporting about the issue,
either by writing in favor of the decision or by not publishing the true facts.
about it. It affects all of us one way
or another, and we should struggle
for the common cause of the people."
Jesus Sepulveda
Jesus Sepulveda, Child Development,
Sentor''1 have fears about the Bakke case.
If it goes toward Bakke this action can
eliminate Affirmative Action policies.
A lot of people say 'you should get
your people educated'. We do have
educated minorities, but we don't have
people in positions such as admission
boards, we are trying to get people
educated so they can fill these positions. We need people who are sensitive towards the needs of minority .
communities and of women.;;
Charlotte Karubnik, Political ·Science,
Junlor''I believe that everybody should
have the sami chance as anybody else,
no special p!"ivllege to race, creed,
color or sex."
Margar_
e t Haynes
Margaret Haynes , Predentistry, High
School student ''For a lot of minorities, the Special programs are our opportunity to
attend college, so I am against Bakke.",
LA VOZ de AZTLAN
CINCO DE MAYO, ·1978
PAGE 3
A Conversation with
He says he is "very old" and "very
new."
New - 46 years olEf. Old many thousands of years old in the
ancient tradition of the meshica tenochla people who inhabited Aztlan -long
before the Spaniards came for gold,
glory and God.
He $peaks with a kaleidoscope of
expression, through his hands, voice
and his eyes, of a way of I ife, a philosophy, that is new to us, yet so very
much a part of our existence. •
He has studied medicine at the University of Mexico, where he earned
a BA in Biological Science. He has
stu~\ed the fine arts, and was a tea·cher at the Academy of Modern Dance
in Me?Cico,• wher-e he · also headed a
dance troupe.
All of his knowledge comes from the
dance, or ''la danza". The fact that
he is regarded as an· authority of indigenous (native) dance in Mexico only
hints at the things he knows.
Danza has become a way of I ife
for him.
How
long has he been dancing?
*Since before I · was. born • • ~ I was
kicking!'
His persistent · humor augments the seriousness of the things
he teaches.
He ·shares this knowledge with his
students through tales of the ancient
Aztec deities. Tales that, thousdands
of years later, can tel 1. us what we.
are al I about.
Andres Segura
BY FELIX J. CONTREJRAS
DIANNE SOLIS
1tance that the Chicano lla.s W:thin him,
even though the Chicauo culture does
not negate the lnfiuenee of this area.
. It ls :i necesslty to 1emoustrate
that whlch ls w!thin us.. Consclous1y,
unc011c;ciously, o·,.,.. sabconsciously, W9
a.re showing w!iat is w.'.thin us. The
majo: manifestation ~hat you could call
'Chicano culture', is within the paintings and literature.
Segura: - For us in Mexico, and in the
indigenous . language, we have this dif•
ference- bailar is a social, emotional
movement. But 'danza' is for us, a
special movement, and it has a special nature; has a special meaning.
And It is always rellgious.
" ... -earth, wind,
In regards to the literature, (thanks
to the friars and the priests who col- ·
l~cted manuscripts after thfl:onquest},
today it had been studied that 'the indigenous people bad a great literature.
The great movement of the Mexican
artist has been the mural. Diego Ri-
-La Voz: - You don't cons.ider yourself an Indian, but rather an indigenous. Why?
We are not Indians. Indians
are from India. We do not call ~urselves Indians because it was a geographic mistake made by Chrlsb~h,~::
(.c,L·.1bus.
He thought he landed in
the Indies. We are indigenous. We
are natives of this conttnent.
Segura:
La Yoz:
What significance .does the
incence~ candle and water that is pre.
sent in al I your classes have to do
with what you are teaching?
Segura:
It is indigenous eustom to
use _the fire in the incense burner,
the co~l (incense) the water and the ·
canme as wltness to our word, To
give it value. Because they signify
the four elemenf.s o! our tradition, earth,
wi..nd, fire and water.
The history of the coP'3,l tells us
that copal was the blood of the tree
which represents the blood o! mankind. It tells as that it w::is used to
cleanse the surroundings o! the bad ·
spirits.,
La Voz: · Why did you come here to·
teach?
Seg-.ira: Primarily, it is beca:JSe the
faculty here at La Raza Studies invited me to pa:.·ticipate ~ their program, That is for la raza. Secondly, the firs: time I ever came to the
Un:ted States (9 -or 10 _years ago), I
came here to Fresno, and it was because the brotllers from Tea:tro Campes~o, primarily Luis Valdez, invited
me, And since Pve come to Fresno,
I feel that I am W: th iny people as
I feel I _am with my people in Mexico,
La Voz:
Why do you think that we,
as students should know what you are
teaching?
Segura:
So you can acquire ·a con~
sclousness ot identity. Because I feel
that this is the problem of the Mexican
de alla (of Mexico), and of the Chicano
over here. Over there, like over here,
we have the meztizo complex. That
is a historical social phenomena~ After the conquest, the indigenous people,
were negated· a cultural value. And
when a meztizo became something, he
bad that problem of identity, because
ff he considered himself of human value, it was not because of the lndigen..
ous presence, but for the other pirt
that was not indigenous.
La . Voz: Who taught you the things
that you teach?
Segura: I can truthfully say wth sincerity · that everything that I know, I
have learned through the indigenous
tradition of the danza. There were
various. people who have been my guid0s
and masters · in the learning of this
tradition. These guides have been spiritual and physical.
La Voz: What 'do you think of the people
and the culture that exists here?
Segura: We have a saying in Mexico,
"No one gives what he does aot have".
And if I re·t er to the Chl~o ,.. nlture,
it ls nothing mor~ than a gen,t_:{E her-
vero,
Siqueros, · Orosco •.• these men
were all Mexican muralists recognized
throughout the world. It ls within our
blood.
That is why in the barrios
you see walls with writing on them.
The Euro~ans used little canvasses, ·
but the Mexicano uses walls to piint
on.
Another incredible expression is teatro. We have always done teatro. Te:.
atro is in all the great ceremonies
of the indigenous people. These ceremonies were done in the grea~ plazas
for the people, and that is Wilt teatro
Chicano does here today in Aztlan.
La Voz: When speaking of dance, you
don't use "bailar', but rather 'danzar'.
Why?
fire, earth ... "
La Voz:
Studies
early 1990's, there
Chicano population
How do you think
thi!i?
predict that by the
will be a very large
here in California.
we can prepare for
Segura:
I think that we must prepire ourselves, not just the people
born here (United States), but also the
Mexicanos born in Mexico, the ones
who migrate, and the ones who stay
over there.
That preparation calls
for us to know and aquire a conscious. ness that we have a great cultural
heritage, that being the great Nahuatl
culture, or Mexica (pronounced 'meshica'). A culture that is at the same
level of the geat cultures of the world.
ancient and modern. The Nahuatl culture is the brother of the Mayan culture, of the Inca, and of the cultures
. of the United States that were cultures
before the arrival of the stranger to
- this continent, white, black or yellow
strangers who have ignored this culture. That ls why they try to lgnor~
us. But we were here even before.
That is what I think ls the preparation-to aquire that conciousness of the
value that -we have as a people . .
CINCO DE MAYO, 1978
PAGE 4
• •
'Las Escaraffluzas' doing it with prec1s10n
Adelita spirit lives thru riding team
By ELVIA RUIZ
Staff Reporter
The eight girls dressed in traditonal Mexican charro unlforms
"Wearing large sombreros slt
sidesaddle ·high atop their spirited horses.
Their defiant expressions and
stances remind people of the adelitas during the Mexican revolution.
They call themselves Las Escaramuzas Jesusitas; a girl's
horse riding drill team from
Madera.
Las Escaramuzas, formed -fu
1974, perform precision riding
drills at fairs and charreadas
and appear in parades exhibiting
the traditional Mexican sport to
the people of the San Joaquin
Valley.
Under the direction of drill
master Jesse Lopez, Jr., the
drill team has had major performances in the Fresno and
Madera District Fairs, Fresno
City College and have appeared
in parades in Tulare, Kerman
and Chowchilla.
Through fundraisers such as
bake sales and car washes, they
raised enough money to purchase
Mexican-style side saddles. The
girls also handm~de their authentic-looking riding uniforms all
the while practicing drills and
routines two to three times a
week.
The girls, who range in ages
from 14 to 24, practice during
the months from March to October with a final performance
in the Mexican rodeo at the
Fresno District Fair.
During their exhibition, Las
Escaramu~
perform such
participate, too," Lopez said.
drills an1 routines as El Albanico
The riding team encourages
(the 1 fan), El Reloj (the clock),
El Peine (the comb) and Las
girls to join the group if they
Cruzada.s (the crosses).
are willing to put their interLopez said Mexican audienests in this project. "The girls
ces feel proud to see Chicapractice twice a week and on
nos in the United States parweekends,'' Lopez said.
ticipating in sports from MexThere are no age requirements
ico such as the riding teams.
but one demand is that they be
He said Las Escaramuzas are
willing to work closely with the
unique because they are the onhorses.
ly female riding team in this _
Patsy Morales, a three-year
area.
veteran of the group, also said
"Las Escaramuzas not only
a girl needs courage to '' stick
show their skill in the riding
it out" but said the audience
drills, but they also show the
reception makes it all worth
Mexican people that women can
while.
"It makes you feel so g
when the people are wa
that you want to do it very mu
It keeps you more intere
also," she said.
Instructor Lopez said bis
tima te goal for Las Escara
zas would be to see them tr.
vel and compete against t
and also travel to Mexico
compete against teams the
"Some of the girls
really .fast and some
scared to death the first
they rode the horse,"
said.
For the timid and shy pr
usually the beginners-sepan
training is required.
are trained on calm and
horses until they build theirett
fidence in working with the am
mal.
:::::::::::::::~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~:::::::
····•:•·····•:•··············································•·1·
·,·..:t·h·;·;···;·;·~·;f~-;;·;····;···
you might say, to
horse with more
spirit ... '
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;
: ~:~:~=;=t:=~=-~:·;•~:: =:=~:~: : :J=::
m~IIm~iim~mmmI~I ~~;~~~;~~~m\
to _death the first time
they rode a horse·...
:::::=:•:::::::::::::=:=::::.:::.... :·:·:·::;:;:;:;:.:..-.-·_::::::::::
Las Escaramuzas are a J)'lrt
of Los Charros Onidos de Mad- ·
era, a male riders team.
Twenty-five year old Lopez,
a Fresno City College student
and member of Los Cbarros
Unidos, formed Las Escaramuza.s four years ago with only
a few horses and girls and no
riding uniforms.
"I feel so proud. It started
out as an idea and it seemed
so far-fetched,'' Lopez said.
Las Esca~amuzas Jesusitas, a Madera girl;s horse riding drill te~m seek to make the publ 1c aware of the famous Mexican sport.
Urgent
From
- "Then they graduate,youmi
say, to a horse with more s~
rit," said Lopez.
Although most of Las Escara
muzas already had experience·
working with horses, two CJ!
members had never even rid
one before.
Alicia Lopez, a Las Escara
muzas member, was scared
horses when she joined the gr
but easily adjusted to the an!
mal since she rode the gentl
horse of the team.
"If a girl wants to join tll
team I suggest all you need h
a horse and lots of courage,''
she said.
Message
El Comitd
The Committee ·to save La Raza will m.arch from CSUF to
FCC on Monday, May 8, to expose and protest the fact that Baxter has not responded to tire deII1;3.llds and requested community
meeting.
The march wm gather to leave at 10:00 in the Free
Jpeech area..
~-~~~~
i i'!:i....
/
'
_/:!.
'
~-.
.,
'
-
Baxter ns given the demands and a letter requesting Ills
µ-esence .at the commmifty meet!Dg scheduled for Wednesday,
May 10, 7:00 p.m., at the Mosqueda Center. He W?.; urged to respond immediately and said that he would do so by Wednes<!.ay.
Thus far, no word has been received from him, and the Committee
feels that he Is stalling to " ••• let the clock run down."
Members of the Committee be1ieve tba' if Baxter can ignore
this second request for a meeting, (a request delivered to his
office with the support of about 200 p~.cketing studentc;), he. will
certa.lnly not , respond to the demands for Chicano faculty and
supportive services.
·
To allow Baxter to buy Ume Is exactly what be wants. Raza
students and, -:faculty must move swiftly in pressing for the comI
mun.ity meeting and a resolution to the problem of racist insensitivity and arrogance at CSUF.
'I
the true
revolution ·a·r·v·"ls ...g·u·ided
Y ar.eat f a!IJ11 gs of Io v e." ~.GI..)~
)
Saragoza speaks of regressiorl rather than progression
Cinco de Mayo: La Raza Studies' sad reflections
Former Fresno State professor Alejandro Saragoza said although Cinco de · Mayo is an
important day for Chicanos, it
also is a sad one.
Speaking at an opening day observance of FSU's weeklongCinco de Mayo celebrations he said,
''It's unfortunate that today I
cannot speak about progression.
I can't say that in 10 years,
or even in the - pa.st 10 years,
we've come a long way. We've
gone through a regression campuswide, statewide, and nationwide.''
sary of school walkouts by Chicano students in Los Angeles
who ''were tired and had enough
of being second-class citizens
and second class students."
He said those students sacrificed their education for justice
and put up with ridicule and humilation, and he added, ten years
later, Chicanos still are trying
to make · real gaines in education.
''It is sad that we still have
to put up with faculty being fired
and dismissed for any variety
of reasons," he said. "We're
''o~scenity" that the FSU administration ls ra,ising millions
of dollars for a stadium, but
says it doesn't have money for
professors and student recruitment.
"This university is raising
millions of dollars for a hole
in the ground, but will only give
the Chicano Youth Conference
$900. That'll hardly buy shoestrings for the football team.''
Saragoza said he "bas nothing
against" the football
.t eam ,
but he would like to see that
same kind of enthusiasm in financing Bia.ck studies, womenstudles, and La Raza Studies.
Saragoza asked Chicano students not to forget the real mean-
ing of CiJlco de Mayo. "What
are we going to do the day after
to transfer the good vibrations
and the good feelings from that
night to those who could not
bave a good time? What are
we going to do to help others?
That's the real meaning of Cinco de Mayo--everyda.y of our
lives.''
' ... Like tired of being mig _rant farmworkers,
we're tired of being migrant pFofessors ... '
The audience, mostly Chicano
students, welcomed home the man
whose name is synonymous with
La Raza Studies at FSU. He
is on leave and teaching at tb:e
University at Berkeley.
Semana commenorates Cilico
de Mayo, (5th May), marking
the day Mexico defeated French
forces 110 years ago, preserving
loss of national independence and
liberty.
still being excluded from education."
He said several Chicano professors have been denied tenure, .despite theiracademicachievements and their contributions
to the Chicano community.
'' I hope no one thinks that
Chicano
professors complain
about being fired because they
are worried about losing their
jobs,'' said the 32 year old na-
Alex Saragoza, former co-ordinator of La Raza Studies (LAR) Program, cbat:a with Dr. Jesus
Luna, current LAR co-ordinator and Ernesto Martinez,LAR professor since the program's
inception nearly a decade ago.
' .. What are we going to do the day after
to transfer the good vibrations ... to those
•·-• wa.-
who could not have a good time? ... '
Saragoza joined the FSU faculin 1971 and took over the La
Raza Studies chairmanship after
the entire Ethnic Studies staff
had been fired.
In his speech, ·Saragoza noted
that 1978 is the tenth anniver-
ty
tive of Madera. "It's the principle."
''We're tired of being migrant.
Like tired ofbeingmigrantfarmworkers, we're tired of being
migrant professors."
Saragoza said it is a terrible
•• •••&•-•
CINCO DE MAYO, 1978
LA VOZ DE; AZTLAN
Farm group endorses Davis
SACRAMENTO AP - Former
Los Angeles Police Chief Ed
Davis' campaign for governor
Tuesday won support from a
Japanese farm group that previously endorsed Ken Maddy for
the Republican nomination for
govenor.
Mamoru Yamaichi, president
of the 300-member San Joaquin
Nisei Farmers, said Maddy's
opposition to Proposition 13, the
Howard Jarvis tax limitation initiative ''critically damag_ed''
Maddy's cami;aign.
Yamaichi said his group's 11member boa.rd of directors voted
unanimously to endorse Davis
and contribute $2,500. Yamaichi said his group contributed
the first $1,500 to Maddy and
helped launch the FresnoassemMaddy, saying his concern W'lS
blyman's campaing last year.
that Maddy could not win the
A Maddy spokesman, Jack
election and that it was improWoodard, minimized the important to find a candidate who
tance of the switch, and Harry
could beat Attorney General EvKubo, president of the 1,500-- elle Yo1,mger in the June 6 GOP
member Nisei Farmers League,
primary and Democratic Gov.
said his group is still solidly Edmund Brown Jr. in November.
in support f}f Maddy.
He described both Brown and
''We feel we have solid supYounger as enemies of agriculport in the agricultural community, and we'r~ not concerned ture.
"Ed Davis is our last chance,
about this," Woodard said.
and he · can win both in June
and November,'' Yamaichi said
Yamaichi said news stories
at a joint appearance with Davts
about a former Maddy aide's
at a Capitol news conference.
ties with the Mexican Mafia priThe most recent California
son gang also damaged Maddy's
Poll showed Younger favored by .
chances.
23 percent of California RepubYamaichi, who{arms 900acres
licans, followed by Davis at 22
in Stanislaus County near Westpercent and Maddy at 13 perley, avoided personal criticism of
cent.
Federal court rules black College
discriminates against whites
Andres Segura, ·
un da~zante par.a siempre
(se·e story on page 3.)
MONTGOMERY, Ala. AP - A
federal judge ruled today that
predominantly black Alabama
State University has discriminated against whites in the hiring and promotion of faculty
members.
Ruling Monday on a suit filed
by a white English instructor
whose contract was not renewed,
U.S. district Judge Frank M.
Johnson Jr. said the evidence
"presents strong proof that, in
its hiring, promotion and tenure
of faculty • . • ASU has ..•
engaged in a pittern and practice of discrimination against
to offer "any convincing explanation" for the university's decision not to renew Craig's contract. The instructor had been
rated "competent and dedicated''
by his superiors in December
1972.
A hearing has been set for
July 19 on Craig's request for
$11,000 damages, reinstatement
and back pay.
In ordering an end to the discrimina.tiol, Johnson directed
the university to report every
six months on the racial makeup of its staff.
Founded at Marion, Ala., in
1866 as an all-black teachers'
college, the institution was
brought under state cootrol in
1873 and moved to Montgomery
in 1887 as the Alabama Colored
Peoples University.
Today, its student body remains predominantly black.
whites."
Johnson ruled that the decision not to renew the contract
of Charles R. Craig for the
1973-74 school year "was racially motivated."
CINCO DE MAYO, 1978
PAGE 2
LA VOZ de AZT!Ji
Bakke: debate continues
CSUF students were asked by La ·
VOZ's roving reporter, "What ls your
feeling or opinion on the Bakke case?"
The following are the answers given
by CSUF students.
Divine August
Salvador
Divine ,August, Mechanized Agriculture
Senior'
"I don't la1ow too much about the
Bakke case, but since he ls already
a professtonal man he should have stuck
to his profession. He is already a
middle-aged man by the time he would
graduate from medical school he woldn't
be able to serve the people too well
too long•
Salvador Garcia, Art major, Sophomore"1 tbiDk 1t is another racist attempt
by the .ga.ba.cho to set back all the ·gains
we have made In the 60's. It ls history that all the oppressed people must
fight for our rights - and we will continue fightitlg."
or
. Ken Olstad
Ken Olstad, Industrial Technology,
Junior "I feel that I don't know too much
about it. I do Imow that it has gone
to the Supreme Cour • l can see how
some people can be upset by not getting
their position, though they feel they
deserve it, although it may be tough
for minorities. I do believe there is
such a thing as reverse discrimination
and that it does occur." .
Linzy Hud.son .
Jaime Huerta
Linzy Hudson, History & Industrial Arts,
Junior"I don't feel discrimination should ·
be involved in hiring or firing on any
job or situation. Who cares what color .
someone ls or racial background if
they can do the job, let them."
Jaime Huerta, Special Major, Senior"I tmnk there are a lot o{people
that are uninformed about the issue,
basically because the media has been
biased on reporting about the issue,
either by writing in favor of the decision or by not publishing the true facts.
about it. It affects all of us one way
or another, and we should struggle
for the common cause of the people."
Jesus Sepulveda
Jesus Sepulveda, Child Development,
Sentor''1 have fears about the Bakke case.
If it goes toward Bakke this action can
eliminate Affirmative Action policies.
A lot of people say 'you should get
your people educated'. We do have
educated minorities, but we don't have
people in positions such as admission
boards, we are trying to get people
educated so they can fill these positions. We need people who are sensitive towards the needs of minority .
communities and of women.;;
Charlotte Karubnik, Political ·Science,
Junlor''I believe that everybody should
have the sami chance as anybody else,
no special p!"ivllege to race, creed,
color or sex."
Margar_
e t Haynes
Margaret Haynes , Predentistry, High
School student ''For a lot of minorities, the Special programs are our opportunity to
attend college, so I am against Bakke.",
LA VOZ de AZTLAN
CINCO DE MAYO, ·1978
PAGE 3
A Conversation with
He says he is "very old" and "very
new."
New - 46 years olEf. Old many thousands of years old in the
ancient tradition of the meshica tenochla people who inhabited Aztlan -long
before the Spaniards came for gold,
glory and God.
He $peaks with a kaleidoscope of
expression, through his hands, voice
and his eyes, of a way of I ife, a philosophy, that is new to us, yet so very
much a part of our existence. •
He has studied medicine at the University of Mexico, where he earned
a BA in Biological Science. He has
stu~\ed the fine arts, and was a tea·cher at the Academy of Modern Dance
in Me?Cico,• wher-e he · also headed a
dance troupe.
All of his knowledge comes from the
dance, or ''la danza". The fact that
he is regarded as an· authority of indigenous (native) dance in Mexico only
hints at the things he knows.
Danza has become a way of I ife
for him.
How
long has he been dancing?
*Since before I · was. born • • ~ I was
kicking!'
His persistent · humor augments the seriousness of the things
he teaches.
He ·shares this knowledge with his
students through tales of the ancient
Aztec deities. Tales that, thousdands
of years later, can tel 1. us what we.
are al I about.
Andres Segura
BY FELIX J. CONTREJRAS
DIANNE SOLIS
1tance that the Chicano lla.s W:thin him,
even though the Chicauo culture does
not negate the lnfiuenee of this area.
. It ls :i necesslty to 1emoustrate
that whlch ls w!thin us.. Consclous1y,
unc011c;ciously, o·,.,.. sabconsciously, W9
a.re showing w!iat is w.'.thin us. The
majo: manifestation ~hat you could call
'Chicano culture', is within the paintings and literature.
Segura: - For us in Mexico, and in the
indigenous . language, we have this dif•
ference- bailar is a social, emotional
movement. But 'danza' is for us, a
special movement, and it has a special nature; has a special meaning.
And It is always rellgious.
" ... -earth, wind,
In regards to the literature, (thanks
to the friars and the priests who col- ·
l~cted manuscripts after thfl:onquest},
today it had been studied that 'the indigenous people bad a great literature.
The great movement of the Mexican
artist has been the mural. Diego Ri-
-La Voz: - You don't cons.ider yourself an Indian, but rather an indigenous. Why?
We are not Indians. Indians
are from India. We do not call ~urselves Indians because it was a geographic mistake made by Chrlsb~h,~::
(.c,L·.1bus.
He thought he landed in
the Indies. We are indigenous. We
are natives of this conttnent.
Segura:
La Yoz:
What significance .does the
incence~ candle and water that is pre.
sent in al I your classes have to do
with what you are teaching?
Segura:
It is indigenous eustom to
use _the fire in the incense burner,
the co~l (incense) the water and the ·
canme as wltness to our word, To
give it value. Because they signify
the four elemenf.s o! our tradition, earth,
wi..nd, fire and water.
The history of the coP'3,l tells us
that copal was the blood of the tree
which represents the blood o! mankind. It tells as that it w::is used to
cleanse the surroundings o! the bad ·
spirits.,
La Voz: · Why did you come here to·
teach?
Seg-.ira: Primarily, it is beca:JSe the
faculty here at La Raza Studies invited me to pa:.·ticipate ~ their program, That is for la raza. Secondly, the firs: time I ever came to the
Un:ted States (9 -or 10 _years ago), I
came here to Fresno, and it was because the brotllers from Tea:tro Campes~o, primarily Luis Valdez, invited
me, And since Pve come to Fresno,
I feel that I am W: th iny people as
I feel I _am with my people in Mexico,
La Voz:
Why do you think that we,
as students should know what you are
teaching?
Segura:
So you can acquire ·a con~
sclousness ot identity. Because I feel
that this is the problem of the Mexican
de alla (of Mexico), and of the Chicano
over here. Over there, like over here,
we have the meztizo complex. That
is a historical social phenomena~ After the conquest, the indigenous people,
were negated· a cultural value. And
when a meztizo became something, he
bad that problem of identity, because
ff he considered himself of human value, it was not because of the lndigen..
ous presence, but for the other pirt
that was not indigenous.
La . Voz: Who taught you the things
that you teach?
Segura: I can truthfully say wth sincerity · that everything that I know, I
have learned through the indigenous
tradition of the danza. There were
various. people who have been my guid0s
and masters · in the learning of this
tradition. These guides have been spiritual and physical.
La Voz: What 'do you think of the people
and the culture that exists here?
Segura: We have a saying in Mexico,
"No one gives what he does aot have".
And if I re·t er to the Chl~o ,.. nlture,
it ls nothing mor~ than a gen,t_:{E her-
vero,
Siqueros, · Orosco •.• these men
were all Mexican muralists recognized
throughout the world. It ls within our
blood.
That is why in the barrios
you see walls with writing on them.
The Euro~ans used little canvasses, ·
but the Mexicano uses walls to piint
on.
Another incredible expression is teatro. We have always done teatro. Te:.
atro is in all the great ceremonies
of the indigenous people. These ceremonies were done in the grea~ plazas
for the people, and that is Wilt teatro
Chicano does here today in Aztlan.
La Voz: When speaking of dance, you
don't use "bailar', but rather 'danzar'.
Why?
fire, earth ... "
La Voz:
Studies
early 1990's, there
Chicano population
How do you think
thi!i?
predict that by the
will be a very large
here in California.
we can prepare for
Segura:
I think that we must prepire ourselves, not just the people
born here (United States), but also the
Mexicanos born in Mexico, the ones
who migrate, and the ones who stay
over there.
That preparation calls
for us to know and aquire a conscious. ness that we have a great cultural
heritage, that being the great Nahuatl
culture, or Mexica (pronounced 'meshica'). A culture that is at the same
level of the geat cultures of the world.
ancient and modern. The Nahuatl culture is the brother of the Mayan culture, of the Inca, and of the cultures
. of the United States that were cultures
before the arrival of the stranger to
- this continent, white, black or yellow
strangers who have ignored this culture. That ls why they try to lgnor~
us. But we were here even before.
That is what I think ls the preparation-to aquire that conciousness of the
value that -we have as a people . .
CINCO DE MAYO, 1978
PAGE 4
• •
'Las Escaraffluzas' doing it with prec1s10n
Adelita spirit lives thru riding team
By ELVIA RUIZ
Staff Reporter
The eight girls dressed in traditonal Mexican charro unlforms
"Wearing large sombreros slt
sidesaddle ·high atop their spirited horses.
Their defiant expressions and
stances remind people of the adelitas during the Mexican revolution.
They call themselves Las Escaramuzas Jesusitas; a girl's
horse riding drill team from
Madera.
Las Escaramuzas, formed -fu
1974, perform precision riding
drills at fairs and charreadas
and appear in parades exhibiting
the traditional Mexican sport to
the people of the San Joaquin
Valley.
Under the direction of drill
master Jesse Lopez, Jr., the
drill team has had major performances in the Fresno and
Madera District Fairs, Fresno
City College and have appeared
in parades in Tulare, Kerman
and Chowchilla.
Through fundraisers such as
bake sales and car washes, they
raised enough money to purchase
Mexican-style side saddles. The
girls also handm~de their authentic-looking riding uniforms all
the while practicing drills and
routines two to three times a
week.
The girls, who range in ages
from 14 to 24, practice during
the months from March to October with a final performance
in the Mexican rodeo at the
Fresno District Fair.
During their exhibition, Las
Escaramu~
perform such
participate, too," Lopez said.
drills an1 routines as El Albanico
The riding team encourages
(the 1 fan), El Reloj (the clock),
El Peine (the comb) and Las
girls to join the group if they
Cruzada.s (the crosses).
are willing to put their interLopez said Mexican audienests in this project. "The girls
ces feel proud to see Chicapractice twice a week and on
nos in the United States parweekends,'' Lopez said.
ticipating in sports from MexThere are no age requirements
ico such as the riding teams.
but one demand is that they be
He said Las Escaramuzas are
willing to work closely with the
unique because they are the onhorses.
ly female riding team in this _
Patsy Morales, a three-year
area.
veteran of the group, also said
"Las Escaramuzas not only
a girl needs courage to '' stick
show their skill in the riding
it out" but said the audience
drills, but they also show the
reception makes it all worth
Mexican people that women can
while.
"It makes you feel so g
when the people are wa
that you want to do it very mu
It keeps you more intere
also," she said.
Instructor Lopez said bis
tima te goal for Las Escara
zas would be to see them tr.
vel and compete against t
and also travel to Mexico
compete against teams the
"Some of the girls
really .fast and some
scared to death the first
they rode the horse,"
said.
For the timid and shy pr
usually the beginners-sepan
training is required.
are trained on calm and
horses until they build theirett
fidence in working with the am
mal.
:::::::::::::::~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~:::::::
····•:•·····•:•··············································•·1·
·,·..:t·h·;·;···;·;·~·;f~-;;·;····;···
you might say, to
horse with more
spirit ... '
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;
: ~:~:~=;=t:=~=-~:·;•~:: =:=~:~: : :J=::
m~IIm~iim~mmmI~I ~~;~~~;~~~m\
to _death the first time
they rode a horse·...
:::::=:•:::::::::::::=:=::::.:::.... :·:·:·::;:;:;:;:.:..-.-·_::::::::::
Las Escaramuzas are a J)'lrt
of Los Charros Onidos de Mad- ·
era, a male riders team.
Twenty-five year old Lopez,
a Fresno City College student
and member of Los Cbarros
Unidos, formed Las Escaramuza.s four years ago with only
a few horses and girls and no
riding uniforms.
"I feel so proud. It started
out as an idea and it seemed
so far-fetched,'' Lopez said.
Las Esca~amuzas Jesusitas, a Madera girl;s horse riding drill te~m seek to make the publ 1c aware of the famous Mexican sport.
Urgent
From
- "Then they graduate,youmi
say, to a horse with more s~
rit," said Lopez.
Although most of Las Escara
muzas already had experience·
working with horses, two CJ!
members had never even rid
one before.
Alicia Lopez, a Las Escara
muzas member, was scared
horses when she joined the gr
but easily adjusted to the an!
mal since she rode the gentl
horse of the team.
"If a girl wants to join tll
team I suggest all you need h
a horse and lots of courage,''
she said.
Message
El Comitd
The Committee ·to save La Raza will m.arch from CSUF to
FCC on Monday, May 8, to expose and protest the fact that Baxter has not responded to tire deII1;3.llds and requested community
meeting.
The march wm gather to leave at 10:00 in the Free
Jpeech area..
~-~~~~
i i'!:i....
/
'
_/:!.
'
~-.
.,
'
-
Baxter ns given the demands and a letter requesting Ills
µ-esence .at the commmifty meet!Dg scheduled for Wednesday,
May 10, 7:00 p.m., at the Mosqueda Center. He W?.; urged to respond immediately and said that he would do so by Wednes<!.ay.
Thus far, no word has been received from him, and the Committee
feels that he Is stalling to " ••• let the clock run down."
Members of the Committee be1ieve tba' if Baxter can ignore
this second request for a meeting, (a request delivered to his
office with the support of about 200 p~.cketing studentc;), he. will
certa.lnly not , respond to the demands for Chicano faculty and
supportive services.
·
To allow Baxter to buy Ume Is exactly what be wants. Raza
students and, -:faculty must move swiftly in pressing for the comI
mun.ity meeting and a resolution to the problem of racist insensitivity and arrogance at CSUF.
'I
the true
revolution ·a·r·v·"ls ...g·u·ided
Y ar.eat f a!IJ11 gs of Io v e." ~.GI..)~
Saragoza speaks of regressiorl rather than progression
Cinco de Mayo: La Raza Studies' sad reflections
Former Fresno State professor Alejandro Saragoza said although Cinco de · Mayo is an
important day for Chicanos, it
also is a sad one.
Speaking at an opening day observance of FSU's weeklongCinco de Mayo celebrations he said,
''It's unfortunate that today I
cannot speak about progression.
I can't say that in 10 years,
or even in the - pa.st 10 years,
we've come a long way. We've
gone through a regression campuswide, statewide, and nationwide.''
sary of school walkouts by Chicano students in Los Angeles
who ''were tired and had enough
of being second-class citizens
and second class students."
He said those students sacrificed their education for justice
and put up with ridicule and humilation, and he added, ten years
later, Chicanos still are trying
to make · real gaines in education.
''It is sad that we still have
to put up with faculty being fired
and dismissed for any variety
of reasons," he said. "We're
''o~scenity" that the FSU administration ls ra,ising millions
of dollars for a stadium, but
says it doesn't have money for
professors and student recruitment.
"This university is raising
millions of dollars for a hole
in the ground, but will only give
the Chicano Youth Conference
$900. That'll hardly buy shoestrings for the football team.''
Saragoza said he "bas nothing
against" the football
.t eam ,
but he would like to see that
same kind of enthusiasm in financing Bia.ck studies, womenstudles, and La Raza Studies.
Saragoza asked Chicano students not to forget the real mean-
ing of CiJlco de Mayo. "What
are we going to do the day after
to transfer the good vibrations
and the good feelings from that
night to those who could not
bave a good time? What are
we going to do to help others?
That's the real meaning of Cinco de Mayo--everyda.y of our
lives.''
' ... Like tired of being mig _rant farmworkers,
we're tired of being migrant pFofessors ... '
The audience, mostly Chicano
students, welcomed home the man
whose name is synonymous with
La Raza Studies at FSU. He
is on leave and teaching at tb:e
University at Berkeley.
Semana commenorates Cilico
de Mayo, (5th May), marking
the day Mexico defeated French
forces 110 years ago, preserving
loss of national independence and
liberty.
still being excluded from education."
He said several Chicano professors have been denied tenure, .despite theiracademicachievements and their contributions
to the Chicano community.
'' I hope no one thinks that
Chicano
professors complain
about being fired because they
are worried about losing their
jobs,'' said the 32 year old na-
Alex Saragoza, former co-ordinator of La Raza Studies (LAR) Program, cbat:a with Dr. Jesus
Luna, current LAR co-ordinator and Ernesto Martinez,LAR professor since the program's
inception nearly a decade ago.
' .. What are we going to do the day after
to transfer the good vibrations ... to those
•·-• wa.-
who could not have a good time? ... '
Saragoza joined the FSU faculin 1971 and took over the La
Raza Studies chairmanship after
the entire Ethnic Studies staff
had been fired.
In his speech, ·Saragoza noted
that 1978 is the tenth anniver-
ty
tive of Madera. "It's the principle."
''We're tired of being migrant.
Like tired ofbeingmigrantfarmworkers, we're tired of being
migrant professors."
Saragoza said it is a terrible
•• •••&•-•
CINCO DE MAYO, 1978
LA VOZ DE; AZTLAN
Farm group endorses Davis
SACRAMENTO AP - Former
Los Angeles Police Chief Ed
Davis' campaign for governor
Tuesday won support from a
Japanese farm group that previously endorsed Ken Maddy for
the Republican nomination for
govenor.
Mamoru Yamaichi, president
of the 300-member San Joaquin
Nisei Farmers, said Maddy's
opposition to Proposition 13, the
Howard Jarvis tax limitation initiative ''critically damag_ed''
Maddy's cami;aign.
Yamaichi said his group's 11member boa.rd of directors voted
unanimously to endorse Davis
and contribute $2,500. Yamaichi said his group contributed
the first $1,500 to Maddy and
helped launch the FresnoassemMaddy, saying his concern W'lS
blyman's campaing last year.
that Maddy could not win the
A Maddy spokesman, Jack
election and that it was improWoodard, minimized the important to find a candidate who
tance of the switch, and Harry
could beat Attorney General EvKubo, president of the 1,500-- elle Yo1,mger in the June 6 GOP
member Nisei Farmers League,
primary and Democratic Gov.
said his group is still solidly Edmund Brown Jr. in November.
in support f}f Maddy.
He described both Brown and
''We feel we have solid supYounger as enemies of agriculport in the agricultural community, and we'r~ not concerned ture.
"Ed Davis is our last chance,
about this," Woodard said.
and he · can win both in June
and November,'' Yamaichi said
Yamaichi said news stories
at a joint appearance with Davts
about a former Maddy aide's
at a Capitol news conference.
ties with the Mexican Mafia priThe most recent California
son gang also damaged Maddy's
Poll showed Younger favored by .
chances.
23 percent of California RepubYamaichi, who{arms 900acres
licans, followed by Davis at 22
in Stanislaus County near Westpercent and Maddy at 13 perley, avoided personal criticism of
cent.
Federal court rules black College
discriminates against whites
Andres Segura, ·
un da~zante par.a siempre
(se·e story on page 3.)
MONTGOMERY, Ala. AP - A
federal judge ruled today that
predominantly black Alabama
State University has discriminated against whites in the hiring and promotion of faculty
members.
Ruling Monday on a suit filed
by a white English instructor
whose contract was not renewed,
U.S. district Judge Frank M.
Johnson Jr. said the evidence
"presents strong proof that, in
its hiring, promotion and tenure
of faculty • . • ASU has ..•
engaged in a pittern and practice of discrimination against
to offer "any convincing explanation" for the university's decision not to renew Craig's contract. The instructor had been
rated "competent and dedicated''
by his superiors in December
1972.
A hearing has been set for
July 19 on Craig's request for
$11,000 damages, reinstatement
and back pay.
In ordering an end to the discrimina.tiol, Johnson directed
the university to report every
six months on the racial makeup of its staff.
Founded at Marion, Ala., in
1866 as an all-black teachers'
college, the institution was
brought under state cootrol in
1873 and moved to Montgomery
in 1887 as the Alabama Colored
Peoples University.
Today, its student body remains predominantly black.
whites."
Johnson ruled that the decision not to renew the contract
of Charles R. Craig for the
1973-74 school year "was racially motivated."
CINCO DE MAYO, 1978
PAGE 2
LA VOZ de AZT!Ji
Bakke: debate continues
CSUF students were asked by La ·
VOZ's roving reporter, "What ls your
feeling or opinion on the Bakke case?"
The following are the answers given
by CSUF students.
Divine August
Salvador
Divine ,August, Mechanized Agriculture
Senior'
"I don't la1ow too much about the
Bakke case, but since he ls already
a professtonal man he should have stuck
to his profession. He is already a
middle-aged man by the time he would
graduate from medical school he woldn't
be able to serve the people too well
too long•
Salvador Garcia, Art major, Sophomore"1 tbiDk 1t is another racist attempt
by the .ga.ba.cho to set back all the ·gains
we have made In the 60's. It ls history that all the oppressed people must
fight for our rights - and we will continue fightitlg."
or
. Ken Olstad
Ken Olstad, Industrial Technology,
Junior "I feel that I don't know too much
about it. I do Imow that it has gone
to the Supreme Cour • l can see how
some people can be upset by not getting
their position, though they feel they
deserve it, although it may be tough
for minorities. I do believe there is
such a thing as reverse discrimination
and that it does occur." .
Linzy Hud.son .
Jaime Huerta
Linzy Hudson, History & Industrial Arts,
Junior"I don't feel discrimination should ·
be involved in hiring or firing on any
job or situation. Who cares what color .
someone ls or racial background if
they can do the job, let them."
Jaime Huerta, Special Major, Senior"I tmnk there are a lot o{people
that are uninformed about the issue,
basically because the media has been
biased on reporting about the issue,
either by writing in favor of the decision or by not publishing the true facts.
about it. It affects all of us one way
or another, and we should struggle
for the common cause of the people."
Jesus Sepulveda
Jesus Sepulveda, Child Development,
Sentor''1 have fears about the Bakke case.
If it goes toward Bakke this action can
eliminate Affirmative Action policies.
A lot of people say 'you should get
your people educated'. We do have
educated minorities, but we don't have
people in positions such as admission
boards, we are trying to get people
educated so they can fill these positions. We need people who are sensitive towards the needs of minority .
communities and of women.;;
Charlotte Karubnik, Political ·Science,
Junlor''I believe that everybody should
have the sami chance as anybody else,
no special p!"ivllege to race, creed,
color or sex."
Margar_
e t Haynes
Margaret Haynes , Predentistry, High
School student ''For a lot of minorities, the Special programs are our opportunity to
attend college, so I am against Bakke.",
LA VOZ de AZTLAN
CINCO DE MAYO, ·1978
PAGE 3
A Conversation with
He says he is "very old" and "very
new."
New - 46 years olEf. Old many thousands of years old in the
ancient tradition of the meshica tenochla people who inhabited Aztlan -long
before the Spaniards came for gold,
glory and God.
He $peaks with a kaleidoscope of
expression, through his hands, voice
and his eyes, of a way of I ife, a philosophy, that is new to us, yet so very
much a part of our existence. •
He has studied medicine at the University of Mexico, where he earned
a BA in Biological Science. He has
stu~\ed the fine arts, and was a tea·cher at the Academy of Modern Dance
in Me?Cico,• wher-e he · also headed a
dance troupe.
All of his knowledge comes from the
dance, or ''la danza". The fact that
he is regarded as an· authority of indigenous (native) dance in Mexico only
hints at the things he knows.
Danza has become a way of I ife
for him.
How
long has he been dancing?
*Since before I · was. born • • ~ I was
kicking!'
His persistent · humor augments the seriousness of the things
he teaches.
He ·shares this knowledge with his
students through tales of the ancient
Aztec deities. Tales that, thousdands
of years later, can tel 1. us what we.
are al I about.
Andres Segura
BY FELIX J. CONTREJRAS
DIANNE SOLIS
1tance that the Chicano lla.s W:thin him,
even though the Chicauo culture does
not negate the lnfiuenee of this area.
. It ls :i necesslty to 1emoustrate
that whlch ls w!thin us.. Consclous1y,
unc011c;ciously, o·,.,.. sabconsciously, W9
a.re showing w!iat is w.'.thin us. The
majo: manifestation ~hat you could call
'Chicano culture', is within the paintings and literature.
Segura: - For us in Mexico, and in the
indigenous . language, we have this dif•
ference- bailar is a social, emotional
movement. But 'danza' is for us, a
special movement, and it has a special nature; has a special meaning.
And It is always rellgious.
" ... -earth, wind,
In regards to the literature, (thanks
to the friars and the priests who col- ·
l~cted manuscripts after thfl:onquest},
today it had been studied that 'the indigenous people bad a great literature.
The great movement of the Mexican
artist has been the mural. Diego Ri-
-La Voz: - You don't cons.ider yourself an Indian, but rather an indigenous. Why?
We are not Indians. Indians
are from India. We do not call ~urselves Indians because it was a geographic mistake made by Chrlsb~h,~::
(.c,L·.1bus.
He thought he landed in
the Indies. We are indigenous. We
are natives of this conttnent.
Segura:
La Yoz:
What significance .does the
incence~ candle and water that is pre.
sent in al I your classes have to do
with what you are teaching?
Segura:
It is indigenous eustom to
use _the fire in the incense burner,
the co~l (incense) the water and the ·
canme as wltness to our word, To
give it value. Because they signify
the four elemenf.s o! our tradition, earth,
wi..nd, fire and water.
The history of the coP'3,l tells us
that copal was the blood of the tree
which represents the blood o! mankind. It tells as that it w::is used to
cleanse the surroundings o! the bad ·
spirits.,
La Voz: · Why did you come here to·
teach?
Seg-.ira: Primarily, it is beca:JSe the
faculty here at La Raza Studies invited me to pa:.·ticipate ~ their program, That is for la raza. Secondly, the firs: time I ever came to the
Un:ted States (9 -or 10 _years ago), I
came here to Fresno, and it was because the brotllers from Tea:tro Campes~o, primarily Luis Valdez, invited
me, And since Pve come to Fresno,
I feel that I am W: th iny people as
I feel I _am with my people in Mexico,
La Voz:
Why do you think that we,
as students should know what you are
teaching?
Segura:
So you can acquire ·a con~
sclousness ot identity. Because I feel
that this is the problem of the Mexican
de alla (of Mexico), and of the Chicano
over here. Over there, like over here,
we have the meztizo complex. That
is a historical social phenomena~ After the conquest, the indigenous people,
were negated· a cultural value. And
when a meztizo became something, he
bad that problem of identity, because
ff he considered himself of human value, it was not because of the lndigen..
ous presence, but for the other pirt
that was not indigenous.
La . Voz: Who taught you the things
that you teach?
Segura: I can truthfully say wth sincerity · that everything that I know, I
have learned through the indigenous
tradition of the danza. There were
various. people who have been my guid0s
and masters · in the learning of this
tradition. These guides have been spiritual and physical.
La Voz: What 'do you think of the people
and the culture that exists here?
Segura: We have a saying in Mexico,
"No one gives what he does aot have".
And if I re·t er to the Chl~o ,.. nlture,
it ls nothing mor~ than a gen,t_:{E her-
vero,
Siqueros, · Orosco •.• these men
were all Mexican muralists recognized
throughout the world. It ls within our
blood.
That is why in the barrios
you see walls with writing on them.
The Euro~ans used little canvasses, ·
but the Mexicano uses walls to piint
on.
Another incredible expression is teatro. We have always done teatro. Te:.
atro is in all the great ceremonies
of the indigenous people. These ceremonies were done in the grea~ plazas
for the people, and that is Wilt teatro
Chicano does here today in Aztlan.
La Voz: When speaking of dance, you
don't use "bailar', but rather 'danzar'.
Why?
fire, earth ... "
La Voz:
Studies
early 1990's, there
Chicano population
How do you think
thi!i?
predict that by the
will be a very large
here in California.
we can prepare for
Segura:
I think that we must prepire ourselves, not just the people
born here (United States), but also the
Mexicanos born in Mexico, the ones
who migrate, and the ones who stay
over there.
That preparation calls
for us to know and aquire a conscious. ness that we have a great cultural
heritage, that being the great Nahuatl
culture, or Mexica (pronounced 'meshica'). A culture that is at the same
level of the geat cultures of the world.
ancient and modern. The Nahuatl culture is the brother of the Mayan culture, of the Inca, and of the cultures
. of the United States that were cultures
before the arrival of the stranger to
- this continent, white, black or yellow
strangers who have ignored this culture. That ls why they try to lgnor~
us. But we were here even before.
That is what I think ls the preparation-to aquire that conciousness of the
value that -we have as a people . .
CINCO DE MAYO, 1978
PAGE 4
• •
'Las Escaraffluzas' doing it with prec1s10n
Adelita spirit lives thru riding team
By ELVIA RUIZ
Staff Reporter
The eight girls dressed in traditonal Mexican charro unlforms
"Wearing large sombreros slt
sidesaddle ·high atop their spirited horses.
Their defiant expressions and
stances remind people of the adelitas during the Mexican revolution.
They call themselves Las Escaramuzas Jesusitas; a girl's
horse riding drill team from
Madera.
Las Escaramuzas, formed -fu
1974, perform precision riding
drills at fairs and charreadas
and appear in parades exhibiting
the traditional Mexican sport to
the people of the San Joaquin
Valley.
Under the direction of drill
master Jesse Lopez, Jr., the
drill team has had major performances in the Fresno and
Madera District Fairs, Fresno
City College and have appeared
in parades in Tulare, Kerman
and Chowchilla.
Through fundraisers such as
bake sales and car washes, they
raised enough money to purchase
Mexican-style side saddles. The
girls also handm~de their authentic-looking riding uniforms all
the while practicing drills and
routines two to three times a
week.
The girls, who range in ages
from 14 to 24, practice during
the months from March to October with a final performance
in the Mexican rodeo at the
Fresno District Fair.
During their exhibition, Las
Escaramu~
perform such
participate, too," Lopez said.
drills an1 routines as El Albanico
The riding team encourages
(the 1 fan), El Reloj (the clock),
El Peine (the comb) and Las
girls to join the group if they
Cruzada.s (the crosses).
are willing to put their interLopez said Mexican audienests in this project. "The girls
ces feel proud to see Chicapractice twice a week and on
nos in the United States parweekends,'' Lopez said.
ticipating in sports from MexThere are no age requirements
ico such as the riding teams.
but one demand is that they be
He said Las Escaramuzas are
willing to work closely with the
unique because they are the onhorses.
ly female riding team in this _
Patsy Morales, a three-year
area.
veteran of the group, also said
"Las Escaramuzas not only
a girl needs courage to '' stick
show their skill in the riding
it out" but said the audience
drills, but they also show the
reception makes it all worth
Mexican people that women can
while.
"It makes you feel so g
when the people are wa
that you want to do it very mu
It keeps you more intere
also," she said.
Instructor Lopez said bis
tima te goal for Las Escara
zas would be to see them tr.
vel and compete against t
and also travel to Mexico
compete against teams the
"Some of the girls
really .fast and some
scared to death the first
they rode the horse,"
said.
For the timid and shy pr
usually the beginners-sepan
training is required.
are trained on calm and
horses until they build theirett
fidence in working with the am
mal.
:::::::::::::::~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~:::::::
····•:•·····•:•··············································•·1·
·,·..:t·h·;·;···;·;·~·;f~-;;·;····;···
you might say, to
horse with more
spirit ... '
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;
: ~:~:~=;=t:=~=-~:·;•~:: =:=~:~: : :J=::
m~IIm~iim~mmmI~I ~~;~~~;~~~m\
to _death the first time
they rode a horse·...
:::::=:•:::::::::::::=:=::::.:::.... :·:·:·::;:;:;:;:.:..-.-·_::::::::::
Las Escaramuzas are a J)'lrt
of Los Charros Onidos de Mad- ·
era, a male riders team.
Twenty-five year old Lopez,
a Fresno City College student
and member of Los Cbarros
Unidos, formed Las Escaramuza.s four years ago with only
a few horses and girls and no
riding uniforms.
"I feel so proud. It started
out as an idea and it seemed
so far-fetched,'' Lopez said.
Las Esca~amuzas Jesusitas, a Madera girl;s horse riding drill te~m seek to make the publ 1c aware of the famous Mexican sport.
Urgent
From
- "Then they graduate,youmi
say, to a horse with more s~
rit," said Lopez.
Although most of Las Escara
muzas already had experience·
working with horses, two CJ!
members had never even rid
one before.
Alicia Lopez, a Las Escara
muzas member, was scared
horses when she joined the gr
but easily adjusted to the an!
mal since she rode the gentl
horse of the team.
"If a girl wants to join tll
team I suggest all you need h
a horse and lots of courage,''
she said.
Message
El Comitd
The Committee ·to save La Raza will m.arch from CSUF to
FCC on Monday, May 8, to expose and protest the fact that Baxter has not responded to tire deII1;3.llds and requested community
meeting.
The march wm gather to leave at 10:00 in the Free
Jpeech area..
~-~~~~
i i'!:i....
/
'
_/:!.
'
~-.
.,
'
-
Baxter ns given the demands and a letter requesting Ills
µ-esence .at the commmifty meet!Dg scheduled for Wednesday,
May 10, 7:00 p.m., at the Mosqueda Center. He W?.; urged to respond immediately and said that he would do so by Wednes<!.ay.
Thus far, no word has been received from him, and the Committee
feels that he Is stalling to " ••• let the clock run down."
Members of the Committee be1ieve tba' if Baxter can ignore
this second request for a meeting, (a request delivered to his
office with the support of about 200 p~.cketing studentc;), he. will
certa.lnly not , respond to the demands for Chicano faculty and
supportive services.
·
To allow Baxter to buy Ume Is exactly what be wants. Raza
students and, -:faculty must move swiftly in pressing for the comI
mun.ity meeting and a resolution to the problem of racist insensitivity and arrogance at CSUF.
'I
the true
revolution ·a·r·v·"ls ...g·u·ided
Y ar.eat f a!IJ11 gs of Io v e." ~.GI..)~