La Voz de Aztlan, October 6 1980
Item
Title
La Voz de Aztlan, October 6 1980
Creator
Associated Students of Fresno State
Relation
La Voz de Aztlan (Daily Collegian, California State University, Fresno)
Coverage
Fresno, California
Date
10/6/1980
Format
PDF
Identifier
SCUA_lvda_00118
extracted text
October 6, 1980
Mo_
nday
.V. news controvers
Media
~victor, you have
rought in for us a huge
inority audience, but
~ou 're just not reaching
the white P'!pulation.'
By Fernando Quintero
"Good evening, the top story tonight-Mexicans were found smuggling ... " says
the fa.rniliar expressionless face that is
seen every night with its perfect coiffeur
and flawless image. The colorful plastic
backdrop illuminates the set where the
ated cameras carefully scan.
The scene behind the cameras and the
secrated news personalities is differt. Media politics, injustice, and racism
revalent and thriving within the walls
Fresno's television stations-and Chio's have been the hardest hit.
Unwillingness to cooperate, intimition, and discrimination within the
I television broadcasting industry
s resulted in the resigning and reting of our most successful Chinos in the television medium field.
Of the three major television stations
n Fresno, KJ EO Channel 47 is the only
station that has not signed the Affirmative Action agreement or Chicano programming agreement. These accordances were the result of action taken
from protesting Black and Chicano
,groups in the early 1970's.
Broadcast properties are licensed
throuRh the Federal Communications
mission (FCC), and this license
ust be renewed every three years,
these citizen groups petitioned the stations' license renewal demanding programming and hiring be directed to
minorities.
The FCC requires that commercial
levision stations adequately meet and
serve the needs of the community
through its broadcasting capabilities.
These petitioned stations did not want
the bad publicity (since bad publicity is
taboo for commercial television stations)and met the agreements of the citizens
roup granted they drop the petition.
As a result, the Affirmative Action
;agreement was born. It was then that
.similar actions were. taken. KFSN Channel 30 was once owned by Triangle Incorporated and was to be sold to Capitol
City broadcasting with permission of the
FCC. Community groups found a loophole in which they could petition the sale
of the station until certain programming
and hiring agreements were met. Al
• • • •
behind the scenes
Reyes and Alicia Maldonado were then
hired. A few years later, Channel 24
signed a similar agreement, and most recently, Channel 18. Channel 47 seems to
be the only major station resisting community pressure, however, its reputation
is poor among television news professionals according to one source .
A newsletter written by the Chicano
Media Association and El Concilio
stated: " ... Of the three major stations in
Fresno, Channel 47 is the only one which
has yet .to sign an Affirmative Action
agreement and Chicano programming
agreement ... Community people have
complained about the stations news coverage of the Chicano community including playing up "illegal alien"' and Mexican crime stories."'
Channel 47 station manager Bill
Sawyers said he felt positive about the
station's committment to minority programming. He stated that the Equal
Opportunity Employment policy took
care of fair minority hiring and named
several Chicanos employed at the sta-
U.S. - Mexico Ambassador
tion. He also stated, that 47's AM Fresno and Spectrum series were good public
affairs programs that met the needs of
the minority community. As far as the
Affirmative Action agreement, Sawyers
felt that the station didn't need an official affirmative program working so
closely with El Concilio and other organizations.
Victor Vasquez, ex-anchorman for
Channel 47's Eyewitness News, relocatSee Media Page 6
Nava stresses communication
by Edward Aparicio
US -Mexico Ambassador Julian Nava
"In order for me to accomplish half
of my job, I must not explain the United
States to Mexico, but to help Mexico
understand the United States" Julian
Nava, Ambassador to Mexico stated .
"We should stop pointing fingers to one
another . Instead, we should direct them
toward our problems ."
Nava, Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of the United States
to Mexico, was in Fresno Saturday
for a luncheon sponsored by the MAPA
chapter of Fresno.
Nava stated that relations between
Mexico and the United States are better
than ever although a "barrier" was still
present.
Nava felt a misconception by both
countries has always been a deterent in
relations between both countries.
"We understand you are different, but
why are you different?" Nava asked.
Nava, recently appointed by President
Carter when Patrick Lucey resigned,
has confirmed1 the initial good impressions the United States government
had of him. With Nava's background,
both culturally and educational, he was
undoubtedly the most qualified.
An educator, a writer, an administrator, and an authority on the history
of Americans of Mexican origi"1 Nava
is a nationally known leader among
Chicanos .
A graduate of Cal Poly . Pomona
with a M.A. and Ph.D in History from
Harvard, Nava was previously a special
assistant to the President of California
State University, Northridge.
"Americans are ignorant about
Mexico,"' Nava said. "They know very
little of our culture and history. The
United States feels we are a backward
nation." The 53 year old Ambassador
See Nava Pa1e 7
La Voz De Aztlan
Pa1e 2
October 6, 19'0
Movie depicts exploitation of Mexicans
Very rarely are Mexicans coming across the border into the United States "Illegally" viewed with sympathy or concern. They have become the scapegoats of anyone who will benefit from their exploitation.
As I entered the theatre to see Borderline, a movie about
"//legal aliens"
I prepared myself. I felt very suspicious and ready to tmd tawrs with the movie.
I thought it would be an inaccurate portrayal of Mexicans by an Anglo who knew
little of Mexican culture. The star of Borderline is Charles Bronson, a main reason
for my cynicism. I thought he would be beating Mexicans throughout the movie.
I was surprised when the move turned out to be more of a documentary. The
movie portrayed the uncertain plight of the undocumented worker through a series
of realistic scenes. The movie made you feel what the workers were going through.
The movie begins with a scene at a border patrol office in La Mesa, outside of San
Diego of which Bronson is in charge of.
A fellow officer, not far from retirement is murdered along with an innocent Mexican boy, when the patrolman stops a truck transporting Mexicans .
The film is mainly about Bronsons' determination to find the killer. His hunt ·takes
him through Tijuana where we see a woman smuggled in the motor of a car badly
burned when the radiator overheats.
·
In another scene Bronson goes into a San Diego barrio and into a stereotypical
scene, where Chicano tee_n-agers are wearing caps and pendeltons and loitering in
front of a falling apart apartment complex. The complex, of course, is decorated with
graffiti and the young ChiGanos speak with drawls.
.
Another stereotypical scene is right before the young Mexican b0,y is killed. A
companion in a conversation asks him about his father the boy replies in Spanish,
"Nos dejo hace mucho tiempo" "He left us a long time ago." It seems that this line
is often heard in most movies dealing with Mexicans. Always the uncaring father
who has left his family and there is never an explanation of why he has left.
Aside from these typical stereotypes the movie contains a certain realness. A lot
of Spanish is spoken in the movie adding to it reality. If you are of Mexican ancestory
and speak Spanish it is even more realistic. It depicts the way ·iri which growers
exploit the poor Mexicans and the living conditions they are subjected to.
The most appealing feature of the film is that it makes clear that it is not really the
"aliens" who are the problem, but it is the tragedy of the poor Mexicans in search of
a better life who are exploited and robbed of their only chance at a better life by
highly organized border smugglers or coyotes who deliver them like animals to the
United States.
The film clealy documents that those who are able to break away do so, leaving a
hostile world behind them to face an uncertain one ahead.
Somewhere
along a
thousand
miles of ·
barbed wire
border, the
American
dream has
become a
nightmare.
CHARLES BRON.SON , ,
by Margarita M. M_artinez
Ku Klux Klan prompts opposition ct-11cANos-1N:.LAw
By Margarita M. Martinez
The Ku Klux Klan was in Fresno on
Saturday, September 27, in an effort
to recruit more members and continue
spreading their racist propaganda.
The staged a cross burning at Pierce
Park in Centerville attended
about
150 people.
Their continued public presence in
Fresno has caused opposition groups.
One group is the Human Rights
Coalition composed of some students
from Students from Economic Democracy, Women's International League
for Peace and Freedom and other
concerned individuals from various •
groups. ·
A spokesperson for the Human Rights
Coalition, Ron Caul, stated "It is composed of people like myself, not belonging to or being a member of any
organization."
A main concern of the group is
to combat what they feel was favorable
publicity given to the Klan.
Mr . Caul reported that Bill Wilkinson,
the Imperial Wizard of the Klan arrived
at the Fresno airport on Friday, September 26, armed with knifes and
chains . He claimed this illegal and the
they should have been arrested for
carrying concealed weapons.
Mr. Caul claimed the Klan '-vas
armed and dangerous and the City of
Fresno condoned their actions by
turning the other way.
"If the Lowrider Confederation
or the Black Panther Croup had ..arrived
at the Fresno Airport carrying concealed
weapons they would not have gotten
away with it," asserted Caul. "This
demonstrates the City of Fresno's
racist attitudes."
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October 10
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Check it out!!
LA VOZ DE AZTL.AN
Founded in 1969
Ku Klux Klan stage a crossburning in Centerville.
La Voz De Aztlan made an effort to
speak to Klan members regarding
Caul (s allegations, but they refused to
comment because we were "not white."
The group is also preparing itself
for the inevitability of bolder Klan
activity. The Coalition is concerned
that the Invisible Empire of the Ku Klux
Klan has its headquarters in Clovis.
Photo by Dave Nielsen
A group they feel is one of the most
vicious Kia!" groups ..
The Coaltion plans continued public
education of the Klan 's violent nature
and their racist views.
A resolution was recently passed
opposing the Klan. Their goal is to
oppose the Klan in anyway possible .
Editor-in-Chi~f: Edward Apatt:io
Managing Editor: Margarita Martfnez
Sports Editor: Eli Garcia
Photo Editor: Robert Hernandez
Photographers:
Richard Rios Jose
Vallez
'
Production Manager:
Dora L. Lara
Advertising Co-Managers: Alex Romero
Hector Romero
Artist: Harold Porras
Staff Reporters:
Sandra Gonzalez,
Yolanda Granados, Fernando Quintero,
Pete Ramirez, Connie Soto, Yolanda
Soto, Rosalva Villegas
La Voz De Aztlan office is .located in
the Keats Campus Building on the
CSUF campus.
Letters to the editor are welcomed
La Voz De Aztlan reserves th
. h.
.
eng tto
edit letters. Submission d
guarantee publication.
oes not
October 6, 1980
Page 3
La Voz De Aztlan
Working on campus and in the-community
CHO President, Frances Navarrette,
presides over a meeting.
CHO member, Sandra Perez, involved
in a CHO sponsored blood pressure
clinic.
-
CHO advisor, Dr. William Collin,
examines samples obtained in the
parasite survey project.
Photos by Richard Rios
-California State U~iversity at.Fresno's
CHO (Chicano Health Organization)
is composed of students interested in a
health profession or allied health career. CHO' s programs and activities are planned to fulfill the organization's three
main objectives. These are: 1) Recruitment of Chicanos into the health
profession and allied health fields 2)
Retention of those 'students planning
a career in the field of health and 3)
having students in the health profession
and allied health fields become involved
in improving the quality of health in the
community.
CHO also actively takes part in various
Last week CHO elected new officers
All students interested in a health
conferences held on campus. Members and the organization has several activ- professional or allied hP;1lth r;\reers
may participate in CHO.
·
provided information concerning
ities scheduled. One current project is
CSUF 's health · and science programs co-sponsoring a Survival Skills Con- Chicano Health Organization meetings
to high school students at the Chicano ference set for October 11.
are held on Wednesdays, in San Ramon
Youth Conference. CHO has also co- '
4, Room 220, at 5:00 p.m.
sponsored a Health Conference consisting of workshops dealing with Chicanos
in Health Professions. This conference
CHO elects officers
was attended by high school students
from throughout the Valley.
President: Frances Navarrette 251-9839
Other projects undertaken by CHO
· Vice President: Richard Rios 292-7847
include the sponsoring of a blood presSecretary: Yolanda Rodriguez 487-3207
sure clinic and conducting a research
Treasurer:
Alonzo Garcia 299-8263
project to detect the incidence of parasites in a rural Fresno community.
~Ho -co-spo
'
. IV
.. a ]
ns Ors surv
CHO's members come from diverse
backgrounds with a wide variety of in- . . . - , - - - - - - - - - - . , terests. This is exen:iplified by the different majors which are represented
C.H.O. CONDUCTS SURVEY
in CHO's roster. Students from Biology,
As a means of fulfilling a major oi-ganNursing, Health Science, and Psychology are among those active in CHO. izational objective of community involveThe Chicano Health Organization,
ment, the Chicano Health Organization
working in conjunction with the Health
CHO has recently been involved in has juS t completed a survey to determine
Professions Career Opportunity Program
organizing several programs and par.:. the incidence of parasites in the resi(H.P.C.O.P.} of the Office of Statewide
ticipating in many events. Last sem- dents of a rural farmworker community
Planning and Development, will coester, a number of CHO members tra- located in we st Fresno County.
sponsor a Survival Skills Conference
veled to southern California where they
Work on th e project began in January
scheduled Saturday, October 11, 1980
1980 wi th the guidance of Dr. William
toured the campuses.
beginning at 8:30 am. to be held on the
Collin and Dr. Wallace Harmon of the
CSUF campus. The conference is dirCSUF Biology department. The proected towards all minority undergrad·ect's
goal
was
to
determine
the
inciCHO. students also attended the La J
uates who are planning on a health
professional career.
Raza Medical Association (La Rama) dence of intestinal parasites in the
retreat held at UC San Diego. Another population of th~ chosen community and
in the process provide CHO members an
field trip involved visiting various
.
The purpose of the conference 1s to
Bay Area campuses and attending a bpportunity to gain experience in biological research methods.
~elp un~ergraduates ~r~pare for ca~eers
conference at UC San Francisco.
m public health, med1'-.~~ or d~nt1stry.
Observations were recorded, and data
Speakers are often engaged to speak
Workshop participants will discuss
rcompiled. Those participants who had
at CHO meetings and functions.
various techniques from maintaining a
par~sitic infections were notified so they
Among those who have spoken to CHO could seek treatment.
su~essful
undergraduate
academic
'
are, Antonio Spampinato, from the
record for admission into a health proUC Berkeley School of Public Health;
fessional school. Health professionals,
AffCHO members who participated in
and Helen Gonzales from the Valley
counselors and students will be available
the
project
were
in
agreement
that
the
Medical Center Volunteer Program.
throughout the day to share their
paras.ite survey was a worthwhile experpersonal experiences and speak to stuience. They had the opportunity to conThese speakers provide information on duct field research and perform laboradents.
opportunities for students interested tory techniques. This survey will serve
The conference will highlight two
in health careers. They also serve as as a foundation for additional research
keynote presentations. The first, "The
contact persons in assisting in school projects to be conducted by CHO.
Need for Minorities in the Health
admissions and career planning.
skI•·11 s, c 0 nfere n ce
Professions ,, will explore the need and
opportuniti~s for various types of minority health professionals and their role
in the communities. The second address, "Minority Admissions in the
1980's,, will discuss minority admissions
records and trends of health professional
schools in California. It will also inform
students of various action steps which
b
k
·
t
can eta en to gam accep ance.
Other workshops include, Planning
Your Curriculum, Effective Study Techniques, Community Involvement vs
. Non-Involvement, Academic Support
Systems and How to Use Them.
Non-Involvement, Academic Support
Systems and How to Use Them, Effectively Preparing for and Taking
Exams, and Undergraduate Financial
Airlc;
All persons considering a career in
the health field are urges to attend
as past conferences have been of great
value to participating students. For
more information, one may call: The
Biology Department (487-2001),· The
E.O.P. Office (437-1021)
-
La Voz De Aztlan
October 6, 1980
1980-CSUF CRos·s COUNTRY.I
harriers place 5th
I
Sprinting to the finish, winner Jairo Correa, University of Reno.
photo essay by
Robert Hernandez
George Aguirre and teammate, Dave Kurtze, covering ground.
Rick Torres running in form.
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La Voz De Aztlan
Page6
Media
Continued from Page 1·
_
ed to KNXT Channel 2 in Los Angeles in
the middle of his two-year contract with
Channel 47. According to Vasquez, his
goal in coming to Fresno was to get into
a better paying, industrious journalist
job. Co-anchorjng the weeknight 11 :00
news, Vasquez was moved to weekends
and replaced by "Peter Rougot, their
superstar" as Vasquez put it . W~en Vasquez asked why the move to weekends
and why Bi II Sawyers thought Peter
would bring in a bigger audience Sawyers replied, "Victor, you have brought
in for us a huge minority audience, but
you 're just not reaching the white population. " Vasquez is now working as San
Bernardino's Bureau chief in a major
metropolis making more money and receiving more exposure .
Alicia Maldonado and Al Reyes are
two very prevalent Chicanos in the local
media as well as the community . Al was
the first to leave Channel 30 because of
the station's "insensitivities towards
minorities." He now works for Channel
24. Recently, Alicia Maldonado left
Channel 30 to work for FM 91 Radio Bi1ingue-for half the pay she was earning
at Channel 30.
_Hired in August of 1971, Ms. Maldonado served on the Minority Advisement
Committee which according to Walt Liss,
station manager of Channel 30, acts as
an advisory committee in the hiring of
minorities as well as helping the station
be more sensitive to minority communities. Maldonado claims that _the committee really didn't have much to say.
Reporting and producing for Channel
30, she then worked on the public affairs
end of the station because as she put it, ·
"News was so fast.,, Her intentions as
public affairs director were to build a
focus on health, business, and other
community matters. ,, After getting
there,,, she said, "i really couldn't do
what I wanted, they really limited me.
It's really hard being not only a Chicana,
but a woman as well in this field.,, ·
Continued from last
weeks issue:
California's
O\Vll
movimiento
The refrains of other popular . ,folk
songs go:
In this year of complaints
Of strikes and much suffering,
Many suffer injustices,
While others drown in riches.
And although they call us foreigners,
Because we speak Spanish,
The U.S.A. is another name,
For occupied Mexico.,,
On street ·walls in Latin neighborhoods, huge, brightly painted murals
teach cultural pride through history.
The message: "This is ours and don't
forget itl"'
ity committees are •good:
Prosion in which Fresno Employment
Alicia Maldonado resigned from
grammi-ng for the minority community is
mg Commission intervened.
Channel 30 in August 1980. Her letter of
resignation, stated, ,, ... For not keeping
worked on all . the time, and they are
was won by Trejo.
always looking for ways to improve. "We
Pete Perez filed a discrimina
your community commitment, not dealing in good faith. I do not feel you were are the only station in town that has a
against Channel 47 on the basis
minority production un!t,,, he added.
' erential treatment after being fi
committed to the minority community, in
particular, the Chicano community.,,
Legal action has recently been taken the station for incompetence. C
When asked what she thought would imby camera engineers Ricardo Trejo from
denied all charges and accordin1
prove conditions for Chican9s in ·the Channel 24 and Pete Perez of Channel
tion manager Mr. Sawyers it was
media she said, "things won't ,change· 21, formerly with Channel 47.
out of court. Perez said he cou
until Chicanos start owning the televiinto their buddy system. "'Si no
sion stations.,,
,.
Ricardo Trejo attacked Channel 24 on
bien, te chingan,"' he said. "'It's
Mr. Liss feels that:i the ratio· of Chithe contention that he was not being pro- for Chicanos to break in and we
canos to the rest of his employees· is ex- · moted after working for a period of time go to extremities like law suits.
ceedingly good. He stated that the rela- . at the station. He filed a suit with the think things will be fair until
tionship between Channel 30 and minorFair Employment and Housing Commis- start owning the stations."'
Los Ange_les joke about.';; "~he silent
recovery of a lost territory,.. or tease
Anglos about issuing them a green card
when they regain control ·of the state.
The list goes on.
Ca, los Al_maraz, ~ well-known . L~s
A~2eles Chicano painter who exh1b1ts
with a group call d L F
· th t
. . . E: os our, says
a
~eparatlsm is ~nev,table as long as Mex-·
,can~ and Chicanos are excluded from .
"mainstream" culture
·
.-;
"Not being allowed 4nto th~ system
means you have to form another system
to combat it,,, he said. "For example,
I recently went to the L.A . Institute
of Contemporary Art. One of the- directors reviewed my work and that of my
collegues and says, 'We're not into that
Chicano stuttr'
Larriva said he believes a political
separatist movement is "'highly unlikely
because of the government"' but that if
there were an uprising, he would surely
support it.
;,This has always been Mexico,"' he
said "'and there is noth·n
. o·
1 g that ,s
'
g mg
to keep us out. It's like salmon going to
their home upstream by instinct, though
many die on the ·0 rn
Th t' h
·t ·
.
_J u ey.
a s ow' 1s
here (with Mexicans) . In order to stop
it, the government would have to kill
us all.,,
Corky Gonsalez, a longtime .Chicano
activist and poet who heads the militant
Crusade for Justice in Denver, said in a
telephone interview that Chicanos and
Mexicans in the Southwest will "'look
toward self-determination... if the ma,,1 n a c,·ty w,·th over one-fou rth of t he jority system does not allow for our
population Latino, all this young man .growth.,,
can say is: 'We're not into that Chicano
"The idea of secession seems very
stuff!'
·
dramatic and impossible,"' he said.
He went on: "The idea of separatism "But nothing is impossible. The seed is
is not dormant. On (L.A.'s) East Side planted. It all depends on how society
we see ourselves practically as a sep-' develops, what are the economic conarate country. And we see gabacho ditions. Our children are. not going to
(Chicano slang for... Anglo) as ' a foreign · be breaking down the door to fight for
· the corporations and for the oil and be
When Chicano friends who live in the culture.,,
Tito
Larriva,
a
young
songwriter
and
heroes in the war. Latinos will begin
Southwest write each other, a letter
lead vocalist of Los Plugs, one of Los to identify with colonization and will
could, for example, be addressed to
Phoenix, Aztlan,- and the U.S. post Angeles' more popular Chicano punk emerge."
office delivers it. And U.S. travelers bands, went so far as to say he believes
in Mexico often hear California and the a separatist movement is already under
way. "'It's happened in an inner way,"'
When asked if he believed a separatist
~ Southwest referred to as "The Other
Mexico.,, Some Mexican-Americans in he said. w1 feel the same in downtown movement would seek to reannex
L.A. or in Mexico City.,,
Aztlan to Mexico_, he replied, w Any
future idea of autonomy would be a
nation of Azflan or Chicanismo, a
national concept. We should be ·
fying with oppressed and revol
ies ... not the one-party, anti-de
process of Mexico.,,
Even established Chicano
leaders who do not bet ieve a
movement will ever take hold
discount the possib~l~ty.
·
The head of California's Health
Welfare Department, Mario
the state's top Chicano politician,
waffling a bit in a telephone inte
said that it ough_t to be taken "in a
ious vein." He added :
"I don't dou.bt that there will
movement reclaiming this area O
next 20 years) . They could
articulate a sound argument
land still belongs to Mexico.
don't believe it will ever come
Then, he paused and said:
back' tomorrow, maybe I 'II have
my mind."
CONCLUSION
MEChA
Meeting every Thurs
12:30 p.m.
La Voz De Aztlan
111111-._,. from PaJe 1
on to explain the stereotype
xico by Americans and firmly
his belief in abolishing those
pes.
nomenal changes are taking
between the United States and
as Mexico takes a leading
, " Nava exclaimed. .
charge Nava spoke of was
troleum discoveries of the last ·
ars in Mexico. "Now we are more
·
American and foreign
Page 7
States/Mexico border relations as well
as the treatment of the Mexican Americans in the United States.
"The President of Mexico oversees
Mexican Americans in the United States
and the injustices .suffered. The President is concerned with the treatment
of his cousins. "We have not forgotten
our history dating back to 1848 and
beyond> Although, you do not see
Mexico taking revenge," Nava stated.
COFFEE CLUB
'I am not represenring any
The Racquet Club
special interest group,
Suit by
fil ,~Hart Schaffner & Marx ..
any party, or any faction.'
a said Mexican President Jose
Somewhat disturbed over not having
Portillo intended to spread the
·ts (oil) to unrepresented groups been chosen for the •vacant presidential
so to use as leverage to gain re- , post at California State University,
for Mexico to use in other areas . Fresno, last year, Nava felt a "great
lot of breakthroughs have been injustice" was done. ''A group of people
. Mexico is on the move," ex- deci~ed that no way would I be PresiNava.
"Mexico is becoming dent," he explained .
However, it• is ironic that Nava• was
lthy nation and is increasing
selected by President Carter for one of
stria I base."
commented on how the United the most important diplomatic posts.
was beginning to take notice
As for the Bracero Program, Nava
rt the Mexican government.
was in agreement with the abolition
financial circles, the industrial of it. ~It was a good program in. its day,
, and the coll)mercial circles but we are not in that situation today.
United States are all learning
It was a totally different era."
ish," Nava quipped. 'and in this
Nava clearly set his position straight
t San Joaquin Valley, although it for the record as his appointment
not in their best interest to claim made him the fi~st ever Chicano Am,liance with Mexican oil, the farmers bassador of Mexico. "I am not repursuing it (oil). I know, I receive present~ng any special interest group,
Ithe data," stated Nava.
ariy party, or any faction. I am representin"g the United States as AmbasAnother faction which greatly cons Nava and Mexico is the United sador to Mexico."
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La Voz De Aztlan
Page 8
Chicano Youth Center provides alterilative
By Fernando Quintero
El Plan de Santa Barbara, put together
in the early 1970's, was implemented to
unite and bring Raza together. It has
materialized into many different concepts, ideas, organizations, and into the
making of the Chicano Youth Center. ·
The Chicano Youth Center is staffed
by about 12 persons including volunteers and occasional social work students
from CSU,Fresno. Funding for the center comes mainly from the Fresno
Employment
Training
Commision
(F.E .T.C.), however, it poses some
problems for the center because hired
staff are there on a very limi~ed basis.
1
'Some schools, however.
deny the services of the
Center.'
Staff at the center are hired through
the Comprehensive Employment Training Act (C.E .T.A.) program which is
a government funded program that
works with the economically disadvantaged . Persons hired through the
C.E .T.A . program are sent out on a job
for a limited amount of time (usually one
to two years and less) and unfortunately,
may not get a full comprehension of the
job.
Chicano students who are turned away
by the Anglo educational system or
young people who are falling into juven- Alfonso Hernandez, Director_of the Chicano Youth Center, stands proudly in front
ile delinquency, or any persons with any
kind of problems are served by the
Center. Through the Center, teenagers participate in intramural sports, made . A MEChA supermarket located
dances, picnics, youth conferences, somewhere in east Fresno is also a
workshops on paint sniffing and gang project the Center will be undertaking.
warfare, and many other activities
sometimes drawing up 4,000 to 8,000
The market will train students in learnpeople.
ing skills that will be beneficial in obAccording to Alfonso Hernandez, taining other jobs in the future. With the
director of the Youth Center, they take help of councilman Leonel Alvarado,
Sitting behind his desk, we looked out
care of a lot of problems and give several major stores in Fresno have the window where you could see two
services other community service unofficially agreed to hire some of the Cholitas laughing away as they chattered
agencies are unable to take care of, youth once they're trained. Profits from on the phone in front of the Short Stop
yet they recieve no financial aid from the the market will be put back into the
market that takes care. of the junk food
Center. ·
City of Fresno or anyone else.
cravings for the dozen or so teen-agers
The Youth Center still has some way that visit The Chicano, Youth Center. ,
The Center's system is set up so that · to go. The development of other cen- Pictures and posters of Mexican revolurepresentatives of sponsors are stationed ters around the valley will require the tionaries and the "Li 'I Homeboy"
hang on the jumbled walls that belong to
at the different high schools and the cooperation and disposition of the
Alfonso Hernandez' office .
Center works through them. Students community and the youth . Programs
learn about their culture, their roots,
more relevant to Chicano youth need to
and about activities and events the
be initiated and implemented . "Schools
Alfonso begins to talk excitedly about
MEChA organization sponsors . "We're need to open up to provide better opthe
possible additions of Madera and
part of the whole educational process,"
po'rtu~· ies to our Chicano youth and
said Alfonso Hernandez, "We work better ooperation from our own com- Selma into the MEChA organization.
with and through the schools, however,
munit must come rather than putting He went on boastfully mentioning the
if we don 't recieve support or encourage- nega ve labels on our youth--our hope 24 MEChA clubs that presently exist.
ment from the youth and the community, of the future ." said Hernandez.
then there is not much we can do."
Born in Fresno to farmworker parents,
Alfonso recalls his childhood and reThere are 24 MEChA organizations
These last words are almost like those members experiencinR the different
throughout central California's high on the Migrant Education poster that · forms of oppression and discrimination
schools and colleges, the Chicano Youth
was stapled onto the cluttered wall that somehow links him to the students
Center also serves ~s their headquarters.
and which read:
he now devotes so much of his time with.
Some schools, however, deny the ser"We've come too far to let our youth put
vices of the Center. Selma and Reedly
up
with the same old shit we had to put
high schools do not want the Center "Los ninos son nuestra unica esperanza ..
up with/ said Alfonso.
involved with their schools. son como semillitas que nosotros hemos
The over-all outlook for the Chicano sembrado en sus escuelas ... ojala se conAfter attending Fresno City I then
Youth Center is bright.
Plans for viertan en fruto, estas cosechas de es- Fresno State College, Alfonso became
exp~nsion of the Center have been
peranza ... "
involved with community and student-
of MEChA Central headquarters.
Photo by Robert
Hernandez leads C
based organizations. This resulted.
involvement with the ChicanoCenter in February of 1979.
Alfonso recalls how the lack of
role models adversely affected
cept of Chicanos and their fu
chers, administrators, and ,__1111:
never told him about furt
education or advancement opD01ra.lP'
"After graduating from Cen
School I almost made the mi
joining the service," said
He pointed out the importance d
models and how they should let
youth know that it's all right to
and dress the way they want and
courage them to further their .
tion or at least stay in school. Est,
on t~~ C;hica~o ~rop-out rate in~~
ley high is around 50 to 60 IJC'"'"..
When asked why he devotes so
time with the Youth Center Alfonso
plied, "Experiencing all those ~
sions and discrimination and f1
being able to do something about
has made me a better person." .
Mo_
nday
.V. news controvers
Media
~victor, you have
rought in for us a huge
inority audience, but
~ou 're just not reaching
the white P'!pulation.'
By Fernando Quintero
"Good evening, the top story tonight-Mexicans were found smuggling ... " says
the fa.rniliar expressionless face that is
seen every night with its perfect coiffeur
and flawless image. The colorful plastic
backdrop illuminates the set where the
ated cameras carefully scan.
The scene behind the cameras and the
secrated news personalities is differt. Media politics, injustice, and racism
revalent and thriving within the walls
Fresno's television stations-and Chio's have been the hardest hit.
Unwillingness to cooperate, intimition, and discrimination within the
I television broadcasting industry
s resulted in the resigning and reting of our most successful Chinos in the television medium field.
Of the three major television stations
n Fresno, KJ EO Channel 47 is the only
station that has not signed the Affirmative Action agreement or Chicano programming agreement. These accordances were the result of action taken
from protesting Black and Chicano
,groups in the early 1970's.
Broadcast properties are licensed
throuRh the Federal Communications
mission (FCC), and this license
ust be renewed every three years,
these citizen groups petitioned the stations' license renewal demanding programming and hiring be directed to
minorities.
The FCC requires that commercial
levision stations adequately meet and
serve the needs of the community
through its broadcasting capabilities.
These petitioned stations did not want
the bad publicity (since bad publicity is
taboo for commercial television stations)and met the agreements of the citizens
roup granted they drop the petition.
As a result, the Affirmative Action
;agreement was born. It was then that
.similar actions were. taken. KFSN Channel 30 was once owned by Triangle Incorporated and was to be sold to Capitol
City broadcasting with permission of the
FCC. Community groups found a loophole in which they could petition the sale
of the station until certain programming
and hiring agreements were met. Al
• • • •
behind the scenes
Reyes and Alicia Maldonado were then
hired. A few years later, Channel 24
signed a similar agreement, and most recently, Channel 18. Channel 47 seems to
be the only major station resisting community pressure, however, its reputation
is poor among television news professionals according to one source .
A newsletter written by the Chicano
Media Association and El Concilio
stated: " ... Of the three major stations in
Fresno, Channel 47 is the only one which
has yet .to sign an Affirmative Action
agreement and Chicano programming
agreement ... Community people have
complained about the stations news coverage of the Chicano community including playing up "illegal alien"' and Mexican crime stories."'
Channel 47 station manager Bill
Sawyers said he felt positive about the
station's committment to minority programming. He stated that the Equal
Opportunity Employment policy took
care of fair minority hiring and named
several Chicanos employed at the sta-
U.S. - Mexico Ambassador
tion. He also stated, that 47's AM Fresno and Spectrum series were good public
affairs programs that met the needs of
the minority community. As far as the
Affirmative Action agreement, Sawyers
felt that the station didn't need an official affirmative program working so
closely with El Concilio and other organizations.
Victor Vasquez, ex-anchorman for
Channel 47's Eyewitness News, relocatSee Media Page 6
Nava stresses communication
by Edward Aparicio
US -Mexico Ambassador Julian Nava
"In order for me to accomplish half
of my job, I must not explain the United
States to Mexico, but to help Mexico
understand the United States" Julian
Nava, Ambassador to Mexico stated .
"We should stop pointing fingers to one
another . Instead, we should direct them
toward our problems ."
Nava, Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of the United States
to Mexico, was in Fresno Saturday
for a luncheon sponsored by the MAPA
chapter of Fresno.
Nava stated that relations between
Mexico and the United States are better
than ever although a "barrier" was still
present.
Nava felt a misconception by both
countries has always been a deterent in
relations between both countries.
"We understand you are different, but
why are you different?" Nava asked.
Nava, recently appointed by President
Carter when Patrick Lucey resigned,
has confirmed1 the initial good impressions the United States government
had of him. With Nava's background,
both culturally and educational, he was
undoubtedly the most qualified.
An educator, a writer, an administrator, and an authority on the history
of Americans of Mexican origi"1 Nava
is a nationally known leader among
Chicanos .
A graduate of Cal Poly . Pomona
with a M.A. and Ph.D in History from
Harvard, Nava was previously a special
assistant to the President of California
State University, Northridge.
"Americans are ignorant about
Mexico,"' Nava said. "They know very
little of our culture and history. The
United States feels we are a backward
nation." The 53 year old Ambassador
See Nava Pa1e 7
La Voz De Aztlan
Pa1e 2
October 6, 19'0
Movie depicts exploitation of Mexicans
Very rarely are Mexicans coming across the border into the United States "Illegally" viewed with sympathy or concern. They have become the scapegoats of anyone who will benefit from their exploitation.
As I entered the theatre to see Borderline, a movie about
"//legal aliens"
I prepared myself. I felt very suspicious and ready to tmd tawrs with the movie.
I thought it would be an inaccurate portrayal of Mexicans by an Anglo who knew
little of Mexican culture. The star of Borderline is Charles Bronson, a main reason
for my cynicism. I thought he would be beating Mexicans throughout the movie.
I was surprised when the move turned out to be more of a documentary. The
movie portrayed the uncertain plight of the undocumented worker through a series
of realistic scenes. The movie made you feel what the workers were going through.
The movie begins with a scene at a border patrol office in La Mesa, outside of San
Diego of which Bronson is in charge of.
A fellow officer, not far from retirement is murdered along with an innocent Mexican boy, when the patrolman stops a truck transporting Mexicans .
The film is mainly about Bronsons' determination to find the killer. His hunt ·takes
him through Tijuana where we see a woman smuggled in the motor of a car badly
burned when the radiator overheats.
·
In another scene Bronson goes into a San Diego barrio and into a stereotypical
scene, where Chicano tee_n-agers are wearing caps and pendeltons and loitering in
front of a falling apart apartment complex. The complex, of course, is decorated with
graffiti and the young ChiGanos speak with drawls.
.
Another stereotypical scene is right before the young Mexican b0,y is killed. A
companion in a conversation asks him about his father the boy replies in Spanish,
"Nos dejo hace mucho tiempo" "He left us a long time ago." It seems that this line
is often heard in most movies dealing with Mexicans. Always the uncaring father
who has left his family and there is never an explanation of why he has left.
Aside from these typical stereotypes the movie contains a certain realness. A lot
of Spanish is spoken in the movie adding to it reality. If you are of Mexican ancestory
and speak Spanish it is even more realistic. It depicts the way ·iri which growers
exploit the poor Mexicans and the living conditions they are subjected to.
The most appealing feature of the film is that it makes clear that it is not really the
"aliens" who are the problem, but it is the tragedy of the poor Mexicans in search of
a better life who are exploited and robbed of their only chance at a better life by
highly organized border smugglers or coyotes who deliver them like animals to the
United States.
The film clealy documents that those who are able to break away do so, leaving a
hostile world behind them to face an uncertain one ahead.
Somewhere
along a
thousand
miles of ·
barbed wire
border, the
American
dream has
become a
nightmare.
CHARLES BRON.SON , ,
by Margarita M. M_artinez
Ku Klux Klan prompts opposition ct-11cANos-1N:.LAw
By Margarita M. Martinez
The Ku Klux Klan was in Fresno on
Saturday, September 27, in an effort
to recruit more members and continue
spreading their racist propaganda.
The staged a cross burning at Pierce
Park in Centerville attended
about
150 people.
Their continued public presence in
Fresno has caused opposition groups.
One group is the Human Rights
Coalition composed of some students
from Students from Economic Democracy, Women's International League
for Peace and Freedom and other
concerned individuals from various •
groups. ·
A spokesperson for the Human Rights
Coalition, Ron Caul, stated "It is composed of people like myself, not belonging to or being a member of any
organization."
A main concern of the group is
to combat what they feel was favorable
publicity given to the Klan.
Mr . Caul reported that Bill Wilkinson,
the Imperial Wizard of the Klan arrived
at the Fresno airport on Friday, September 26, armed with knifes and
chains . He claimed this illegal and the
they should have been arrested for
carrying concealed weapons.
Mr. Caul claimed the Klan '-vas
armed and dangerous and the City of
Fresno condoned their actions by
turning the other way.
"If the Lowrider Confederation
or the Black Panther Croup had ..arrived
at the Fresno Airport carrying concealed
weapons they would not have gotten
away with it," asserted Caul. "This
demonstrates the City of Fresno's
racist attitudes."
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LA VOZ DE AZTL.AN
Founded in 1969
Ku Klux Klan stage a crossburning in Centerville.
La Voz De Aztlan made an effort to
speak to Klan members regarding
Caul (s allegations, but they refused to
comment because we were "not white."
The group is also preparing itself
for the inevitability of bolder Klan
activity. The Coalition is concerned
that the Invisible Empire of the Ku Klux
Klan has its headquarters in Clovis.
Photo by Dave Nielsen
A group they feel is one of the most
vicious Kia!" groups ..
The Coaltion plans continued public
education of the Klan 's violent nature
and their racist views.
A resolution was recently passed
opposing the Klan. Their goal is to
oppose the Klan in anyway possible .
Editor-in-Chi~f: Edward Apatt:io
Managing Editor: Margarita Martfnez
Sports Editor: Eli Garcia
Photo Editor: Robert Hernandez
Photographers:
Richard Rios Jose
Vallez
'
Production Manager:
Dora L. Lara
Advertising Co-Managers: Alex Romero
Hector Romero
Artist: Harold Porras
Staff Reporters:
Sandra Gonzalez,
Yolanda Granados, Fernando Quintero,
Pete Ramirez, Connie Soto, Yolanda
Soto, Rosalva Villegas
La Voz De Aztlan office is .located in
the Keats Campus Building on the
CSUF campus.
Letters to the editor are welcomed
La Voz De Aztlan reserves th
. h.
.
eng tto
edit letters. Submission d
guarantee publication.
oes not
October 6, 1980
Page 3
La Voz De Aztlan
Working on campus and in the-community
CHO President, Frances Navarrette,
presides over a meeting.
CHO member, Sandra Perez, involved
in a CHO sponsored blood pressure
clinic.
-
CHO advisor, Dr. William Collin,
examines samples obtained in the
parasite survey project.
Photos by Richard Rios
-California State U~iversity at.Fresno's
CHO (Chicano Health Organization)
is composed of students interested in a
health profession or allied health career. CHO' s programs and activities are planned to fulfill the organization's three
main objectives. These are: 1) Recruitment of Chicanos into the health
profession and allied health fields 2)
Retention of those 'students planning
a career in the field of health and 3)
having students in the health profession
and allied health fields become involved
in improving the quality of health in the
community.
CHO also actively takes part in various
Last week CHO elected new officers
All students interested in a health
conferences held on campus. Members and the organization has several activ- professional or allied hP;1lth r;\reers
may participate in CHO.
·
provided information concerning
ities scheduled. One current project is
CSUF 's health · and science programs co-sponsoring a Survival Skills Con- Chicano Health Organization meetings
to high school students at the Chicano ference set for October 11.
are held on Wednesdays, in San Ramon
Youth Conference. CHO has also co- '
4, Room 220, at 5:00 p.m.
sponsored a Health Conference consisting of workshops dealing with Chicanos
in Health Professions. This conference
CHO elects officers
was attended by high school students
from throughout the Valley.
President: Frances Navarrette 251-9839
Other projects undertaken by CHO
· Vice President: Richard Rios 292-7847
include the sponsoring of a blood presSecretary: Yolanda Rodriguez 487-3207
sure clinic and conducting a research
Treasurer:
Alonzo Garcia 299-8263
project to detect the incidence of parasites in a rural Fresno community.
~Ho -co-spo
'
. IV
.. a ]
ns Ors surv
CHO's members come from diverse
backgrounds with a wide variety of in- . . . - , - - - - - - - - - - . , terests. This is exen:iplified by the different majors which are represented
C.H.O. CONDUCTS SURVEY
in CHO's roster. Students from Biology,
As a means of fulfilling a major oi-ganNursing, Health Science, and Psychology are among those active in CHO. izational objective of community involveThe Chicano Health Organization,
ment, the Chicano Health Organization
working in conjunction with the Health
CHO has recently been involved in has juS t completed a survey to determine
Professions Career Opportunity Program
organizing several programs and par.:. the incidence of parasites in the resi(H.P.C.O.P.} of the Office of Statewide
ticipating in many events. Last sem- dents of a rural farmworker community
Planning and Development, will coester, a number of CHO members tra- located in we st Fresno County.
sponsor a Survival Skills Conference
veled to southern California where they
Work on th e project began in January
scheduled Saturday, October 11, 1980
1980 wi th the guidance of Dr. William
toured the campuses.
beginning at 8:30 am. to be held on the
Collin and Dr. Wallace Harmon of the
CSUF campus. The conference is dirCSUF Biology department. The proected towards all minority undergrad·ect's
goal
was
to
determine
the
inciCHO. students also attended the La J
uates who are planning on a health
professional career.
Raza Medical Association (La Rama) dence of intestinal parasites in the
retreat held at UC San Diego. Another population of th~ chosen community and
in the process provide CHO members an
field trip involved visiting various
.
The purpose of the conference 1s to
Bay Area campuses and attending a bpportunity to gain experience in biological research methods.
~elp un~ergraduates ~r~pare for ca~eers
conference at UC San Francisco.
m public health, med1'-.~~ or d~nt1stry.
Observations were recorded, and data
Speakers are often engaged to speak
Workshop participants will discuss
rcompiled. Those participants who had
at CHO meetings and functions.
various techniques from maintaining a
par~sitic infections were notified so they
Among those who have spoken to CHO could seek treatment.
su~essful
undergraduate
academic
'
are, Antonio Spampinato, from the
record for admission into a health proUC Berkeley School of Public Health;
fessional school. Health professionals,
AffCHO members who participated in
and Helen Gonzales from the Valley
counselors and students will be available
the
project
were
in
agreement
that
the
Medical Center Volunteer Program.
throughout the day to share their
paras.ite survey was a worthwhile experpersonal experiences and speak to stuience. They had the opportunity to conThese speakers provide information on duct field research and perform laboradents.
opportunities for students interested tory techniques. This survey will serve
The conference will highlight two
in health careers. They also serve as as a foundation for additional research
keynote presentations. The first, "The
contact persons in assisting in school projects to be conducted by CHO.
Need for Minorities in the Health
admissions and career planning.
skI•·11 s, c 0 nfere n ce
Professions ,, will explore the need and
opportuniti~s for various types of minority health professionals and their role
in the communities. The second address, "Minority Admissions in the
1980's,, will discuss minority admissions
records and trends of health professional
schools in California. It will also inform
students of various action steps which
b
k
·
t
can eta en to gam accep ance.
Other workshops include, Planning
Your Curriculum, Effective Study Techniques, Community Involvement vs
. Non-Involvement, Academic Support
Systems and How to Use Them.
Non-Involvement, Academic Support
Systems and How to Use Them, Effectively Preparing for and Taking
Exams, and Undergraduate Financial
Airlc;
All persons considering a career in
the health field are urges to attend
as past conferences have been of great
value to participating students. For
more information, one may call: The
Biology Department (487-2001),· The
E.O.P. Office (437-1021)
-
La Voz De Aztlan
October 6, 1980
1980-CSUF CRos·s COUNTRY.I
harriers place 5th
I
Sprinting to the finish, winner Jairo Correa, University of Reno.
photo essay by
Robert Hernandez
George Aguirre and teammate, Dave Kurtze, covering ground.
Rick Torres running in form.
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La Voz De Aztlan
Page6
Media
Continued from Page 1·
_
ed to KNXT Channel 2 in Los Angeles in
the middle of his two-year contract with
Channel 47. According to Vasquez, his
goal in coming to Fresno was to get into
a better paying, industrious journalist
job. Co-anchorjng the weeknight 11 :00
news, Vasquez was moved to weekends
and replaced by "Peter Rougot, their
superstar" as Vasquez put it . W~en Vasquez asked why the move to weekends
and why Bi II Sawyers thought Peter
would bring in a bigger audience Sawyers replied, "Victor, you have brought
in for us a huge minority audience, but
you 're just not reaching the white population. " Vasquez is now working as San
Bernardino's Bureau chief in a major
metropolis making more money and receiving more exposure .
Alicia Maldonado and Al Reyes are
two very prevalent Chicanos in the local
media as well as the community . Al was
the first to leave Channel 30 because of
the station's "insensitivities towards
minorities." He now works for Channel
24. Recently, Alicia Maldonado left
Channel 30 to work for FM 91 Radio Bi1ingue-for half the pay she was earning
at Channel 30.
_Hired in August of 1971, Ms. Maldonado served on the Minority Advisement
Committee which according to Walt Liss,
station manager of Channel 30, acts as
an advisory committee in the hiring of
minorities as well as helping the station
be more sensitive to minority communities. Maldonado claims that _the committee really didn't have much to say.
Reporting and producing for Channel
30, she then worked on the public affairs
end of the station because as she put it, ·
"News was so fast.,, Her intentions as
public affairs director were to build a
focus on health, business, and other
community matters. ,, After getting
there,,, she said, "i really couldn't do
what I wanted, they really limited me.
It's really hard being not only a Chicana,
but a woman as well in this field.,, ·
Continued from last
weeks issue:
California's
O\Vll
movimiento
The refrains of other popular . ,folk
songs go:
In this year of complaints
Of strikes and much suffering,
Many suffer injustices,
While others drown in riches.
And although they call us foreigners,
Because we speak Spanish,
The U.S.A. is another name,
For occupied Mexico.,,
On street ·walls in Latin neighborhoods, huge, brightly painted murals
teach cultural pride through history.
The message: "This is ours and don't
forget itl"'
ity committees are •good:
Prosion in which Fresno Employment
Alicia Maldonado resigned from
grammi-ng for the minority community is
mg Commission intervened.
Channel 30 in August 1980. Her letter of
resignation, stated, ,, ... For not keeping
worked on all . the time, and they are
was won by Trejo.
always looking for ways to improve. "We
Pete Perez filed a discrimina
your community commitment, not dealing in good faith. I do not feel you were are the only station in town that has a
against Channel 47 on the basis
minority production un!t,,, he added.
' erential treatment after being fi
committed to the minority community, in
particular, the Chicano community.,,
Legal action has recently been taken the station for incompetence. C
When asked what she thought would imby camera engineers Ricardo Trejo from
denied all charges and accordin1
prove conditions for Chican9s in ·the Channel 24 and Pete Perez of Channel
tion manager Mr. Sawyers it was
media she said, "things won't ,change· 21, formerly with Channel 47.
out of court. Perez said he cou
until Chicanos start owning the televiinto their buddy system. "'Si no
sion stations.,,
,.
Ricardo Trejo attacked Channel 24 on
bien, te chingan,"' he said. "'It's
Mr. Liss feels that:i the ratio· of Chithe contention that he was not being pro- for Chicanos to break in and we
canos to the rest of his employees· is ex- · moted after working for a period of time go to extremities like law suits.
ceedingly good. He stated that the rela- . at the station. He filed a suit with the think things will be fair until
tionship between Channel 30 and minorFair Employment and Housing Commis- start owning the stations."'
Los Ange_les joke about.';; "~he silent
recovery of a lost territory,.. or tease
Anglos about issuing them a green card
when they regain control ·of the state.
The list goes on.
Ca, los Al_maraz, ~ well-known . L~s
A~2eles Chicano painter who exh1b1ts
with a group call d L F
· th t
. . . E: os our, says
a
~eparatlsm is ~nev,table as long as Mex-·
,can~ and Chicanos are excluded from .
"mainstream" culture
·
.-;
"Not being allowed 4nto th~ system
means you have to form another system
to combat it,,, he said. "For example,
I recently went to the L.A . Institute
of Contemporary Art. One of the- directors reviewed my work and that of my
collegues and says, 'We're not into that
Chicano stuttr'
Larriva said he believes a political
separatist movement is "'highly unlikely
because of the government"' but that if
there were an uprising, he would surely
support it.
;,This has always been Mexico,"' he
said "'and there is noth·n
. o·
1 g that ,s
'
g mg
to keep us out. It's like salmon going to
their home upstream by instinct, though
many die on the ·0 rn
Th t' h
·t ·
.
_J u ey.
a s ow' 1s
here (with Mexicans) . In order to stop
it, the government would have to kill
us all.,,
Corky Gonsalez, a longtime .Chicano
activist and poet who heads the militant
Crusade for Justice in Denver, said in a
telephone interview that Chicanos and
Mexicans in the Southwest will "'look
toward self-determination... if the ma,,1 n a c,·ty w,·th over one-fou rth of t he jority system does not allow for our
population Latino, all this young man .growth.,,
can say is: 'We're not into that Chicano
"The idea of secession seems very
stuff!'
·
dramatic and impossible,"' he said.
He went on: "The idea of separatism "But nothing is impossible. The seed is
is not dormant. On (L.A.'s) East Side planted. It all depends on how society
we see ourselves practically as a sep-' develops, what are the economic conarate country. And we see gabacho ditions. Our children are. not going to
(Chicano slang for... Anglo) as ' a foreign · be breaking down the door to fight for
· the corporations and for the oil and be
When Chicano friends who live in the culture.,,
Tito
Larriva,
a
young
songwriter
and
heroes in the war. Latinos will begin
Southwest write each other, a letter
lead vocalist of Los Plugs, one of Los to identify with colonization and will
could, for example, be addressed to
Phoenix, Aztlan,- and the U.S. post Angeles' more popular Chicano punk emerge."
office delivers it. And U.S. travelers bands, went so far as to say he believes
in Mexico often hear California and the a separatist movement is already under
way. "'It's happened in an inner way,"'
When asked if he believed a separatist
~ Southwest referred to as "The Other
Mexico.,, Some Mexican-Americans in he said. w1 feel the same in downtown movement would seek to reannex
L.A. or in Mexico City.,,
Aztlan to Mexico_, he replied, w Any
future idea of autonomy would be a
nation of Azflan or Chicanismo, a
national concept. We should be ·
fying with oppressed and revol
ies ... not the one-party, anti-de
process of Mexico.,,
Even established Chicano
leaders who do not bet ieve a
movement will ever take hold
discount the possib~l~ty.
·
The head of California's Health
Welfare Department, Mario
the state's top Chicano politician,
waffling a bit in a telephone inte
said that it ough_t to be taken "in a
ious vein." He added :
"I don't dou.bt that there will
movement reclaiming this area O
next 20 years) . They could
articulate a sound argument
land still belongs to Mexico.
don't believe it will ever come
Then, he paused and said:
back' tomorrow, maybe I 'II have
my mind."
CONCLUSION
MEChA
Meeting every Thurs
12:30 p.m.
La Voz De Aztlan
111111-._,. from PaJe 1
on to explain the stereotype
xico by Americans and firmly
his belief in abolishing those
pes.
nomenal changes are taking
between the United States and
as Mexico takes a leading
, " Nava exclaimed. .
charge Nava spoke of was
troleum discoveries of the last ·
ars in Mexico. "Now we are more
·
American and foreign
Page 7
States/Mexico border relations as well
as the treatment of the Mexican Americans in the United States.
"The President of Mexico oversees
Mexican Americans in the United States
and the injustices .suffered. The President is concerned with the treatment
of his cousins. "We have not forgotten
our history dating back to 1848 and
beyond> Although, you do not see
Mexico taking revenge," Nava stated.
COFFEE CLUB
'I am not represenring any
The Racquet Club
special interest group,
Suit by
fil ,~Hart Schaffner & Marx ..
any party, or any faction.'
a said Mexican President Jose
Somewhat disturbed over not having
Portillo intended to spread the
·ts (oil) to unrepresented groups been chosen for the •vacant presidential
so to use as leverage to gain re- , post at California State University,
for Mexico to use in other areas . Fresno, last year, Nava felt a "great
lot of breakthroughs have been injustice" was done. ''A group of people
. Mexico is on the move," ex- deci~ed that no way would I be PresiNava.
"Mexico is becoming dent," he explained .
However, it• is ironic that Nava• was
lthy nation and is increasing
selected by President Carter for one of
stria I base."
commented on how the United the most important diplomatic posts.
was beginning to take notice
As for the Bracero Program, Nava
rt the Mexican government.
was in agreement with the abolition
financial circles, the industrial of it. ~It was a good program in. its day,
, and the coll)mercial circles but we are not in that situation today.
United States are all learning
It was a totally different era."
ish," Nava quipped. 'and in this
Nava clearly set his position straight
t San Joaquin Valley, although it for the record as his appointment
not in their best interest to claim made him the fi~st ever Chicano Am,liance with Mexican oil, the farmers bassador of Mexico. "I am not repursuing it (oil). I know, I receive present~ng any special interest group,
Ithe data," stated Nava.
ariy party, or any faction. I am representin"g the United States as AmbasAnother faction which greatly cons Nava and Mexico is the United sador to Mexico."
Hart Schattner & Marx tailors
it in easy-moving lines with
authentic detailing: soft
shoulders, narrowed lapels
and stitched edges. Racquet Club ... the great look
for fall. Naturally.
a-COFFEE'S
H<1rt Schaffner & Marx Sedgewyck
Hickey Freeman .Chr1st1tm Dior
Joshuil Trent Gino Sal_vagg,
FRESNO • BAKERSFIELD
The Fall Classic Look
-
.
Gottschalk.'s
:
.
Fresno's Preppy look
.
---a-a.oo
fill 'er up at the_BASS pump
BASS
41.00
an investment in today's fashions
La Voz De Aztlan
Page 8
Chicano Youth Center provides alterilative
By Fernando Quintero
El Plan de Santa Barbara, put together
in the early 1970's, was implemented to
unite and bring Raza together. It has
materialized into many different concepts, ideas, organizations, and into the
making of the Chicano Youth Center. ·
The Chicano Youth Center is staffed
by about 12 persons including volunteers and occasional social work students
from CSU,Fresno. Funding for the center comes mainly from the Fresno
Employment
Training
Commision
(F.E .T.C.), however, it poses some
problems for the center because hired
staff are there on a very limi~ed basis.
1
'Some schools, however.
deny the services of the
Center.'
Staff at the center are hired through
the Comprehensive Employment Training Act (C.E .T.A.) program which is
a government funded program that
works with the economically disadvantaged . Persons hired through the
C.E .T.A . program are sent out on a job
for a limited amount of time (usually one
to two years and less) and unfortunately,
may not get a full comprehension of the
job.
Chicano students who are turned away
by the Anglo educational system or
young people who are falling into juven- Alfonso Hernandez, Director_of the Chicano Youth Center, stands proudly in front
ile delinquency, or any persons with any
kind of problems are served by the
Center. Through the Center, teenagers participate in intramural sports, made . A MEChA supermarket located
dances, picnics, youth conferences, somewhere in east Fresno is also a
workshops on paint sniffing and gang project the Center will be undertaking.
warfare, and many other activities
sometimes drawing up 4,000 to 8,000
The market will train students in learnpeople.
ing skills that will be beneficial in obAccording to Alfonso Hernandez, taining other jobs in the future. With the
director of the Youth Center, they take help of councilman Leonel Alvarado,
Sitting behind his desk, we looked out
care of a lot of problems and give several major stores in Fresno have the window where you could see two
services other community service unofficially agreed to hire some of the Cholitas laughing away as they chattered
agencies are unable to take care of, youth once they're trained. Profits from on the phone in front of the Short Stop
yet they recieve no financial aid from the the market will be put back into the
market that takes care. of the junk food
Center. ·
City of Fresno or anyone else.
cravings for the dozen or so teen-agers
The Youth Center still has some way that visit The Chicano, Youth Center. ,
The Center's system is set up so that · to go. The development of other cen- Pictures and posters of Mexican revolurepresentatives of sponsors are stationed ters around the valley will require the tionaries and the "Li 'I Homeboy"
hang on the jumbled walls that belong to
at the different high schools and the cooperation and disposition of the
Alfonso Hernandez' office .
Center works through them. Students community and the youth . Programs
learn about their culture, their roots,
more relevant to Chicano youth need to
and about activities and events the
be initiated and implemented . "Schools
Alfonso begins to talk excitedly about
MEChA organization sponsors . "We're need to open up to provide better opthe
possible additions of Madera and
part of the whole educational process,"
po'rtu~· ies to our Chicano youth and
said Alfonso Hernandez, "We work better ooperation from our own com- Selma into the MEChA organization.
with and through the schools, however,
munit must come rather than putting He went on boastfully mentioning the
if we don 't recieve support or encourage- nega ve labels on our youth--our hope 24 MEChA clubs that presently exist.
ment from the youth and the community, of the future ." said Hernandez.
then there is not much we can do."
Born in Fresno to farmworker parents,
Alfonso recalls his childhood and reThere are 24 MEChA organizations
These last words are almost like those members experiencinR the different
throughout central California's high on the Migrant Education poster that · forms of oppression and discrimination
schools and colleges, the Chicano Youth
was stapled onto the cluttered wall that somehow links him to the students
Center also serves ~s their headquarters.
and which read:
he now devotes so much of his time with.
Some schools, however, deny the ser"We've come too far to let our youth put
vices of the Center. Selma and Reedly
up
with the same old shit we had to put
high schools do not want the Center "Los ninos son nuestra unica esperanza ..
up with/ said Alfonso.
involved with their schools. son como semillitas que nosotros hemos
The over-all outlook for the Chicano sembrado en sus escuelas ... ojala se conAfter attending Fresno City I then
Youth Center is bright.
Plans for viertan en fruto, estas cosechas de es- Fresno State College, Alfonso became
exp~nsion of the Center have been
peranza ... "
involved with community and student-
of MEChA Central headquarters.
Photo by Robert
Hernandez leads C
based organizations. This resulted.
involvement with the ChicanoCenter in February of 1979.
Alfonso recalls how the lack of
role models adversely affected
cept of Chicanos and their fu
chers, administrators, and ,__1111:
never told him about furt
education or advancement opD01ra.lP'
"After graduating from Cen
School I almost made the mi
joining the service," said
He pointed out the importance d
models and how they should let
youth know that it's all right to
and dress the way they want and
courage them to further their .
tion or at least stay in school. Est,
on t~~ C;hica~o ~rop-out rate in~~
ley high is around 50 to 60 IJC'"'"..
When asked why he devotes so
time with the Youth Center Alfonso
plied, "Experiencing all those ~
sions and discrimination and f1
being able to do something about
has made me a better person." .
October 6, 1980
Mo_
nday
.V. news controvers
Media
~victor, you have
rought in for us a huge
inority audience, but
~ou 're just not reaching
the white P'!pulation.'
By Fernando Quintero
"Good evening, the top story tonight-Mexicans were found smuggling ... " says
the fa.rniliar expressionless face that is
seen every night with its perfect coiffeur
and flawless image. The colorful plastic
backdrop illuminates the set where the
ated cameras carefully scan.
The scene behind the cameras and the
secrated news personalities is differt. Media politics, injustice, and racism
revalent and thriving within the walls
Fresno's television stations-and Chio's have been the hardest hit.
Unwillingness to cooperate, intimition, and discrimination within the
I television broadcasting industry
s resulted in the resigning and reting of our most successful Chinos in the television medium field.
Of the three major television stations
n Fresno, KJ EO Channel 47 is the only
station that has not signed the Affirmative Action agreement or Chicano programming agreement. These accordances were the result of action taken
from protesting Black and Chicano
,groups in the early 1970's.
Broadcast properties are licensed
throuRh the Federal Communications
mission (FCC), and this license
ust be renewed every three years,
these citizen groups petitioned the stations' license renewal demanding programming and hiring be directed to
minorities.
The FCC requires that commercial
levision stations adequately meet and
serve the needs of the community
through its broadcasting capabilities.
These petitioned stations did not want
the bad publicity (since bad publicity is
taboo for commercial television stations)and met the agreements of the citizens
roup granted they drop the petition.
As a result, the Affirmative Action
;agreement was born. It was then that
.similar actions were. taken. KFSN Channel 30 was once owned by Triangle Incorporated and was to be sold to Capitol
City broadcasting with permission of the
FCC. Community groups found a loophole in which they could petition the sale
of the station until certain programming
and hiring agreements were met. Al
• • • •
behind the scenes
Reyes and Alicia Maldonado were then
hired. A few years later, Channel 24
signed a similar agreement, and most recently, Channel 18. Channel 47 seems to
be the only major station resisting community pressure, however, its reputation
is poor among television news professionals according to one source .
A newsletter written by the Chicano
Media Association and El Concilio
stated: " ... Of the three major stations in
Fresno, Channel 47 is the only one which
has yet .to sign an Affirmative Action
agreement and Chicano programming
agreement ... Community people have
complained about the stations news coverage of the Chicano community including playing up "illegal alien"' and Mexican crime stories."'
Channel 47 station manager Bill
Sawyers said he felt positive about the
station's committment to minority programming. He stated that the Equal
Opportunity Employment policy took
care of fair minority hiring and named
several Chicanos employed at the sta-
U.S. - Mexico Ambassador
tion. He also stated, that 47's AM Fresno and Spectrum series were good public
affairs programs that met the needs of
the minority community. As far as the
Affirmative Action agreement, Sawyers
felt that the station didn't need an official affirmative program working so
closely with El Concilio and other organizations.
Victor Vasquez, ex-anchorman for
Channel 47's Eyewitness News, relocatSee Media Page 6
Nava stresses communication
by Edward Aparicio
US -Mexico Ambassador Julian Nava
"In order for me to accomplish half
of my job, I must not explain the United
States to Mexico, but to help Mexico
understand the United States" Julian
Nava, Ambassador to Mexico stated .
"We should stop pointing fingers to one
another . Instead, we should direct them
toward our problems ."
Nava, Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of the United States
to Mexico, was in Fresno Saturday
for a luncheon sponsored by the MAPA
chapter of Fresno.
Nava stated that relations between
Mexico and the United States are better
than ever although a "barrier" was still
present.
Nava felt a misconception by both
countries has always been a deterent in
relations between both countries.
"We understand you are different, but
why are you different?" Nava asked.
Nava, recently appointed by President
Carter when Patrick Lucey resigned,
has confirmed1 the initial good impressions the United States government
had of him. With Nava's background,
both culturally and educational, he was
undoubtedly the most qualified.
An educator, a writer, an administrator, and an authority on the history
of Americans of Mexican origi"1 Nava
is a nationally known leader among
Chicanos .
A graduate of Cal Poly . Pomona
with a M.A. and Ph.D in History from
Harvard, Nava was previously a special
assistant to the President of California
State University, Northridge.
"Americans are ignorant about
Mexico,"' Nava said. "They know very
little of our culture and history. The
United States feels we are a backward
nation." The 53 year old Ambassador
See Nava Pa1e 7
La Voz De Aztlan
Pa1e 2
October 6, 19'0
Movie depicts exploitation of Mexicans
Very rarely are Mexicans coming across the border into the United States "Illegally" viewed with sympathy or concern. They have become the scapegoats of anyone who will benefit from their exploitation.
As I entered the theatre to see Borderline, a movie about
"//legal aliens"
I prepared myself. I felt very suspicious and ready to tmd tawrs with the movie.
I thought it would be an inaccurate portrayal of Mexicans by an Anglo who knew
little of Mexican culture. The star of Borderline is Charles Bronson, a main reason
for my cynicism. I thought he would be beating Mexicans throughout the movie.
I was surprised when the move turned out to be more of a documentary. The
movie portrayed the uncertain plight of the undocumented worker through a series
of realistic scenes. The movie made you feel what the workers were going through.
The movie begins with a scene at a border patrol office in La Mesa, outside of San
Diego of which Bronson is in charge of.
A fellow officer, not far from retirement is murdered along with an innocent Mexican boy, when the patrolman stops a truck transporting Mexicans .
The film is mainly about Bronsons' determination to find the killer. His hunt ·takes
him through Tijuana where we see a woman smuggled in the motor of a car badly
burned when the radiator overheats.
·
In another scene Bronson goes into a San Diego barrio and into a stereotypical
scene, where Chicano tee_n-agers are wearing caps and pendeltons and loitering in
front of a falling apart apartment complex. The complex, of course, is decorated with
graffiti and the young ChiGanos speak with drawls.
.
Another stereotypical scene is right before the young Mexican b0,y is killed. A
companion in a conversation asks him about his father the boy replies in Spanish,
"Nos dejo hace mucho tiempo" "He left us a long time ago." It seems that this line
is often heard in most movies dealing with Mexicans. Always the uncaring father
who has left his family and there is never an explanation of why he has left.
Aside from these typical stereotypes the movie contains a certain realness. A lot
of Spanish is spoken in the movie adding to it reality. If you are of Mexican ancestory
and speak Spanish it is even more realistic. It depicts the way ·iri which growers
exploit the poor Mexicans and the living conditions they are subjected to.
The most appealing feature of the film is that it makes clear that it is not really the
"aliens" who are the problem, but it is the tragedy of the poor Mexicans in search of
a better life who are exploited and robbed of their only chance at a better life by
highly organized border smugglers or coyotes who deliver them like animals to the
United States.
The film clealy documents that those who are able to break away do so, leaving a
hostile world behind them to face an uncertain one ahead.
Somewhere
along a
thousand
miles of ·
barbed wire
border, the
American
dream has
become a
nightmare.
CHARLES BRON.SON , ,
by Margarita M. M_artinez
Ku Klux Klan prompts opposition ct-11cANos-1N:.LAw
By Margarita M. Martinez
The Ku Klux Klan was in Fresno on
Saturday, September 27, in an effort
to recruit more members and continue
spreading their racist propaganda.
The staged a cross burning at Pierce
Park in Centerville attended
about
150 people.
Their continued public presence in
Fresno has caused opposition groups.
One group is the Human Rights
Coalition composed of some students
from Students from Economic Democracy, Women's International League
for Peace and Freedom and other
concerned individuals from various •
groups. ·
A spokesperson for the Human Rights
Coalition, Ron Caul, stated "It is composed of people like myself, not belonging to or being a member of any
organization."
A main concern of the group is
to combat what they feel was favorable
publicity given to the Klan.
Mr . Caul reported that Bill Wilkinson,
the Imperial Wizard of the Klan arrived
at the Fresno airport on Friday, September 26, armed with knifes and
chains . He claimed this illegal and the
they should have been arrested for
carrying concealed weapons.
Mr. Caul claimed the Klan '-vas
armed and dangerous and the City of
Fresno condoned their actions by
turning the other way.
"If the Lowrider Confederation
or the Black Panther Croup had ..arrived
at the Fresno Airport carrying concealed
weapons they would not have gotten
away with it," asserted Caul. "This
demonstrates the City of Fresno's
racist attitudes."
Fundraiser
·friday
October 10
.5358 Nth 6th st. apt 202
-Y
Check it out!!
LA VOZ DE AZTL.AN
Founded in 1969
Ku Klux Klan stage a crossburning in Centerville.
La Voz De Aztlan made an effort to
speak to Klan members regarding
Caul (s allegations, but they refused to
comment because we were "not white."
The group is also preparing itself
for the inevitability of bolder Klan
activity. The Coalition is concerned
that the Invisible Empire of the Ku Klux
Klan has its headquarters in Clovis.
Photo by Dave Nielsen
A group they feel is one of the most
vicious Kia!" groups ..
The Coaltion plans continued public
education of the Klan 's violent nature
and their racist views.
A resolution was recently passed
opposing the Klan. Their goal is to
oppose the Klan in anyway possible .
Editor-in-Chi~f: Edward Apatt:io
Managing Editor: Margarita Martfnez
Sports Editor: Eli Garcia
Photo Editor: Robert Hernandez
Photographers:
Richard Rios Jose
Vallez
'
Production Manager:
Dora L. Lara
Advertising Co-Managers: Alex Romero
Hector Romero
Artist: Harold Porras
Staff Reporters:
Sandra Gonzalez,
Yolanda Granados, Fernando Quintero,
Pete Ramirez, Connie Soto, Yolanda
Soto, Rosalva Villegas
La Voz De Aztlan office is .located in
the Keats Campus Building on the
CSUF campus.
Letters to the editor are welcomed
La Voz De Aztlan reserves th
. h.
.
eng tto
edit letters. Submission d
guarantee publication.
oes not
October 6, 1980
Page 3
La Voz De Aztlan
Working on campus and in the-community
CHO President, Frances Navarrette,
presides over a meeting.
CHO member, Sandra Perez, involved
in a CHO sponsored blood pressure
clinic.
-
CHO advisor, Dr. William Collin,
examines samples obtained in the
parasite survey project.
Photos by Richard Rios
-California State U~iversity at.Fresno's
CHO (Chicano Health Organization)
is composed of students interested in a
health profession or allied health career. CHO' s programs and activities are planned to fulfill the organization's three
main objectives. These are: 1) Recruitment of Chicanos into the health
profession and allied health fields 2)
Retention of those 'students planning
a career in the field of health and 3)
having students in the health profession
and allied health fields become involved
in improving the quality of health in the
community.
CHO also actively takes part in various
Last week CHO elected new officers
All students interested in a health
conferences held on campus. Members and the organization has several activ- professional or allied hP;1lth r;\reers
may participate in CHO.
·
provided information concerning
ities scheduled. One current project is
CSUF 's health · and science programs co-sponsoring a Survival Skills Con- Chicano Health Organization meetings
to high school students at the Chicano ference set for October 11.
are held on Wednesdays, in San Ramon
Youth Conference. CHO has also co- '
4, Room 220, at 5:00 p.m.
sponsored a Health Conference consisting of workshops dealing with Chicanos
in Health Professions. This conference
CHO elects officers
was attended by high school students
from throughout the Valley.
President: Frances Navarrette 251-9839
Other projects undertaken by CHO
· Vice President: Richard Rios 292-7847
include the sponsoring of a blood presSecretary: Yolanda Rodriguez 487-3207
sure clinic and conducting a research
Treasurer:
Alonzo Garcia 299-8263
project to detect the incidence of parasites in a rural Fresno community.
~Ho -co-spo
'
. IV
.. a ]
ns Ors surv
CHO's members come from diverse
backgrounds with a wide variety of in- . . . - , - - - - - - - - - - . , terests. This is exen:iplified by the different majors which are represented
C.H.O. CONDUCTS SURVEY
in CHO's roster. Students from Biology,
As a means of fulfilling a major oi-ganNursing, Health Science, and Psychology are among those active in CHO. izational objective of community involveThe Chicano Health Organization,
ment, the Chicano Health Organization
working in conjunction with the Health
CHO has recently been involved in has juS t completed a survey to determine
Professions Career Opportunity Program
organizing several programs and par.:. the incidence of parasites in the resi(H.P.C.O.P.} of the Office of Statewide
ticipating in many events. Last sem- dents of a rural farmworker community
Planning and Development, will coester, a number of CHO members tra- located in we st Fresno County.
sponsor a Survival Skills Conference
veled to southern California where they
Work on th e project began in January
scheduled Saturday, October 11, 1980
1980 wi th the guidance of Dr. William
toured the campuses.
beginning at 8:30 am. to be held on the
Collin and Dr. Wallace Harmon of the
CSUF campus. The conference is dirCSUF Biology department. The proected towards all minority undergrad·ect's
goal
was
to
determine
the
inciCHO. students also attended the La J
uates who are planning on a health
professional career.
Raza Medical Association (La Rama) dence of intestinal parasites in the
retreat held at UC San Diego. Another population of th~ chosen community and
in the process provide CHO members an
field trip involved visiting various
.
The purpose of the conference 1s to
Bay Area campuses and attending a bpportunity to gain experience in biological research methods.
~elp un~ergraduates ~r~pare for ca~eers
conference at UC San Francisco.
m public health, med1'-.~~ or d~nt1stry.
Observations were recorded, and data
Speakers are often engaged to speak
Workshop participants will discuss
rcompiled. Those participants who had
at CHO meetings and functions.
various techniques from maintaining a
par~sitic infections were notified so they
Among those who have spoken to CHO could seek treatment.
su~essful
undergraduate
academic
'
are, Antonio Spampinato, from the
record for admission into a health proUC Berkeley School of Public Health;
fessional school. Health professionals,
AffCHO members who participated in
and Helen Gonzales from the Valley
counselors and students will be available
the
project
were
in
agreement
that
the
Medical Center Volunteer Program.
throughout the day to share their
paras.ite survey was a worthwhile experpersonal experiences and speak to stuience. They had the opportunity to conThese speakers provide information on duct field research and perform laboradents.
opportunities for students interested tory techniques. This survey will serve
The conference will highlight two
in health careers. They also serve as as a foundation for additional research
keynote presentations. The first, "The
contact persons in assisting in school projects to be conducted by CHO.
Need for Minorities in the Health
admissions and career planning.
skI•·11 s, c 0 nfere n ce
Professions ,, will explore the need and
opportuniti~s for various types of minority health professionals and their role
in the communities. The second address, "Minority Admissions in the
1980's,, will discuss minority admissions
records and trends of health professional
schools in California. It will also inform
students of various action steps which
b
k
·
t
can eta en to gam accep ance.
Other workshops include, Planning
Your Curriculum, Effective Study Techniques, Community Involvement vs
. Non-Involvement, Academic Support
Systems and How to Use Them.
Non-Involvement, Academic Support
Systems and How to Use Them, Effectively Preparing for and Taking
Exams, and Undergraduate Financial
Airlc;
All persons considering a career in
the health field are urges to attend
as past conferences have been of great
value to participating students. For
more information, one may call: The
Biology Department (487-2001),· The
E.O.P. Office (437-1021)
-
La Voz De Aztlan
October 6, 1980
1980-CSUF CRos·s COUNTRY.I
harriers place 5th
I
Sprinting to the finish, winner Jairo Correa, University of Reno.
photo essay by
Robert Hernandez
George Aguirre and teammate, Dave Kurtze, covering ground.
Rick Torres running in form.
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La Voz De Aztlan
Page6
Media
Continued from Page 1·
_
ed to KNXT Channel 2 in Los Angeles in
the middle of his two-year contract with
Channel 47. According to Vasquez, his
goal in coming to Fresno was to get into
a better paying, industrious journalist
job. Co-anchorjng the weeknight 11 :00
news, Vasquez was moved to weekends
and replaced by "Peter Rougot, their
superstar" as Vasquez put it . W~en Vasquez asked why the move to weekends
and why Bi II Sawyers thought Peter
would bring in a bigger audience Sawyers replied, "Victor, you have brought
in for us a huge minority audience, but
you 're just not reaching the white population. " Vasquez is now working as San
Bernardino's Bureau chief in a major
metropolis making more money and receiving more exposure .
Alicia Maldonado and Al Reyes are
two very prevalent Chicanos in the local
media as well as the community . Al was
the first to leave Channel 30 because of
the station's "insensitivities towards
minorities." He now works for Channel
24. Recently, Alicia Maldonado left
Channel 30 to work for FM 91 Radio Bi1ingue-for half the pay she was earning
at Channel 30.
_Hired in August of 1971, Ms. Maldonado served on the Minority Advisement
Committee which according to Walt Liss,
station manager of Channel 30, acts as
an advisory committee in the hiring of
minorities as well as helping the station
be more sensitive to minority communities. Maldonado claims that _the committee really didn't have much to say.
Reporting and producing for Channel
30, she then worked on the public affairs
end of the station because as she put it, ·
"News was so fast.,, Her intentions as
public affairs director were to build a
focus on health, business, and other
community matters. ,, After getting
there,,, she said, "i really couldn't do
what I wanted, they really limited me.
It's really hard being not only a Chicana,
but a woman as well in this field.,, ·
Continued from last
weeks issue:
California's
O\Vll
movimiento
The refrains of other popular . ,folk
songs go:
In this year of complaints
Of strikes and much suffering,
Many suffer injustices,
While others drown in riches.
And although they call us foreigners,
Because we speak Spanish,
The U.S.A. is another name,
For occupied Mexico.,,
On street ·walls in Latin neighborhoods, huge, brightly painted murals
teach cultural pride through history.
The message: "This is ours and don't
forget itl"'
ity committees are •good:
Prosion in which Fresno Employment
Alicia Maldonado resigned from
grammi-ng for the minority community is
mg Commission intervened.
Channel 30 in August 1980. Her letter of
resignation, stated, ,, ... For not keeping
worked on all . the time, and they are
was won by Trejo.
always looking for ways to improve. "We
Pete Perez filed a discrimina
your community commitment, not dealing in good faith. I do not feel you were are the only station in town that has a
against Channel 47 on the basis
minority production un!t,,, he added.
' erential treatment after being fi
committed to the minority community, in
particular, the Chicano community.,,
Legal action has recently been taken the station for incompetence. C
When asked what she thought would imby camera engineers Ricardo Trejo from
denied all charges and accordin1
prove conditions for Chican9s in ·the Channel 24 and Pete Perez of Channel
tion manager Mr. Sawyers it was
media she said, "things won't ,change· 21, formerly with Channel 47.
out of court. Perez said he cou
until Chicanos start owning the televiinto their buddy system. "'Si no
sion stations.,,
,.
Ricardo Trejo attacked Channel 24 on
bien, te chingan,"' he said. "'It's
Mr. Liss feels that:i the ratio· of Chithe contention that he was not being pro- for Chicanos to break in and we
canos to the rest of his employees· is ex- · moted after working for a period of time go to extremities like law suits.
ceedingly good. He stated that the rela- . at the station. He filed a suit with the think things will be fair until
tionship between Channel 30 and minorFair Employment and Housing Commis- start owning the stations."'
Los Ange_les joke about.';; "~he silent
recovery of a lost territory,.. or tease
Anglos about issuing them a green card
when they regain control ·of the state.
The list goes on.
Ca, los Al_maraz, ~ well-known . L~s
A~2eles Chicano painter who exh1b1ts
with a group call d L F
· th t
. . . E: os our, says
a
~eparatlsm is ~nev,table as long as Mex-·
,can~ and Chicanos are excluded from .
"mainstream" culture
·
.-;
"Not being allowed 4nto th~ system
means you have to form another system
to combat it,,, he said. "For example,
I recently went to the L.A . Institute
of Contemporary Art. One of the- directors reviewed my work and that of my
collegues and says, 'We're not into that
Chicano stuttr'
Larriva said he believes a political
separatist movement is "'highly unlikely
because of the government"' but that if
there were an uprising, he would surely
support it.
;,This has always been Mexico,"' he
said "'and there is noth·n
. o·
1 g that ,s
'
g mg
to keep us out. It's like salmon going to
their home upstream by instinct, though
many die on the ·0 rn
Th t' h
·t ·
.
_J u ey.
a s ow' 1s
here (with Mexicans) . In order to stop
it, the government would have to kill
us all.,,
Corky Gonsalez, a longtime .Chicano
activist and poet who heads the militant
Crusade for Justice in Denver, said in a
telephone interview that Chicanos and
Mexicans in the Southwest will "'look
toward self-determination... if the ma,,1 n a c,·ty w,·th over one-fou rth of t he jority system does not allow for our
population Latino, all this young man .growth.,,
can say is: 'We're not into that Chicano
"The idea of secession seems very
stuff!'
·
dramatic and impossible,"' he said.
He went on: "The idea of separatism "But nothing is impossible. The seed is
is not dormant. On (L.A.'s) East Side planted. It all depends on how society
we see ourselves practically as a sep-' develops, what are the economic conarate country. And we see gabacho ditions. Our children are. not going to
(Chicano slang for... Anglo) as ' a foreign · be breaking down the door to fight for
· the corporations and for the oil and be
When Chicano friends who live in the culture.,,
Tito
Larriva,
a
young
songwriter
and
heroes in the war. Latinos will begin
Southwest write each other, a letter
lead vocalist of Los Plugs, one of Los to identify with colonization and will
could, for example, be addressed to
Phoenix, Aztlan,- and the U.S. post Angeles' more popular Chicano punk emerge."
office delivers it. And U.S. travelers bands, went so far as to say he believes
in Mexico often hear California and the a separatist movement is already under
way. "'It's happened in an inner way,"'
When asked if he believed a separatist
~ Southwest referred to as "The Other
Mexico.,, Some Mexican-Americans in he said. w1 feel the same in downtown movement would seek to reannex
L.A. or in Mexico City.,,
Aztlan to Mexico_, he replied, w Any
future idea of autonomy would be a
nation of Azflan or Chicanismo, a
national concept. We should be ·
fying with oppressed and revol
ies ... not the one-party, anti-de
process of Mexico.,,
Even established Chicano
leaders who do not bet ieve a
movement will ever take hold
discount the possib~l~ty.
·
The head of California's Health
Welfare Department, Mario
the state's top Chicano politician,
waffling a bit in a telephone inte
said that it ough_t to be taken "in a
ious vein." He added :
"I don't dou.bt that there will
movement reclaiming this area O
next 20 years) . They could
articulate a sound argument
land still belongs to Mexico.
don't believe it will ever come
Then, he paused and said:
back' tomorrow, maybe I 'II have
my mind."
CONCLUSION
MEChA
Meeting every Thurs
12:30 p.m.
La Voz De Aztlan
111111-._,. from PaJe 1
on to explain the stereotype
xico by Americans and firmly
his belief in abolishing those
pes.
nomenal changes are taking
between the United States and
as Mexico takes a leading
, " Nava exclaimed. .
charge Nava spoke of was
troleum discoveries of the last ·
ars in Mexico. "Now we are more
·
American and foreign
Page 7
States/Mexico border relations as well
as the treatment of the Mexican Americans in the United States.
"The President of Mexico oversees
Mexican Americans in the United States
and the injustices .suffered. The President is concerned with the treatment
of his cousins. "We have not forgotten
our history dating back to 1848 and
beyond> Although, you do not see
Mexico taking revenge," Nava stated.
COFFEE CLUB
'I am not represenring any
The Racquet Club
special interest group,
Suit by
fil ,~Hart Schaffner & Marx ..
any party, or any faction.'
a said Mexican President Jose
Somewhat disturbed over not having
Portillo intended to spread the
·ts (oil) to unrepresented groups been chosen for the •vacant presidential
so to use as leverage to gain re- , post at California State University,
for Mexico to use in other areas . Fresno, last year, Nava felt a "great
lot of breakthroughs have been injustice" was done. ''A group of people
. Mexico is on the move," ex- deci~ed that no way would I be PresiNava.
"Mexico is becoming dent," he explained .
However, it• is ironic that Nava• was
lthy nation and is increasing
selected by President Carter for one of
stria I base."
commented on how the United the most important diplomatic posts.
was beginning to take notice
As for the Bracero Program, Nava
rt the Mexican government.
was in agreement with the abolition
financial circles, the industrial of it. ~It was a good program in. its day,
, and the coll)mercial circles but we are not in that situation today.
United States are all learning
It was a totally different era."
ish," Nava quipped. 'and in this
Nava clearly set his position straight
t San Joaquin Valley, although it for the record as his appointment
not in their best interest to claim made him the fi~st ever Chicano Am,liance with Mexican oil, the farmers bassador of Mexico. "I am not repursuing it (oil). I know, I receive present~ng any special interest group,
Ithe data," stated Nava.
ariy party, or any faction. I am representin"g the United States as AmbasAnother faction which greatly cons Nava and Mexico is the United sador to Mexico."
Hart Schattner & Marx tailors
it in easy-moving lines with
authentic detailing: soft
shoulders, narrowed lapels
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a-COFFEE'S
H<1rt Schaffner & Marx Sedgewyck
Hickey Freeman .Chr1st1tm Dior
Joshuil Trent Gino Sal_vagg,
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.
Gottschalk.'s
:
.
Fresno's Preppy look
.
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fill 'er up at the_BASS pump
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an investment in today's fashions
La Voz De Aztlan
Page 8
Chicano Youth Center provides alterilative
By Fernando Quintero
El Plan de Santa Barbara, put together
in the early 1970's, was implemented to
unite and bring Raza together. It has
materialized into many different concepts, ideas, organizations, and into the
making of the Chicano Youth Center. ·
The Chicano Youth Center is staffed
by about 12 persons including volunteers and occasional social work students
from CSU,Fresno. Funding for the center comes mainly from the Fresno
Employment
Training
Commision
(F.E .T.C.), however, it poses some
problems for the center because hired
staff are there on a very limi~ed basis.
1
'Some schools, however.
deny the services of the
Center.'
Staff at the center are hired through
the Comprehensive Employment Training Act (C.E .T.A.) program which is
a government funded program that
works with the economically disadvantaged . Persons hired through the
C.E .T.A . program are sent out on a job
for a limited amount of time (usually one
to two years and less) and unfortunately,
may not get a full comprehension of the
job.
Chicano students who are turned away
by the Anglo educational system or
young people who are falling into juven- Alfonso Hernandez, Director_of the Chicano Youth Center, stands proudly in front
ile delinquency, or any persons with any
kind of problems are served by the
Center. Through the Center, teenagers participate in intramural sports, made . A MEChA supermarket located
dances, picnics, youth conferences, somewhere in east Fresno is also a
workshops on paint sniffing and gang project the Center will be undertaking.
warfare, and many other activities
sometimes drawing up 4,000 to 8,000
The market will train students in learnpeople.
ing skills that will be beneficial in obAccording to Alfonso Hernandez, taining other jobs in the future. With the
director of the Youth Center, they take help of councilman Leonel Alvarado,
Sitting behind his desk, we looked out
care of a lot of problems and give several major stores in Fresno have the window where you could see two
services other community service unofficially agreed to hire some of the Cholitas laughing away as they chattered
agencies are unable to take care of, youth once they're trained. Profits from on the phone in front of the Short Stop
yet they recieve no financial aid from the the market will be put back into the
market that takes care. of the junk food
Center. ·
City of Fresno or anyone else.
cravings for the dozen or so teen-agers
The Youth Center still has some way that visit The Chicano, Youth Center. ,
The Center's system is set up so that · to go. The development of other cen- Pictures and posters of Mexican revolurepresentatives of sponsors are stationed ters around the valley will require the tionaries and the "Li 'I Homeboy"
hang on the jumbled walls that belong to
at the different high schools and the cooperation and disposition of the
Alfonso Hernandez' office .
Center works through them. Students community and the youth . Programs
learn about their culture, their roots,
more relevant to Chicano youth need to
and about activities and events the
be initiated and implemented . "Schools
Alfonso begins to talk excitedly about
MEChA organization sponsors . "We're need to open up to provide better opthe
possible additions of Madera and
part of the whole educational process,"
po'rtu~· ies to our Chicano youth and
said Alfonso Hernandez, "We work better ooperation from our own com- Selma into the MEChA organization.
with and through the schools, however,
munit must come rather than putting He went on boastfully mentioning the
if we don 't recieve support or encourage- nega ve labels on our youth--our hope 24 MEChA clubs that presently exist.
ment from the youth and the community, of the future ." said Hernandez.
then there is not much we can do."
Born in Fresno to farmworker parents,
Alfonso recalls his childhood and reThere are 24 MEChA organizations
These last words are almost like those members experiencinR the different
throughout central California's high on the Migrant Education poster that · forms of oppression and discrimination
schools and colleges, the Chicano Youth
was stapled onto the cluttered wall that somehow links him to the students
Center also serves ~s their headquarters.
and which read:
he now devotes so much of his time with.
Some schools, however, deny the ser"We've come too far to let our youth put
vices of the Center. Selma and Reedly
up
with the same old shit we had to put
high schools do not want the Center "Los ninos son nuestra unica esperanza ..
up with/ said Alfonso.
involved with their schools. son como semillitas que nosotros hemos
The over-all outlook for the Chicano sembrado en sus escuelas ... ojala se conAfter attending Fresno City I then
Youth Center is bright.
Plans for viertan en fruto, estas cosechas de es- Fresno State College, Alfonso became
exp~nsion of the Center have been
peranza ... "
involved with community and student-
of MEChA Central headquarters.
Photo by Robert
Hernandez leads C
based organizations. This resulted.
involvement with the ChicanoCenter in February of 1979.
Alfonso recalls how the lack of
role models adversely affected
cept of Chicanos and their fu
chers, administrators, and ,__1111:
never told him about furt
education or advancement opD01ra.lP'
"After graduating from Cen
School I almost made the mi
joining the service," said
He pointed out the importance d
models and how they should let
youth know that it's all right to
and dress the way they want and
courage them to further their .
tion or at least stay in school. Est,
on t~~ C;hica~o ~rop-out rate in~~
ley high is around 50 to 60 IJC'"'"..
When asked why he devotes so
time with the Youth Center Alfonso
plied, "Experiencing all those ~
sions and discrimination and f1
being able to do something about
has made me a better person." .
Mo_
nday
.V. news controvers
Media
~victor, you have
rought in for us a huge
inority audience, but
~ou 're just not reaching
the white P'!pulation.'
By Fernando Quintero
"Good evening, the top story tonight-Mexicans were found smuggling ... " says
the fa.rniliar expressionless face that is
seen every night with its perfect coiffeur
and flawless image. The colorful plastic
backdrop illuminates the set where the
ated cameras carefully scan.
The scene behind the cameras and the
secrated news personalities is differt. Media politics, injustice, and racism
revalent and thriving within the walls
Fresno's television stations-and Chio's have been the hardest hit.
Unwillingness to cooperate, intimition, and discrimination within the
I television broadcasting industry
s resulted in the resigning and reting of our most successful Chinos in the television medium field.
Of the three major television stations
n Fresno, KJ EO Channel 47 is the only
station that has not signed the Affirmative Action agreement or Chicano programming agreement. These accordances were the result of action taken
from protesting Black and Chicano
,groups in the early 1970's.
Broadcast properties are licensed
throuRh the Federal Communications
mission (FCC), and this license
ust be renewed every three years,
these citizen groups petitioned the stations' license renewal demanding programming and hiring be directed to
minorities.
The FCC requires that commercial
levision stations adequately meet and
serve the needs of the community
through its broadcasting capabilities.
These petitioned stations did not want
the bad publicity (since bad publicity is
taboo for commercial television stations)and met the agreements of the citizens
roup granted they drop the petition.
As a result, the Affirmative Action
;agreement was born. It was then that
.similar actions were. taken. KFSN Channel 30 was once owned by Triangle Incorporated and was to be sold to Capitol
City broadcasting with permission of the
FCC. Community groups found a loophole in which they could petition the sale
of the station until certain programming
and hiring agreements were met. Al
• • • •
behind the scenes
Reyes and Alicia Maldonado were then
hired. A few years later, Channel 24
signed a similar agreement, and most recently, Channel 18. Channel 47 seems to
be the only major station resisting community pressure, however, its reputation
is poor among television news professionals according to one source .
A newsletter written by the Chicano
Media Association and El Concilio
stated: " ... Of the three major stations in
Fresno, Channel 47 is the only one which
has yet .to sign an Affirmative Action
agreement and Chicano programming
agreement ... Community people have
complained about the stations news coverage of the Chicano community including playing up "illegal alien"' and Mexican crime stories."'
Channel 47 station manager Bill
Sawyers said he felt positive about the
station's committment to minority programming. He stated that the Equal
Opportunity Employment policy took
care of fair minority hiring and named
several Chicanos employed at the sta-
U.S. - Mexico Ambassador
tion. He also stated, that 47's AM Fresno and Spectrum series were good public
affairs programs that met the needs of
the minority community. As far as the
Affirmative Action agreement, Sawyers
felt that the station didn't need an official affirmative program working so
closely with El Concilio and other organizations.
Victor Vasquez, ex-anchorman for
Channel 47's Eyewitness News, relocatSee Media Page 6
Nava stresses communication
by Edward Aparicio
US -Mexico Ambassador Julian Nava
"In order for me to accomplish half
of my job, I must not explain the United
States to Mexico, but to help Mexico
understand the United States" Julian
Nava, Ambassador to Mexico stated .
"We should stop pointing fingers to one
another . Instead, we should direct them
toward our problems ."
Nava, Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of the United States
to Mexico, was in Fresno Saturday
for a luncheon sponsored by the MAPA
chapter of Fresno.
Nava stated that relations between
Mexico and the United States are better
than ever although a "barrier" was still
present.
Nava felt a misconception by both
countries has always been a deterent in
relations between both countries.
"We understand you are different, but
why are you different?" Nava asked.
Nava, recently appointed by President
Carter when Patrick Lucey resigned,
has confirmed1 the initial good impressions the United States government
had of him. With Nava's background,
both culturally and educational, he was
undoubtedly the most qualified.
An educator, a writer, an administrator, and an authority on the history
of Americans of Mexican origi"1 Nava
is a nationally known leader among
Chicanos .
A graduate of Cal Poly . Pomona
with a M.A. and Ph.D in History from
Harvard, Nava was previously a special
assistant to the President of California
State University, Northridge.
"Americans are ignorant about
Mexico,"' Nava said. "They know very
little of our culture and history. The
United States feels we are a backward
nation." The 53 year old Ambassador
See Nava Pa1e 7
La Voz De Aztlan
Pa1e 2
October 6, 19'0
Movie depicts exploitation of Mexicans
Very rarely are Mexicans coming across the border into the United States "Illegally" viewed with sympathy or concern. They have become the scapegoats of anyone who will benefit from their exploitation.
As I entered the theatre to see Borderline, a movie about
"//legal aliens"
I prepared myself. I felt very suspicious and ready to tmd tawrs with the movie.
I thought it would be an inaccurate portrayal of Mexicans by an Anglo who knew
little of Mexican culture. The star of Borderline is Charles Bronson, a main reason
for my cynicism. I thought he would be beating Mexicans throughout the movie.
I was surprised when the move turned out to be more of a documentary. The
movie portrayed the uncertain plight of the undocumented worker through a series
of realistic scenes. The movie made you feel what the workers were going through.
The movie begins with a scene at a border patrol office in La Mesa, outside of San
Diego of which Bronson is in charge of.
A fellow officer, not far from retirement is murdered along with an innocent Mexican boy, when the patrolman stops a truck transporting Mexicans .
The film is mainly about Bronsons' determination to find the killer. His hunt ·takes
him through Tijuana where we see a woman smuggled in the motor of a car badly
burned when the radiator overheats.
·
In another scene Bronson goes into a San Diego barrio and into a stereotypical
scene, where Chicano tee_n-agers are wearing caps and pendeltons and loitering in
front of a falling apart apartment complex. The complex, of course, is decorated with
graffiti and the young ChiGanos speak with drawls.
.
Another stereotypical scene is right before the young Mexican b0,y is killed. A
companion in a conversation asks him about his father the boy replies in Spanish,
"Nos dejo hace mucho tiempo" "He left us a long time ago." It seems that this line
is often heard in most movies dealing with Mexicans. Always the uncaring father
who has left his family and there is never an explanation of why he has left.
Aside from these typical stereotypes the movie contains a certain realness. A lot
of Spanish is spoken in the movie adding to it reality. If you are of Mexican ancestory
and speak Spanish it is even more realistic. It depicts the way ·iri which growers
exploit the poor Mexicans and the living conditions they are subjected to.
The most appealing feature of the film is that it makes clear that it is not really the
"aliens" who are the problem, but it is the tragedy of the poor Mexicans in search of
a better life who are exploited and robbed of their only chance at a better life by
highly organized border smugglers or coyotes who deliver them like animals to the
United States.
The film clealy documents that those who are able to break away do so, leaving a
hostile world behind them to face an uncertain one ahead.
Somewhere
along a
thousand
miles of ·
barbed wire
border, the
American
dream has
become a
nightmare.
CHARLES BRON.SON , ,
by Margarita M. M_artinez
Ku Klux Klan prompts opposition ct-11cANos-1N:.LAw
By Margarita M. Martinez
The Ku Klux Klan was in Fresno on
Saturday, September 27, in an effort
to recruit more members and continue
spreading their racist propaganda.
The staged a cross burning at Pierce
Park in Centerville attended
about
150 people.
Their continued public presence in
Fresno has caused opposition groups.
One group is the Human Rights
Coalition composed of some students
from Students from Economic Democracy, Women's International League
for Peace and Freedom and other
concerned individuals from various •
groups. ·
A spokesperson for the Human Rights
Coalition, Ron Caul, stated "It is composed of people like myself, not belonging to or being a member of any
organization."
A main concern of the group is
to combat what they feel was favorable
publicity given to the Klan.
Mr . Caul reported that Bill Wilkinson,
the Imperial Wizard of the Klan arrived
at the Fresno airport on Friday, September 26, armed with knifes and
chains . He claimed this illegal and the
they should have been arrested for
carrying concealed weapons.
Mr. Caul claimed the Klan '-vas
armed and dangerous and the City of
Fresno condoned their actions by
turning the other way.
"If the Lowrider Confederation
or the Black Panther Croup had ..arrived
at the Fresno Airport carrying concealed
weapons they would not have gotten
away with it," asserted Caul. "This
demonstrates the City of Fresno's
racist attitudes."
Fundraiser
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October 10
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Check it out!!
LA VOZ DE AZTL.AN
Founded in 1969
Ku Klux Klan stage a crossburning in Centerville.
La Voz De Aztlan made an effort to
speak to Klan members regarding
Caul (s allegations, but they refused to
comment because we were "not white."
The group is also preparing itself
for the inevitability of bolder Klan
activity. The Coalition is concerned
that the Invisible Empire of the Ku Klux
Klan has its headquarters in Clovis.
Photo by Dave Nielsen
A group they feel is one of the most
vicious Kia!" groups ..
The Coaltion plans continued public
education of the Klan 's violent nature
and their racist views.
A resolution was recently passed
opposing the Klan. Their goal is to
oppose the Klan in anyway possible .
Editor-in-Chi~f: Edward Apatt:io
Managing Editor: Margarita Martfnez
Sports Editor: Eli Garcia
Photo Editor: Robert Hernandez
Photographers:
Richard Rios Jose
Vallez
'
Production Manager:
Dora L. Lara
Advertising Co-Managers: Alex Romero
Hector Romero
Artist: Harold Porras
Staff Reporters:
Sandra Gonzalez,
Yolanda Granados, Fernando Quintero,
Pete Ramirez, Connie Soto, Yolanda
Soto, Rosalva Villegas
La Voz De Aztlan office is .located in
the Keats Campus Building on the
CSUF campus.
Letters to the editor are welcomed
La Voz De Aztlan reserves th
. h.
.
eng tto
edit letters. Submission d
guarantee publication.
oes not
October 6, 1980
Page 3
La Voz De Aztlan
Working on campus and in the-community
CHO President, Frances Navarrette,
presides over a meeting.
CHO member, Sandra Perez, involved
in a CHO sponsored blood pressure
clinic.
-
CHO advisor, Dr. William Collin,
examines samples obtained in the
parasite survey project.
Photos by Richard Rios
-California State U~iversity at.Fresno's
CHO (Chicano Health Organization)
is composed of students interested in a
health profession or allied health career. CHO' s programs and activities are planned to fulfill the organization's three
main objectives. These are: 1) Recruitment of Chicanos into the health
profession and allied health fields 2)
Retention of those 'students planning
a career in the field of health and 3)
having students in the health profession
and allied health fields become involved
in improving the quality of health in the
community.
CHO also actively takes part in various
Last week CHO elected new officers
All students interested in a health
conferences held on campus. Members and the organization has several activ- professional or allied hP;1lth r;\reers
may participate in CHO.
·
provided information concerning
ities scheduled. One current project is
CSUF 's health · and science programs co-sponsoring a Survival Skills Con- Chicano Health Organization meetings
to high school students at the Chicano ference set for October 11.
are held on Wednesdays, in San Ramon
Youth Conference. CHO has also co- '
4, Room 220, at 5:00 p.m.
sponsored a Health Conference consisting of workshops dealing with Chicanos
in Health Professions. This conference
CHO elects officers
was attended by high school students
from throughout the Valley.
President: Frances Navarrette 251-9839
Other projects undertaken by CHO
· Vice President: Richard Rios 292-7847
include the sponsoring of a blood presSecretary: Yolanda Rodriguez 487-3207
sure clinic and conducting a research
Treasurer:
Alonzo Garcia 299-8263
project to detect the incidence of parasites in a rural Fresno community.
~Ho -co-spo
'
. IV
.. a ]
ns Ors surv
CHO's members come from diverse
backgrounds with a wide variety of in- . . . - , - - - - - - - - - - . , terests. This is exen:iplified by the different majors which are represented
C.H.O. CONDUCTS SURVEY
in CHO's roster. Students from Biology,
As a means of fulfilling a major oi-ganNursing, Health Science, and Psychology are among those active in CHO. izational objective of community involveThe Chicano Health Organization,
ment, the Chicano Health Organization
working in conjunction with the Health
CHO has recently been involved in has juS t completed a survey to determine
Professions Career Opportunity Program
organizing several programs and par.:. the incidence of parasites in the resi(H.P.C.O.P.} of the Office of Statewide
ticipating in many events. Last sem- dents of a rural farmworker community
Planning and Development, will coester, a number of CHO members tra- located in we st Fresno County.
sponsor a Survival Skills Conference
veled to southern California where they
Work on th e project began in January
scheduled Saturday, October 11, 1980
1980 wi th the guidance of Dr. William
toured the campuses.
beginning at 8:30 am. to be held on the
Collin and Dr. Wallace Harmon of the
CSUF campus. The conference is dirCSUF Biology department. The proected towards all minority undergrad·ect's
goal
was
to
determine
the
inciCHO. students also attended the La J
uates who are planning on a health
professional career.
Raza Medical Association (La Rama) dence of intestinal parasites in the
retreat held at UC San Diego. Another population of th~ chosen community and
in the process provide CHO members an
field trip involved visiting various
.
The purpose of the conference 1s to
Bay Area campuses and attending a bpportunity to gain experience in biological research methods.
~elp un~ergraduates ~r~pare for ca~eers
conference at UC San Francisco.
m public health, med1'-.~~ or d~nt1stry.
Observations were recorded, and data
Speakers are often engaged to speak
Workshop participants will discuss
rcompiled. Those participants who had
at CHO meetings and functions.
various techniques from maintaining a
par~sitic infections were notified so they
Among those who have spoken to CHO could seek treatment.
su~essful
undergraduate
academic
'
are, Antonio Spampinato, from the
record for admission into a health proUC Berkeley School of Public Health;
fessional school. Health professionals,
AffCHO members who participated in
and Helen Gonzales from the Valley
counselors and students will be available
the
project
were
in
agreement
that
the
Medical Center Volunteer Program.
throughout the day to share their
paras.ite survey was a worthwhile experpersonal experiences and speak to stuience. They had the opportunity to conThese speakers provide information on duct field research and perform laboradents.
opportunities for students interested tory techniques. This survey will serve
The conference will highlight two
in health careers. They also serve as as a foundation for additional research
keynote presentations. The first, "The
contact persons in assisting in school projects to be conducted by CHO.
Need for Minorities in the Health
admissions and career planning.
skI•·11 s, c 0 nfere n ce
Professions ,, will explore the need and
opportuniti~s for various types of minority health professionals and their role
in the communities. The second address, "Minority Admissions in the
1980's,, will discuss minority admissions
records and trends of health professional
schools in California. It will also inform
students of various action steps which
b
k
·
t
can eta en to gam accep ance.
Other workshops include, Planning
Your Curriculum, Effective Study Techniques, Community Involvement vs
. Non-Involvement, Academic Support
Systems and How to Use Them.
Non-Involvement, Academic Support
Systems and How to Use Them, Effectively Preparing for and Taking
Exams, and Undergraduate Financial
Airlc;
All persons considering a career in
the health field are urges to attend
as past conferences have been of great
value to participating students. For
more information, one may call: The
Biology Department (487-2001),· The
E.O.P. Office (437-1021)
-
La Voz De Aztlan
October 6, 1980
1980-CSUF CRos·s COUNTRY.I
harriers place 5th
I
Sprinting to the finish, winner Jairo Correa, University of Reno.
photo essay by
Robert Hernandez
George Aguirre and teammate, Dave Kurtze, covering ground.
Rick Torres running in form.
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La Voz De Aztlan
Page6
Media
Continued from Page 1·
_
ed to KNXT Channel 2 in Los Angeles in
the middle of his two-year contract with
Channel 47. According to Vasquez, his
goal in coming to Fresno was to get into
a better paying, industrious journalist
job. Co-anchorjng the weeknight 11 :00
news, Vasquez was moved to weekends
and replaced by "Peter Rougot, their
superstar" as Vasquez put it . W~en Vasquez asked why the move to weekends
and why Bi II Sawyers thought Peter
would bring in a bigger audience Sawyers replied, "Victor, you have brought
in for us a huge minority audience, but
you 're just not reaching the white population. " Vasquez is now working as San
Bernardino's Bureau chief in a major
metropolis making more money and receiving more exposure .
Alicia Maldonado and Al Reyes are
two very prevalent Chicanos in the local
media as well as the community . Al was
the first to leave Channel 30 because of
the station's "insensitivities towards
minorities." He now works for Channel
24. Recently, Alicia Maldonado left
Channel 30 to work for FM 91 Radio Bi1ingue-for half the pay she was earning
at Channel 30.
_Hired in August of 1971, Ms. Maldonado served on the Minority Advisement
Committee which according to Walt Liss,
station manager of Channel 30, acts as
an advisory committee in the hiring of
minorities as well as helping the station
be more sensitive to minority communities. Maldonado claims that _the committee really didn't have much to say.
Reporting and producing for Channel
30, she then worked on the public affairs
end of the station because as she put it, ·
"News was so fast.,, Her intentions as
public affairs director were to build a
focus on health, business, and other
community matters. ,, After getting
there,,, she said, "i really couldn't do
what I wanted, they really limited me.
It's really hard being not only a Chicana,
but a woman as well in this field.,, ·
Continued from last
weeks issue:
California's
O\Vll
movimiento
The refrains of other popular . ,folk
songs go:
In this year of complaints
Of strikes and much suffering,
Many suffer injustices,
While others drown in riches.
And although they call us foreigners,
Because we speak Spanish,
The U.S.A. is another name,
For occupied Mexico.,,
On street ·walls in Latin neighborhoods, huge, brightly painted murals
teach cultural pride through history.
The message: "This is ours and don't
forget itl"'
ity committees are •good:
Prosion in which Fresno Employment
Alicia Maldonado resigned from
grammi-ng for the minority community is
mg Commission intervened.
Channel 30 in August 1980. Her letter of
resignation, stated, ,, ... For not keeping
worked on all . the time, and they are
was won by Trejo.
always looking for ways to improve. "We
Pete Perez filed a discrimina
your community commitment, not dealing in good faith. I do not feel you were are the only station in town that has a
against Channel 47 on the basis
minority production un!t,,, he added.
' erential treatment after being fi
committed to the minority community, in
particular, the Chicano community.,,
Legal action has recently been taken the station for incompetence. C
When asked what she thought would imby camera engineers Ricardo Trejo from
denied all charges and accordin1
prove conditions for Chican9s in ·the Channel 24 and Pete Perez of Channel
tion manager Mr. Sawyers it was
media she said, "things won't ,change· 21, formerly with Channel 47.
out of court. Perez said he cou
until Chicanos start owning the televiinto their buddy system. "'Si no
sion stations.,,
,.
Ricardo Trejo attacked Channel 24 on
bien, te chingan,"' he said. "'It's
Mr. Liss feels that:i the ratio· of Chithe contention that he was not being pro- for Chicanos to break in and we
canos to the rest of his employees· is ex- · moted after working for a period of time go to extremities like law suits.
ceedingly good. He stated that the rela- . at the station. He filed a suit with the think things will be fair until
tionship between Channel 30 and minorFair Employment and Housing Commis- start owning the stations."'
Los Ange_les joke about.';; "~he silent
recovery of a lost territory,.. or tease
Anglos about issuing them a green card
when they regain control ·of the state.
The list goes on.
Ca, los Al_maraz, ~ well-known . L~s
A~2eles Chicano painter who exh1b1ts
with a group call d L F
· th t
. . . E: os our, says
a
~eparatlsm is ~nev,table as long as Mex-·
,can~ and Chicanos are excluded from .
"mainstream" culture
·
.-;
"Not being allowed 4nto th~ system
means you have to form another system
to combat it,,, he said. "For example,
I recently went to the L.A . Institute
of Contemporary Art. One of the- directors reviewed my work and that of my
collegues and says, 'We're not into that
Chicano stuttr'
Larriva said he believes a political
separatist movement is "'highly unlikely
because of the government"' but that if
there were an uprising, he would surely
support it.
;,This has always been Mexico,"' he
said "'and there is noth·n
. o·
1 g that ,s
'
g mg
to keep us out. It's like salmon going to
their home upstream by instinct, though
many die on the ·0 rn
Th t' h
·t ·
.
_J u ey.
a s ow' 1s
here (with Mexicans) . In order to stop
it, the government would have to kill
us all.,,
Corky Gonsalez, a longtime .Chicano
activist and poet who heads the militant
Crusade for Justice in Denver, said in a
telephone interview that Chicanos and
Mexicans in the Southwest will "'look
toward self-determination... if the ma,,1 n a c,·ty w,·th over one-fou rth of t he jority system does not allow for our
population Latino, all this young man .growth.,,
can say is: 'We're not into that Chicano
"The idea of secession seems very
stuff!'
·
dramatic and impossible,"' he said.
He went on: "The idea of separatism "But nothing is impossible. The seed is
is not dormant. On (L.A.'s) East Side planted. It all depends on how society
we see ourselves practically as a sep-' develops, what are the economic conarate country. And we see gabacho ditions. Our children are. not going to
(Chicano slang for... Anglo) as ' a foreign · be breaking down the door to fight for
· the corporations and for the oil and be
When Chicano friends who live in the culture.,,
Tito
Larriva,
a
young
songwriter
and
heroes in the war. Latinos will begin
Southwest write each other, a letter
lead vocalist of Los Plugs, one of Los to identify with colonization and will
could, for example, be addressed to
Phoenix, Aztlan,- and the U.S. post Angeles' more popular Chicano punk emerge."
office delivers it. And U.S. travelers bands, went so far as to say he believes
in Mexico often hear California and the a separatist movement is already under
way. "'It's happened in an inner way,"'
When asked if he believed a separatist
~ Southwest referred to as "The Other
Mexico.,, Some Mexican-Americans in he said. w1 feel the same in downtown movement would seek to reannex
L.A. or in Mexico City.,,
Aztlan to Mexico_, he replied, w Any
future idea of autonomy would be a
nation of Azflan or Chicanismo, a
national concept. We should be ·
fying with oppressed and revol
ies ... not the one-party, anti-de
process of Mexico.,,
Even established Chicano
leaders who do not bet ieve a
movement will ever take hold
discount the possib~l~ty.
·
The head of California's Health
Welfare Department, Mario
the state's top Chicano politician,
waffling a bit in a telephone inte
said that it ough_t to be taken "in a
ious vein." He added :
"I don't dou.bt that there will
movement reclaiming this area O
next 20 years) . They could
articulate a sound argument
land still belongs to Mexico.
don't believe it will ever come
Then, he paused and said:
back' tomorrow, maybe I 'II have
my mind."
CONCLUSION
MEChA
Meeting every Thurs
12:30 p.m.
La Voz De Aztlan
111111-._,. from PaJe 1
on to explain the stereotype
xico by Americans and firmly
his belief in abolishing those
pes.
nomenal changes are taking
between the United States and
as Mexico takes a leading
, " Nava exclaimed. .
charge Nava spoke of was
troleum discoveries of the last ·
ars in Mexico. "Now we are more
·
American and foreign
Page 7
States/Mexico border relations as well
as the treatment of the Mexican Americans in the United States.
"The President of Mexico oversees
Mexican Americans in the United States
and the injustices .suffered. The President is concerned with the treatment
of his cousins. "We have not forgotten
our history dating back to 1848 and
beyond> Although, you do not see
Mexico taking revenge," Nava stated.
COFFEE CLUB
'I am not represenring any
The Racquet Club
special interest group,
Suit by
fil ,~Hart Schaffner & Marx ..
any party, or any faction.'
a said Mexican President Jose
Somewhat disturbed over not having
Portillo intended to spread the
·ts (oil) to unrepresented groups been chosen for the •vacant presidential
so to use as leverage to gain re- , post at California State University,
for Mexico to use in other areas . Fresno, last year, Nava felt a "great
lot of breakthroughs have been injustice" was done. ''A group of people
. Mexico is on the move," ex- deci~ed that no way would I be PresiNava.
"Mexico is becoming dent," he explained .
However, it• is ironic that Nava• was
lthy nation and is increasing
selected by President Carter for one of
stria I base."
commented on how the United the most important diplomatic posts.
was beginning to take notice
As for the Bracero Program, Nava
rt the Mexican government.
was in agreement with the abolition
financial circles, the industrial of it. ~It was a good program in. its day,
, and the coll)mercial circles but we are not in that situation today.
United States are all learning
It was a totally different era."
ish," Nava quipped. 'and in this
Nava clearly set his position straight
t San Joaquin Valley, although it for the record as his appointment
not in their best interest to claim made him the fi~st ever Chicano Am,liance with Mexican oil, the farmers bassador of Mexico. "I am not repursuing it (oil). I know, I receive present~ng any special interest group,
Ithe data," stated Nava.
ariy party, or any faction. I am representin"g the United States as AmbasAnother faction which greatly cons Nava and Mexico is the United sador to Mexico."
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.
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fill 'er up at the_BASS pump
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La Voz De Aztlan
Page 8
Chicano Youth Center provides alterilative
By Fernando Quintero
El Plan de Santa Barbara, put together
in the early 1970's, was implemented to
unite and bring Raza together. It has
materialized into many different concepts, ideas, organizations, and into the
making of the Chicano Youth Center. ·
The Chicano Youth Center is staffed
by about 12 persons including volunteers and occasional social work students
from CSU,Fresno. Funding for the center comes mainly from the Fresno
Employment
Training
Commision
(F.E .T.C.), however, it poses some
problems for the center because hired
staff are there on a very limi~ed basis.
1
'Some schools, however.
deny the services of the
Center.'
Staff at the center are hired through
the Comprehensive Employment Training Act (C.E .T.A.) program which is
a government funded program that
works with the economically disadvantaged . Persons hired through the
C.E .T.A . program are sent out on a job
for a limited amount of time (usually one
to two years and less) and unfortunately,
may not get a full comprehension of the
job.
Chicano students who are turned away
by the Anglo educational system or
young people who are falling into juven- Alfonso Hernandez, Director_of the Chicano Youth Center, stands proudly in front
ile delinquency, or any persons with any
kind of problems are served by the
Center. Through the Center, teenagers participate in intramural sports, made . A MEChA supermarket located
dances, picnics, youth conferences, somewhere in east Fresno is also a
workshops on paint sniffing and gang project the Center will be undertaking.
warfare, and many other activities
sometimes drawing up 4,000 to 8,000
The market will train students in learnpeople.
ing skills that will be beneficial in obAccording to Alfonso Hernandez, taining other jobs in the future. With the
director of the Youth Center, they take help of councilman Leonel Alvarado,
Sitting behind his desk, we looked out
care of a lot of problems and give several major stores in Fresno have the window where you could see two
services other community service unofficially agreed to hire some of the Cholitas laughing away as they chattered
agencies are unable to take care of, youth once they're trained. Profits from on the phone in front of the Short Stop
yet they recieve no financial aid from the the market will be put back into the
market that takes care. of the junk food
Center. ·
City of Fresno or anyone else.
cravings for the dozen or so teen-agers
The Youth Center still has some way that visit The Chicano, Youth Center. ,
The Center's system is set up so that · to go. The development of other cen- Pictures and posters of Mexican revolurepresentatives of sponsors are stationed ters around the valley will require the tionaries and the "Li 'I Homeboy"
hang on the jumbled walls that belong to
at the different high schools and the cooperation and disposition of the
Alfonso Hernandez' office .
Center works through them. Students community and the youth . Programs
learn about their culture, their roots,
more relevant to Chicano youth need to
and about activities and events the
be initiated and implemented . "Schools
Alfonso begins to talk excitedly about
MEChA organization sponsors . "We're need to open up to provide better opthe
possible additions of Madera and
part of the whole educational process,"
po'rtu~· ies to our Chicano youth and
said Alfonso Hernandez, "We work better ooperation from our own com- Selma into the MEChA organization.
with and through the schools, however,
munit must come rather than putting He went on boastfully mentioning the
if we don 't recieve support or encourage- nega ve labels on our youth--our hope 24 MEChA clubs that presently exist.
ment from the youth and the community, of the future ." said Hernandez.
then there is not much we can do."
Born in Fresno to farmworker parents,
Alfonso recalls his childhood and reThere are 24 MEChA organizations
These last words are almost like those members experiencinR the different
throughout central California's high on the Migrant Education poster that · forms of oppression and discrimination
schools and colleges, the Chicano Youth
was stapled onto the cluttered wall that somehow links him to the students
Center also serves ~s their headquarters.
and which read:
he now devotes so much of his time with.
Some schools, however, deny the ser"We've come too far to let our youth put
vices of the Center. Selma and Reedly
up
with the same old shit we had to put
high schools do not want the Center "Los ninos son nuestra unica esperanza ..
up with/ said Alfonso.
involved with their schools. son como semillitas que nosotros hemos
The over-all outlook for the Chicano sembrado en sus escuelas ... ojala se conAfter attending Fresno City I then
Youth Center is bright.
Plans for viertan en fruto, estas cosechas de es- Fresno State College, Alfonso became
exp~nsion of the Center have been
peranza ... "
involved with community and student-
of MEChA Central headquarters.
Photo by Robert
Hernandez leads C
based organizations. This resulted.
involvement with the ChicanoCenter in February of 1979.
Alfonso recalls how the lack of
role models adversely affected
cept of Chicanos and their fu
chers, administrators, and ,__1111:
never told him about furt
education or advancement opD01ra.lP'
"After graduating from Cen
School I almost made the mi
joining the service," said
He pointed out the importance d
models and how they should let
youth know that it's all right to
and dress the way they want and
courage them to further their .
tion or at least stay in school. Est,
on t~~ C;hica~o ~rop-out rate in~~
ley high is around 50 to 60 IJC'"'"..
When asked why he devotes so
time with the Youth Center Alfonso
plied, "Experiencing all those ~
sions and discrimination and f1
being able to do something about
has made me a better person." .