La Voz de Aztlan, March 12 1985
Item
Title
La Voz de Aztlan, March 12 1985
Creator
Associated Students of Fresno State
Relation
La Voz de Aztlan (Daily Collegian, California State University, Fresno)
Coverage
Fresno, California
Date
3/12/1985
Format
PDF
Identifier
SCUA_lvda_00156
extracted text
a Voz de Aztlan
CSU, Fresno
March 12, 198S
Chicano /Latino Newspaper
Chicanas fulfill their duty
Forum:
l:Jy Pat Reyes
Staff Writsr
Liberation
Theology
The tapping sounds of typewriters
could be heard from the basement of
the St. John's Catholic Church near
downtown Fresno. Inside, Lilly
Torres and Rosemary Moreno,
founders of the project deligently
work helping people who are trying
!o immigrate into the United States,
by assisting them in completing
required immigration application
forms.
Their office is a basement room
furnished with only the bare necessities of a paper copier, two desks, two
typewriters, two filing cabinets, two
telephones and folding chairs for the
clients to sit on. Hanging on the
bare walls are two calendars and a
map outline of Mexico.
After 16 months since its opening,
El Concilio 's Immigration Project is
in full force helping primarily Mexican nationals who are eligible, immigrate into the United States.
The project is funded by the community and by immigrant clients
who donate what they can.
El Concilio, a local non-profit
umbrella group of Chicano clubs
ancl)>rganizations and sponsors of
the project, donated most of the
office furniture.
·November 1, 1983, marked the
beginnings of the project that sparked some controversy within the community:
Torres and Moreno were both
employees of the Fresno County
Economic Opportunities Commission. It was one of their duties to
help people fill out forms. When a
considerable amount of time was
spent with people who began crowding the office for help in completing
their immigration papers, Torres and
Moreno saw the demand for such a
service.
But the E.O.C. board of commissioners did not approve their idea
for this type of project and requested
that they stop assisting immigrants
in filing out and filing forms with the
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.
With a combined total of 25 years
of working with E.O.C., the two
ladies resigned, only to begin the
Immigration Project sponsored by
El Concilio.
Torres and Moreno began assistin immi rants during their em lo -
By Ben Zayas
Staff Writer
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ment with E.O.C. and this became a
controversial issue within the local
community. Torres said they were
being accused of practicing immigration law and could be liable.
But Torres says they only did the
necessary paperwork. She said it is
not a difficult process, and that on
the average, most of her clients cannot read or write English.
"It didn't take much more for an
attorney or a layperson, graduated
out of eighth grade, to fill out a
form," she said.
Torres said the controversy, which
she believes developed from local
immigration consultants and attorneys who charge for their services,
has led Torres and Moreno to work
at becoming accredited in immigration law.
She said if they are accredited,
this will allo,w them to represent
their clients in court. Although the
project relies only on donations from
the clients and local groups, aid does
not charge any fees; however, there
are certain costs involved in filing
certain papers.
Currently though, Torres said, "If
a person wants to immigrate to this
country, we tell them if they're eligible or not. We're like the ears and
eyes for the attorney."
.see Chicana, page 6
CYC Challenges Dropout Rate
Program, offers a variety of sporting
and social activities as well as
With an alarming 55% dropout counciling and tutorial services.
CYC Director Alfonso Hernandez
rate among Fresno area Chicano
students it is evident that major feels that the Youth Development
steps must be taken in reducing this Program's chief endeavor is to bring
Chicano youth to the "mainstream"
frightening statistic.
Meeting the challenge is the Chi- of society.
"Most of the kids are 'non-maincano Youth Center also known as
Dickey's Playground, located in stream' students that are neglected
by the school system," he said.
downtown Fresno.
"Here we offer projects that are
The CYC, which is funded by
Fresno City Parks and Recreation relevent to the youth. We want them
Department's Youth Development to feel like a part of the institutions
By Ben Zayas
Staff Writer
they attend."
Hernandez said thclt many Chjcano youth are neglected by their
families and that education may not
be a big priority in the household.
Many come from single-parent families on fixed incomes and in this
environment the transition to adulthood can be a difficult one.
"About half (of the Chicano
yo1:1ths) are in and out of juvenile
hall. These are thf.' youths we want in
our programs," he said.
Make no mistake, the CYC is not
•See youth, page 7
The chronological course of religion has shown that new sects of
belief sometimes emerge of an oppressed people, those persecuted by
the imposition of ill-contrived ideals
and their strong armed enforcement
by tyrants and satrapies .
The most recent emergence has
spread throughout Central America
as proponents of Liberation Theology seek to free its people from the
grip of poverty, hunger, · disease,
i.e.,-colonialization.
At a recent discussion held at the
CSUF college union on this subject,
panelists BFenda Sanchez, Jennifer
Colby, and Father Gomez gave
insight to the growing problems in
Central America and the subsequent
appearance of Liberation Theology.
Sanchez, a refugee from El Salvador, is in exile from a country in
turmoil. Through an interpreter,
Sanchez told of her harrowing
·exodus from that country with her
baby and several other Salvadorians.
A ~er of ~tl}e .Christhm.fuel
dent Movement of El Salvador,
Sanchez received money from the
Lutheran church to come to the U.S.
The Lutheran churches in the U.S.
and England are active proponents
of the Liberation Theology movement
According to Sanchez, the government in El Salvador is corrupt and
murderous, making life for the poor
"campesinos" a nightmare.
The campesinos work the land 12
hours a day for $2, not nearly enough
to feed their families.
The country of El Salvador is
divided into states that are owned by
powerful families concerned with
the preservation of wealth. not the
welfare of the campesinos and their
families.
Sanchez said those that protest
the lack of food, wages, or medical
and welfare programs are killed, no
questions asked.
Even the church in El Salvador,
which donates food, clothing, and
other aid to the poor and homeless,
has come under attack from the Salvadorian military.
Sanchez said that U.S. armaments
are being supplied by the Reagan
Administration to El Salvador that
are used to kill her people.
She does not hold the American
people responsible for this tragedy
as she feels we have been misinformed by our government.
To Brenda Sanchez and those like
her that have suffered from the
exploitation of their native homeland, Liberation Theology is the
faith that God will have mercy on
the poor and oppressed and lead
them to refuge.
Panelist Jennifer Colby of the
World Student Christian Movement
.see forum, page 8
Tuesday
La Voz de Aztlan
page2
Editorial
Attack on Sanctuary Movement
obviously flies in the face of reality, along with sanity, as
reports from Amnesty International, the Council on
Hemispheric Affairs, The Salvadoran Human Rights
Commission, and the Catholic Church all document
some of the most flagrant human rights abuses in modern
history.
"In the name of God, in the name of this suffering
people ... stop the repression." These were among the final
words of Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero,
uttered March 23, 1980, the day before he was gunned
down by an assassin of the ultra-right ARENA party.
These same words resound in our hearts and minds once
again as we approach the fifth anniversary of Romero's
death.
In the case of President Reagan, however, they seem to
only fall upon deaf ears. Last year we witnessed his
re-election ~Rd the pronouncement of his perceived
mandate for Ameri~a. It's become increasingly obvious
since November that a prominent focus of said "mand,ate"
includes a green light for escalation of the war in Central
America and a more brazen attack upon solidarity
activists at home.
We saw this in the recent indictment of leaders of the
sanctuary movement in Tucson, Arizona. Attacks on the
sanctuary movement have attracted a great deal of media
attention as. well. The official justification for such
attacks rests squarely upon the oft-repeated premise that
sanctuary activists break the law in the harboring and
transporting of "illegal aliens."
This is consistent with the administration's policy of
maintaining that Central American refugees·(specifically
those-of Guatemala and El Salvador} are not political
r~fugees but here for economic reasons. Such reasoning
lCc-.
..
•
·
Of course if the Reagan Administration gave even tacit
recognition to the political nature of the plight of Central
America's refugees it would, in effect, be acknowledging
the totalitarian infrastructure of its client states. This
would in turn serve to seriously undermine the credibility
of its overall policy within the region.
N_onetheless, the Refugee Act, recognized internationally by the United Nations and signed into U.S. law
by Congress in 1980, clearly calls upon all nations under
the U.N. charter to grant asylum to those who cannot
return to their country of origin because of persecution or
a justifiable fear of persecution. In failing to apply this
law equally to Salvadorans and Guatemalans, as it does
to Cubans, Vietnamese, and Easte~n block emigres, the
U.S. thus stands in direct violation of both international
law and its espoused principl~s of freedom and justice.
_If President Reagan is so eager to enforce the law he
could perhaps start with the Civil Rights Act. For now, at
least, he could best serve just.ice by practicing some of his
own pious rhetoric.
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U.S. fans -S alvadoran air war
In the past trumth, the napalm
bombings of civilian populations,
and the use of U.S. C-4 7 gunships to
attack unarmed civilian populations
in norther!} and eastern parts of El
Salvador has alarmed human rights
organizations throughout the world.,
Behind a wall of silence in the U.S ..
news media, the Reagan administration is rapidly escalating the war in
El Salvador.
The rapid infusion of U.S. military
aid, particularly helicopters and gunships, has increased the Salvadoran
army's attacks on civilian populations, and has undermined the fragile
peace talks between the government
and the Farabundo Marti National
Liberation Front/ Democratic Revolutionary Front (FMLN / FDR)
which began amid much public fanfare last September.
I
U.S. milit1.ry role grows
In 1984, the U.S. military aid to .El
Salvador was twice the year before-and even more deadly. Over
the past few months, the Reagan
administration has transformed the
Salvadoran Air Force into the largest
in Central America. In December,
the U.S. doubled the number of UH1 "Huey" helicopters in El Salvador
to 35, and ten more were approved
by Congress in February.
In January, the Salvadoran army
received two C-47 gunships, which
earned the nickname Puff the Magic
Dragon in Vietnam because of the
deadly fire power of their .50 caliber
machine guns pumpihg out 1500
rounds per minute. The U.S. has
.also provided more than a dozen
other warplanes capable of being
o·utfitted with the same anti-civilian
machine guns.
Even more ominously, the Penta- gon announced in November that
the now annual military exercises
.with U.S. and Honduran troops
(ibis year called_Big Pine III) will be
lconducted in Honduras and El
Salvador. These maneuvers, which
place tJ.S. armed forces right on
Salvadoran soil, are considered by ·
the FMLN /FDR to be an invasion
of their country.
The I_I1assive U.S. military aid
increase to El Salvadqr represem.:
another desperate attempt to stem
the advances of the revolutionary
The Salvadoran Army has
always relied on terror to
suppress any civilian protest
While the White House may want
to keep it quiet, the evidence of the
FMLN's gains is abundant. In Decembef and January, the FMLN
expanded the war zone (o San
Vicente, just 40 miles from the capital city, San Salvador. In the past
two months, the FMLN wiped out
two army companies in the area. As
well, the FMLN has extended the
liberated zones, where it has established Popular Power government
bodies, health care and a major
literacy campaign.
"The key to our success," explains
an FMLN / FD_R representative in
the U.S., "is-that we have the complete support of the people." The
Salvadoran Army, on the other
hand, has no popular support. A
local mayor reported that when the
Army tried to form civilian defense
units in San Vicente, "the people
told the army that it would be better
to leave than to form a civil defense~"
It is not just the 40% unemployment rate ~nd rising inflation, that
makes the government unpopular.
The Salvadoran Army has always
relied on terror to suppress any civilian protest: this repression, which
has taken the lives of tens of thousands of workers, peasants and students in the past five years, has
earned the army and government
the hatred of the people of El
Salvador.
severe political crisis in the precarious government of President Jose
Napoleon Duarte. Just six months
ago-shortly after he was elected
President in highly suspect elections- '
Duarte proclaimed himself a "man
of peace" and began talking with the
FMLN, which had been seeking
negotiations for three years. But he
has now postponed the next round
of talks twice, raising serious questions about the future for this
dialogue.
The right wing political party
ARENA, which has its base in the
oligarchy with strong ties to the
Army, dominates the Legislative Assembly and Supreme Court and is
using its muscle to hold Duarte hostage to their plans-threatening his
plans for the March elections and
even posing the question of impeachment.
As FMLN/FDR leader Ruben
Zamora explains, "Duarte has encountered strong opposition within
the military sectors to the continuation of the dialogue."
Whether Duarte will be able to
withstand the pressure of the Army
and the lawless right-wing death
squads and continue the peace talks
is now an open question. But with
the Reagan administration committing more deadly firepower to the
brutal Salvadoran Army, the possibility for an early end to El SAivador's six-year-long civil war seems
remote.
movement. The FMLN is continuing
to gain ground in its popular war to
liberate the Salvadoran people from
a government that has brought them
nothing but continued poverty, repression and death.
In the midst of the Christmas
cease-fire, agreed on in the last round
of peace talks, agents of the National
Guard abducted Janet Samour Has bun
and Maximina Reyes Villatoro, both
members of the FMLN, in their
home city of San Miguel. Both
This article is an excerpt from
women are still missing and an inter- Political crisis in government
national campaign has been launched
The U.S. decision to up the ante in "For Peace and Solidarity" March,
to demand their safety.
El Salvador's war has produced a 1985.
March 12, 1985
La Voz de Aztlan
page 3
Prof says there's always a way
,,---~~~-~------i-----.lJ!l!ll...
By Jaime Juarez
Staff Writer
Name: Manuel R. Garcia
Position: Professor of Industrial Arts
Birthplace: Riverbank, California
Birthdate: August 4, 1926
Education: B.A., M.A., CSU Fresno
Years on staff: 16
Professor Manuel Garcia tells his
students to succeed in his class, they
have to perform. "It doesn't matter
how r:nuch experience, knowledge,
or skill you bring into the classroom," Garcia emphasizes "if you
don't do the work and 'perform
you 're not going to make it."
Pr~fessor Garcia speaks from past
expe~iences. At a very young age, he
lost his father durin2 the Depression
leaving a family of eleven to rely oi{
governmental assistance and hard
work--performance. "The state use
to give us fifteen dollars a month ...
but one summer when I was twelve I
started to work, so they cut my
~oney off. I paid my way through
high school and even helped with the
house."
After Garcia's father died, he and
the rest of his family, living in
Riverbank, Ca., a small town near
Modesto, put their trust in his eldest
brother, Max, who according to
Garcia kept the family together.
"Max had to quit school and work
so they wouldn't put the rest of us
kids in homes. We would all work
for a dollar a day and then go to the
welfare and buy sacks of potatoes or
Professor Garica of the Industrial Arts Dept. emphasize~ hard work
,and performance to his students.
beans or whatever."
draft was on (World War II), and I
Professor Garcia actually started didn't want to get drafted into the
out late in his career. After graduat- army so I joined the navy."
ing from Oakdale High School, he
After two years in the Service,
married his high school sweetheart Garcia came back to Modesto where
and worked for a short time with the he worked at a machine shop. HowU.S. Forest Service. He then entere-d ever, he was recalled to serve during
the navy because as he put it, "The the Korean War, and it wasn't until
Forum
By Albert Robles
Staff Writer
The subject of U.S. militarism
was addressed in a forum which
took place on the evening of Feb.
7th in the College Union. The Forum
on Militarism, which was jointly
sponsored by the Campus Latin
American Support Committee, Las
Adelitas, M.E.Ch.A., Student Christian Movement, and La Raza Studies
consisted ofa panel of five speakers.
Mario Huerta and Rebecca Sanchez,
who are the respective chairpersons
of M.E.Ch.A. and Las Adelitas,
provided introductions for the five
panelists.
The first speaker was Professor
Bob Allison of the Economics Dept.
who presented the topic of "Militarism and World Views" outlining
a historic overview on the development of U.S. militarism since WWII.
The U.S. has been the major hegemonic power since the second world
war; he said, as well as "the only
country that came out of WWI I better off then when we went into it."
Following the war, the U.S.,
according to Allison, took on the
new role of "defending capitalism
internationally." The U.S. filled the
void left by the many European
colonial powers still recovering from
the effects of the war and set into
motion the process of "neo-colonialism" around the "export of capital."
Dr. Allison stated that in order to
safely export capital you have to be
able to "protect your property by
when he was thirty-five that he
started going to college. While
working part-time as a janitor at a
Modesto church, he went to Modesto
Junior College and later to Fresno
State College where he received a
Bachelors Arts degree, Masters degree, Secondary and Vocational
Teaching Credentials.
Professor Garcia is currently the
advisor for Mex- Tech (MexicanAmerican Students in Industrial
Technology), a Chicano club on
campus for students interested in all
aspects of Industrial Technology.
Garcia also serves on the Academic
Senate Committee on campus.
Garcia, a father of three boys
works with the Boy Scouts (he used
to lead a troop of handicapped
Scouts) and he also manages to
devote extra time to students who
ne:d a little !11ore tha~just a teacher.
I I have kids come 10 here with all
sorts of problems ... sometimes I
invite them over to my house and we
have coffee and try to work things
out."
For Professor Garcia there is
always a way if you only perform.
Garcia recalls when he was a young
boy and the people at the local
public swimming pool wouldn't let
him and his friends enter because
they were Mexicans. So as Garcia
puts it, ''We got on our bikes and
rode to a pond in the mountains and
skinny-dipped there ... l think we had
more fun there than we could have
had in the other place." For Manuel.
Garcia, there is always a way.
allll'!!'llllllll--lllllll!l......,_..1961
on
military force," citing initial suecesses by the U.S. in such countries
as Korea, Guatemala, Iran, Ind onesia, and Chile. The big change in thfs
development took place, he said,
during the late 1960's and early 70's
centering around the two basic
things.
The first, according to Allison,
was the war in Vietnam wherein the
· U.S. spent an unprecedented level of
,
•
M i I i t a r .i s m
we did during the Vietnam period,
we're just going to have the guns,"
which will mean calling upon people
to "engage in a patriotic lowering of
their standard of living."
Dr. Allison said that this is brought
about by a well orchestrated campaign which centers around a "threepronged attack" the first of which is
anti-communism. This involves convincing people of a "communist
t•k
"we re not going to have guns and butter I e
we did during the Vietnam period, we're just
going to have guns,"
--Allison
military force. "W ff? lost even though threat" sufficient to justify a prowe laid out more military explosives gram of massive rearmament. "If we
than all of the weapons used in have any interest whatsoever in
WWII by both sides." Citing the stopping the arms race, one of the
casualty figures (60,000 U.S. troops first things we're going to have to
and roughly 1.5 million Southeast come to grips with is the dishonesty
Asians) Allison said that this ushered around the propaganda of anti-comin a new era for American foreign munism."
The second justification of rearpolicy.
The second development, during mament is "national chauvinism,"
this same period, was that the Soviet or blind patriotism. Citing state- Union had achieved parity in nuclear ments by President Reagan, Allison
weaponry with the U.S. As a result brought out the notion that "the
the U.S. has undergone massive American standard of living is at
rearmament in order to overcome ,stake," and that "God is on our
what Allison called the "Post Viet- side."
The third point of Dr. Allison's
nam Syndrome."
analysis
was racism, as he stated that
Another cost of the Vietnam war,
"two
thirds
of the people in the
Allison mentioned, was the record
world
that
go
to bed hungry at night
inflation which resulted. To avoid
are
generally
brown or black."
inflation he stated that "we're not
going to have guns and butter like Domestically racism fits into what
he called a "racilized austerity program." a part of which is "white priviledge" which serves to separate
most white people from its worst
effects. "It's no accident that say
55% of white, male union members
voted for Reagan and at the same
time almost 90% of black people
voted against him."
The second speaker was Rick
Chacon, former M.E.Ch.A chairperson and current chair of the
Fresno Latin American Support
Committee, who spoke on the history of U.S. intervention in the
countries of Nicaragua, Guatemala,
and El Salvador.
_
"Every time that there is a source
of unrest the U.S. government has
pointed their finger at Cuba or
Russia saying that they have influenced it." Chacon emphasized the
history of poverty and social injustice in Latin America as the real
source of unrest saying that "all of us
would be doing the same thing if we
were in that same situation. To not
fight for your brothers and sisters
who are being killed is inhuman."
On Nicaragua Chacon stated that
"the Somoza dictatorship was the
longest dictatorship in Central
American history ... why did the U.S.
support it?" He then provided an
analysis of how U.S. corporations
had seized control of Nicaragua's
land during the I 920's which led to a
general strike in 1926. The U.S.
.see milltarlsm1 Page 8
page 4
La Voz de Aztlan
Tuesday
EXPRESIONE
God!
Far,
far in my past
when I learned Spanish,
I went to the sacred mountain
and spoke to the Lord.
"I am your slave," I said.
"You are my religion,
your path is my path,
your will my love. "
But the Lord did not answer.
He slipped away
like the wind
striking against my face.
A hundred years later,
I returned to the sacred mountain
and spoke to the Creator.
"I am your work," I said.
"I owe you what I am."
But the Lord did not answer.
He slipped away
like a dream with wings.
A hundred years later,
I returned to the sacred mountain
and spoke to the Lord.
"I am your son," and I feel.
"Your love has been my life,
my aim has been your source
in this way, I will reach your heaven."
But the Lord would not listen
He continued to slip away ...
"My God! My greatest labor ·
I am past, you are future
I am the man, you are my God.
Together we shall lodge
before the face of the sun."
The Creator stopped
and turned!
Speaking in Spanish
in divine words
that in these lines were left.
And like the ocean to its river
the Creator reached out ...
As I decended into the valleys,
I found myself with the Lord.
Raulo Z. Monero
Translated by Jaime R. Juarez
No tengo un solo r
que ustedes quieran
que fui a Tijuana.
Arizona en los Estad s
s04, mexicana has
, u
d ec,amos cuando er o
orgullo de la raza. T
gente porque. pobr
nos como nosotros.
504 mexicana pr
espalfol, com( tortm
pan 4 hamburgues u
escuche fue la m6s
mandolinas.
Sin embargo nu
serias, como eso de
naci mexicana? As(
criada con el orgul
siento ligada al pa( iI
pero no tengo lealta e
explicar como me si
dido, el total de lo q o
en este pa(s.
Mucho de lo que
pero eso es parte
doblemente bende
mexico-americana.
cita_que dice. tu cultura? Como se c
encias culturales dif
Cuando escucho n
chera, cuando algu· u
contesto que esto4
oigo este idioma ta
que no s~ compara
Jorge Duan4 ··sient
una absurda peso
0
Dios!
Muy lejos en mi pasado,
cuando aprendf espanol
fui a la sagrada montaiia
y hablt! con el Senor.
"Yo soy tu esclavo," le dije.
T~ eres mi religi&n,
tu camino es mi camino
y tu voluntad mi amor."
Pero el Senor no me contesto
Siguicf de largo
como el viento
que me golpea la cara.
Cien, aiios despuls,
.,
volv1 a la sagrada montana
y hablt con el Creador.
!Tr
"Soy tu obra," le deje.
"Y le debo lo que soy."
Pero el Senor no me contesto'
Siguio de largo,
como un sue"iio con alas.
Cien,anos despufs,
.
volv1 a la sagrada monta1ia
y hable con el Creador.
"Soy tu hijo." Y lo sentfa
"Tu amor ha sido mi vida
y mi meta tu venero.
Asr alcanzar( tu cielo.
i
§
L----
Pero el Seltor no me hic(a caso
Segufa de largo ...
"Dios mio'.
Mi mayor afan
ti
Soy pasado y tu futuro
Soy el hombre y tt mi Dios
Juntos nos alojaremos
ante la cara del sol."
~
JEI Creador
volvicf la cara!
~
Hablandome en espanol,
bellas divinas palabras
queen este escrito dejo
y como el mar a SU no,
el Creador me abrazo...
• descendar a los valles,
~l
me encontre con el Senor!
Raul Z. Moreno
'
Al fin de la batal/a,
y muerto el combatiente, vino hacia 11 un hombre
y le dijo ''iNo mueras; te amo tanto!"
Pero el cadlver lay! sigui<f muriendo.
Se le acercaron dos y repitilronle:
'~No nos dejes! !Valor! iVue/ve a La Vidal"
Pero el cadaver ay ! siguiS muriendo.
Acudieron. a II veinte cien, mil, quinientos mil,
c/amando: "ITanto amor, y no voder nada contra la mue
Pero· el cadaver lay! siguio mu;iendo.
Le rodearon mil/ones de individuos,
con un ruego com{m!" Quedate hermano!"
Pero el cadSver ay ! siguit:fmuriendo.
Entonces todos los homres de la tierra
le rodearo;; /es viJ el cad!ver triste, emocionado;
incorporose, lentamente,
abrazcf al primer hombre; echtse a andar ...
IO noviembre 1937
Cesar Vallejo
March 12, 1985
La V oz de Aztlan
page 5
CHICANO
Mexico, a no ser
cuenta una vez
nia. Yo nae( en
e America, pero
s cachas. As(
para demostrar
ima de la demos
no eran mexica-
In Response to Omar, the Crazy Gypsy
0
Yeah, I understand Mexican.
I learned it from the grade school teacher
who couldn't pronounce my name
and slapped my knuckles
with her wooden ruler
whenever I spoke incorrectly.
era lengua fue
antes de comer
ica que primero
guitarras 4 las
f learned it from the heavy faced Father O'Brien
who delivered Mass in English
to attentive campesinos
and told me to put my hope in God.
sado de cosas
o? o-de<por que
·os 4 aunque fui
exicana no me
. 504 mexicana
ico. Es mu4 difbl
lo que he apren-,
a es porque nae,
I learned it from the cholos
who squatted with cigarette fingered hands
against the sweaty poolhalls
and watched cars drive by.
I learned it from the red faced German farmer
who spat tobacco from his Ford Stepside
and said picking grapes
was good for me.
o ha sido penoso,
ad. Y me siento
ios, porque so4
veces una voceomo puede negar
nciliar a dos her-
I learned it from my father
whose eyes are as burnt and listless
as grape trays in the sun.
.,
una canc,on rana 4 40 con gusto
tJe la vida, cuando
lleno de emocion
onces como dice
ion en el pecho 4
ganta.
Yeah, Omar, I understand Mexican.
t
llegos Biggers
.
I'
,
S1, Yo se del mexicano.
Lo apr1nd(de mi maestra-no sab1a decir mi nombre,
y me golpeaba las manos
con su regla de madera
cada que hablaba incorrecto.
Lo aprendfdel padre O'Brien
q ue decia misa en inglts
al atento campesino
que no lograba entender
y el remedio que nos daba
era no perder la fe
Jaime R. Juarez
,
Lo aprend1 de los cholos
que sentados en cuclillas
y con el cigarro en mano.
La pasan frente al billar
viendo los carros pasar
f
0
En Respuesta -a Omar--Gitano Loco
I
Lo aprend(de un ranchero
aleman de, cara roja
que escup1a el tabaco
desde su Ford Stepside.
Me decia que el pizcar uvas
era bueno para mi.
~~~t<,>~
:s
Lo aprendf de mi padre
cuyos ojos se queman y slentristecen
come uvas entabladas bajo el sol.
When the battle was over,
and the fighter was dead, a man came toward him
and said to him: "Do not die; I love you sol"
But the corpse, it was sad! went on dying.
And two came near, and told him again and again:
"Do not leave uslCourage! Return to life!"
But the corpse, it was sad! went on dying.
Twenty arrrived, a hundred, a thousand, five hundred
thousand, shouting: "So much love, and it can do nothing against death/"
But the corpse, it was sad! went on dying.
Millions of persons stood around him,
all speaking the same thing "Stayhere, brother!"
But the corpse, it was sad! went on dying.
The all the men on the earth
stood around him; the corpse looked at them sadly, deeply moved;
he sat up slowly,
put his arms around the first man; started to walk ...
translated by Robert Bly 1962
/
/
Si, Omar. Yo se del mexicano.
Jaime R. Juarez
Traducido por Raul Z. Moreno
page 6
La Voz de Aztlan
Tuesday
'No Nos Dejaremos Veneer Siendo Educados'
'IfEducted We Shall Not be Defeated'
-CYC
The Chicano Youth Conference, organized by M.E.Ch.A., was held January 12,
1985, at California State University,
Fresno for the twelveth consecutive year,
with an estimated number of 1600 youths
in attendance.
Many came from as far as Los Angeles
and Sacramento to learn about a variety
. of career options open to them, and about
issues that directly affect the Chicano
community.
The keynote speaker, Dr. Alex Saragosa, history professor at U.C. Berkeley,
spoke about the cultural differences in the
school system, and the negative realities
that still persist.
He contends that we are not aware of
the power that we have 'To the extent of
our (own) ignorance people can take
advantage of (usi... Knowledge is Power.'
.Chicana
continued from page 1
"'You have to know something
about immigration to appreciate
what we're doing and to know what
the consultant does out there.
"On a survey that we have taken,
the cheapest consultant that will
immigrate a process, costs no less
than $500. I've done cases like that
for $20," she said.
Besides the cost involved, Torres
said many co·nsultants in the post
-kept their client's documents such as
birth certificates and would not
return them until they pay the fee.
But recent laws regulating immigration consultants requires them to
provide a contract guaranteeing the
client that his paperwork will at least
be completed.
Although the Immigration Project only aids in completing and filing immigration forms, Torres and
Moreno try to advise the client how
to prepare for his appointment.
Torres stressed that there are certain criteria involved to immigrate
into the United States legally.
zens and legal residents can immigrate Mexican nationals into the
United.States. Because of the number
of categories a Mexican national
can be eligible under, she strongly
suggests them contacting her.
To become an American legal resident, immigrants need to prove that
they have been living in the United
States for at least seven years; that
they have good moral character;
that they have been a law abiding
citizen during their seven year stay;
and have been paying income tax,
she said.
The Silva-Levy Letter, an employment authorization letter that is no
longer valid, stated that undocumented Mexicans who had been
residing in the United States before
July 4, 197 6, and who had American
born children, be given legal resident status with the option to appeal
the case if they were refused residency.
But since 1982, the Letter was no
longer considered a valid document
for immigrating into the country.
She said at that time, many cuban
refugees were assigned Visa numbers
that were supposed to be assigned to
Mexican immigrants.
Often people go directly to the
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization office based in San Francisco to
immigrate into the country on the
basis of the Silva-Levy Letter. Within
30 days, she said, they are set up for
a hearing with an Immigration judge
in San Francisco to determine whether
they can immigrate into the country.
If the judge denies them residency,
they are then scheduled to be deported legally.
Suspension of deportation is the
biggest type of problem the Immigration Project handles, she said.
Torres said there are many minor
preparations that immigrants need
to understand, such as making
copies of the documents they need to
submit. She said too often, they turn
over their original documents and
are later unable to show proof that
they had documents.
Torres said her inspiration for
taking part in starting such a project
came from a man who seeked her
help, to immigrate into the country.
The man, she said, had been hid-
ing in the mountains with his family
for some time. After news of the
Silva-Levy Letter, he went to an
immigration consultant to aid him
in immigrating into the country.
Torres said the consultant charged
the man $1,000 which he paid, but
had nothing to·show for it.
Torres, angered by the incident
said, "Here we are, supposedly a
very rich and sensitive country and
what really hurt was that the Mejicano [Mexican] was doing in the
Mejicano [Mexican].
"This is•when we found out that
we not only need to assist them, but
y,1e need to give information on the
immigrant's rights," she said.
Despite how much Torres and
Moreno want to help people immigrate inot the country, Torres spoke
of a goal. She said their goal is for
people to go to the immigration
office and ask for information themselves.
"There shouldn't be an office like
this [the Immigration Project] anywhere. Immigration should be a
very simple process," she said. "There
shouldn't be a thousand consultants."
Scholarships Available
C.B.S.A.
Chicano Staff Organization
Deadline: March 22, 1985
Qualifications:
• enrolled tor 12 units or more at CSUF
• completed one semester of college at CSUF
• 2.5 G.P.A.
• school I community Involvement
Contact: La Raza Studies, EOP, or SAA Outreach
CCNMA
Cal. Chicano News Media Assn.
Deadline: March 29, 1985
:
Qualifications:
• Latino residing In Central C~I.
• Jr.I Sr. college status as of Fall '85
• 2.0 G.P.A.
• interest In print and I or broadcast media
Contact: Alicia Maldonado, ph. 251-4811
Chicano Business Student Assn.
Deadline: March 29,
Qualifications:
• tu/I-time student
1985
•2.0 G.P.A .
• shows Interest In the needs of Chicano community
• financial need
Contact: La Raza Studies Dept.
Minority Scholarship Program
Meredith Corp. Broadcasting Group
Deadline: May 1, 1985 (postmarked)
Qualifications:
• permanent resident of ADI
•minority
• enrolled at 4 yr. univerlsty or college .
• tu/I-time Soph I Jr. Status
• Journallsm or R-TV Ma/or
Contact: CSUF Journalism Dept. or KSEE, Ch. 24
March 12, 1985
La Voz de Aztlan
Noticiero Via Satellite
Feb. 2, 1848:-1985
By Marla Bergeron
Staff Writer
An event commemorating the signing of the Treaty of Guadelupe
Hildago, which documented the ruthless acquisition of Mexican
land by the U.S. was held at the Hacienda de los Amigitos and
co-sponsored by La Unida Party, American Indian Movement, and
the American Indian Treaty Council.
As pictured above, the event included traditional Indian dancing
by young people.
This issue is dedicated to our companera Dr. Lea
Ybarra for her continued support to Chicano students and service to our community.
§ ~ §
• Youth
continued from page 1
a harbor for juvenile delinquents.
On the contrary, Hernandez said
that all participants in the center's
activities know that swearing, drugs,
and fighting are prohibited.
"We are not fighting each other,"
he said. "We are organizing."
Hernandez said that organization
is the method in which Chicanos can
begin to solve their unique problems.
"It must be working in one way or
another because we 're stopping the
gang problems in Fresno. We've
been able to do things that have
never happened here before," he
said.
Working closely with a number of
local MEChA clubs., the CYC offers
many activities to local youth
throughout the year.
Dances~ car shows, pop and break
competitions, car washes, and
picnics are some of the activities that
youth can participate in.
The CYC also sponsorers athletic
teams in volleyball, softball, basketball, and football for junior high,
high school, and other community
page 7
youth that play Fresno area school
and park teams.
Athletic tournaments are held
regularly, bringing squads from a
number of valley MEChA organizations to Fresno to participate.
The CYC also sponsers trips to
professional basketball games,
making these events available to
those who may not otherwise have
the opportunity.
Hernandez also encourages the
youths to express themselves through
art, and the CYC makes the necessary
materials available.
The center is decorated by a
number of paintings done by junior
high and high school students as
well as high school dropouts and
former prisoners.
The artwork does n'o t depict the
pathos of the plight of the Chicano
as in the past. Instead, the paintings
are bright, colorful, and positive in
nature. Chicanos are portrayed as a
strong, concerned, and motivated
people making strides toward the
improvement of our current situations-our future.
"It is important that they understand and express their culture,"
Hernandez said.
Chicano youth also print their
own informative newsletter at the
center which not only serves to
inform of upcoming events but also
fornia Arts Council, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
through Satellite Project Fund / National Public Radio. In the first
week of March, they will know if
CPB will fund the remainder of it.
"They have shown strength in
their committment to the minority
community," said Jeanne Dotterweich,
development director of N oticiero
Latino.
Support for the program has also
come from other entities such as the
Mexican American Legal Defense
and Educational Fund. The people
are beginning to realize that "to have
something else available improves
the market; Now, they'll have a
choice," said Dotterweich.
The reporters for Noticiero Latino
also represent the diversity of the
locations where the program will be
aired. Western Community Bilingual
Radio and additional independent
producers will contribute to the pro-
Five years ago Radio Bilingue
aired for the first time, broadcasting
relevant and important news information that Latinos in the Fresno
and surrounding areas would not
otherwise receive.
Today that idea has transcended
into a five minute news program
that will be broadcasted via satellite
to other Spanish-speaking communities throughout the United States.
At noon on March 1, if you tune
your FM radio dial to KSJV-91, you
and a listener in Portland, Oregon,
or Stoneybrook, New York, or even
Las Cruces, New Mexico, will hear
Noticiero Latino-the first Spanish
daily radio newscaS t to be emitted to
such a large number of liS t eners.
The program will focus on issues
Such as the arts, civil rights, unemployment, a nd labor a nd immigration legislation which affect
the daily lives of Latinos.
Giving as an example what the
program will be Samuel Orozco,
executive director of Noticiero La
tino and news ao d information
director of Radio Bilingue, said it
would "give [Latino] news a front
page attention."
"The Latino community is under
served in terms of information," he
said. "They can't cast their information from the mainstream media."
The program will also try to serve
the farmworkers through "Aconteser
Campesin.o," a five minute feature
report accompanying the newscast
every Friday.
National Pulrlic Radio- will distribute the program from San Francisco to a satellite after receiving the
signal from Fresno through a telephone line. From the satellite, the 19
radio stations interested so far will
be able to pick up Noticiero Latino.
So far Radio Bilingue has received
a third of the $300,000 it needs for
one year's programming from the
Rosenber~ Foundation, The Cali-
gram. Even volunteers from the 5
bilingual radio stations throughout
California will be contributing.
"That's important," said Bacilio
Maci~l, trainer and technical director
of KSJV. "It's going to be a good
experience for everyone. It's experience that they won't be able to
get anywhere else," he said.
And the staff of N oticiero Latino
seems to reflect that belief, too. They
are positive about the project, because it's a vehicle in which Latin~s
can better prepare themselves, said
O~ozco.
.
. .
~nformat1on a~d commum~atton
are mtegratparts m the e}evat1onof
anyone's consciousness," said
Orozco.
.1~he staff ~embers have a ~trong
feeh~g ~f. pnde, for belon~mg to
Radto Btlmgue and for havmg the
opportunity!~ develo? such a progr~m, as !'f?tzczero Latmo.
.
I! s givm~ us an opp_ortumty of
servmg .~ bigger ~ortlon of the
country, Orozco said.
to spread the word about the importance of education.
It is well-written, communicative,
and positive~ offering Chicano youth
another means by which to express
themselves.
Hernandez feels that being involved in something constructive
could motivate youths · who have
dropped out of school to return to
the classrooms.
"We've got kids that .are going to
college now that used to be on the
streets," he said.
The CYC is restricted by limited
funds but Hernandez feels that the
counciling and tutoring programs
have been beneficial.
"We offer group and organizational counciling to the kids. We
don't have. the staff to do one-onone counciling," he said.
Youths with basic classroom problems can ask for tutoring help,
depending on how critical the situation is.
Hernandez said that the Youth
Development Program receives aid
from the United Way Foundation
for tutoring services, but that the
majority of tutors and councilors
are volunteers.
According to Hernandez, for each
paid staff member there are 30 to 50
volunteers, which makes all the
activities possible.
Volunteers are of all ages, including CSU F students, willing to
donate their time to help anyway
they can.
According to Hernandez, the CYC
encourages college students to volunteer and serve as 'role models' to
Chicano youth, so that the youths
may see it is possible.to pursue their
education.
These 'role models' may also help
to develop youth Jeadership among
the Chicano youth.
Hernandez said that the center is a
place where the youths can feel at
home, meet new people, and make
friends.
Rosaura "Chubby" Calderon, a
sophmore at Fresno High School
said she "hopes the park never closes
down because a lot of people make
friends here and that's an important
part of growing up."
Frank Ayala, a freshman at Fresno
City College majoring in business
administration, said the center helps
to "get your mind off of things."
It keeps you out of trouble," he
added," Everybody is really friendly
here."
"The most important thing is to
show the kids that you care and that
they are important," said Hernandez,
"And we've got something to offer
them. We are all working together to
do something for the community."
/)
page 8
La Voz de Aztlan
.Militarism
continued from page 3
responded by sending in the Marines
who, after a protracted struggle were
eventually driven out in 1933 by the
Nicaraguan people led by Augusto
Cesar Sandino.
By this time the U.S. had installed
Anastacio Somoza Garcia who had
then gained control of the military.
"Somoza did whatever the U.S.
wanted," stated Chacon. He pointed
out that under Somoza 50% of the
children would starve to death before
age five, and that 60% of the land
was controlled by industries owned
by Somoza's family.
Following the revolutionary triumph in July 1979 which succeeded
in C)verthrowing the Somoza dicta_torship Chacon stated that the Frente
Sandinista, which took its na.me
from Sandino the country's legendary hero, began many reforms in
education, health care, and housing.
Because the government had nationalized the country's industries
Chacon said the "U.S. wanted to
make an example of them." This, he
said took the form of mining the
country's harbors, training and supplying the contras, and making illegal
reconnaissance flights over Nicaraguan airspace.
Like Nicaragua, Guatemala's history is also one of dictatorial rule.
According to Chacon 80% of all
Guatemalans suffer malnutrition.
About thirty years ago, he said that
Guatemala enjoyed a "brief period
of democracy" following the election of Jacobo Arbenz and the enactment of an agrarian reform program. The United Fruit Co., the
largest single landowner at the time,
lobbied against Arbenz' reforms
which resulted, eventually, in a communist conspiracy and .a military
coup.
Chacon stated that the resentment
of the Guatemalan people \1/aS so
strong that when then Vice-president Nixon went · down there it
turned into what he called "one of
the lousiest, most embarrasing visits
ever in recent history. People were
throwing signs at him, throwing
tomatoes at him, they couldn't even
drive the caravan of cars through the
street."
In El Salvador the land has been
under the control of fourteen different families for the past fifty years.
In 1932 an uprising of peasants and
campesinos was led by Farabundo
Marti against the plantation owners.
Chacon mentioned that again the
U.S. intervened militarily coming
to the aid of the Salvadoran National
Guard so that "within two weeks
30,000 people were killed."
Chae,on said that now "70% of the
land is owned by 3% of the population, you have half the children
dying before age five once again, the
average educational level is 1.5
years." He described recent events
which include in 1980, the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero,
who was slain while giving mass, the
L
A
Editor
Marcella Martinez
V
Staff
Maria Bergeron, Danny Chacon
Raul Moreno, Albert Robles,
Pat Reyes, Ben Zayas
O
z
Artist
Perry Angel
closing of the University of San Sal- duction of young, poor, and minorvador, and the murders of four ity men into the armed services."
North American churchwomen.
Torrez attributes this to the scarIn closing he read a statement by city of job opportunities available to
Robert White, the-former ambassa- young people and that the military,
dor to El Salvador, which read in because of the propaganda and the
part, "It doesn't take a communist to advertisement it puts out, represents
tell people that they are starving.
"a very enticing and interesting field
"Revolutions are not exported, to get into."
revolutions are- not bananas and
According to Torrez the draft can
sugarcane and coffee that can be be a "very destructive process" where
exported, revolutions are home people who enter the military lose
grown," said Chacon.
their rights to decide where they live
The next speaker was A.S. legisla- and go, as well as their rights to pritive Vice president Ann Johnston vacy and freedom of speech. he
who spoke to the audience about her stated that the military is composed
recent trip to El Salvador with a of over 50% minority, mostly in the
delegation of the United States Stu- infantry, and that in the event of a
dent Association where they -visited war an individual perceived to be
the University of San Salvador. She unjust he would lack the option of
described the current situation in El refusing to participate without facSalvador stating that there are fifty ing a court-martial.
American advisors at work in the
Torrez said that he had seen a
country and about 120 Marines, great deal of discontent among
along with about 400 Salvadoran people who have been in the milimilitary personel, needed to guard tary as well as many who are disthe American embassy. "That's the couraged because of a lack of inforfeeling the people of El Salvador mation and legal assistance. For
those not facing economic hardships
have for our government."
Johnston spoke of the bombings Torrez said it can then be "a matter
directed against rebel strongholds, of conscience. But for millions of
particularly within an area called young people there is no choice."
In closing Torrez stated that
Guazapa located outside San Salvador. "At night we would try to throughout the history of the milsleep in our hotel room and we could itary "it has not been a · question of
hear the bombing off in the dis- whether we'd like to get into the sertance." She said that this is part of vice because of our feelings of strong
an overall strategy to harass the patriotism," but rather, "an ecocampesino and peasant population nomic push" as a means of escaping
in order to erode the guerrilla's the despair of joblessness.
The final speaker was David
stronghold which is among the very
poor of El Salvador. These are Rodriguez who related his experaccompanied by psychological tac- ience as a Vietnam veteran to the
tics used on the population which question of militarism. Rodriguez
include propaganda films she said said that at the time he went into the
are "heavy with religious symbols." Army he had no idea what he was
Upon visiting a refugee camp getting into. "I experienced some
Johnston said that she saw the effects things that I never in my life dreamed
of the air attacks on the population. that this government that I love
These included bullet wounds, phos- would put me into."
Referring to the bronze star and
phorous burns, and other injuries
inflicted by U.S. built planes and accomodation medals he received
helicopters. "Often they described Rodriguez stated that "it's a bunch
them as big birds that came out of of bullshit, it don't mean nothing, it
the sky with death." She described doesn't bring back any of those lives
also how young children are already that I saw die." As a result of his
organized into work brigades. "You
see kids that are maybe three and
four years old that stand and have
expressions and take postures like
continued from page 1
adults; kids that can tell you how Latin American-North American
they saw their mother or their father, Project said that Americans must
or their brother or sister killed."
take a firm stand and support the
Johnston noted-the possibility that oppressed of Central America.
Reagan may soon be sending AmerColby said that Reagan's religion
ican troops down to El Salvador is backed by big money and that
which, she stated, may include "a lot Christians in the u .S. must work for
of men in this room that may be true justice, not unilateral idealisms
asked to go d?wn _their to fight." She of religion and politics.
stated that it's important to ask . "People themselves must read
who's interests you're going down scripture and formulate their own
their to die for. "Their's one thing beliefs."
that was repeatedly mentioned over
This, said Colby, is what propoand over again in El Salvador," she nents of Liberation Theology have
stated in closing, "that when Ameri- done in their quest for freedom, as
cans come in they can come in, but other oppressed peoples have done
they're not going to leave."
in the past.
Mario Torrez, of the La Raza
Father Gomez of the St. Claret
Draft Information Center spoke on Parish in Fresno worked closely
the draft and its effect upon minor- with Central American refugees
ity communities. He said that al- while in Los Angeles and knows of
though there's only draft registra- the hardships suffered by the masses
tion at this time there is still "an there.
ongoing and unquestioned introAccording to Father Gomez,
over 60,000 Salvadorians have been
Typesetter
assasinated and another 300,000
Sylvia Cruz
have been misplaced in Southern
Contributer
California. He feels that U.S. politRobbie DiMesio , Lane Turner,
ics, especially those of the Reagan
Mario Huerta
administration, are partly culpable
Photography
for the oppression of Central
Akemi Miyana
America.
"Reagan wants prayer in schools
.forum
Tuesday
exposure to agent orange (a chemical defoliant used in the war) he said
that he and his wife had lost three
babies, that he gets reoccuring rashes,
numbness in his fingers, and "numerous nightmares."
Upon returning home from the
war Rodriguez couldn't get served
in a restaurant until he got rid of his
uniform, couldn't afford to go to
school, and had to fight for one year
through the red tape before seeing
any of his disability pay. He told the
audience that for the past ten years
he struggled to place everything into
perspective while dealing with the
depression and confusion that was
promoted by his nightmares and
anxieties. "All I'd hear about was
vets in the paper, was them committing suicide, how the prisons were
full of them, how they're involved in
murders .. .it was really scary."
Rodriguez said he felt helpless
until he saw the film "Vietnam Veterano," which won Best Documentary Award for 1982, and saw it as
an example of some of the things
that can be done. "It's time for a
change, we've got to utilize some of
these things that we've experienced
in Vietnam."
Referring to Central America
Rodriguez stated "I'm tired of people saying that we don't have an
interest down there. We do have an
interest ... we have an interest with
regard to our people." He mentioned his job with the Dept. of Fair
Employment and Housing regarding the discrimination he sees happening. "If we're allowing it (racism)
to happen here, how can anybody
really care what's happening anywhere else?"
"Somebody asked me a while ago
'are you home yet?' I thought about
it, I said yes at the time but now that
I think about it no, we're still fighting, we've got a long way to go." He
said that it will take a lot of work
and a lot of education for people to
understand what's happening in the
world today. "Let's create an interest in Central America, let~s create a
humanistic interest.''
while he sends armaments to Salvador to kill oppressed people," he
said.
·
He feels that the Catholic church's
compliance with Central American
military dictatorship is a major factor on the proliferation of Liberation Theology adherence .
Liberation theology is misunderstood by many Catholics as its alleged Marxis! principle of social
reconstruction, or the fear of that
occurance, has been vehemently
reproached by the Vatican.
For tp.is reason among others,
Central America is in the midst of a
communist "witchhunt" of frightening proportions.
The Salvadorian military is quick
to point an accusing finger at the
poor campesinos who know little or
nothing about communism.
Murder is justified by the fear of
communism as it appears that ''The
Enemy Complex" serves the enormous needs of imperialism.
The message the three panelists
conveyed~congruenttothatofthe
Liberation Theologists: Americans
need to look through the cloud of
capitalistic propaganda and examine our beliefs and policies with
unbiased scrutiny; to join together
to alleviate the exploitation and
injustice that is a part of the daily
lives of the poor and oppressed people of Central America.
CSU, Fresno
March 12, 198S
Chicano /Latino Newspaper
Chicanas fulfill their duty
Forum:
l:Jy Pat Reyes
Staff Writsr
Liberation
Theology
The tapping sounds of typewriters
could be heard from the basement of
the St. John's Catholic Church near
downtown Fresno. Inside, Lilly
Torres and Rosemary Moreno,
founders of the project deligently
work helping people who are trying
!o immigrate into the United States,
by assisting them in completing
required immigration application
forms.
Their office is a basement room
furnished with only the bare necessities of a paper copier, two desks, two
typewriters, two filing cabinets, two
telephones and folding chairs for the
clients to sit on. Hanging on the
bare walls are two calendars and a
map outline of Mexico.
After 16 months since its opening,
El Concilio 's Immigration Project is
in full force helping primarily Mexican nationals who are eligible, immigrate into the United States.
The project is funded by the community and by immigrant clients
who donate what they can.
El Concilio, a local non-profit
umbrella group of Chicano clubs
ancl)>rganizations and sponsors of
the project, donated most of the
office furniture.
·November 1, 1983, marked the
beginnings of the project that sparked some controversy within the community:
Torres and Moreno were both
employees of the Fresno County
Economic Opportunities Commission. It was one of their duties to
help people fill out forms. When a
considerable amount of time was
spent with people who began crowding the office for help in completing
their immigration papers, Torres and
Moreno saw the demand for such a
service.
But the E.O.C. board of commissioners did not approve their idea
for this type of project and requested
that they stop assisting immigrants
in filing out and filing forms with the
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.
With a combined total of 25 years
of working with E.O.C., the two
ladies resigned, only to begin the
Immigration Project sponsored by
El Concilio.
Torres and Moreno began assistin immi rants during their em lo -
By Ben Zayas
Staff Writer
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ment with E.O.C. and this became a
controversial issue within the local
community. Torres said they were
being accused of practicing immigration law and could be liable.
But Torres says they only did the
necessary paperwork. She said it is
not a difficult process, and that on
the average, most of her clients cannot read or write English.
"It didn't take much more for an
attorney or a layperson, graduated
out of eighth grade, to fill out a
form," she said.
Torres said the controversy, which
she believes developed from local
immigration consultants and attorneys who charge for their services,
has led Torres and Moreno to work
at becoming accredited in immigration law.
She said if they are accredited,
this will allo,w them to represent
their clients in court. Although the
project relies only on donations from
the clients and local groups, aid does
not charge any fees; however, there
are certain costs involved in filing
certain papers.
Currently though, Torres said, "If
a person wants to immigrate to this
country, we tell them if they're eligible or not. We're like the ears and
eyes for the attorney."
.see Chicana, page 6
CYC Challenges Dropout Rate
Program, offers a variety of sporting
and social activities as well as
With an alarming 55% dropout counciling and tutorial services.
CYC Director Alfonso Hernandez
rate among Fresno area Chicano
students it is evident that major feels that the Youth Development
steps must be taken in reducing this Program's chief endeavor is to bring
Chicano youth to the "mainstream"
frightening statistic.
Meeting the challenge is the Chi- of society.
"Most of the kids are 'non-maincano Youth Center also known as
Dickey's Playground, located in stream' students that are neglected
by the school system," he said.
downtown Fresno.
"Here we offer projects that are
The CYC, which is funded by
Fresno City Parks and Recreation relevent to the youth. We want them
Department's Youth Development to feel like a part of the institutions
By Ben Zayas
Staff Writer
they attend."
Hernandez said thclt many Chjcano youth are neglected by their
families and that education may not
be a big priority in the household.
Many come from single-parent families on fixed incomes and in this
environment the transition to adulthood can be a difficult one.
"About half (of the Chicano
yo1:1ths) are in and out of juvenile
hall. These are thf.' youths we want in
our programs," he said.
Make no mistake, the CYC is not
•See youth, page 7
The chronological course of religion has shown that new sects of
belief sometimes emerge of an oppressed people, those persecuted by
the imposition of ill-contrived ideals
and their strong armed enforcement
by tyrants and satrapies .
The most recent emergence has
spread throughout Central America
as proponents of Liberation Theology seek to free its people from the
grip of poverty, hunger, · disease,
i.e.,-colonialization.
At a recent discussion held at the
CSUF college union on this subject,
panelists BFenda Sanchez, Jennifer
Colby, and Father Gomez gave
insight to the growing problems in
Central America and the subsequent
appearance of Liberation Theology.
Sanchez, a refugee from El Salvador, is in exile from a country in
turmoil. Through an interpreter,
Sanchez told of her harrowing
·exodus from that country with her
baby and several other Salvadorians.
A ~er of ~tl}e .Christhm.fuel
dent Movement of El Salvador,
Sanchez received money from the
Lutheran church to come to the U.S.
The Lutheran churches in the U.S.
and England are active proponents
of the Liberation Theology movement
According to Sanchez, the government in El Salvador is corrupt and
murderous, making life for the poor
"campesinos" a nightmare.
The campesinos work the land 12
hours a day for $2, not nearly enough
to feed their families.
The country of El Salvador is
divided into states that are owned by
powerful families concerned with
the preservation of wealth. not the
welfare of the campesinos and their
families.
Sanchez said those that protest
the lack of food, wages, or medical
and welfare programs are killed, no
questions asked.
Even the church in El Salvador,
which donates food, clothing, and
other aid to the poor and homeless,
has come under attack from the Salvadorian military.
Sanchez said that U.S. armaments
are being supplied by the Reagan
Administration to El Salvador that
are used to kill her people.
She does not hold the American
people responsible for this tragedy
as she feels we have been misinformed by our government.
To Brenda Sanchez and those like
her that have suffered from the
exploitation of their native homeland, Liberation Theology is the
faith that God will have mercy on
the poor and oppressed and lead
them to refuge.
Panelist Jennifer Colby of the
World Student Christian Movement
.see forum, page 8
Tuesday
La Voz de Aztlan
page2
Editorial
Attack on Sanctuary Movement
obviously flies in the face of reality, along with sanity, as
reports from Amnesty International, the Council on
Hemispheric Affairs, The Salvadoran Human Rights
Commission, and the Catholic Church all document
some of the most flagrant human rights abuses in modern
history.
"In the name of God, in the name of this suffering
people ... stop the repression." These were among the final
words of Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero,
uttered March 23, 1980, the day before he was gunned
down by an assassin of the ultra-right ARENA party.
These same words resound in our hearts and minds once
again as we approach the fifth anniversary of Romero's
death.
In the case of President Reagan, however, they seem to
only fall upon deaf ears. Last year we witnessed his
re-election ~Rd the pronouncement of his perceived
mandate for Ameri~a. It's become increasingly obvious
since November that a prominent focus of said "mand,ate"
includes a green light for escalation of the war in Central
America and a more brazen attack upon solidarity
activists at home.
We saw this in the recent indictment of leaders of the
sanctuary movement in Tucson, Arizona. Attacks on the
sanctuary movement have attracted a great deal of media
attention as. well. The official justification for such
attacks rests squarely upon the oft-repeated premise that
sanctuary activists break the law in the harboring and
transporting of "illegal aliens."
This is consistent with the administration's policy of
maintaining that Central American refugees·(specifically
those-of Guatemala and El Salvador} are not political
r~fugees but here for economic reasons. Such reasoning
lCc-.
..
•
·
Of course if the Reagan Administration gave even tacit
recognition to the political nature of the plight of Central
America's refugees it would, in effect, be acknowledging
the totalitarian infrastructure of its client states. This
would in turn serve to seriously undermine the credibility
of its overall policy within the region.
N_onetheless, the Refugee Act, recognized internationally by the United Nations and signed into U.S. law
by Congress in 1980, clearly calls upon all nations under
the U.N. charter to grant asylum to those who cannot
return to their country of origin because of persecution or
a justifiable fear of persecution. In failing to apply this
law equally to Salvadorans and Guatemalans, as it does
to Cubans, Vietnamese, and Easte~n block emigres, the
U.S. thus stands in direct violation of both international
law and its espoused principl~s of freedom and justice.
_If President Reagan is so eager to enforce the law he
could perhaps start with the Civil Rights Act. For now, at
least, he could best serve just.ice by practicing some of his
own pious rhetoric.
-
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Si SSSS%a SSSS#S
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U.S. fans -S alvadoran air war
In the past trumth, the napalm
bombings of civilian populations,
and the use of U.S. C-4 7 gunships to
attack unarmed civilian populations
in norther!} and eastern parts of El
Salvador has alarmed human rights
organizations throughout the world.,
Behind a wall of silence in the U.S ..
news media, the Reagan administration is rapidly escalating the war in
El Salvador.
The rapid infusion of U.S. military
aid, particularly helicopters and gunships, has increased the Salvadoran
army's attacks on civilian populations, and has undermined the fragile
peace talks between the government
and the Farabundo Marti National
Liberation Front/ Democratic Revolutionary Front (FMLN / FDR)
which began amid much public fanfare last September.
I
U.S. milit1.ry role grows
In 1984, the U.S. military aid to .El
Salvador was twice the year before-and even more deadly. Over
the past few months, the Reagan
administration has transformed the
Salvadoran Air Force into the largest
in Central America. In December,
the U.S. doubled the number of UH1 "Huey" helicopters in El Salvador
to 35, and ten more were approved
by Congress in February.
In January, the Salvadoran army
received two C-47 gunships, which
earned the nickname Puff the Magic
Dragon in Vietnam because of the
deadly fire power of their .50 caliber
machine guns pumpihg out 1500
rounds per minute. The U.S. has
.also provided more than a dozen
other warplanes capable of being
o·utfitted with the same anti-civilian
machine guns.
Even more ominously, the Penta- gon announced in November that
the now annual military exercises
.with U.S. and Honduran troops
(ibis year called_Big Pine III) will be
lconducted in Honduras and El
Salvador. These maneuvers, which
place tJ.S. armed forces right on
Salvadoran soil, are considered by ·
the FMLN /FDR to be an invasion
of their country.
The I_I1assive U.S. military aid
increase to El Salvadqr represem.:
another desperate attempt to stem
the advances of the revolutionary
The Salvadoran Army has
always relied on terror to
suppress any civilian protest
While the White House may want
to keep it quiet, the evidence of the
FMLN's gains is abundant. In Decembef and January, the FMLN
expanded the war zone (o San
Vicente, just 40 miles from the capital city, San Salvador. In the past
two months, the FMLN wiped out
two army companies in the area. As
well, the FMLN has extended the
liberated zones, where it has established Popular Power government
bodies, health care and a major
literacy campaign.
"The key to our success," explains
an FMLN / FD_R representative in
the U.S., "is-that we have the complete support of the people." The
Salvadoran Army, on the other
hand, has no popular support. A
local mayor reported that when the
Army tried to form civilian defense
units in San Vicente, "the people
told the army that it would be better
to leave than to form a civil defense~"
It is not just the 40% unemployment rate ~nd rising inflation, that
makes the government unpopular.
The Salvadoran Army has always
relied on terror to suppress any civilian protest: this repression, which
has taken the lives of tens of thousands of workers, peasants and students in the past five years, has
earned the army and government
the hatred of the people of El
Salvador.
severe political crisis in the precarious government of President Jose
Napoleon Duarte. Just six months
ago-shortly after he was elected
President in highly suspect elections- '
Duarte proclaimed himself a "man
of peace" and began talking with the
FMLN, which had been seeking
negotiations for three years. But he
has now postponed the next round
of talks twice, raising serious questions about the future for this
dialogue.
The right wing political party
ARENA, which has its base in the
oligarchy with strong ties to the
Army, dominates the Legislative Assembly and Supreme Court and is
using its muscle to hold Duarte hostage to their plans-threatening his
plans for the March elections and
even posing the question of impeachment.
As FMLN/FDR leader Ruben
Zamora explains, "Duarte has encountered strong opposition within
the military sectors to the continuation of the dialogue."
Whether Duarte will be able to
withstand the pressure of the Army
and the lawless right-wing death
squads and continue the peace talks
is now an open question. But with
the Reagan administration committing more deadly firepower to the
brutal Salvadoran Army, the possibility for an early end to El SAivador's six-year-long civil war seems
remote.
movement. The FMLN is continuing
to gain ground in its popular war to
liberate the Salvadoran people from
a government that has brought them
nothing but continued poverty, repression and death.
In the midst of the Christmas
cease-fire, agreed on in the last round
of peace talks, agents of the National
Guard abducted Janet Samour Has bun
and Maximina Reyes Villatoro, both
members of the FMLN, in their
home city of San Miguel. Both
This article is an excerpt from
women are still missing and an inter- Political crisis in government
national campaign has been launched
The U.S. decision to up the ante in "For Peace and Solidarity" March,
to demand their safety.
El Salvador's war has produced a 1985.
March 12, 1985
La Voz de Aztlan
page 3
Prof says there's always a way
,,---~~~-~------i-----.lJ!l!ll...
By Jaime Juarez
Staff Writer
Name: Manuel R. Garcia
Position: Professor of Industrial Arts
Birthplace: Riverbank, California
Birthdate: August 4, 1926
Education: B.A., M.A., CSU Fresno
Years on staff: 16
Professor Manuel Garcia tells his
students to succeed in his class, they
have to perform. "It doesn't matter
how r:nuch experience, knowledge,
or skill you bring into the classroom," Garcia emphasizes "if you
don't do the work and 'perform
you 're not going to make it."
Pr~fessor Garcia speaks from past
expe~iences. At a very young age, he
lost his father durin2 the Depression
leaving a family of eleven to rely oi{
governmental assistance and hard
work--performance. "The state use
to give us fifteen dollars a month ...
but one summer when I was twelve I
started to work, so they cut my
~oney off. I paid my way through
high school and even helped with the
house."
After Garcia's father died, he and
the rest of his family, living in
Riverbank, Ca., a small town near
Modesto, put their trust in his eldest
brother, Max, who according to
Garcia kept the family together.
"Max had to quit school and work
so they wouldn't put the rest of us
kids in homes. We would all work
for a dollar a day and then go to the
welfare and buy sacks of potatoes or
Professor Garica of the Industrial Arts Dept. emphasize~ hard work
,and performance to his students.
beans or whatever."
draft was on (World War II), and I
Professor Garcia actually started didn't want to get drafted into the
out late in his career. After graduat- army so I joined the navy."
ing from Oakdale High School, he
After two years in the Service,
married his high school sweetheart Garcia came back to Modesto where
and worked for a short time with the he worked at a machine shop. HowU.S. Forest Service. He then entere-d ever, he was recalled to serve during
the navy because as he put it, "The the Korean War, and it wasn't until
Forum
By Albert Robles
Staff Writer
The subject of U.S. militarism
was addressed in a forum which
took place on the evening of Feb.
7th in the College Union. The Forum
on Militarism, which was jointly
sponsored by the Campus Latin
American Support Committee, Las
Adelitas, M.E.Ch.A., Student Christian Movement, and La Raza Studies
consisted ofa panel of five speakers.
Mario Huerta and Rebecca Sanchez,
who are the respective chairpersons
of M.E.Ch.A. and Las Adelitas,
provided introductions for the five
panelists.
The first speaker was Professor
Bob Allison of the Economics Dept.
who presented the topic of "Militarism and World Views" outlining
a historic overview on the development of U.S. militarism since WWII.
The U.S. has been the major hegemonic power since the second world
war; he said, as well as "the only
country that came out of WWI I better off then when we went into it."
Following the war, the U.S.,
according to Allison, took on the
new role of "defending capitalism
internationally." The U.S. filled the
void left by the many European
colonial powers still recovering from
the effects of the war and set into
motion the process of "neo-colonialism" around the "export of capital."
Dr. Allison stated that in order to
safely export capital you have to be
able to "protect your property by
when he was thirty-five that he
started going to college. While
working part-time as a janitor at a
Modesto church, he went to Modesto
Junior College and later to Fresno
State College where he received a
Bachelors Arts degree, Masters degree, Secondary and Vocational
Teaching Credentials.
Professor Garcia is currently the
advisor for Mex- Tech (MexicanAmerican Students in Industrial
Technology), a Chicano club on
campus for students interested in all
aspects of Industrial Technology.
Garcia also serves on the Academic
Senate Committee on campus.
Garcia, a father of three boys
works with the Boy Scouts (he used
to lead a troop of handicapped
Scouts) and he also manages to
devote extra time to students who
ne:d a little !11ore tha~just a teacher.
I I have kids come 10 here with all
sorts of problems ... sometimes I
invite them over to my house and we
have coffee and try to work things
out."
For Professor Garcia there is
always a way if you only perform.
Garcia recalls when he was a young
boy and the people at the local
public swimming pool wouldn't let
him and his friends enter because
they were Mexicans. So as Garcia
puts it, ''We got on our bikes and
rode to a pond in the mountains and
skinny-dipped there ... l think we had
more fun there than we could have
had in the other place." For Manuel.
Garcia, there is always a way.
allll'!!'llllllll--lllllll!l......,_..1961
on
military force," citing initial suecesses by the U.S. in such countries
as Korea, Guatemala, Iran, Ind onesia, and Chile. The big change in thfs
development took place, he said,
during the late 1960's and early 70's
centering around the two basic
things.
The first, according to Allison,
was the war in Vietnam wherein the
· U.S. spent an unprecedented level of
,
•
M i I i t a r .i s m
we did during the Vietnam period,
we're just going to have the guns,"
which will mean calling upon people
to "engage in a patriotic lowering of
their standard of living."
Dr. Allison said that this is brought
about by a well orchestrated campaign which centers around a "threepronged attack" the first of which is
anti-communism. This involves convincing people of a "communist
t•k
"we re not going to have guns and butter I e
we did during the Vietnam period, we're just
going to have guns,"
--Allison
military force. "W ff? lost even though threat" sufficient to justify a prowe laid out more military explosives gram of massive rearmament. "If we
than all of the weapons used in have any interest whatsoever in
WWII by both sides." Citing the stopping the arms race, one of the
casualty figures (60,000 U.S. troops first things we're going to have to
and roughly 1.5 million Southeast come to grips with is the dishonesty
Asians) Allison said that this ushered around the propaganda of anti-comin a new era for American foreign munism."
The second justification of rearpolicy.
The second development, during mament is "national chauvinism,"
this same period, was that the Soviet or blind patriotism. Citing state- Union had achieved parity in nuclear ments by President Reagan, Allison
weaponry with the U.S. As a result brought out the notion that "the
the U.S. has undergone massive American standard of living is at
rearmament in order to overcome ,stake," and that "God is on our
what Allison called the "Post Viet- side."
The third point of Dr. Allison's
nam Syndrome."
analysis
was racism, as he stated that
Another cost of the Vietnam war,
"two
thirds
of the people in the
Allison mentioned, was the record
world
that
go
to bed hungry at night
inflation which resulted. To avoid
are
generally
brown or black."
inflation he stated that "we're not
going to have guns and butter like Domestically racism fits into what
he called a "racilized austerity program." a part of which is "white priviledge" which serves to separate
most white people from its worst
effects. "It's no accident that say
55% of white, male union members
voted for Reagan and at the same
time almost 90% of black people
voted against him."
The second speaker was Rick
Chacon, former M.E.Ch.A chairperson and current chair of the
Fresno Latin American Support
Committee, who spoke on the history of U.S. intervention in the
countries of Nicaragua, Guatemala,
and El Salvador.
_
"Every time that there is a source
of unrest the U.S. government has
pointed their finger at Cuba or
Russia saying that they have influenced it." Chacon emphasized the
history of poverty and social injustice in Latin America as the real
source of unrest saying that "all of us
would be doing the same thing if we
were in that same situation. To not
fight for your brothers and sisters
who are being killed is inhuman."
On Nicaragua Chacon stated that
"the Somoza dictatorship was the
longest dictatorship in Central
American history ... why did the U.S.
support it?" He then provided an
analysis of how U.S. corporations
had seized control of Nicaragua's
land during the I 920's which led to a
general strike in 1926. The U.S.
.see milltarlsm1 Page 8
page 4
La Voz de Aztlan
Tuesday
EXPRESIONE
God!
Far,
far in my past
when I learned Spanish,
I went to the sacred mountain
and spoke to the Lord.
"I am your slave," I said.
"You are my religion,
your path is my path,
your will my love. "
But the Lord did not answer.
He slipped away
like the wind
striking against my face.
A hundred years later,
I returned to the sacred mountain
and spoke to the Creator.
"I am your work," I said.
"I owe you what I am."
But the Lord did not answer.
He slipped away
like a dream with wings.
A hundred years later,
I returned to the sacred mountain
and spoke to the Lord.
"I am your son," and I feel.
"Your love has been my life,
my aim has been your source
in this way, I will reach your heaven."
But the Lord would not listen
He continued to slip away ...
"My God! My greatest labor ·
I am past, you are future
I am the man, you are my God.
Together we shall lodge
before the face of the sun."
The Creator stopped
and turned!
Speaking in Spanish
in divine words
that in these lines were left.
And like the ocean to its river
the Creator reached out ...
As I decended into the valleys,
I found myself with the Lord.
Raulo Z. Monero
Translated by Jaime R. Juarez
No tengo un solo r
que ustedes quieran
que fui a Tijuana.
Arizona en los Estad s
s04, mexicana has
, u
d ec,amos cuando er o
orgullo de la raza. T
gente porque. pobr
nos como nosotros.
504 mexicana pr
espalfol, com( tortm
pan 4 hamburgues u
escuche fue la m6s
mandolinas.
Sin embargo nu
serias, como eso de
naci mexicana? As(
criada con el orgul
siento ligada al pa( iI
pero no tengo lealta e
explicar como me si
dido, el total de lo q o
en este pa(s.
Mucho de lo que
pero eso es parte
doblemente bende
mexico-americana.
cita_que dice. tu cultura? Como se c
encias culturales dif
Cuando escucho n
chera, cuando algu· u
contesto que esto4
oigo este idioma ta
que no s~ compara
Jorge Duan4 ··sient
una absurda peso
0
Dios!
Muy lejos en mi pasado,
cuando aprendf espanol
fui a la sagrada montaiia
y hablt! con el Senor.
"Yo soy tu esclavo," le dije.
T~ eres mi religi&n,
tu camino es mi camino
y tu voluntad mi amor."
Pero el Senor no me contesto
Siguicf de largo
como el viento
que me golpea la cara.
Cien, aiios despuls,
.,
volv1 a la sagrada montana
y hablt con el Creador.
!Tr
"Soy tu obra," le deje.
"Y le debo lo que soy."
Pero el Senor no me contesto'
Siguio de largo,
como un sue"iio con alas.
Cien,anos despufs,
.
volv1 a la sagrada monta1ia
y hable con el Creador.
"Soy tu hijo." Y lo sentfa
"Tu amor ha sido mi vida
y mi meta tu venero.
Asr alcanzar( tu cielo.
i
§
L----
Pero el Seltor no me hic(a caso
Segufa de largo ...
"Dios mio'.
Mi mayor afan
ti
Soy pasado y tu futuro
Soy el hombre y tt mi Dios
Juntos nos alojaremos
ante la cara del sol."
~
JEI Creador
volvicf la cara!
~
Hablandome en espanol,
bellas divinas palabras
queen este escrito dejo
y como el mar a SU no,
el Creador me abrazo...
• descendar a los valles,
~l
me encontre con el Senor!
Raul Z. Moreno
'
Al fin de la batal/a,
y muerto el combatiente, vino hacia 11 un hombre
y le dijo ''iNo mueras; te amo tanto!"
Pero el cadlver lay! sigui<f muriendo.
Se le acercaron dos y repitilronle:
'~No nos dejes! !Valor! iVue/ve a La Vidal"
Pero el cadaver ay ! siguiS muriendo.
Acudieron. a II veinte cien, mil, quinientos mil,
c/amando: "ITanto amor, y no voder nada contra la mue
Pero· el cadaver lay! siguio mu;iendo.
Le rodearon mil/ones de individuos,
con un ruego com{m!" Quedate hermano!"
Pero el cadSver ay ! siguit:fmuriendo.
Entonces todos los homres de la tierra
le rodearo;; /es viJ el cad!ver triste, emocionado;
incorporose, lentamente,
abrazcf al primer hombre; echtse a andar ...
IO noviembre 1937
Cesar Vallejo
March 12, 1985
La V oz de Aztlan
page 5
CHICANO
Mexico, a no ser
cuenta una vez
nia. Yo nae( en
e America, pero
s cachas. As(
para demostrar
ima de la demos
no eran mexica-
In Response to Omar, the Crazy Gypsy
0
Yeah, I understand Mexican.
I learned it from the grade school teacher
who couldn't pronounce my name
and slapped my knuckles
with her wooden ruler
whenever I spoke incorrectly.
era lengua fue
antes de comer
ica que primero
guitarras 4 las
f learned it from the heavy faced Father O'Brien
who delivered Mass in English
to attentive campesinos
and told me to put my hope in God.
sado de cosas
o? o-de<por que
·os 4 aunque fui
exicana no me
. 504 mexicana
ico. Es mu4 difbl
lo que he apren-,
a es porque nae,
I learned it from the cholos
who squatted with cigarette fingered hands
against the sweaty poolhalls
and watched cars drive by.
I learned it from the red faced German farmer
who spat tobacco from his Ford Stepside
and said picking grapes
was good for me.
o ha sido penoso,
ad. Y me siento
ios, porque so4
veces una voceomo puede negar
nciliar a dos her-
I learned it from my father
whose eyes are as burnt and listless
as grape trays in the sun.
.,
una canc,on rana 4 40 con gusto
tJe la vida, cuando
lleno de emocion
onces como dice
ion en el pecho 4
ganta.
Yeah, Omar, I understand Mexican.
t
llegos Biggers
.
I'
,
S1, Yo se del mexicano.
Lo apr1nd(de mi maestra-no sab1a decir mi nombre,
y me golpeaba las manos
con su regla de madera
cada que hablaba incorrecto.
Lo aprendfdel padre O'Brien
q ue decia misa en inglts
al atento campesino
que no lograba entender
y el remedio que nos daba
era no perder la fe
Jaime R. Juarez
,
Lo aprend1 de los cholos
que sentados en cuclillas
y con el cigarro en mano.
La pasan frente al billar
viendo los carros pasar
f
0
En Respuesta -a Omar--Gitano Loco
I
Lo aprend(de un ranchero
aleman de, cara roja
que escup1a el tabaco
desde su Ford Stepside.
Me decia que el pizcar uvas
era bueno para mi.
~~~t<,>~
:s
Lo aprendf de mi padre
cuyos ojos se queman y slentristecen
come uvas entabladas bajo el sol.
When the battle was over,
and the fighter was dead, a man came toward him
and said to him: "Do not die; I love you sol"
But the corpse, it was sad! went on dying.
And two came near, and told him again and again:
"Do not leave uslCourage! Return to life!"
But the corpse, it was sad! went on dying.
Twenty arrrived, a hundred, a thousand, five hundred
thousand, shouting: "So much love, and it can do nothing against death/"
But the corpse, it was sad! went on dying.
Millions of persons stood around him,
all speaking the same thing "Stayhere, brother!"
But the corpse, it was sad! went on dying.
The all the men on the earth
stood around him; the corpse looked at them sadly, deeply moved;
he sat up slowly,
put his arms around the first man; started to walk ...
translated by Robert Bly 1962
/
/
Si, Omar. Yo se del mexicano.
Jaime R. Juarez
Traducido por Raul Z. Moreno
page 6
La Voz de Aztlan
Tuesday
'No Nos Dejaremos Veneer Siendo Educados'
'IfEducted We Shall Not be Defeated'
-CYC
The Chicano Youth Conference, organized by M.E.Ch.A., was held January 12,
1985, at California State University,
Fresno for the twelveth consecutive year,
with an estimated number of 1600 youths
in attendance.
Many came from as far as Los Angeles
and Sacramento to learn about a variety
. of career options open to them, and about
issues that directly affect the Chicano
community.
The keynote speaker, Dr. Alex Saragosa, history professor at U.C. Berkeley,
spoke about the cultural differences in the
school system, and the negative realities
that still persist.
He contends that we are not aware of
the power that we have 'To the extent of
our (own) ignorance people can take
advantage of (usi... Knowledge is Power.'
.Chicana
continued from page 1
"'You have to know something
about immigration to appreciate
what we're doing and to know what
the consultant does out there.
"On a survey that we have taken,
the cheapest consultant that will
immigrate a process, costs no less
than $500. I've done cases like that
for $20," she said.
Besides the cost involved, Torres
said many co·nsultants in the post
-kept their client's documents such as
birth certificates and would not
return them until they pay the fee.
But recent laws regulating immigration consultants requires them to
provide a contract guaranteeing the
client that his paperwork will at least
be completed.
Although the Immigration Project only aids in completing and filing immigration forms, Torres and
Moreno try to advise the client how
to prepare for his appointment.
Torres stressed that there are certain criteria involved to immigrate
into the United States legally.
zens and legal residents can immigrate Mexican nationals into the
United.States. Because of the number
of categories a Mexican national
can be eligible under, she strongly
suggests them contacting her.
To become an American legal resident, immigrants need to prove that
they have been living in the United
States for at least seven years; that
they have good moral character;
that they have been a law abiding
citizen during their seven year stay;
and have been paying income tax,
she said.
The Silva-Levy Letter, an employment authorization letter that is no
longer valid, stated that undocumented Mexicans who had been
residing in the United States before
July 4, 197 6, and who had American
born children, be given legal resident status with the option to appeal
the case if they were refused residency.
But since 1982, the Letter was no
longer considered a valid document
for immigrating into the country.
She said at that time, many cuban
refugees were assigned Visa numbers
that were supposed to be assigned to
Mexican immigrants.
Often people go directly to the
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization office based in San Francisco to
immigrate into the country on the
basis of the Silva-Levy Letter. Within
30 days, she said, they are set up for
a hearing with an Immigration judge
in San Francisco to determine whether
they can immigrate into the country.
If the judge denies them residency,
they are then scheduled to be deported legally.
Suspension of deportation is the
biggest type of problem the Immigration Project handles, she said.
Torres said there are many minor
preparations that immigrants need
to understand, such as making
copies of the documents they need to
submit. She said too often, they turn
over their original documents and
are later unable to show proof that
they had documents.
Torres said her inspiration for
taking part in starting such a project
came from a man who seeked her
help, to immigrate into the country.
The man, she said, had been hid-
ing in the mountains with his family
for some time. After news of the
Silva-Levy Letter, he went to an
immigration consultant to aid him
in immigrating into the country.
Torres said the consultant charged
the man $1,000 which he paid, but
had nothing to·show for it.
Torres, angered by the incident
said, "Here we are, supposedly a
very rich and sensitive country and
what really hurt was that the Mejicano [Mexican] was doing in the
Mejicano [Mexican].
"This is•when we found out that
we not only need to assist them, but
y,1e need to give information on the
immigrant's rights," she said.
Despite how much Torres and
Moreno want to help people immigrate inot the country, Torres spoke
of a goal. She said their goal is for
people to go to the immigration
office and ask for information themselves.
"There shouldn't be an office like
this [the Immigration Project] anywhere. Immigration should be a
very simple process," she said. "There
shouldn't be a thousand consultants."
Scholarships Available
C.B.S.A.
Chicano Staff Organization
Deadline: March 22, 1985
Qualifications:
• enrolled tor 12 units or more at CSUF
• completed one semester of college at CSUF
• 2.5 G.P.A.
• school I community Involvement
Contact: La Raza Studies, EOP, or SAA Outreach
CCNMA
Cal. Chicano News Media Assn.
Deadline: March 29, 1985
:
Qualifications:
• Latino residing In Central C~I.
• Jr.I Sr. college status as of Fall '85
• 2.0 G.P.A.
• interest In print and I or broadcast media
Contact: Alicia Maldonado, ph. 251-4811
Chicano Business Student Assn.
Deadline: March 29,
Qualifications:
• tu/I-time student
1985
•2.0 G.P.A .
• shows Interest In the needs of Chicano community
• financial need
Contact: La Raza Studies Dept.
Minority Scholarship Program
Meredith Corp. Broadcasting Group
Deadline: May 1, 1985 (postmarked)
Qualifications:
• permanent resident of ADI
•minority
• enrolled at 4 yr. univerlsty or college .
• tu/I-time Soph I Jr. Status
• Journallsm or R-TV Ma/or
Contact: CSUF Journalism Dept. or KSEE, Ch. 24
March 12, 1985
La Voz de Aztlan
Noticiero Via Satellite
Feb. 2, 1848:-1985
By Marla Bergeron
Staff Writer
An event commemorating the signing of the Treaty of Guadelupe
Hildago, which documented the ruthless acquisition of Mexican
land by the U.S. was held at the Hacienda de los Amigitos and
co-sponsored by La Unida Party, American Indian Movement, and
the American Indian Treaty Council.
As pictured above, the event included traditional Indian dancing
by young people.
This issue is dedicated to our companera Dr. Lea
Ybarra for her continued support to Chicano students and service to our community.
§ ~ §
• Youth
continued from page 1
a harbor for juvenile delinquents.
On the contrary, Hernandez said
that all participants in the center's
activities know that swearing, drugs,
and fighting are prohibited.
"We are not fighting each other,"
he said. "We are organizing."
Hernandez said that organization
is the method in which Chicanos can
begin to solve their unique problems.
"It must be working in one way or
another because we 're stopping the
gang problems in Fresno. We've
been able to do things that have
never happened here before," he
said.
Working closely with a number of
local MEChA clubs., the CYC offers
many activities to local youth
throughout the year.
Dances~ car shows, pop and break
competitions, car washes, and
picnics are some of the activities that
youth can participate in.
The CYC also sponsorers athletic
teams in volleyball, softball, basketball, and football for junior high,
high school, and other community
page 7
youth that play Fresno area school
and park teams.
Athletic tournaments are held
regularly, bringing squads from a
number of valley MEChA organizations to Fresno to participate.
The CYC also sponsers trips to
professional basketball games,
making these events available to
those who may not otherwise have
the opportunity.
Hernandez also encourages the
youths to express themselves through
art, and the CYC makes the necessary
materials available.
The center is decorated by a
number of paintings done by junior
high and high school students as
well as high school dropouts and
former prisoners.
The artwork does n'o t depict the
pathos of the plight of the Chicano
as in the past. Instead, the paintings
are bright, colorful, and positive in
nature. Chicanos are portrayed as a
strong, concerned, and motivated
people making strides toward the
improvement of our current situations-our future.
"It is important that they understand and express their culture,"
Hernandez said.
Chicano youth also print their
own informative newsletter at the
center which not only serves to
inform of upcoming events but also
fornia Arts Council, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
through Satellite Project Fund / National Public Radio. In the first
week of March, they will know if
CPB will fund the remainder of it.
"They have shown strength in
their committment to the minority
community," said Jeanne Dotterweich,
development director of N oticiero
Latino.
Support for the program has also
come from other entities such as the
Mexican American Legal Defense
and Educational Fund. The people
are beginning to realize that "to have
something else available improves
the market; Now, they'll have a
choice," said Dotterweich.
The reporters for Noticiero Latino
also represent the diversity of the
locations where the program will be
aired. Western Community Bilingual
Radio and additional independent
producers will contribute to the pro-
Five years ago Radio Bilingue
aired for the first time, broadcasting
relevant and important news information that Latinos in the Fresno
and surrounding areas would not
otherwise receive.
Today that idea has transcended
into a five minute news program
that will be broadcasted via satellite
to other Spanish-speaking communities throughout the United States.
At noon on March 1, if you tune
your FM radio dial to KSJV-91, you
and a listener in Portland, Oregon,
or Stoneybrook, New York, or even
Las Cruces, New Mexico, will hear
Noticiero Latino-the first Spanish
daily radio newscaS t to be emitted to
such a large number of liS t eners.
The program will focus on issues
Such as the arts, civil rights, unemployment, a nd labor a nd immigration legislation which affect
the daily lives of Latinos.
Giving as an example what the
program will be Samuel Orozco,
executive director of Noticiero La
tino and news ao d information
director of Radio Bilingue, said it
would "give [Latino] news a front
page attention."
"The Latino community is under
served in terms of information," he
said. "They can't cast their information from the mainstream media."
The program will also try to serve
the farmworkers through "Aconteser
Campesin.o," a five minute feature
report accompanying the newscast
every Friday.
National Pulrlic Radio- will distribute the program from San Francisco to a satellite after receiving the
signal from Fresno through a telephone line. From the satellite, the 19
radio stations interested so far will
be able to pick up Noticiero Latino.
So far Radio Bilingue has received
a third of the $300,000 it needs for
one year's programming from the
Rosenber~ Foundation, The Cali-
gram. Even volunteers from the 5
bilingual radio stations throughout
California will be contributing.
"That's important," said Bacilio
Maci~l, trainer and technical director
of KSJV. "It's going to be a good
experience for everyone. It's experience that they won't be able to
get anywhere else," he said.
And the staff of N oticiero Latino
seems to reflect that belief, too. They
are positive about the project, because it's a vehicle in which Latin~s
can better prepare themselves, said
O~ozco.
.
. .
~nformat1on a~d commum~atton
are mtegratparts m the e}evat1onof
anyone's consciousness," said
Orozco.
.1~he staff ~embers have a ~trong
feeh~g ~f. pnde, for belon~mg to
Radto Btlmgue and for havmg the
opportunity!~ develo? such a progr~m, as !'f?tzczero Latmo.
.
I! s givm~ us an opp_ortumty of
servmg .~ bigger ~ortlon of the
country, Orozco said.
to spread the word about the importance of education.
It is well-written, communicative,
and positive~ offering Chicano youth
another means by which to express
themselves.
Hernandez feels that being involved in something constructive
could motivate youths · who have
dropped out of school to return to
the classrooms.
"We've got kids that .are going to
college now that used to be on the
streets," he said.
The CYC is restricted by limited
funds but Hernandez feels that the
counciling and tutoring programs
have been beneficial.
"We offer group and organizational counciling to the kids. We
don't have. the staff to do one-onone counciling," he said.
Youths with basic classroom problems can ask for tutoring help,
depending on how critical the situation is.
Hernandez said that the Youth
Development Program receives aid
from the United Way Foundation
for tutoring services, but that the
majority of tutors and councilors
are volunteers.
According to Hernandez, for each
paid staff member there are 30 to 50
volunteers, which makes all the
activities possible.
Volunteers are of all ages, including CSU F students, willing to
donate their time to help anyway
they can.
According to Hernandez, the CYC
encourages college students to volunteer and serve as 'role models' to
Chicano youth, so that the youths
may see it is possible.to pursue their
education.
These 'role models' may also help
to develop youth Jeadership among
the Chicano youth.
Hernandez said that the center is a
place where the youths can feel at
home, meet new people, and make
friends.
Rosaura "Chubby" Calderon, a
sophmore at Fresno High School
said she "hopes the park never closes
down because a lot of people make
friends here and that's an important
part of growing up."
Frank Ayala, a freshman at Fresno
City College majoring in business
administration, said the center helps
to "get your mind off of things."
It keeps you out of trouble," he
added," Everybody is really friendly
here."
"The most important thing is to
show the kids that you care and that
they are important," said Hernandez,
"And we've got something to offer
them. We are all working together to
do something for the community."
/)
page 8
La Voz de Aztlan
.Militarism
continued from page 3
responded by sending in the Marines
who, after a protracted struggle were
eventually driven out in 1933 by the
Nicaraguan people led by Augusto
Cesar Sandino.
By this time the U.S. had installed
Anastacio Somoza Garcia who had
then gained control of the military.
"Somoza did whatever the U.S.
wanted," stated Chacon. He pointed
out that under Somoza 50% of the
children would starve to death before
age five, and that 60% of the land
was controlled by industries owned
by Somoza's family.
Following the revolutionary triumph in July 1979 which succeeded
in C)verthrowing the Somoza dicta_torship Chacon stated that the Frente
Sandinista, which took its na.me
from Sandino the country's legendary hero, began many reforms in
education, health care, and housing.
Because the government had nationalized the country's industries
Chacon said the "U.S. wanted to
make an example of them." This, he
said took the form of mining the
country's harbors, training and supplying the contras, and making illegal
reconnaissance flights over Nicaraguan airspace.
Like Nicaragua, Guatemala's history is also one of dictatorial rule.
According to Chacon 80% of all
Guatemalans suffer malnutrition.
About thirty years ago, he said that
Guatemala enjoyed a "brief period
of democracy" following the election of Jacobo Arbenz and the enactment of an agrarian reform program. The United Fruit Co., the
largest single landowner at the time,
lobbied against Arbenz' reforms
which resulted, eventually, in a communist conspiracy and .a military
coup.
Chacon stated that the resentment
of the Guatemalan people \1/aS so
strong that when then Vice-president Nixon went · down there it
turned into what he called "one of
the lousiest, most embarrasing visits
ever in recent history. People were
throwing signs at him, throwing
tomatoes at him, they couldn't even
drive the caravan of cars through the
street."
In El Salvador the land has been
under the control of fourteen different families for the past fifty years.
In 1932 an uprising of peasants and
campesinos was led by Farabundo
Marti against the plantation owners.
Chacon mentioned that again the
U.S. intervened militarily coming
to the aid of the Salvadoran National
Guard so that "within two weeks
30,000 people were killed."
Chae,on said that now "70% of the
land is owned by 3% of the population, you have half the children
dying before age five once again, the
average educational level is 1.5
years." He described recent events
which include in 1980, the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero,
who was slain while giving mass, the
L
A
Editor
Marcella Martinez
V
Staff
Maria Bergeron, Danny Chacon
Raul Moreno, Albert Robles,
Pat Reyes, Ben Zayas
O
z
Artist
Perry Angel
closing of the University of San Sal- duction of young, poor, and minorvador, and the murders of four ity men into the armed services."
North American churchwomen.
Torrez attributes this to the scarIn closing he read a statement by city of job opportunities available to
Robert White, the-former ambassa- young people and that the military,
dor to El Salvador, which read in because of the propaganda and the
part, "It doesn't take a communist to advertisement it puts out, represents
tell people that they are starving.
"a very enticing and interesting field
"Revolutions are not exported, to get into."
revolutions are- not bananas and
According to Torrez the draft can
sugarcane and coffee that can be be a "very destructive process" where
exported, revolutions are home people who enter the military lose
grown," said Chacon.
their rights to decide where they live
The next speaker was A.S. legisla- and go, as well as their rights to pritive Vice president Ann Johnston vacy and freedom of speech. he
who spoke to the audience about her stated that the military is composed
recent trip to El Salvador with a of over 50% minority, mostly in the
delegation of the United States Stu- infantry, and that in the event of a
dent Association where they -visited war an individual perceived to be
the University of San Salvador. She unjust he would lack the option of
described the current situation in El refusing to participate without facSalvador stating that there are fifty ing a court-martial.
American advisors at work in the
Torrez said that he had seen a
country and about 120 Marines, great deal of discontent among
along with about 400 Salvadoran people who have been in the milimilitary personel, needed to guard tary as well as many who are disthe American embassy. "That's the couraged because of a lack of inforfeeling the people of El Salvador mation and legal assistance. For
those not facing economic hardships
have for our government."
Johnston spoke of the bombings Torrez said it can then be "a matter
directed against rebel strongholds, of conscience. But for millions of
particularly within an area called young people there is no choice."
In closing Torrez stated that
Guazapa located outside San Salvador. "At night we would try to throughout the history of the milsleep in our hotel room and we could itary "it has not been a · question of
hear the bombing off in the dis- whether we'd like to get into the sertance." She said that this is part of vice because of our feelings of strong
an overall strategy to harass the patriotism," but rather, "an ecocampesino and peasant population nomic push" as a means of escaping
in order to erode the guerrilla's the despair of joblessness.
The final speaker was David
stronghold which is among the very
poor of El Salvador. These are Rodriguez who related his experaccompanied by psychological tac- ience as a Vietnam veteran to the
tics used on the population which question of militarism. Rodriguez
include propaganda films she said said that at the time he went into the
are "heavy with religious symbols." Army he had no idea what he was
Upon visiting a refugee camp getting into. "I experienced some
Johnston said that she saw the effects things that I never in my life dreamed
of the air attacks on the population. that this government that I love
These included bullet wounds, phos- would put me into."
Referring to the bronze star and
phorous burns, and other injuries
inflicted by U.S. built planes and accomodation medals he received
helicopters. "Often they described Rodriguez stated that "it's a bunch
them as big birds that came out of of bullshit, it don't mean nothing, it
the sky with death." She described doesn't bring back any of those lives
also how young children are already that I saw die." As a result of his
organized into work brigades. "You
see kids that are maybe three and
four years old that stand and have
expressions and take postures like
continued from page 1
adults; kids that can tell you how Latin American-North American
they saw their mother or their father, Project said that Americans must
or their brother or sister killed."
take a firm stand and support the
Johnston noted-the possibility that oppressed of Central America.
Reagan may soon be sending AmerColby said that Reagan's religion
ican troops down to El Salvador is backed by big money and that
which, she stated, may include "a lot Christians in the u .S. must work for
of men in this room that may be true justice, not unilateral idealisms
asked to go d?wn _their to fight." She of religion and politics.
stated that it's important to ask . "People themselves must read
who's interests you're going down scripture and formulate their own
their to die for. "Their's one thing beliefs."
that was repeatedly mentioned over
This, said Colby, is what propoand over again in El Salvador," she nents of Liberation Theology have
stated in closing, "that when Ameri- done in their quest for freedom, as
cans come in they can come in, but other oppressed peoples have done
they're not going to leave."
in the past.
Mario Torrez, of the La Raza
Father Gomez of the St. Claret
Draft Information Center spoke on Parish in Fresno worked closely
the draft and its effect upon minor- with Central American refugees
ity communities. He said that al- while in Los Angeles and knows of
though there's only draft registra- the hardships suffered by the masses
tion at this time there is still "an there.
ongoing and unquestioned introAccording to Father Gomez,
over 60,000 Salvadorians have been
Typesetter
assasinated and another 300,000
Sylvia Cruz
have been misplaced in Southern
Contributer
California. He feels that U.S. politRobbie DiMesio , Lane Turner,
ics, especially those of the Reagan
Mario Huerta
administration, are partly culpable
Photography
for the oppression of Central
Akemi Miyana
America.
"Reagan wants prayer in schools
.forum
Tuesday
exposure to agent orange (a chemical defoliant used in the war) he said
that he and his wife had lost three
babies, that he gets reoccuring rashes,
numbness in his fingers, and "numerous nightmares."
Upon returning home from the
war Rodriguez couldn't get served
in a restaurant until he got rid of his
uniform, couldn't afford to go to
school, and had to fight for one year
through the red tape before seeing
any of his disability pay. He told the
audience that for the past ten years
he struggled to place everything into
perspective while dealing with the
depression and confusion that was
promoted by his nightmares and
anxieties. "All I'd hear about was
vets in the paper, was them committing suicide, how the prisons were
full of them, how they're involved in
murders .. .it was really scary."
Rodriguez said he felt helpless
until he saw the film "Vietnam Veterano," which won Best Documentary Award for 1982, and saw it as
an example of some of the things
that can be done. "It's time for a
change, we've got to utilize some of
these things that we've experienced
in Vietnam."
Referring to Central America
Rodriguez stated "I'm tired of people saying that we don't have an
interest down there. We do have an
interest ... we have an interest with
regard to our people." He mentioned his job with the Dept. of Fair
Employment and Housing regarding the discrimination he sees happening. "If we're allowing it (racism)
to happen here, how can anybody
really care what's happening anywhere else?"
"Somebody asked me a while ago
'are you home yet?' I thought about
it, I said yes at the time but now that
I think about it no, we're still fighting, we've got a long way to go." He
said that it will take a lot of work
and a lot of education for people to
understand what's happening in the
world today. "Let's create an interest in Central America, let~s create a
humanistic interest.''
while he sends armaments to Salvador to kill oppressed people," he
said.
·
He feels that the Catholic church's
compliance with Central American
military dictatorship is a major factor on the proliferation of Liberation Theology adherence .
Liberation theology is misunderstood by many Catholics as its alleged Marxis! principle of social
reconstruction, or the fear of that
occurance, has been vehemently
reproached by the Vatican.
For tp.is reason among others,
Central America is in the midst of a
communist "witchhunt" of frightening proportions.
The Salvadorian military is quick
to point an accusing finger at the
poor campesinos who know little or
nothing about communism.
Murder is justified by the fear of
communism as it appears that ''The
Enemy Complex" serves the enormous needs of imperialism.
The message the three panelists
conveyed~congruenttothatofthe
Liberation Theologists: Americans
need to look through the cloud of
capitalistic propaganda and examine our beliefs and policies with
unbiased scrutiny; to join together
to alleviate the exploitation and
injustice that is a part of the daily
lives of the poor and oppressed people of Central America.
a Voz de Aztlan
CSU, Fresno
March 12, 198S
Chicano /Latino Newspaper
Chicanas fulfill their duty
Forum:
l:Jy Pat Reyes
Staff Writsr
Liberation
Theology
The tapping sounds of typewriters
could be heard from the basement of
the St. John's Catholic Church near
downtown Fresno. Inside, Lilly
Torres and Rosemary Moreno,
founders of the project deligently
work helping people who are trying
!o immigrate into the United States,
by assisting them in completing
required immigration application
forms.
Their office is a basement room
furnished with only the bare necessities of a paper copier, two desks, two
typewriters, two filing cabinets, two
telephones and folding chairs for the
clients to sit on. Hanging on the
bare walls are two calendars and a
map outline of Mexico.
After 16 months since its opening,
El Concilio 's Immigration Project is
in full force helping primarily Mexican nationals who are eligible, immigrate into the United States.
The project is funded by the community and by immigrant clients
who donate what they can.
El Concilio, a local non-profit
umbrella group of Chicano clubs
ancl)>rganizations and sponsors of
the project, donated most of the
office furniture.
·November 1, 1983, marked the
beginnings of the project that sparked some controversy within the community:
Torres and Moreno were both
employees of the Fresno County
Economic Opportunities Commission. It was one of their duties to
help people fill out forms. When a
considerable amount of time was
spent with people who began crowding the office for help in completing
their immigration papers, Torres and
Moreno saw the demand for such a
service.
But the E.O.C. board of commissioners did not approve their idea
for this type of project and requested
that they stop assisting immigrants
in filing out and filing forms with the
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.
With a combined total of 25 years
of working with E.O.C., the two
ladies resigned, only to begin the
Immigration Project sponsored by
El Concilio.
Torres and Moreno began assistin immi rants during their em lo -
By Ben Zayas
Staff Writer
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ment with E.O.C. and this became a
controversial issue within the local
community. Torres said they were
being accused of practicing immigration law and could be liable.
But Torres says they only did the
necessary paperwork. She said it is
not a difficult process, and that on
the average, most of her clients cannot read or write English.
"It didn't take much more for an
attorney or a layperson, graduated
out of eighth grade, to fill out a
form," she said.
Torres said the controversy, which
she believes developed from local
immigration consultants and attorneys who charge for their services,
has led Torres and Moreno to work
at becoming accredited in immigration law.
She said if they are accredited,
this will allo,w them to represent
their clients in court. Although the
project relies only on donations from
the clients and local groups, aid does
not charge any fees; however, there
are certain costs involved in filing
certain papers.
Currently though, Torres said, "If
a person wants to immigrate to this
country, we tell them if they're eligible or not. We're like the ears and
eyes for the attorney."
.see Chicana, page 6
CYC Challenges Dropout Rate
Program, offers a variety of sporting
and social activities as well as
With an alarming 55% dropout counciling and tutorial services.
CYC Director Alfonso Hernandez
rate among Fresno area Chicano
students it is evident that major feels that the Youth Development
steps must be taken in reducing this Program's chief endeavor is to bring
Chicano youth to the "mainstream"
frightening statistic.
Meeting the challenge is the Chi- of society.
"Most of the kids are 'non-maincano Youth Center also known as
Dickey's Playground, located in stream' students that are neglected
by the school system," he said.
downtown Fresno.
"Here we offer projects that are
The CYC, which is funded by
Fresno City Parks and Recreation relevent to the youth. We want them
Department's Youth Development to feel like a part of the institutions
By Ben Zayas
Staff Writer
they attend."
Hernandez said thclt many Chjcano youth are neglected by their
families and that education may not
be a big priority in the household.
Many come from single-parent families on fixed incomes and in this
environment the transition to adulthood can be a difficult one.
"About half (of the Chicano
yo1:1ths) are in and out of juvenile
hall. These are thf.' youths we want in
our programs," he said.
Make no mistake, the CYC is not
•See youth, page 7
The chronological course of religion has shown that new sects of
belief sometimes emerge of an oppressed people, those persecuted by
the imposition of ill-contrived ideals
and their strong armed enforcement
by tyrants and satrapies .
The most recent emergence has
spread throughout Central America
as proponents of Liberation Theology seek to free its people from the
grip of poverty, hunger, · disease,
i.e.,-colonialization.
At a recent discussion held at the
CSUF college union on this subject,
panelists BFenda Sanchez, Jennifer
Colby, and Father Gomez gave
insight to the growing problems in
Central America and the subsequent
appearance of Liberation Theology.
Sanchez, a refugee from El Salvador, is in exile from a country in
turmoil. Through an interpreter,
Sanchez told of her harrowing
·exodus from that country with her
baby and several other Salvadorians.
A ~er of ~tl}e .Christhm.fuel
dent Movement of El Salvador,
Sanchez received money from the
Lutheran church to come to the U.S.
The Lutheran churches in the U.S.
and England are active proponents
of the Liberation Theology movement
According to Sanchez, the government in El Salvador is corrupt and
murderous, making life for the poor
"campesinos" a nightmare.
The campesinos work the land 12
hours a day for $2, not nearly enough
to feed their families.
The country of El Salvador is
divided into states that are owned by
powerful families concerned with
the preservation of wealth. not the
welfare of the campesinos and their
families.
Sanchez said those that protest
the lack of food, wages, or medical
and welfare programs are killed, no
questions asked.
Even the church in El Salvador,
which donates food, clothing, and
other aid to the poor and homeless,
has come under attack from the Salvadorian military.
Sanchez said that U.S. armaments
are being supplied by the Reagan
Administration to El Salvador that
are used to kill her people.
She does not hold the American
people responsible for this tragedy
as she feels we have been misinformed by our government.
To Brenda Sanchez and those like
her that have suffered from the
exploitation of their native homeland, Liberation Theology is the
faith that God will have mercy on
the poor and oppressed and lead
them to refuge.
Panelist Jennifer Colby of the
World Student Christian Movement
.see forum, page 8
Tuesday
La Voz de Aztlan
page2
Editorial
Attack on Sanctuary Movement
obviously flies in the face of reality, along with sanity, as
reports from Amnesty International, the Council on
Hemispheric Affairs, The Salvadoran Human Rights
Commission, and the Catholic Church all document
some of the most flagrant human rights abuses in modern
history.
"In the name of God, in the name of this suffering
people ... stop the repression." These were among the final
words of Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero,
uttered March 23, 1980, the day before he was gunned
down by an assassin of the ultra-right ARENA party.
These same words resound in our hearts and minds once
again as we approach the fifth anniversary of Romero's
death.
In the case of President Reagan, however, they seem to
only fall upon deaf ears. Last year we witnessed his
re-election ~Rd the pronouncement of his perceived
mandate for Ameri~a. It's become increasingly obvious
since November that a prominent focus of said "mand,ate"
includes a green light for escalation of the war in Central
America and a more brazen attack upon solidarity
activists at home.
We saw this in the recent indictment of leaders of the
sanctuary movement in Tucson, Arizona. Attacks on the
sanctuary movement have attracted a great deal of media
attention as. well. The official justification for such
attacks rests squarely upon the oft-repeated premise that
sanctuary activists break the law in the harboring and
transporting of "illegal aliens."
This is consistent with the administration's policy of
maintaining that Central American refugees·(specifically
those-of Guatemala and El Salvador} are not political
r~fugees but here for economic reasons. Such reasoning
lCc-.
..
•
·
Of course if the Reagan Administration gave even tacit
recognition to the political nature of the plight of Central
America's refugees it would, in effect, be acknowledging
the totalitarian infrastructure of its client states. This
would in turn serve to seriously undermine the credibility
of its overall policy within the region.
N_onetheless, the Refugee Act, recognized internationally by the United Nations and signed into U.S. law
by Congress in 1980, clearly calls upon all nations under
the U.N. charter to grant asylum to those who cannot
return to their country of origin because of persecution or
a justifiable fear of persecution. In failing to apply this
law equally to Salvadorans and Guatemalans, as it does
to Cubans, Vietnamese, and Easte~n block emigres, the
U.S. thus stands in direct violation of both international
law and its espoused principl~s of freedom and justice.
_If President Reagan is so eager to enforce the law he
could perhaps start with the Civil Rights Act. For now, at
least, he could best serve just.ice by practicing some of his
own pious rhetoric.
-
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Si SSSS%a SSSS#S
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U.S. fans -S alvadoran air war
In the past trumth, the napalm
bombings of civilian populations,
and the use of U.S. C-4 7 gunships to
attack unarmed civilian populations
in norther!} and eastern parts of El
Salvador has alarmed human rights
organizations throughout the world.,
Behind a wall of silence in the U.S ..
news media, the Reagan administration is rapidly escalating the war in
El Salvador.
The rapid infusion of U.S. military
aid, particularly helicopters and gunships, has increased the Salvadoran
army's attacks on civilian populations, and has undermined the fragile
peace talks between the government
and the Farabundo Marti National
Liberation Front/ Democratic Revolutionary Front (FMLN / FDR)
which began amid much public fanfare last September.
I
U.S. milit1.ry role grows
In 1984, the U.S. military aid to .El
Salvador was twice the year before-and even more deadly. Over
the past few months, the Reagan
administration has transformed the
Salvadoran Air Force into the largest
in Central America. In December,
the U.S. doubled the number of UH1 "Huey" helicopters in El Salvador
to 35, and ten more were approved
by Congress in February.
In January, the Salvadoran army
received two C-47 gunships, which
earned the nickname Puff the Magic
Dragon in Vietnam because of the
deadly fire power of their .50 caliber
machine guns pumpihg out 1500
rounds per minute. The U.S. has
.also provided more than a dozen
other warplanes capable of being
o·utfitted with the same anti-civilian
machine guns.
Even more ominously, the Penta- gon announced in November that
the now annual military exercises
.with U.S. and Honduran troops
(ibis year called_Big Pine III) will be
lconducted in Honduras and El
Salvador. These maneuvers, which
place tJ.S. armed forces right on
Salvadoran soil, are considered by ·
the FMLN /FDR to be an invasion
of their country.
The I_I1assive U.S. military aid
increase to El Salvadqr represem.:
another desperate attempt to stem
the advances of the revolutionary
The Salvadoran Army has
always relied on terror to
suppress any civilian protest
While the White House may want
to keep it quiet, the evidence of the
FMLN's gains is abundant. In Decembef and January, the FMLN
expanded the war zone (o San
Vicente, just 40 miles from the capital city, San Salvador. In the past
two months, the FMLN wiped out
two army companies in the area. As
well, the FMLN has extended the
liberated zones, where it has established Popular Power government
bodies, health care and a major
literacy campaign.
"The key to our success," explains
an FMLN / FD_R representative in
the U.S., "is-that we have the complete support of the people." The
Salvadoran Army, on the other
hand, has no popular support. A
local mayor reported that when the
Army tried to form civilian defense
units in San Vicente, "the people
told the army that it would be better
to leave than to form a civil defense~"
It is not just the 40% unemployment rate ~nd rising inflation, that
makes the government unpopular.
The Salvadoran Army has always
relied on terror to suppress any civilian protest: this repression, which
has taken the lives of tens of thousands of workers, peasants and students in the past five years, has
earned the army and government
the hatred of the people of El
Salvador.
severe political crisis in the precarious government of President Jose
Napoleon Duarte. Just six months
ago-shortly after he was elected
President in highly suspect elections- '
Duarte proclaimed himself a "man
of peace" and began talking with the
FMLN, which had been seeking
negotiations for three years. But he
has now postponed the next round
of talks twice, raising serious questions about the future for this
dialogue.
The right wing political party
ARENA, which has its base in the
oligarchy with strong ties to the
Army, dominates the Legislative Assembly and Supreme Court and is
using its muscle to hold Duarte hostage to their plans-threatening his
plans for the March elections and
even posing the question of impeachment.
As FMLN/FDR leader Ruben
Zamora explains, "Duarte has encountered strong opposition within
the military sectors to the continuation of the dialogue."
Whether Duarte will be able to
withstand the pressure of the Army
and the lawless right-wing death
squads and continue the peace talks
is now an open question. But with
the Reagan administration committing more deadly firepower to the
brutal Salvadoran Army, the possibility for an early end to El SAivador's six-year-long civil war seems
remote.
movement. The FMLN is continuing
to gain ground in its popular war to
liberate the Salvadoran people from
a government that has brought them
nothing but continued poverty, repression and death.
In the midst of the Christmas
cease-fire, agreed on in the last round
of peace talks, agents of the National
Guard abducted Janet Samour Has bun
and Maximina Reyes Villatoro, both
members of the FMLN, in their
home city of San Miguel. Both
This article is an excerpt from
women are still missing and an inter- Political crisis in government
national campaign has been launched
The U.S. decision to up the ante in "For Peace and Solidarity" March,
to demand their safety.
El Salvador's war has produced a 1985.
March 12, 1985
La Voz de Aztlan
page 3
Prof says there's always a way
,,---~~~-~------i-----.lJ!l!ll...
By Jaime Juarez
Staff Writer
Name: Manuel R. Garcia
Position: Professor of Industrial Arts
Birthplace: Riverbank, California
Birthdate: August 4, 1926
Education: B.A., M.A., CSU Fresno
Years on staff: 16
Professor Manuel Garcia tells his
students to succeed in his class, they
have to perform. "It doesn't matter
how r:nuch experience, knowledge,
or skill you bring into the classroom," Garcia emphasizes "if you
don't do the work and 'perform
you 're not going to make it."
Pr~fessor Garcia speaks from past
expe~iences. At a very young age, he
lost his father durin2 the Depression
leaving a family of eleven to rely oi{
governmental assistance and hard
work--performance. "The state use
to give us fifteen dollars a month ...
but one summer when I was twelve I
started to work, so they cut my
~oney off. I paid my way through
high school and even helped with the
house."
After Garcia's father died, he and
the rest of his family, living in
Riverbank, Ca., a small town near
Modesto, put their trust in his eldest
brother, Max, who according to
Garcia kept the family together.
"Max had to quit school and work
so they wouldn't put the rest of us
kids in homes. We would all work
for a dollar a day and then go to the
welfare and buy sacks of potatoes or
Professor Garica of the Industrial Arts Dept. emphasize~ hard work
,and performance to his students.
beans or whatever."
draft was on (World War II), and I
Professor Garcia actually started didn't want to get drafted into the
out late in his career. After graduat- army so I joined the navy."
ing from Oakdale High School, he
After two years in the Service,
married his high school sweetheart Garcia came back to Modesto where
and worked for a short time with the he worked at a machine shop. HowU.S. Forest Service. He then entere-d ever, he was recalled to serve during
the navy because as he put it, "The the Korean War, and it wasn't until
Forum
By Albert Robles
Staff Writer
The subject of U.S. militarism
was addressed in a forum which
took place on the evening of Feb.
7th in the College Union. The Forum
on Militarism, which was jointly
sponsored by the Campus Latin
American Support Committee, Las
Adelitas, M.E.Ch.A., Student Christian Movement, and La Raza Studies
consisted ofa panel of five speakers.
Mario Huerta and Rebecca Sanchez,
who are the respective chairpersons
of M.E.Ch.A. and Las Adelitas,
provided introductions for the five
panelists.
The first speaker was Professor
Bob Allison of the Economics Dept.
who presented the topic of "Militarism and World Views" outlining
a historic overview on the development of U.S. militarism since WWII.
The U.S. has been the major hegemonic power since the second world
war; he said, as well as "the only
country that came out of WWI I better off then when we went into it."
Following the war, the U.S.,
according to Allison, took on the
new role of "defending capitalism
internationally." The U.S. filled the
void left by the many European
colonial powers still recovering from
the effects of the war and set into
motion the process of "neo-colonialism" around the "export of capital."
Dr. Allison stated that in order to
safely export capital you have to be
able to "protect your property by
when he was thirty-five that he
started going to college. While
working part-time as a janitor at a
Modesto church, he went to Modesto
Junior College and later to Fresno
State College where he received a
Bachelors Arts degree, Masters degree, Secondary and Vocational
Teaching Credentials.
Professor Garcia is currently the
advisor for Mex- Tech (MexicanAmerican Students in Industrial
Technology), a Chicano club on
campus for students interested in all
aspects of Industrial Technology.
Garcia also serves on the Academic
Senate Committee on campus.
Garcia, a father of three boys
works with the Boy Scouts (he used
to lead a troop of handicapped
Scouts) and he also manages to
devote extra time to students who
ne:d a little !11ore tha~just a teacher.
I I have kids come 10 here with all
sorts of problems ... sometimes I
invite them over to my house and we
have coffee and try to work things
out."
For Professor Garcia there is
always a way if you only perform.
Garcia recalls when he was a young
boy and the people at the local
public swimming pool wouldn't let
him and his friends enter because
they were Mexicans. So as Garcia
puts it, ''We got on our bikes and
rode to a pond in the mountains and
skinny-dipped there ... l think we had
more fun there than we could have
had in the other place." For Manuel.
Garcia, there is always a way.
allll'!!'llllllll--lllllll!l......,_..1961
on
military force," citing initial suecesses by the U.S. in such countries
as Korea, Guatemala, Iran, Ind onesia, and Chile. The big change in thfs
development took place, he said,
during the late 1960's and early 70's
centering around the two basic
things.
The first, according to Allison,
was the war in Vietnam wherein the
· U.S. spent an unprecedented level of
,
•
M i I i t a r .i s m
we did during the Vietnam period,
we're just going to have the guns,"
which will mean calling upon people
to "engage in a patriotic lowering of
their standard of living."
Dr. Allison said that this is brought
about by a well orchestrated campaign which centers around a "threepronged attack" the first of which is
anti-communism. This involves convincing people of a "communist
t•k
"we re not going to have guns and butter I e
we did during the Vietnam period, we're just
going to have guns,"
--Allison
military force. "W ff? lost even though threat" sufficient to justify a prowe laid out more military explosives gram of massive rearmament. "If we
than all of the weapons used in have any interest whatsoever in
WWII by both sides." Citing the stopping the arms race, one of the
casualty figures (60,000 U.S. troops first things we're going to have to
and roughly 1.5 million Southeast come to grips with is the dishonesty
Asians) Allison said that this ushered around the propaganda of anti-comin a new era for American foreign munism."
The second justification of rearpolicy.
The second development, during mament is "national chauvinism,"
this same period, was that the Soviet or blind patriotism. Citing state- Union had achieved parity in nuclear ments by President Reagan, Allison
weaponry with the U.S. As a result brought out the notion that "the
the U.S. has undergone massive American standard of living is at
rearmament in order to overcome ,stake," and that "God is on our
what Allison called the "Post Viet- side."
The third point of Dr. Allison's
nam Syndrome."
analysis
was racism, as he stated that
Another cost of the Vietnam war,
"two
thirds
of the people in the
Allison mentioned, was the record
world
that
go
to bed hungry at night
inflation which resulted. To avoid
are
generally
brown or black."
inflation he stated that "we're not
going to have guns and butter like Domestically racism fits into what
he called a "racilized austerity program." a part of which is "white priviledge" which serves to separate
most white people from its worst
effects. "It's no accident that say
55% of white, male union members
voted for Reagan and at the same
time almost 90% of black people
voted against him."
The second speaker was Rick
Chacon, former M.E.Ch.A chairperson and current chair of the
Fresno Latin American Support
Committee, who spoke on the history of U.S. intervention in the
countries of Nicaragua, Guatemala,
and El Salvador.
_
"Every time that there is a source
of unrest the U.S. government has
pointed their finger at Cuba or
Russia saying that they have influenced it." Chacon emphasized the
history of poverty and social injustice in Latin America as the real
source of unrest saying that "all of us
would be doing the same thing if we
were in that same situation. To not
fight for your brothers and sisters
who are being killed is inhuman."
On Nicaragua Chacon stated that
"the Somoza dictatorship was the
longest dictatorship in Central
American history ... why did the U.S.
support it?" He then provided an
analysis of how U.S. corporations
had seized control of Nicaragua's
land during the I 920's which led to a
general strike in 1926. The U.S.
.see milltarlsm1 Page 8
page 4
La Voz de Aztlan
Tuesday
EXPRESIONE
God!
Far,
far in my past
when I learned Spanish,
I went to the sacred mountain
and spoke to the Lord.
"I am your slave," I said.
"You are my religion,
your path is my path,
your will my love. "
But the Lord did not answer.
He slipped away
like the wind
striking against my face.
A hundred years later,
I returned to the sacred mountain
and spoke to the Creator.
"I am your work," I said.
"I owe you what I am."
But the Lord did not answer.
He slipped away
like a dream with wings.
A hundred years later,
I returned to the sacred mountain
and spoke to the Lord.
"I am your son," and I feel.
"Your love has been my life,
my aim has been your source
in this way, I will reach your heaven."
But the Lord would not listen
He continued to slip away ...
"My God! My greatest labor ·
I am past, you are future
I am the man, you are my God.
Together we shall lodge
before the face of the sun."
The Creator stopped
and turned!
Speaking in Spanish
in divine words
that in these lines were left.
And like the ocean to its river
the Creator reached out ...
As I decended into the valleys,
I found myself with the Lord.
Raulo Z. Monero
Translated by Jaime R. Juarez
No tengo un solo r
que ustedes quieran
que fui a Tijuana.
Arizona en los Estad s
s04, mexicana has
, u
d ec,amos cuando er o
orgullo de la raza. T
gente porque. pobr
nos como nosotros.
504 mexicana pr
espalfol, com( tortm
pan 4 hamburgues u
escuche fue la m6s
mandolinas.
Sin embargo nu
serias, como eso de
naci mexicana? As(
criada con el orgul
siento ligada al pa( iI
pero no tengo lealta e
explicar como me si
dido, el total de lo q o
en este pa(s.
Mucho de lo que
pero eso es parte
doblemente bende
mexico-americana.
cita_que dice. tu cultura? Como se c
encias culturales dif
Cuando escucho n
chera, cuando algu· u
contesto que esto4
oigo este idioma ta
que no s~ compara
Jorge Duan4 ··sient
una absurda peso
0
Dios!
Muy lejos en mi pasado,
cuando aprendf espanol
fui a la sagrada montaiia
y hablt! con el Senor.
"Yo soy tu esclavo," le dije.
T~ eres mi religi&n,
tu camino es mi camino
y tu voluntad mi amor."
Pero el Senor no me contesto
Siguicf de largo
como el viento
que me golpea la cara.
Cien, aiios despuls,
.,
volv1 a la sagrada montana
y hablt con el Creador.
!Tr
"Soy tu obra," le deje.
"Y le debo lo que soy."
Pero el Senor no me contesto'
Siguio de largo,
como un sue"iio con alas.
Cien,anos despufs,
.
volv1 a la sagrada monta1ia
y hable con el Creador.
"Soy tu hijo." Y lo sentfa
"Tu amor ha sido mi vida
y mi meta tu venero.
Asr alcanzar( tu cielo.
i
§
L----
Pero el Seltor no me hic(a caso
Segufa de largo ...
"Dios mio'.
Mi mayor afan
ti
Soy pasado y tu futuro
Soy el hombre y tt mi Dios
Juntos nos alojaremos
ante la cara del sol."
~
JEI Creador
volvicf la cara!
~
Hablandome en espanol,
bellas divinas palabras
queen este escrito dejo
y como el mar a SU no,
el Creador me abrazo...
• descendar a los valles,
~l
me encontre con el Senor!
Raul Z. Moreno
'
Al fin de la batal/a,
y muerto el combatiente, vino hacia 11 un hombre
y le dijo ''iNo mueras; te amo tanto!"
Pero el cadlver lay! sigui<f muriendo.
Se le acercaron dos y repitilronle:
'~No nos dejes! !Valor! iVue/ve a La Vidal"
Pero el cadaver ay ! siguiS muriendo.
Acudieron. a II veinte cien, mil, quinientos mil,
c/amando: "ITanto amor, y no voder nada contra la mue
Pero· el cadaver lay! siguio mu;iendo.
Le rodearon mil/ones de individuos,
con un ruego com{m!" Quedate hermano!"
Pero el cadSver ay ! siguit:fmuriendo.
Entonces todos los homres de la tierra
le rodearo;; /es viJ el cad!ver triste, emocionado;
incorporose, lentamente,
abrazcf al primer hombre; echtse a andar ...
IO noviembre 1937
Cesar Vallejo
March 12, 1985
La V oz de Aztlan
page 5
CHICANO
Mexico, a no ser
cuenta una vez
nia. Yo nae( en
e America, pero
s cachas. As(
para demostrar
ima de la demos
no eran mexica-
In Response to Omar, the Crazy Gypsy
0
Yeah, I understand Mexican.
I learned it from the grade school teacher
who couldn't pronounce my name
and slapped my knuckles
with her wooden ruler
whenever I spoke incorrectly.
era lengua fue
antes de comer
ica que primero
guitarras 4 las
f learned it from the heavy faced Father O'Brien
who delivered Mass in English
to attentive campesinos
and told me to put my hope in God.
sado de cosas
o? o-de<por que
·os 4 aunque fui
exicana no me
. 504 mexicana
ico. Es mu4 difbl
lo que he apren-,
a es porque nae,
I learned it from the cholos
who squatted with cigarette fingered hands
against the sweaty poolhalls
and watched cars drive by.
I learned it from the red faced German farmer
who spat tobacco from his Ford Stepside
and said picking grapes
was good for me.
o ha sido penoso,
ad. Y me siento
ios, porque so4
veces una voceomo puede negar
nciliar a dos her-
I learned it from my father
whose eyes are as burnt and listless
as grape trays in the sun.
.,
una canc,on rana 4 40 con gusto
tJe la vida, cuando
lleno de emocion
onces como dice
ion en el pecho 4
ganta.
Yeah, Omar, I understand Mexican.
t
llegos Biggers
.
I'
,
S1, Yo se del mexicano.
Lo apr1nd(de mi maestra-no sab1a decir mi nombre,
y me golpeaba las manos
con su regla de madera
cada que hablaba incorrecto.
Lo aprendfdel padre O'Brien
q ue decia misa en inglts
al atento campesino
que no lograba entender
y el remedio que nos daba
era no perder la fe
Jaime R. Juarez
,
Lo aprend1 de los cholos
que sentados en cuclillas
y con el cigarro en mano.
La pasan frente al billar
viendo los carros pasar
f
0
En Respuesta -a Omar--Gitano Loco
I
Lo aprend(de un ranchero
aleman de, cara roja
que escup1a el tabaco
desde su Ford Stepside.
Me decia que el pizcar uvas
era bueno para mi.
~~~t<,>~
:s
Lo aprendf de mi padre
cuyos ojos se queman y slentristecen
come uvas entabladas bajo el sol.
When the battle was over,
and the fighter was dead, a man came toward him
and said to him: "Do not die; I love you sol"
But the corpse, it was sad! went on dying.
And two came near, and told him again and again:
"Do not leave uslCourage! Return to life!"
But the corpse, it was sad! went on dying.
Twenty arrrived, a hundred, a thousand, five hundred
thousand, shouting: "So much love, and it can do nothing against death/"
But the corpse, it was sad! went on dying.
Millions of persons stood around him,
all speaking the same thing "Stayhere, brother!"
But the corpse, it was sad! went on dying.
The all the men on the earth
stood around him; the corpse looked at them sadly, deeply moved;
he sat up slowly,
put his arms around the first man; started to walk ...
translated by Robert Bly 1962
/
/
Si, Omar. Yo se del mexicano.
Jaime R. Juarez
Traducido por Raul Z. Moreno
page 6
La Voz de Aztlan
Tuesday
'No Nos Dejaremos Veneer Siendo Educados'
'IfEducted We Shall Not be Defeated'
-CYC
The Chicano Youth Conference, organized by M.E.Ch.A., was held January 12,
1985, at California State University,
Fresno for the twelveth consecutive year,
with an estimated number of 1600 youths
in attendance.
Many came from as far as Los Angeles
and Sacramento to learn about a variety
. of career options open to them, and about
issues that directly affect the Chicano
community.
The keynote speaker, Dr. Alex Saragosa, history professor at U.C. Berkeley,
spoke about the cultural differences in the
school system, and the negative realities
that still persist.
He contends that we are not aware of
the power that we have 'To the extent of
our (own) ignorance people can take
advantage of (usi... Knowledge is Power.'
.Chicana
continued from page 1
"'You have to know something
about immigration to appreciate
what we're doing and to know what
the consultant does out there.
"On a survey that we have taken,
the cheapest consultant that will
immigrate a process, costs no less
than $500. I've done cases like that
for $20," she said.
Besides the cost involved, Torres
said many co·nsultants in the post
-kept their client's documents such as
birth certificates and would not
return them until they pay the fee.
But recent laws regulating immigration consultants requires them to
provide a contract guaranteeing the
client that his paperwork will at least
be completed.
Although the Immigration Project only aids in completing and filing immigration forms, Torres and
Moreno try to advise the client how
to prepare for his appointment.
Torres stressed that there are certain criteria involved to immigrate
into the United States legally.
zens and legal residents can immigrate Mexican nationals into the
United.States. Because of the number
of categories a Mexican national
can be eligible under, she strongly
suggests them contacting her.
To become an American legal resident, immigrants need to prove that
they have been living in the United
States for at least seven years; that
they have good moral character;
that they have been a law abiding
citizen during their seven year stay;
and have been paying income tax,
she said.
The Silva-Levy Letter, an employment authorization letter that is no
longer valid, stated that undocumented Mexicans who had been
residing in the United States before
July 4, 197 6, and who had American
born children, be given legal resident status with the option to appeal
the case if they were refused residency.
But since 1982, the Letter was no
longer considered a valid document
for immigrating into the country.
She said at that time, many cuban
refugees were assigned Visa numbers
that were supposed to be assigned to
Mexican immigrants.
Often people go directly to the
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization office based in San Francisco to
immigrate into the country on the
basis of the Silva-Levy Letter. Within
30 days, she said, they are set up for
a hearing with an Immigration judge
in San Francisco to determine whether
they can immigrate into the country.
If the judge denies them residency,
they are then scheduled to be deported legally.
Suspension of deportation is the
biggest type of problem the Immigration Project handles, she said.
Torres said there are many minor
preparations that immigrants need
to understand, such as making
copies of the documents they need to
submit. She said too often, they turn
over their original documents and
are later unable to show proof that
they had documents.
Torres said her inspiration for
taking part in starting such a project
came from a man who seeked her
help, to immigrate into the country.
The man, she said, had been hid-
ing in the mountains with his family
for some time. After news of the
Silva-Levy Letter, he went to an
immigration consultant to aid him
in immigrating into the country.
Torres said the consultant charged
the man $1,000 which he paid, but
had nothing to·show for it.
Torres, angered by the incident
said, "Here we are, supposedly a
very rich and sensitive country and
what really hurt was that the Mejicano [Mexican] was doing in the
Mejicano [Mexican].
"This is•when we found out that
we not only need to assist them, but
y,1e need to give information on the
immigrant's rights," she said.
Despite how much Torres and
Moreno want to help people immigrate inot the country, Torres spoke
of a goal. She said their goal is for
people to go to the immigration
office and ask for information themselves.
"There shouldn't be an office like
this [the Immigration Project] anywhere. Immigration should be a
very simple process," she said. "There
shouldn't be a thousand consultants."
Scholarships Available
C.B.S.A.
Chicano Staff Organization
Deadline: March 22, 1985
Qualifications:
• enrolled tor 12 units or more at CSUF
• completed one semester of college at CSUF
• 2.5 G.P.A.
• school I community Involvement
Contact: La Raza Studies, EOP, or SAA Outreach
CCNMA
Cal. Chicano News Media Assn.
Deadline: March 29, 1985
:
Qualifications:
• Latino residing In Central C~I.
• Jr.I Sr. college status as of Fall '85
• 2.0 G.P.A.
• interest In print and I or broadcast media
Contact: Alicia Maldonado, ph. 251-4811
Chicano Business Student Assn.
Deadline: March 29,
Qualifications:
• tu/I-time student
1985
•2.0 G.P.A .
• shows Interest In the needs of Chicano community
• financial need
Contact: La Raza Studies Dept.
Minority Scholarship Program
Meredith Corp. Broadcasting Group
Deadline: May 1, 1985 (postmarked)
Qualifications:
• permanent resident of ADI
•minority
• enrolled at 4 yr. univerlsty or college .
• tu/I-time Soph I Jr. Status
• Journallsm or R-TV Ma/or
Contact: CSUF Journalism Dept. or KSEE, Ch. 24
March 12, 1985
La Voz de Aztlan
Noticiero Via Satellite
Feb. 2, 1848:-1985
By Marla Bergeron
Staff Writer
An event commemorating the signing of the Treaty of Guadelupe
Hildago, which documented the ruthless acquisition of Mexican
land by the U.S. was held at the Hacienda de los Amigitos and
co-sponsored by La Unida Party, American Indian Movement, and
the American Indian Treaty Council.
As pictured above, the event included traditional Indian dancing
by young people.
This issue is dedicated to our companera Dr. Lea
Ybarra for her continued support to Chicano students and service to our community.
§ ~ §
• Youth
continued from page 1
a harbor for juvenile delinquents.
On the contrary, Hernandez said
that all participants in the center's
activities know that swearing, drugs,
and fighting are prohibited.
"We are not fighting each other,"
he said. "We are organizing."
Hernandez said that organization
is the method in which Chicanos can
begin to solve their unique problems.
"It must be working in one way or
another because we 're stopping the
gang problems in Fresno. We've
been able to do things that have
never happened here before," he
said.
Working closely with a number of
local MEChA clubs., the CYC offers
many activities to local youth
throughout the year.
Dances~ car shows, pop and break
competitions, car washes, and
picnics are some of the activities that
youth can participate in.
The CYC also sponsorers athletic
teams in volleyball, softball, basketball, and football for junior high,
high school, and other community
page 7
youth that play Fresno area school
and park teams.
Athletic tournaments are held
regularly, bringing squads from a
number of valley MEChA organizations to Fresno to participate.
The CYC also sponsers trips to
professional basketball games,
making these events available to
those who may not otherwise have
the opportunity.
Hernandez also encourages the
youths to express themselves through
art, and the CYC makes the necessary
materials available.
The center is decorated by a
number of paintings done by junior
high and high school students as
well as high school dropouts and
former prisoners.
The artwork does n'o t depict the
pathos of the plight of the Chicano
as in the past. Instead, the paintings
are bright, colorful, and positive in
nature. Chicanos are portrayed as a
strong, concerned, and motivated
people making strides toward the
improvement of our current situations-our future.
"It is important that they understand and express their culture,"
Hernandez said.
Chicano youth also print their
own informative newsletter at the
center which not only serves to
inform of upcoming events but also
fornia Arts Council, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
through Satellite Project Fund / National Public Radio. In the first
week of March, they will know if
CPB will fund the remainder of it.
"They have shown strength in
their committment to the minority
community," said Jeanne Dotterweich,
development director of N oticiero
Latino.
Support for the program has also
come from other entities such as the
Mexican American Legal Defense
and Educational Fund. The people
are beginning to realize that "to have
something else available improves
the market; Now, they'll have a
choice," said Dotterweich.
The reporters for Noticiero Latino
also represent the diversity of the
locations where the program will be
aired. Western Community Bilingual
Radio and additional independent
producers will contribute to the pro-
Five years ago Radio Bilingue
aired for the first time, broadcasting
relevant and important news information that Latinos in the Fresno
and surrounding areas would not
otherwise receive.
Today that idea has transcended
into a five minute news program
that will be broadcasted via satellite
to other Spanish-speaking communities throughout the United States.
At noon on March 1, if you tune
your FM radio dial to KSJV-91, you
and a listener in Portland, Oregon,
or Stoneybrook, New York, or even
Las Cruces, New Mexico, will hear
Noticiero Latino-the first Spanish
daily radio newscaS t to be emitted to
such a large number of liS t eners.
The program will focus on issues
Such as the arts, civil rights, unemployment, a nd labor a nd immigration legislation which affect
the daily lives of Latinos.
Giving as an example what the
program will be Samuel Orozco,
executive director of Noticiero La
tino and news ao d information
director of Radio Bilingue, said it
would "give [Latino] news a front
page attention."
"The Latino community is under
served in terms of information," he
said. "They can't cast their information from the mainstream media."
The program will also try to serve
the farmworkers through "Aconteser
Campesin.o," a five minute feature
report accompanying the newscast
every Friday.
National Pulrlic Radio- will distribute the program from San Francisco to a satellite after receiving the
signal from Fresno through a telephone line. From the satellite, the 19
radio stations interested so far will
be able to pick up Noticiero Latino.
So far Radio Bilingue has received
a third of the $300,000 it needs for
one year's programming from the
Rosenber~ Foundation, The Cali-
gram. Even volunteers from the 5
bilingual radio stations throughout
California will be contributing.
"That's important," said Bacilio
Maci~l, trainer and technical director
of KSJV. "It's going to be a good
experience for everyone. It's experience that they won't be able to
get anywhere else," he said.
And the staff of N oticiero Latino
seems to reflect that belief, too. They
are positive about the project, because it's a vehicle in which Latin~s
can better prepare themselves, said
O~ozco.
.
. .
~nformat1on a~d commum~atton
are mtegratparts m the e}evat1onof
anyone's consciousness," said
Orozco.
.1~he staff ~embers have a ~trong
feeh~g ~f. pnde, for belon~mg to
Radto Btlmgue and for havmg the
opportunity!~ develo? such a progr~m, as !'f?tzczero Latmo.
.
I! s givm~ us an opp_ortumty of
servmg .~ bigger ~ortlon of the
country, Orozco said.
to spread the word about the importance of education.
It is well-written, communicative,
and positive~ offering Chicano youth
another means by which to express
themselves.
Hernandez feels that being involved in something constructive
could motivate youths · who have
dropped out of school to return to
the classrooms.
"We've got kids that .are going to
college now that used to be on the
streets," he said.
The CYC is restricted by limited
funds but Hernandez feels that the
counciling and tutoring programs
have been beneficial.
"We offer group and organizational counciling to the kids. We
don't have. the staff to do one-onone counciling," he said.
Youths with basic classroom problems can ask for tutoring help,
depending on how critical the situation is.
Hernandez said that the Youth
Development Program receives aid
from the United Way Foundation
for tutoring services, but that the
majority of tutors and councilors
are volunteers.
According to Hernandez, for each
paid staff member there are 30 to 50
volunteers, which makes all the
activities possible.
Volunteers are of all ages, including CSU F students, willing to
donate their time to help anyway
they can.
According to Hernandez, the CYC
encourages college students to volunteer and serve as 'role models' to
Chicano youth, so that the youths
may see it is possible.to pursue their
education.
These 'role models' may also help
to develop youth Jeadership among
the Chicano youth.
Hernandez said that the center is a
place where the youths can feel at
home, meet new people, and make
friends.
Rosaura "Chubby" Calderon, a
sophmore at Fresno High School
said she "hopes the park never closes
down because a lot of people make
friends here and that's an important
part of growing up."
Frank Ayala, a freshman at Fresno
City College majoring in business
administration, said the center helps
to "get your mind off of things."
It keeps you out of trouble," he
added," Everybody is really friendly
here."
"The most important thing is to
show the kids that you care and that
they are important," said Hernandez,
"And we've got something to offer
them. We are all working together to
do something for the community."
/)
page 8
La Voz de Aztlan
.Militarism
continued from page 3
responded by sending in the Marines
who, after a protracted struggle were
eventually driven out in 1933 by the
Nicaraguan people led by Augusto
Cesar Sandino.
By this time the U.S. had installed
Anastacio Somoza Garcia who had
then gained control of the military.
"Somoza did whatever the U.S.
wanted," stated Chacon. He pointed
out that under Somoza 50% of the
children would starve to death before
age five, and that 60% of the land
was controlled by industries owned
by Somoza's family.
Following the revolutionary triumph in July 1979 which succeeded
in C)verthrowing the Somoza dicta_torship Chacon stated that the Frente
Sandinista, which took its na.me
from Sandino the country's legendary hero, began many reforms in
education, health care, and housing.
Because the government had nationalized the country's industries
Chacon said the "U.S. wanted to
make an example of them." This, he
said took the form of mining the
country's harbors, training and supplying the contras, and making illegal
reconnaissance flights over Nicaraguan airspace.
Like Nicaragua, Guatemala's history is also one of dictatorial rule.
According to Chacon 80% of all
Guatemalans suffer malnutrition.
About thirty years ago, he said that
Guatemala enjoyed a "brief period
of democracy" following the election of Jacobo Arbenz and the enactment of an agrarian reform program. The United Fruit Co., the
largest single landowner at the time,
lobbied against Arbenz' reforms
which resulted, eventually, in a communist conspiracy and .a military
coup.
Chacon stated that the resentment
of the Guatemalan people \1/aS so
strong that when then Vice-president Nixon went · down there it
turned into what he called "one of
the lousiest, most embarrasing visits
ever in recent history. People were
throwing signs at him, throwing
tomatoes at him, they couldn't even
drive the caravan of cars through the
street."
In El Salvador the land has been
under the control of fourteen different families for the past fifty years.
In 1932 an uprising of peasants and
campesinos was led by Farabundo
Marti against the plantation owners.
Chacon mentioned that again the
U.S. intervened militarily coming
to the aid of the Salvadoran National
Guard so that "within two weeks
30,000 people were killed."
Chae,on said that now "70% of the
land is owned by 3% of the population, you have half the children
dying before age five once again, the
average educational level is 1.5
years." He described recent events
which include in 1980, the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero,
who was slain while giving mass, the
L
A
Editor
Marcella Martinez
V
Staff
Maria Bergeron, Danny Chacon
Raul Moreno, Albert Robles,
Pat Reyes, Ben Zayas
O
z
Artist
Perry Angel
closing of the University of San Sal- duction of young, poor, and minorvador, and the murders of four ity men into the armed services."
North American churchwomen.
Torrez attributes this to the scarIn closing he read a statement by city of job opportunities available to
Robert White, the-former ambassa- young people and that the military,
dor to El Salvador, which read in because of the propaganda and the
part, "It doesn't take a communist to advertisement it puts out, represents
tell people that they are starving.
"a very enticing and interesting field
"Revolutions are not exported, to get into."
revolutions are- not bananas and
According to Torrez the draft can
sugarcane and coffee that can be be a "very destructive process" where
exported, revolutions are home people who enter the military lose
grown," said Chacon.
their rights to decide where they live
The next speaker was A.S. legisla- and go, as well as their rights to pritive Vice president Ann Johnston vacy and freedom of speech. he
who spoke to the audience about her stated that the military is composed
recent trip to El Salvador with a of over 50% minority, mostly in the
delegation of the United States Stu- infantry, and that in the event of a
dent Association where they -visited war an individual perceived to be
the University of San Salvador. She unjust he would lack the option of
described the current situation in El refusing to participate without facSalvador stating that there are fifty ing a court-martial.
American advisors at work in the
Torrez said that he had seen a
country and about 120 Marines, great deal of discontent among
along with about 400 Salvadoran people who have been in the milimilitary personel, needed to guard tary as well as many who are disthe American embassy. "That's the couraged because of a lack of inforfeeling the people of El Salvador mation and legal assistance. For
those not facing economic hardships
have for our government."
Johnston spoke of the bombings Torrez said it can then be "a matter
directed against rebel strongholds, of conscience. But for millions of
particularly within an area called young people there is no choice."
In closing Torrez stated that
Guazapa located outside San Salvador. "At night we would try to throughout the history of the milsleep in our hotel room and we could itary "it has not been a · question of
hear the bombing off in the dis- whether we'd like to get into the sertance." She said that this is part of vice because of our feelings of strong
an overall strategy to harass the patriotism," but rather, "an ecocampesino and peasant population nomic push" as a means of escaping
in order to erode the guerrilla's the despair of joblessness.
The final speaker was David
stronghold which is among the very
poor of El Salvador. These are Rodriguez who related his experaccompanied by psychological tac- ience as a Vietnam veteran to the
tics used on the population which question of militarism. Rodriguez
include propaganda films she said said that at the time he went into the
are "heavy with religious symbols." Army he had no idea what he was
Upon visiting a refugee camp getting into. "I experienced some
Johnston said that she saw the effects things that I never in my life dreamed
of the air attacks on the population. that this government that I love
These included bullet wounds, phos- would put me into."
Referring to the bronze star and
phorous burns, and other injuries
inflicted by U.S. built planes and accomodation medals he received
helicopters. "Often they described Rodriguez stated that "it's a bunch
them as big birds that came out of of bullshit, it don't mean nothing, it
the sky with death." She described doesn't bring back any of those lives
also how young children are already that I saw die." As a result of his
organized into work brigades. "You
see kids that are maybe three and
four years old that stand and have
expressions and take postures like
continued from page 1
adults; kids that can tell you how Latin American-North American
they saw their mother or their father, Project said that Americans must
or their brother or sister killed."
take a firm stand and support the
Johnston noted-the possibility that oppressed of Central America.
Reagan may soon be sending AmerColby said that Reagan's religion
ican troops down to El Salvador is backed by big money and that
which, she stated, may include "a lot Christians in the u .S. must work for
of men in this room that may be true justice, not unilateral idealisms
asked to go d?wn _their to fight." She of religion and politics.
stated that it's important to ask . "People themselves must read
who's interests you're going down scripture and formulate their own
their to die for. "Their's one thing beliefs."
that was repeatedly mentioned over
This, said Colby, is what propoand over again in El Salvador," she nents of Liberation Theology have
stated in closing, "that when Ameri- done in their quest for freedom, as
cans come in they can come in, but other oppressed peoples have done
they're not going to leave."
in the past.
Mario Torrez, of the La Raza
Father Gomez of the St. Claret
Draft Information Center spoke on Parish in Fresno worked closely
the draft and its effect upon minor- with Central American refugees
ity communities. He said that al- while in Los Angeles and knows of
though there's only draft registra- the hardships suffered by the masses
tion at this time there is still "an there.
ongoing and unquestioned introAccording to Father Gomez,
over 60,000 Salvadorians have been
Typesetter
assasinated and another 300,000
Sylvia Cruz
have been misplaced in Southern
Contributer
California. He feels that U.S. politRobbie DiMesio , Lane Turner,
ics, especially those of the Reagan
Mario Huerta
administration, are partly culpable
Photography
for the oppression of Central
Akemi Miyana
America.
"Reagan wants prayer in schools
.forum
Tuesday
exposure to agent orange (a chemical defoliant used in the war) he said
that he and his wife had lost three
babies, that he gets reoccuring rashes,
numbness in his fingers, and "numerous nightmares."
Upon returning home from the
war Rodriguez couldn't get served
in a restaurant until he got rid of his
uniform, couldn't afford to go to
school, and had to fight for one year
through the red tape before seeing
any of his disability pay. He told the
audience that for the past ten years
he struggled to place everything into
perspective while dealing with the
depression and confusion that was
promoted by his nightmares and
anxieties. "All I'd hear about was
vets in the paper, was them committing suicide, how the prisons were
full of them, how they're involved in
murders .. .it was really scary."
Rodriguez said he felt helpless
until he saw the film "Vietnam Veterano," which won Best Documentary Award for 1982, and saw it as
an example of some of the things
that can be done. "It's time for a
change, we've got to utilize some of
these things that we've experienced
in Vietnam."
Referring to Central America
Rodriguez stated "I'm tired of people saying that we don't have an
interest down there. We do have an
interest ... we have an interest with
regard to our people." He mentioned his job with the Dept. of Fair
Employment and Housing regarding the discrimination he sees happening. "If we're allowing it (racism)
to happen here, how can anybody
really care what's happening anywhere else?"
"Somebody asked me a while ago
'are you home yet?' I thought about
it, I said yes at the time but now that
I think about it no, we're still fighting, we've got a long way to go." He
said that it will take a lot of work
and a lot of education for people to
understand what's happening in the
world today. "Let's create an interest in Central America, let~s create a
humanistic interest.''
while he sends armaments to Salvador to kill oppressed people," he
said.
·
He feels that the Catholic church's
compliance with Central American
military dictatorship is a major factor on the proliferation of Liberation Theology adherence .
Liberation theology is misunderstood by many Catholics as its alleged Marxis! principle of social
reconstruction, or the fear of that
occurance, has been vehemently
reproached by the Vatican.
For tp.is reason among others,
Central America is in the midst of a
communist "witchhunt" of frightening proportions.
The Salvadorian military is quick
to point an accusing finger at the
poor campesinos who know little or
nothing about communism.
Murder is justified by the fear of
communism as it appears that ''The
Enemy Complex" serves the enormous needs of imperialism.
The message the three panelists
conveyed~congruenttothatofthe
Liberation Theologists: Americans
need to look through the cloud of
capitalistic propaganda and examine our beliefs and policies with
unbiased scrutiny; to join together
to alleviate the exploitation and
injustice that is a part of the daily
lives of the poor and oppressed people of Central America.
CSU, Fresno
March 12, 198S
Chicano /Latino Newspaper
Chicanas fulfill their duty
Forum:
l:Jy Pat Reyes
Staff Writsr
Liberation
Theology
The tapping sounds of typewriters
could be heard from the basement of
the St. John's Catholic Church near
downtown Fresno. Inside, Lilly
Torres and Rosemary Moreno,
founders of the project deligently
work helping people who are trying
!o immigrate into the United States,
by assisting them in completing
required immigration application
forms.
Their office is a basement room
furnished with only the bare necessities of a paper copier, two desks, two
typewriters, two filing cabinets, two
telephones and folding chairs for the
clients to sit on. Hanging on the
bare walls are two calendars and a
map outline of Mexico.
After 16 months since its opening,
El Concilio 's Immigration Project is
in full force helping primarily Mexican nationals who are eligible, immigrate into the United States.
The project is funded by the community and by immigrant clients
who donate what they can.
El Concilio, a local non-profit
umbrella group of Chicano clubs
ancl)>rganizations and sponsors of
the project, donated most of the
office furniture.
·November 1, 1983, marked the
beginnings of the project that sparked some controversy within the community:
Torres and Moreno were both
employees of the Fresno County
Economic Opportunities Commission. It was one of their duties to
help people fill out forms. When a
considerable amount of time was
spent with people who began crowding the office for help in completing
their immigration papers, Torres and
Moreno saw the demand for such a
service.
But the E.O.C. board of commissioners did not approve their idea
for this type of project and requested
that they stop assisting immigrants
in filing out and filing forms with the
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.
With a combined total of 25 years
of working with E.O.C., the two
ladies resigned, only to begin the
Immigration Project sponsored by
El Concilio.
Torres and Moreno began assistin immi rants during their em lo -
By Ben Zayas
Staff Writer
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ment with E.O.C. and this became a
controversial issue within the local
community. Torres said they were
being accused of practicing immigration law and could be liable.
But Torres says they only did the
necessary paperwork. She said it is
not a difficult process, and that on
the average, most of her clients cannot read or write English.
"It didn't take much more for an
attorney or a layperson, graduated
out of eighth grade, to fill out a
form," she said.
Torres said the controversy, which
she believes developed from local
immigration consultants and attorneys who charge for their services,
has led Torres and Moreno to work
at becoming accredited in immigration law.
She said if they are accredited,
this will allo,w them to represent
their clients in court. Although the
project relies only on donations from
the clients and local groups, aid does
not charge any fees; however, there
are certain costs involved in filing
certain papers.
Currently though, Torres said, "If
a person wants to immigrate to this
country, we tell them if they're eligible or not. We're like the ears and
eyes for the attorney."
.see Chicana, page 6
CYC Challenges Dropout Rate
Program, offers a variety of sporting
and social activities as well as
With an alarming 55% dropout counciling and tutorial services.
CYC Director Alfonso Hernandez
rate among Fresno area Chicano
students it is evident that major feels that the Youth Development
steps must be taken in reducing this Program's chief endeavor is to bring
Chicano youth to the "mainstream"
frightening statistic.
Meeting the challenge is the Chi- of society.
"Most of the kids are 'non-maincano Youth Center also known as
Dickey's Playground, located in stream' students that are neglected
by the school system," he said.
downtown Fresno.
"Here we offer projects that are
The CYC, which is funded by
Fresno City Parks and Recreation relevent to the youth. We want them
Department's Youth Development to feel like a part of the institutions
By Ben Zayas
Staff Writer
they attend."
Hernandez said thclt many Chjcano youth are neglected by their
families and that education may not
be a big priority in the household.
Many come from single-parent families on fixed incomes and in this
environment the transition to adulthood can be a difficult one.
"About half (of the Chicano
yo1:1ths) are in and out of juvenile
hall. These are thf.' youths we want in
our programs," he said.
Make no mistake, the CYC is not
•See youth, page 7
The chronological course of religion has shown that new sects of
belief sometimes emerge of an oppressed people, those persecuted by
the imposition of ill-contrived ideals
and their strong armed enforcement
by tyrants and satrapies .
The most recent emergence has
spread throughout Central America
as proponents of Liberation Theology seek to free its people from the
grip of poverty, hunger, · disease,
i.e.,-colonialization.
At a recent discussion held at the
CSUF college union on this subject,
panelists BFenda Sanchez, Jennifer
Colby, and Father Gomez gave
insight to the growing problems in
Central America and the subsequent
appearance of Liberation Theology.
Sanchez, a refugee from El Salvador, is in exile from a country in
turmoil. Through an interpreter,
Sanchez told of her harrowing
·exodus from that country with her
baby and several other Salvadorians.
A ~er of ~tl}e .Christhm.fuel
dent Movement of El Salvador,
Sanchez received money from the
Lutheran church to come to the U.S.
The Lutheran churches in the U.S.
and England are active proponents
of the Liberation Theology movement
According to Sanchez, the government in El Salvador is corrupt and
murderous, making life for the poor
"campesinos" a nightmare.
The campesinos work the land 12
hours a day for $2, not nearly enough
to feed their families.
The country of El Salvador is
divided into states that are owned by
powerful families concerned with
the preservation of wealth. not the
welfare of the campesinos and their
families.
Sanchez said those that protest
the lack of food, wages, or medical
and welfare programs are killed, no
questions asked.
Even the church in El Salvador,
which donates food, clothing, and
other aid to the poor and homeless,
has come under attack from the Salvadorian military.
Sanchez said that U.S. armaments
are being supplied by the Reagan
Administration to El Salvador that
are used to kill her people.
She does not hold the American
people responsible for this tragedy
as she feels we have been misinformed by our government.
To Brenda Sanchez and those like
her that have suffered from the
exploitation of their native homeland, Liberation Theology is the
faith that God will have mercy on
the poor and oppressed and lead
them to refuge.
Panelist Jennifer Colby of the
World Student Christian Movement
.see forum, page 8
Tuesday
La Voz de Aztlan
page2
Editorial
Attack on Sanctuary Movement
obviously flies in the face of reality, along with sanity, as
reports from Amnesty International, the Council on
Hemispheric Affairs, The Salvadoran Human Rights
Commission, and the Catholic Church all document
some of the most flagrant human rights abuses in modern
history.
"In the name of God, in the name of this suffering
people ... stop the repression." These were among the final
words of Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero,
uttered March 23, 1980, the day before he was gunned
down by an assassin of the ultra-right ARENA party.
These same words resound in our hearts and minds once
again as we approach the fifth anniversary of Romero's
death.
In the case of President Reagan, however, they seem to
only fall upon deaf ears. Last year we witnessed his
re-election ~Rd the pronouncement of his perceived
mandate for Ameri~a. It's become increasingly obvious
since November that a prominent focus of said "mand,ate"
includes a green light for escalation of the war in Central
America and a more brazen attack upon solidarity
activists at home.
We saw this in the recent indictment of leaders of the
sanctuary movement in Tucson, Arizona. Attacks on the
sanctuary movement have attracted a great deal of media
attention as. well. The official justification for such
attacks rests squarely upon the oft-repeated premise that
sanctuary activists break the law in the harboring and
transporting of "illegal aliens."
This is consistent with the administration's policy of
maintaining that Central American refugees·(specifically
those-of Guatemala and El Salvador} are not political
r~fugees but here for economic reasons. Such reasoning
lCc-.
..
•
·
Of course if the Reagan Administration gave even tacit
recognition to the political nature of the plight of Central
America's refugees it would, in effect, be acknowledging
the totalitarian infrastructure of its client states. This
would in turn serve to seriously undermine the credibility
of its overall policy within the region.
N_onetheless, the Refugee Act, recognized internationally by the United Nations and signed into U.S. law
by Congress in 1980, clearly calls upon all nations under
the U.N. charter to grant asylum to those who cannot
return to their country of origin because of persecution or
a justifiable fear of persecution. In failing to apply this
law equally to Salvadorans and Guatemalans, as it does
to Cubans, Vietnamese, and Easte~n block emigres, the
U.S. thus stands in direct violation of both international
law and its espoused principl~s of freedom and justice.
_If President Reagan is so eager to enforce the law he
could perhaps start with the Civil Rights Act. For now, at
least, he could best serve just.ice by practicing some of his
own pious rhetoric.
-
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Si SSSS%a SSSS#S
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U.S. fans -S alvadoran air war
In the past trumth, the napalm
bombings of civilian populations,
and the use of U.S. C-4 7 gunships to
attack unarmed civilian populations
in norther!} and eastern parts of El
Salvador has alarmed human rights
organizations throughout the world.,
Behind a wall of silence in the U.S ..
news media, the Reagan administration is rapidly escalating the war in
El Salvador.
The rapid infusion of U.S. military
aid, particularly helicopters and gunships, has increased the Salvadoran
army's attacks on civilian populations, and has undermined the fragile
peace talks between the government
and the Farabundo Marti National
Liberation Front/ Democratic Revolutionary Front (FMLN / FDR)
which began amid much public fanfare last September.
I
U.S. milit1.ry role grows
In 1984, the U.S. military aid to .El
Salvador was twice the year before-and even more deadly. Over
the past few months, the Reagan
administration has transformed the
Salvadoran Air Force into the largest
in Central America. In December,
the U.S. doubled the number of UH1 "Huey" helicopters in El Salvador
to 35, and ten more were approved
by Congress in February.
In January, the Salvadoran army
received two C-47 gunships, which
earned the nickname Puff the Magic
Dragon in Vietnam because of the
deadly fire power of their .50 caliber
machine guns pumpihg out 1500
rounds per minute. The U.S. has
.also provided more than a dozen
other warplanes capable of being
o·utfitted with the same anti-civilian
machine guns.
Even more ominously, the Penta- gon announced in November that
the now annual military exercises
.with U.S. and Honduran troops
(ibis year called_Big Pine III) will be
lconducted in Honduras and El
Salvador. These maneuvers, which
place tJ.S. armed forces right on
Salvadoran soil, are considered by ·
the FMLN /FDR to be an invasion
of their country.
The I_I1assive U.S. military aid
increase to El Salvadqr represem.:
another desperate attempt to stem
the advances of the revolutionary
The Salvadoran Army has
always relied on terror to
suppress any civilian protest
While the White House may want
to keep it quiet, the evidence of the
FMLN's gains is abundant. In Decembef and January, the FMLN
expanded the war zone (o San
Vicente, just 40 miles from the capital city, San Salvador. In the past
two months, the FMLN wiped out
two army companies in the area. As
well, the FMLN has extended the
liberated zones, where it has established Popular Power government
bodies, health care and a major
literacy campaign.
"The key to our success," explains
an FMLN / FD_R representative in
the U.S., "is-that we have the complete support of the people." The
Salvadoran Army, on the other
hand, has no popular support. A
local mayor reported that when the
Army tried to form civilian defense
units in San Vicente, "the people
told the army that it would be better
to leave than to form a civil defense~"
It is not just the 40% unemployment rate ~nd rising inflation, that
makes the government unpopular.
The Salvadoran Army has always
relied on terror to suppress any civilian protest: this repression, which
has taken the lives of tens of thousands of workers, peasants and students in the past five years, has
earned the army and government
the hatred of the people of El
Salvador.
severe political crisis in the precarious government of President Jose
Napoleon Duarte. Just six months
ago-shortly after he was elected
President in highly suspect elections- '
Duarte proclaimed himself a "man
of peace" and began talking with the
FMLN, which had been seeking
negotiations for three years. But he
has now postponed the next round
of talks twice, raising serious questions about the future for this
dialogue.
The right wing political party
ARENA, which has its base in the
oligarchy with strong ties to the
Army, dominates the Legislative Assembly and Supreme Court and is
using its muscle to hold Duarte hostage to their plans-threatening his
plans for the March elections and
even posing the question of impeachment.
As FMLN/FDR leader Ruben
Zamora explains, "Duarte has encountered strong opposition within
the military sectors to the continuation of the dialogue."
Whether Duarte will be able to
withstand the pressure of the Army
and the lawless right-wing death
squads and continue the peace talks
is now an open question. But with
the Reagan administration committing more deadly firepower to the
brutal Salvadoran Army, the possibility for an early end to El SAivador's six-year-long civil war seems
remote.
movement. The FMLN is continuing
to gain ground in its popular war to
liberate the Salvadoran people from
a government that has brought them
nothing but continued poverty, repression and death.
In the midst of the Christmas
cease-fire, agreed on in the last round
of peace talks, agents of the National
Guard abducted Janet Samour Has bun
and Maximina Reyes Villatoro, both
members of the FMLN, in their
home city of San Miguel. Both
This article is an excerpt from
women are still missing and an inter- Political crisis in government
national campaign has been launched
The U.S. decision to up the ante in "For Peace and Solidarity" March,
to demand their safety.
El Salvador's war has produced a 1985.
March 12, 1985
La Voz de Aztlan
page 3
Prof says there's always a way
,,---~~~-~------i-----.lJ!l!ll...
By Jaime Juarez
Staff Writer
Name: Manuel R. Garcia
Position: Professor of Industrial Arts
Birthplace: Riverbank, California
Birthdate: August 4, 1926
Education: B.A., M.A., CSU Fresno
Years on staff: 16
Professor Manuel Garcia tells his
students to succeed in his class, they
have to perform. "It doesn't matter
how r:nuch experience, knowledge,
or skill you bring into the classroom," Garcia emphasizes "if you
don't do the work and 'perform
you 're not going to make it."
Pr~fessor Garcia speaks from past
expe~iences. At a very young age, he
lost his father durin2 the Depression
leaving a family of eleven to rely oi{
governmental assistance and hard
work--performance. "The state use
to give us fifteen dollars a month ...
but one summer when I was twelve I
started to work, so they cut my
~oney off. I paid my way through
high school and even helped with the
house."
After Garcia's father died, he and
the rest of his family, living in
Riverbank, Ca., a small town near
Modesto, put their trust in his eldest
brother, Max, who according to
Garcia kept the family together.
"Max had to quit school and work
so they wouldn't put the rest of us
kids in homes. We would all work
for a dollar a day and then go to the
welfare and buy sacks of potatoes or
Professor Garica of the Industrial Arts Dept. emphasize~ hard work
,and performance to his students.
beans or whatever."
draft was on (World War II), and I
Professor Garcia actually started didn't want to get drafted into the
out late in his career. After graduat- army so I joined the navy."
ing from Oakdale High School, he
After two years in the Service,
married his high school sweetheart Garcia came back to Modesto where
and worked for a short time with the he worked at a machine shop. HowU.S. Forest Service. He then entere-d ever, he was recalled to serve during
the navy because as he put it, "The the Korean War, and it wasn't until
Forum
By Albert Robles
Staff Writer
The subject of U.S. militarism
was addressed in a forum which
took place on the evening of Feb.
7th in the College Union. The Forum
on Militarism, which was jointly
sponsored by the Campus Latin
American Support Committee, Las
Adelitas, M.E.Ch.A., Student Christian Movement, and La Raza Studies
consisted ofa panel of five speakers.
Mario Huerta and Rebecca Sanchez,
who are the respective chairpersons
of M.E.Ch.A. and Las Adelitas,
provided introductions for the five
panelists.
The first speaker was Professor
Bob Allison of the Economics Dept.
who presented the topic of "Militarism and World Views" outlining
a historic overview on the development of U.S. militarism since WWII.
The U.S. has been the major hegemonic power since the second world
war; he said, as well as "the only
country that came out of WWI I better off then when we went into it."
Following the war, the U.S.,
according to Allison, took on the
new role of "defending capitalism
internationally." The U.S. filled the
void left by the many European
colonial powers still recovering from
the effects of the war and set into
motion the process of "neo-colonialism" around the "export of capital."
Dr. Allison stated that in order to
safely export capital you have to be
able to "protect your property by
when he was thirty-five that he
started going to college. While
working part-time as a janitor at a
Modesto church, he went to Modesto
Junior College and later to Fresno
State College where he received a
Bachelors Arts degree, Masters degree, Secondary and Vocational
Teaching Credentials.
Professor Garcia is currently the
advisor for Mex- Tech (MexicanAmerican Students in Industrial
Technology), a Chicano club on
campus for students interested in all
aspects of Industrial Technology.
Garcia also serves on the Academic
Senate Committee on campus.
Garcia, a father of three boys
works with the Boy Scouts (he used
to lead a troop of handicapped
Scouts) and he also manages to
devote extra time to students who
ne:d a little !11ore tha~just a teacher.
I I have kids come 10 here with all
sorts of problems ... sometimes I
invite them over to my house and we
have coffee and try to work things
out."
For Professor Garcia there is
always a way if you only perform.
Garcia recalls when he was a young
boy and the people at the local
public swimming pool wouldn't let
him and his friends enter because
they were Mexicans. So as Garcia
puts it, ''We got on our bikes and
rode to a pond in the mountains and
skinny-dipped there ... l think we had
more fun there than we could have
had in the other place." For Manuel.
Garcia, there is always a way.
allll'!!'llllllll--lllllll!l......,_..1961
on
military force," citing initial suecesses by the U.S. in such countries
as Korea, Guatemala, Iran, Ind onesia, and Chile. The big change in thfs
development took place, he said,
during the late 1960's and early 70's
centering around the two basic
things.
The first, according to Allison,
was the war in Vietnam wherein the
· U.S. spent an unprecedented level of
,
•
M i I i t a r .i s m
we did during the Vietnam period,
we're just going to have the guns,"
which will mean calling upon people
to "engage in a patriotic lowering of
their standard of living."
Dr. Allison said that this is brought
about by a well orchestrated campaign which centers around a "threepronged attack" the first of which is
anti-communism. This involves convincing people of a "communist
t•k
"we re not going to have guns and butter I e
we did during the Vietnam period, we're just
going to have guns,"
--Allison
military force. "W ff? lost even though threat" sufficient to justify a prowe laid out more military explosives gram of massive rearmament. "If we
than all of the weapons used in have any interest whatsoever in
WWII by both sides." Citing the stopping the arms race, one of the
casualty figures (60,000 U.S. troops first things we're going to have to
and roughly 1.5 million Southeast come to grips with is the dishonesty
Asians) Allison said that this ushered around the propaganda of anti-comin a new era for American foreign munism."
The second justification of rearpolicy.
The second development, during mament is "national chauvinism,"
this same period, was that the Soviet or blind patriotism. Citing state- Union had achieved parity in nuclear ments by President Reagan, Allison
weaponry with the U.S. As a result brought out the notion that "the
the U.S. has undergone massive American standard of living is at
rearmament in order to overcome ,stake," and that "God is on our
what Allison called the "Post Viet- side."
The third point of Dr. Allison's
nam Syndrome."
analysis
was racism, as he stated that
Another cost of the Vietnam war,
"two
thirds
of the people in the
Allison mentioned, was the record
world
that
go
to bed hungry at night
inflation which resulted. To avoid
are
generally
brown or black."
inflation he stated that "we're not
going to have guns and butter like Domestically racism fits into what
he called a "racilized austerity program." a part of which is "white priviledge" which serves to separate
most white people from its worst
effects. "It's no accident that say
55% of white, male union members
voted for Reagan and at the same
time almost 90% of black people
voted against him."
The second speaker was Rick
Chacon, former M.E.Ch.A chairperson and current chair of the
Fresno Latin American Support
Committee, who spoke on the history of U.S. intervention in the
countries of Nicaragua, Guatemala,
and El Salvador.
_
"Every time that there is a source
of unrest the U.S. government has
pointed their finger at Cuba or
Russia saying that they have influenced it." Chacon emphasized the
history of poverty and social injustice in Latin America as the real
source of unrest saying that "all of us
would be doing the same thing if we
were in that same situation. To not
fight for your brothers and sisters
who are being killed is inhuman."
On Nicaragua Chacon stated that
"the Somoza dictatorship was the
longest dictatorship in Central
American history ... why did the U.S.
support it?" He then provided an
analysis of how U.S. corporations
had seized control of Nicaragua's
land during the I 920's which led to a
general strike in 1926. The U.S.
.see milltarlsm1 Page 8
page 4
La Voz de Aztlan
Tuesday
EXPRESIONE
God!
Far,
far in my past
when I learned Spanish,
I went to the sacred mountain
and spoke to the Lord.
"I am your slave," I said.
"You are my religion,
your path is my path,
your will my love. "
But the Lord did not answer.
He slipped away
like the wind
striking against my face.
A hundred years later,
I returned to the sacred mountain
and spoke to the Creator.
"I am your work," I said.
"I owe you what I am."
But the Lord did not answer.
He slipped away
like a dream with wings.
A hundred years later,
I returned to the sacred mountain
and spoke to the Lord.
"I am your son," and I feel.
"Your love has been my life,
my aim has been your source
in this way, I will reach your heaven."
But the Lord would not listen
He continued to slip away ...
"My God! My greatest labor ·
I am past, you are future
I am the man, you are my God.
Together we shall lodge
before the face of the sun."
The Creator stopped
and turned!
Speaking in Spanish
in divine words
that in these lines were left.
And like the ocean to its river
the Creator reached out ...
As I decended into the valleys,
I found myself with the Lord.
Raulo Z. Monero
Translated by Jaime R. Juarez
No tengo un solo r
que ustedes quieran
que fui a Tijuana.
Arizona en los Estad s
s04, mexicana has
, u
d ec,amos cuando er o
orgullo de la raza. T
gente porque. pobr
nos como nosotros.
504 mexicana pr
espalfol, com( tortm
pan 4 hamburgues u
escuche fue la m6s
mandolinas.
Sin embargo nu
serias, como eso de
naci mexicana? As(
criada con el orgul
siento ligada al pa( iI
pero no tengo lealta e
explicar como me si
dido, el total de lo q o
en este pa(s.
Mucho de lo que
pero eso es parte
doblemente bende
mexico-americana.
cita_que dice. tu cultura? Como se c
encias culturales dif
Cuando escucho n
chera, cuando algu· u
contesto que esto4
oigo este idioma ta
que no s~ compara
Jorge Duan4 ··sient
una absurda peso
0
Dios!
Muy lejos en mi pasado,
cuando aprendf espanol
fui a la sagrada montaiia
y hablt! con el Senor.
"Yo soy tu esclavo," le dije.
T~ eres mi religi&n,
tu camino es mi camino
y tu voluntad mi amor."
Pero el Senor no me contesto
Siguicf de largo
como el viento
que me golpea la cara.
Cien, aiios despuls,
.,
volv1 a la sagrada montana
y hablt con el Creador.
!Tr
"Soy tu obra," le deje.
"Y le debo lo que soy."
Pero el Senor no me contesto'
Siguio de largo,
como un sue"iio con alas.
Cien,anos despufs,
.
volv1 a la sagrada monta1ia
y hable con el Creador.
"Soy tu hijo." Y lo sentfa
"Tu amor ha sido mi vida
y mi meta tu venero.
Asr alcanzar( tu cielo.
i
§
L----
Pero el Seltor no me hic(a caso
Segufa de largo ...
"Dios mio'.
Mi mayor afan
ti
Soy pasado y tu futuro
Soy el hombre y tt mi Dios
Juntos nos alojaremos
ante la cara del sol."
~
JEI Creador
volvicf la cara!
~
Hablandome en espanol,
bellas divinas palabras
queen este escrito dejo
y como el mar a SU no,
el Creador me abrazo...
• descendar a los valles,
~l
me encontre con el Senor!
Raul Z. Moreno
'
Al fin de la batal/a,
y muerto el combatiente, vino hacia 11 un hombre
y le dijo ''iNo mueras; te amo tanto!"
Pero el cadlver lay! sigui<f muriendo.
Se le acercaron dos y repitilronle:
'~No nos dejes! !Valor! iVue/ve a La Vidal"
Pero el cadaver ay ! siguiS muriendo.
Acudieron. a II veinte cien, mil, quinientos mil,
c/amando: "ITanto amor, y no voder nada contra la mue
Pero· el cadaver lay! siguio mu;iendo.
Le rodearon mil/ones de individuos,
con un ruego com{m!" Quedate hermano!"
Pero el cadSver ay ! siguit:fmuriendo.
Entonces todos los homres de la tierra
le rodearo;; /es viJ el cad!ver triste, emocionado;
incorporose, lentamente,
abrazcf al primer hombre; echtse a andar ...
IO noviembre 1937
Cesar Vallejo
March 12, 1985
La V oz de Aztlan
page 5
CHICANO
Mexico, a no ser
cuenta una vez
nia. Yo nae( en
e America, pero
s cachas. As(
para demostrar
ima de la demos
no eran mexica-
In Response to Omar, the Crazy Gypsy
0
Yeah, I understand Mexican.
I learned it from the grade school teacher
who couldn't pronounce my name
and slapped my knuckles
with her wooden ruler
whenever I spoke incorrectly.
era lengua fue
antes de comer
ica que primero
guitarras 4 las
f learned it from the heavy faced Father O'Brien
who delivered Mass in English
to attentive campesinos
and told me to put my hope in God.
sado de cosas
o? o-de<por que
·os 4 aunque fui
exicana no me
. 504 mexicana
ico. Es mu4 difbl
lo que he apren-,
a es porque nae,
I learned it from the cholos
who squatted with cigarette fingered hands
against the sweaty poolhalls
and watched cars drive by.
I learned it from the red faced German farmer
who spat tobacco from his Ford Stepside
and said picking grapes
was good for me.
o ha sido penoso,
ad. Y me siento
ios, porque so4
veces una voceomo puede negar
nciliar a dos her-
I learned it from my father
whose eyes are as burnt and listless
as grape trays in the sun.
.,
una canc,on rana 4 40 con gusto
tJe la vida, cuando
lleno de emocion
onces como dice
ion en el pecho 4
ganta.
Yeah, Omar, I understand Mexican.
t
llegos Biggers
.
I'
,
S1, Yo se del mexicano.
Lo apr1nd(de mi maestra-no sab1a decir mi nombre,
y me golpeaba las manos
con su regla de madera
cada que hablaba incorrecto.
Lo aprendfdel padre O'Brien
q ue decia misa en inglts
al atento campesino
que no lograba entender
y el remedio que nos daba
era no perder la fe
Jaime R. Juarez
,
Lo aprend1 de los cholos
que sentados en cuclillas
y con el cigarro en mano.
La pasan frente al billar
viendo los carros pasar
f
0
En Respuesta -a Omar--Gitano Loco
I
Lo aprend(de un ranchero
aleman de, cara roja
que escup1a el tabaco
desde su Ford Stepside.
Me decia que el pizcar uvas
era bueno para mi.
~~~t<,>~
:s
Lo aprendf de mi padre
cuyos ojos se queman y slentristecen
come uvas entabladas bajo el sol.
When the battle was over,
and the fighter was dead, a man came toward him
and said to him: "Do not die; I love you sol"
But the corpse, it was sad! went on dying.
And two came near, and told him again and again:
"Do not leave uslCourage! Return to life!"
But the corpse, it was sad! went on dying.
Twenty arrrived, a hundred, a thousand, five hundred
thousand, shouting: "So much love, and it can do nothing against death/"
But the corpse, it was sad! went on dying.
Millions of persons stood around him,
all speaking the same thing "Stayhere, brother!"
But the corpse, it was sad! went on dying.
The all the men on the earth
stood around him; the corpse looked at them sadly, deeply moved;
he sat up slowly,
put his arms around the first man; started to walk ...
translated by Robert Bly 1962
/
/
Si, Omar. Yo se del mexicano.
Jaime R. Juarez
Traducido por Raul Z. Moreno
page 6
La Voz de Aztlan
Tuesday
'No Nos Dejaremos Veneer Siendo Educados'
'IfEducted We Shall Not be Defeated'
-CYC
The Chicano Youth Conference, organized by M.E.Ch.A., was held January 12,
1985, at California State University,
Fresno for the twelveth consecutive year,
with an estimated number of 1600 youths
in attendance.
Many came from as far as Los Angeles
and Sacramento to learn about a variety
. of career options open to them, and about
issues that directly affect the Chicano
community.
The keynote speaker, Dr. Alex Saragosa, history professor at U.C. Berkeley,
spoke about the cultural differences in the
school system, and the negative realities
that still persist.
He contends that we are not aware of
the power that we have 'To the extent of
our (own) ignorance people can take
advantage of (usi... Knowledge is Power.'
.Chicana
continued from page 1
"'You have to know something
about immigration to appreciate
what we're doing and to know what
the consultant does out there.
"On a survey that we have taken,
the cheapest consultant that will
immigrate a process, costs no less
than $500. I've done cases like that
for $20," she said.
Besides the cost involved, Torres
said many co·nsultants in the post
-kept their client's documents such as
birth certificates and would not
return them until they pay the fee.
But recent laws regulating immigration consultants requires them to
provide a contract guaranteeing the
client that his paperwork will at least
be completed.
Although the Immigration Project only aids in completing and filing immigration forms, Torres and
Moreno try to advise the client how
to prepare for his appointment.
Torres stressed that there are certain criteria involved to immigrate
into the United States legally.
zens and legal residents can immigrate Mexican nationals into the
United.States. Because of the number
of categories a Mexican national
can be eligible under, she strongly
suggests them contacting her.
To become an American legal resident, immigrants need to prove that
they have been living in the United
States for at least seven years; that
they have good moral character;
that they have been a law abiding
citizen during their seven year stay;
and have been paying income tax,
she said.
The Silva-Levy Letter, an employment authorization letter that is no
longer valid, stated that undocumented Mexicans who had been
residing in the United States before
July 4, 197 6, and who had American
born children, be given legal resident status with the option to appeal
the case if they were refused residency.
But since 1982, the Letter was no
longer considered a valid document
for immigrating into the country.
She said at that time, many cuban
refugees were assigned Visa numbers
that were supposed to be assigned to
Mexican immigrants.
Often people go directly to the
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization office based in San Francisco to
immigrate into the country on the
basis of the Silva-Levy Letter. Within
30 days, she said, they are set up for
a hearing with an Immigration judge
in San Francisco to determine whether
they can immigrate into the country.
If the judge denies them residency,
they are then scheduled to be deported legally.
Suspension of deportation is the
biggest type of problem the Immigration Project handles, she said.
Torres said there are many minor
preparations that immigrants need
to understand, such as making
copies of the documents they need to
submit. She said too often, they turn
over their original documents and
are later unable to show proof that
they had documents.
Torres said her inspiration for
taking part in starting such a project
came from a man who seeked her
help, to immigrate into the country.
The man, she said, had been hid-
ing in the mountains with his family
for some time. After news of the
Silva-Levy Letter, he went to an
immigration consultant to aid him
in immigrating into the country.
Torres said the consultant charged
the man $1,000 which he paid, but
had nothing to·show for it.
Torres, angered by the incident
said, "Here we are, supposedly a
very rich and sensitive country and
what really hurt was that the Mejicano [Mexican] was doing in the
Mejicano [Mexican].
"This is•when we found out that
we not only need to assist them, but
y,1e need to give information on the
immigrant's rights," she said.
Despite how much Torres and
Moreno want to help people immigrate inot the country, Torres spoke
of a goal. She said their goal is for
people to go to the immigration
office and ask for information themselves.
"There shouldn't be an office like
this [the Immigration Project] anywhere. Immigration should be a
very simple process," she said. "There
shouldn't be a thousand consultants."
Scholarships Available
C.B.S.A.
Chicano Staff Organization
Deadline: March 22, 1985
Qualifications:
• enrolled tor 12 units or more at CSUF
• completed one semester of college at CSUF
• 2.5 G.P.A.
• school I community Involvement
Contact: La Raza Studies, EOP, or SAA Outreach
CCNMA
Cal. Chicano News Media Assn.
Deadline: March 29, 1985
:
Qualifications:
• Latino residing In Central C~I.
• Jr.I Sr. college status as of Fall '85
• 2.0 G.P.A.
• interest In print and I or broadcast media
Contact: Alicia Maldonado, ph. 251-4811
Chicano Business Student Assn.
Deadline: March 29,
Qualifications:
• tu/I-time student
1985
•2.0 G.P.A .
• shows Interest In the needs of Chicano community
• financial need
Contact: La Raza Studies Dept.
Minority Scholarship Program
Meredith Corp. Broadcasting Group
Deadline: May 1, 1985 (postmarked)
Qualifications:
• permanent resident of ADI
•minority
• enrolled at 4 yr. univerlsty or college .
• tu/I-time Soph I Jr. Status
• Journallsm or R-TV Ma/or
Contact: CSUF Journalism Dept. or KSEE, Ch. 24
March 12, 1985
La Voz de Aztlan
Noticiero Via Satellite
Feb. 2, 1848:-1985
By Marla Bergeron
Staff Writer
An event commemorating the signing of the Treaty of Guadelupe
Hildago, which documented the ruthless acquisition of Mexican
land by the U.S. was held at the Hacienda de los Amigitos and
co-sponsored by La Unida Party, American Indian Movement, and
the American Indian Treaty Council.
As pictured above, the event included traditional Indian dancing
by young people.
This issue is dedicated to our companera Dr. Lea
Ybarra for her continued support to Chicano students and service to our community.
§ ~ §
• Youth
continued from page 1
a harbor for juvenile delinquents.
On the contrary, Hernandez said
that all participants in the center's
activities know that swearing, drugs,
and fighting are prohibited.
"We are not fighting each other,"
he said. "We are organizing."
Hernandez said that organization
is the method in which Chicanos can
begin to solve their unique problems.
"It must be working in one way or
another because we 're stopping the
gang problems in Fresno. We've
been able to do things that have
never happened here before," he
said.
Working closely with a number of
local MEChA clubs., the CYC offers
many activities to local youth
throughout the year.
Dances~ car shows, pop and break
competitions, car washes, and
picnics are some of the activities that
youth can participate in.
The CYC also sponsorers athletic
teams in volleyball, softball, basketball, and football for junior high,
high school, and other community
page 7
youth that play Fresno area school
and park teams.
Athletic tournaments are held
regularly, bringing squads from a
number of valley MEChA organizations to Fresno to participate.
The CYC also sponsers trips to
professional basketball games,
making these events available to
those who may not otherwise have
the opportunity.
Hernandez also encourages the
youths to express themselves through
art, and the CYC makes the necessary
materials available.
The center is decorated by a
number of paintings done by junior
high and high school students as
well as high school dropouts and
former prisoners.
The artwork does n'o t depict the
pathos of the plight of the Chicano
as in the past. Instead, the paintings
are bright, colorful, and positive in
nature. Chicanos are portrayed as a
strong, concerned, and motivated
people making strides toward the
improvement of our current situations-our future.
"It is important that they understand and express their culture,"
Hernandez said.
Chicano youth also print their
own informative newsletter at the
center which not only serves to
inform of upcoming events but also
fornia Arts Council, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
through Satellite Project Fund / National Public Radio. In the first
week of March, they will know if
CPB will fund the remainder of it.
"They have shown strength in
their committment to the minority
community," said Jeanne Dotterweich,
development director of N oticiero
Latino.
Support for the program has also
come from other entities such as the
Mexican American Legal Defense
and Educational Fund. The people
are beginning to realize that "to have
something else available improves
the market; Now, they'll have a
choice," said Dotterweich.
The reporters for Noticiero Latino
also represent the diversity of the
locations where the program will be
aired. Western Community Bilingual
Radio and additional independent
producers will contribute to the pro-
Five years ago Radio Bilingue
aired for the first time, broadcasting
relevant and important news information that Latinos in the Fresno
and surrounding areas would not
otherwise receive.
Today that idea has transcended
into a five minute news program
that will be broadcasted via satellite
to other Spanish-speaking communities throughout the United States.
At noon on March 1, if you tune
your FM radio dial to KSJV-91, you
and a listener in Portland, Oregon,
or Stoneybrook, New York, or even
Las Cruces, New Mexico, will hear
Noticiero Latino-the first Spanish
daily radio newscaS t to be emitted to
such a large number of liS t eners.
The program will focus on issues
Such as the arts, civil rights, unemployment, a nd labor a nd immigration legislation which affect
the daily lives of Latinos.
Giving as an example what the
program will be Samuel Orozco,
executive director of Noticiero La
tino and news ao d information
director of Radio Bilingue, said it
would "give [Latino] news a front
page attention."
"The Latino community is under
served in terms of information," he
said. "They can't cast their information from the mainstream media."
The program will also try to serve
the farmworkers through "Aconteser
Campesin.o," a five minute feature
report accompanying the newscast
every Friday.
National Pulrlic Radio- will distribute the program from San Francisco to a satellite after receiving the
signal from Fresno through a telephone line. From the satellite, the 19
radio stations interested so far will
be able to pick up Noticiero Latino.
So far Radio Bilingue has received
a third of the $300,000 it needs for
one year's programming from the
Rosenber~ Foundation, The Cali-
gram. Even volunteers from the 5
bilingual radio stations throughout
California will be contributing.
"That's important," said Bacilio
Maci~l, trainer and technical director
of KSJV. "It's going to be a good
experience for everyone. It's experience that they won't be able to
get anywhere else," he said.
And the staff of N oticiero Latino
seems to reflect that belief, too. They
are positive about the project, because it's a vehicle in which Latin~s
can better prepare themselves, said
O~ozco.
.
. .
~nformat1on a~d commum~atton
are mtegratparts m the e}evat1onof
anyone's consciousness," said
Orozco.
.1~he staff ~embers have a ~trong
feeh~g ~f. pnde, for belon~mg to
Radto Btlmgue and for havmg the
opportunity!~ develo? such a progr~m, as !'f?tzczero Latmo.
.
I! s givm~ us an opp_ortumty of
servmg .~ bigger ~ortlon of the
country, Orozco said.
to spread the word about the importance of education.
It is well-written, communicative,
and positive~ offering Chicano youth
another means by which to express
themselves.
Hernandez feels that being involved in something constructive
could motivate youths · who have
dropped out of school to return to
the classrooms.
"We've got kids that .are going to
college now that used to be on the
streets," he said.
The CYC is restricted by limited
funds but Hernandez feels that the
counciling and tutoring programs
have been beneficial.
"We offer group and organizational counciling to the kids. We
don't have. the staff to do one-onone counciling," he said.
Youths with basic classroom problems can ask for tutoring help,
depending on how critical the situation is.
Hernandez said that the Youth
Development Program receives aid
from the United Way Foundation
for tutoring services, but that the
majority of tutors and councilors
are volunteers.
According to Hernandez, for each
paid staff member there are 30 to 50
volunteers, which makes all the
activities possible.
Volunteers are of all ages, including CSU F students, willing to
donate their time to help anyway
they can.
According to Hernandez, the CYC
encourages college students to volunteer and serve as 'role models' to
Chicano youth, so that the youths
may see it is possible.to pursue their
education.
These 'role models' may also help
to develop youth Jeadership among
the Chicano youth.
Hernandez said that the center is a
place where the youths can feel at
home, meet new people, and make
friends.
Rosaura "Chubby" Calderon, a
sophmore at Fresno High School
said she "hopes the park never closes
down because a lot of people make
friends here and that's an important
part of growing up."
Frank Ayala, a freshman at Fresno
City College majoring in business
administration, said the center helps
to "get your mind off of things."
It keeps you out of trouble," he
added," Everybody is really friendly
here."
"The most important thing is to
show the kids that you care and that
they are important," said Hernandez,
"And we've got something to offer
them. We are all working together to
do something for the community."
/)
page 8
La Voz de Aztlan
.Militarism
continued from page 3
responded by sending in the Marines
who, after a protracted struggle were
eventually driven out in 1933 by the
Nicaraguan people led by Augusto
Cesar Sandino.
By this time the U.S. had installed
Anastacio Somoza Garcia who had
then gained control of the military.
"Somoza did whatever the U.S.
wanted," stated Chacon. He pointed
out that under Somoza 50% of the
children would starve to death before
age five, and that 60% of the land
was controlled by industries owned
by Somoza's family.
Following the revolutionary triumph in July 1979 which succeeded
in C)verthrowing the Somoza dicta_torship Chacon stated that the Frente
Sandinista, which took its na.me
from Sandino the country's legendary hero, began many reforms in
education, health care, and housing.
Because the government had nationalized the country's industries
Chacon said the "U.S. wanted to
make an example of them." This, he
said took the form of mining the
country's harbors, training and supplying the contras, and making illegal
reconnaissance flights over Nicaraguan airspace.
Like Nicaragua, Guatemala's history is also one of dictatorial rule.
According to Chacon 80% of all
Guatemalans suffer malnutrition.
About thirty years ago, he said that
Guatemala enjoyed a "brief period
of democracy" following the election of Jacobo Arbenz and the enactment of an agrarian reform program. The United Fruit Co., the
largest single landowner at the time,
lobbied against Arbenz' reforms
which resulted, eventually, in a communist conspiracy and .a military
coup.
Chacon stated that the resentment
of the Guatemalan people \1/aS so
strong that when then Vice-president Nixon went · down there it
turned into what he called "one of
the lousiest, most embarrasing visits
ever in recent history. People were
throwing signs at him, throwing
tomatoes at him, they couldn't even
drive the caravan of cars through the
street."
In El Salvador the land has been
under the control of fourteen different families for the past fifty years.
In 1932 an uprising of peasants and
campesinos was led by Farabundo
Marti against the plantation owners.
Chacon mentioned that again the
U.S. intervened militarily coming
to the aid of the Salvadoran National
Guard so that "within two weeks
30,000 people were killed."
Chae,on said that now "70% of the
land is owned by 3% of the population, you have half the children
dying before age five once again, the
average educational level is 1.5
years." He described recent events
which include in 1980, the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero,
who was slain while giving mass, the
L
A
Editor
Marcella Martinez
V
Staff
Maria Bergeron, Danny Chacon
Raul Moreno, Albert Robles,
Pat Reyes, Ben Zayas
O
z
Artist
Perry Angel
closing of the University of San Sal- duction of young, poor, and minorvador, and the murders of four ity men into the armed services."
North American churchwomen.
Torrez attributes this to the scarIn closing he read a statement by city of job opportunities available to
Robert White, the-former ambassa- young people and that the military,
dor to El Salvador, which read in because of the propaganda and the
part, "It doesn't take a communist to advertisement it puts out, represents
tell people that they are starving.
"a very enticing and interesting field
"Revolutions are not exported, to get into."
revolutions are- not bananas and
According to Torrez the draft can
sugarcane and coffee that can be be a "very destructive process" where
exported, revolutions are home people who enter the military lose
grown," said Chacon.
their rights to decide where they live
The next speaker was A.S. legisla- and go, as well as their rights to pritive Vice president Ann Johnston vacy and freedom of speech. he
who spoke to the audience about her stated that the military is composed
recent trip to El Salvador with a of over 50% minority, mostly in the
delegation of the United States Stu- infantry, and that in the event of a
dent Association where they -visited war an individual perceived to be
the University of San Salvador. She unjust he would lack the option of
described the current situation in El refusing to participate without facSalvador stating that there are fifty ing a court-martial.
American advisors at work in the
Torrez said that he had seen a
country and about 120 Marines, great deal of discontent among
along with about 400 Salvadoran people who have been in the milimilitary personel, needed to guard tary as well as many who are disthe American embassy. "That's the couraged because of a lack of inforfeeling the people of El Salvador mation and legal assistance. For
those not facing economic hardships
have for our government."
Johnston spoke of the bombings Torrez said it can then be "a matter
directed against rebel strongholds, of conscience. But for millions of
particularly within an area called young people there is no choice."
In closing Torrez stated that
Guazapa located outside San Salvador. "At night we would try to throughout the history of the milsleep in our hotel room and we could itary "it has not been a · question of
hear the bombing off in the dis- whether we'd like to get into the sertance." She said that this is part of vice because of our feelings of strong
an overall strategy to harass the patriotism," but rather, "an ecocampesino and peasant population nomic push" as a means of escaping
in order to erode the guerrilla's the despair of joblessness.
The final speaker was David
stronghold which is among the very
poor of El Salvador. These are Rodriguez who related his experaccompanied by psychological tac- ience as a Vietnam veteran to the
tics used on the population which question of militarism. Rodriguez
include propaganda films she said said that at the time he went into the
are "heavy with religious symbols." Army he had no idea what he was
Upon visiting a refugee camp getting into. "I experienced some
Johnston said that she saw the effects things that I never in my life dreamed
of the air attacks on the population. that this government that I love
These included bullet wounds, phos- would put me into."
Referring to the bronze star and
phorous burns, and other injuries
inflicted by U.S. built planes and accomodation medals he received
helicopters. "Often they described Rodriguez stated that "it's a bunch
them as big birds that came out of of bullshit, it don't mean nothing, it
the sky with death." She described doesn't bring back any of those lives
also how young children are already that I saw die." As a result of his
organized into work brigades. "You
see kids that are maybe three and
four years old that stand and have
expressions and take postures like
continued from page 1
adults; kids that can tell you how Latin American-North American
they saw their mother or their father, Project said that Americans must
or their brother or sister killed."
take a firm stand and support the
Johnston noted-the possibility that oppressed of Central America.
Reagan may soon be sending AmerColby said that Reagan's religion
ican troops down to El Salvador is backed by big money and that
which, she stated, may include "a lot Christians in the u .S. must work for
of men in this room that may be true justice, not unilateral idealisms
asked to go d?wn _their to fight." She of religion and politics.
stated that it's important to ask . "People themselves must read
who's interests you're going down scripture and formulate their own
their to die for. "Their's one thing beliefs."
that was repeatedly mentioned over
This, said Colby, is what propoand over again in El Salvador," she nents of Liberation Theology have
stated in closing, "that when Ameri- done in their quest for freedom, as
cans come in they can come in, but other oppressed peoples have done
they're not going to leave."
in the past.
Mario Torrez, of the La Raza
Father Gomez of the St. Claret
Draft Information Center spoke on Parish in Fresno worked closely
the draft and its effect upon minor- with Central American refugees
ity communities. He said that al- while in Los Angeles and knows of
though there's only draft registra- the hardships suffered by the masses
tion at this time there is still "an there.
ongoing and unquestioned introAccording to Father Gomez,
over 60,000 Salvadorians have been
Typesetter
assasinated and another 300,000
Sylvia Cruz
have been misplaced in Southern
Contributer
California. He feels that U.S. politRobbie DiMesio , Lane Turner,
ics, especially those of the Reagan
Mario Huerta
administration, are partly culpable
Photography
for the oppression of Central
Akemi Miyana
America.
"Reagan wants prayer in schools
.forum
Tuesday
exposure to agent orange (a chemical defoliant used in the war) he said
that he and his wife had lost three
babies, that he gets reoccuring rashes,
numbness in his fingers, and "numerous nightmares."
Upon returning home from the
war Rodriguez couldn't get served
in a restaurant until he got rid of his
uniform, couldn't afford to go to
school, and had to fight for one year
through the red tape before seeing
any of his disability pay. He told the
audience that for the past ten years
he struggled to place everything into
perspective while dealing with the
depression and confusion that was
promoted by his nightmares and
anxieties. "All I'd hear about was
vets in the paper, was them committing suicide, how the prisons were
full of them, how they're involved in
murders .. .it was really scary."
Rodriguez said he felt helpless
until he saw the film "Vietnam Veterano," which won Best Documentary Award for 1982, and saw it as
an example of some of the things
that can be done. "It's time for a
change, we've got to utilize some of
these things that we've experienced
in Vietnam."
Referring to Central America
Rodriguez stated "I'm tired of people saying that we don't have an
interest down there. We do have an
interest ... we have an interest with
regard to our people." He mentioned his job with the Dept. of Fair
Employment and Housing regarding the discrimination he sees happening. "If we're allowing it (racism)
to happen here, how can anybody
really care what's happening anywhere else?"
"Somebody asked me a while ago
'are you home yet?' I thought about
it, I said yes at the time but now that
I think about it no, we're still fighting, we've got a long way to go." He
said that it will take a lot of work
and a lot of education for people to
understand what's happening in the
world today. "Let's create an interest in Central America, let~s create a
humanistic interest.''
while he sends armaments to Salvador to kill oppressed people," he
said.
·
He feels that the Catholic church's
compliance with Central American
military dictatorship is a major factor on the proliferation of Liberation Theology adherence .
Liberation theology is misunderstood by many Catholics as its alleged Marxis! principle of social
reconstruction, or the fear of that
occurance, has been vehemently
reproached by the Vatican.
For tp.is reason among others,
Central America is in the midst of a
communist "witchhunt" of frightening proportions.
The Salvadorian military is quick
to point an accusing finger at the
poor campesinos who know little or
nothing about communism.
Murder is justified by the fear of
communism as it appears that ''The
Enemy Complex" serves the enormous needs of imperialism.
The message the three panelists
conveyed~congruenttothatofthe
Liberation Theologists: Americans
need to look through the cloud of
capitalistic propaganda and examine our beliefs and policies with
unbiased scrutiny; to join together
to alleviate the exploitation and
injustice that is a part of the daily
lives of the poor and oppressed people of Central America.