Författare: xikano_2

lyrics here

One must understand the vortex
Xicanismo
eyes
everyday

If the aztecs counted 52 for every end
Xicanos can hope for less in one generation.

Renewal
is in door

We face an existancial crisis every 30 years

like a blood transfusion

.

El problema “latino” en Estados Unidos

El profesor de la Universidad de California en San Diego, Jorge Mariscal, resalta la desunión de los latinos para lograr reformas a su favor. Ante la problemática de los hispanos, visualiza una literatura empapada con la ideologí­a de la neoasimilación.

Enrique Mendoza Hernández

A propósito de las elecciones para renovar el congreso federal en el vecino paí­s, el Doctor Jorge Mariscal, profesor del Departamento de Estudios Chicanos y Latinos de la Universidad de California en San Diego, platicó recientemente con ZETA sobre la cultura chicana, la división de las comunidades latinas, la falta de una agenda polí­tica profunda en cuanto a asuntos migratorios, el renglón electoral traducido en muro fronterizo y la forma en cómo ha evolucionado, a grandes rasgos, la literatura chicana.

El Movimiento Chicano, aquella comunidad prácticamente contracultural de los 60s surgida en pro de los derechos civiles en “el otro lado”, hoy se encuentra dividida y hasta desconocida por los inmigrantes recién llegados en busca del “sueño americano”, sobre todo por los más de 16 millones de latinoamericanos que arribaron a Estados Unidos de 1990 a 2002. Las diferencias son evidentes:

“Los mexicanos ricos en los malls en La Jolla (California) o El Paso (Texas), tienen poco en común con los migrantes que pizcan fresas, empacan pollos o trabajan en los swap shops; los recién llegados desconocen el mundo del chicano de la segunda, tercera o cuarta generación”, dice el activista de YANO (Youth And Non Military).
Fortsätt läsa ”From Zeta, a Tijuana based weekly”

(The sorry state of politics in the Chicano community)

By: Herman Baca, President
Committee on Chicano Rights

The 2006 elections are over! President George Bush and his Republicans party have righteously lost mainly because of voter’s opposition to the war in Iraq. Democrats have reaped the benefits by winning both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. As for the Chicano community the political question remains, how did we fare politically with the elections? Did we remain the same, go backwards, or move forward?

The question has to be put in context. I remember when I first got involved (1968) in Chicano politics with the Mexican American Political Association (MAPA) that their was one elected Chicano in the state legislature, Assemblyman Alex Garcia from Los Angeles, and in San Diego County one elected person of Mexican ancestry, Councilman Louie Camacho from National City.

To further answer the above question, we should look at what happened in National City, California (my home town) because as I have stated in the past: it is a microcosm of what is going to happen in California in the not to distant future.

National City, like most cities in California with large Chicano populations, is an old city, the oldest after San Diego proper. Also as will be the case in California the majority population (65%) is of Mexican ancestry, and Anglos with 20% of the population the minority. Economically, NC is the poorest in San Diego’s County and suffers from some of the worst social, economic and political conditions. Like most Chicano communities in California those conditions include, unaccountable politicians, the highest crime rate, worst police community relations, housing, recreational services, youth and senior problem, to name a few.

Politically, the city government is presently controlled by “Hispanics” Mayor, Nick Inzunza and City Council persons, Louie Natividad, Frank Parra, and Rosalie Zarate. However as is the case in other Chicano communities in California, the Anglo minority continues to control National City’s economy, politics and “Hispanic” politicians. Reasons for this are the massive economic power of police, firemen, city unions, Chamber of Commerce, Mile of Cars, builders, developers, and lobbyists, most who do not reside in the city. These outside interests control politically by providing contribution to “go along” His-her-panic politicians, while the right wing pro-business Republican controlled San Diego Union endorses and props them up.

So the question remains, have Chicano communities such as National City’s and others in California after 38 years of fighting issues, registering people, fielding candidates, campaigning for and against propositions, recalls etc, gone backwards, remained the same, or moved politically forward after Tuesday’s election?

In my opinion, after 38 years of political involvement and reviewing Tuesday’s election results, we are going backwards!

In California, Ex. Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante, a candidate for Insurance Commissioner, who was the first Chicano to be elected to statewide office in the last 125 years, was the only Democrat to lose state wide office by being soundly defeated! With Bustamante’s defeat, California’s Chicanos, 35% of the state population are now left without representation in California state wide elected offices. In other words, back to the 60’s!

Locally, especially in National City the political answer is even more conclusive. National City Chicano community after Tuesday’s election is witness to the unbelievably political spectacle of “Hispanic” politicians, the mayor (run out of office after being accused of being a slum lord), and 3 “Hispanic” council persons handing political leadership over to an Anglo, (elected Mayor Ron Morrison) who represents 20% of the population.

While there is nothing wrong with a qualified Anglo (with a track record) of serving and leading the majority population, the historical political fact is that the Chicano community has never been politically represented. Whether newly elected Mayor Ron Morrison proves to be different remains to be seen.

Other troublesome voting factors in Tuesday’s election were: only 33% of NC 15,901 registered voters (4875) bothered to vote, and the arrogant attitude of “Hispanic” mayoral candidates who refused to respond to questions, or state their positions on issues to a survey forwarded by our organization.

With the low voter turn out, the above attitudes, and lackadaisical campaigns of the out of touch “Hispanic” candidates, Anglo Mayoral candidate Ron Morrison cruised to an easy victory. One that will now allow him to govern National City, with barely a 12% mandate out of 15,901 registered voters!

Other regional races involving “Hispanics” provided the same disastrous results. In Chula Vista (a community with a heavy population of persons of Mexican ancestry) first time Mayor Steve Padilla got handily beat by right wing Republican Cheryl Cox. In Escondido two racist incumbent councilpersons, Marie Widman and Dick Daniels who supported the racist anti Mexican can’t rent to Mexicans ordinance cruised to an easy victory. This in spite of a valiant effort by Ms. Olga Diaz who received only 15% of the vote in a city where the population of persons of Mexican ancestry is close to 50%!

Even though their was some political success at the lower levels of the political chain (school boards, council seats, etc.) it should be obvious by the disastrous election results that if even though our population has increased by leaps and bounds, our political involvement, astuteness and representation has not. At best we are living politically with the illusion of inclusion, and at worst appear to be returning back to the 1960’s! Time for La Raza Unida Party?

First found at la Prensa-San Diego and then copy pasted without authorization because this stuff needs to be spread.

I like to be organized yet when it comes to music I fail to find any pleasure in this otherwise mundane chore.

I feel bothered by t hings that are not straight. This is part of this little knack in my personality. Though I can live with chaos around me I inevitably fail to do so for long periods of times. I will pick up the mess sooner than later.

So I find myself spending huge amounts of time looking for songs to my hearts delight on the net and then pile them up in some folder with no particular order in itself.

I organize them only to then discover that such order bothers the living daylight out of me because the chaos that provided the exalting delightful surprises is not there no longer.

There is a crux in this that I fail to yet appreciate. I wonder if I will ever do.

I liked the following political cartoon by T. Sifuentes P.

I did so because it typifies to the dot the inmigration problem between US and México.

On the one side we see Uncle Sam leaning against a wall that our good friend Jorge doble U Arbusto signed into law. On the other a what may be perceived as a mexican peasent trying to hold back Uncle Sam’s weight.

It is laughable because one of the many current storms hitting México these days is the fact that gíüero Americans are more and more choosing several mexican states as their primary choice of retirement these days.

So many states in México, say, Baja California and Baja California Sur are being flooded by retirees of all kinds from the US.

What is the inmigration verbal tit for tat rethoric gonna do for our North American lives is yet to be known.

Yet, as an spectator, I can’t help but see irony in all of it.

The iberoamerican, as we are known in Spanish lingo, in the cartoon, is trying to hold back a Gíüero civilization that is already in place and Uncle Sam reclining against a wall they themselves built to detain a force they don’t understand.

There are many interpretations here at once.

But one can’t help seeing the irony reflected in the cartoon. And am all for it.

Argh, so much shit is happening in Oaxaca that the linguistic pull is inevitable, I spend tremendous amount of time trying to keep up to date with the conflict. I sometimes collaborate with the Agonist and turn in pieces there but right now I just read and keep on reading.

I am kissing my broadband cables as we speak because I get to listen and see the events in a minute by minute fashion. It is just too bad that I need to sleep and believe me when I say that had I the chance not to I would.

In México the universities are supposed to be autonomous but they really aren’t. This PAN lead government really are a bunch of weird burocrats. Am sick of their policies and I just want them to get the hell out of the political spectrum.

I realize that conservatives besides being the bulwark of change also have the duty to take advantage of every loop hole they can find in order to stop even more sinister forces from taking over our system but, but, they are also a force that must be battled.

This is the nature of politics and as a political creature I tend to represent the other side. How have we allowed the conservatives to gain so much power is beyond me but I can imagine things that now I see as being necessary evils, such as the conservative purpose in our society.

This is the society that my generation has created. By being unsymphatic to the whole establishment we allowed for conservatives to take over and now we are paying high for not participating in a system that only has its rules about change rather well cut out, fit to made, for those in upper echeleons.

If we manage to gain power I hope that we destroy every piece of conservative shit that only benefits the few.

A ver, I had to rub my pinches ojos and wash my specs at the very sight.

I couldn’r freaging believe lo que leí­a delante de my screen.

Oso + Sensory Overload = true?

Of all the unlikely people. I just can’t get it over my head. Shí­jole ese.

Adelante.

You don’t need my stinking blessings.

Aztlán is only the better for you guys having met.

Desde Sweden, un toast.

I just asked Logovo to send me some pills. Mind you I just want them for the looks. There is something about having the medicine in my house that is comforting.

I guess that one can go on about nostalgia and all that but for me it seems to be more than that. Seeing the product in my bathroom cabinet makes me feel at home. I know it’s weird.

So everytime I leave Sweden for Aztlán I inevitably end up carrying wads of medicine that in most parts goes unused, out of date and in thrash cans.

I guess am a real Xicano, after all, I also tend to recurre to household medicines passed on on to me by my kin. I already introduced the honey and lemon cure for coughs to my kiddos and I told them just about probably the same stuff my own did to me.

However, seeing the old medicine boxes are there for more than just easing the longing. They are their to remind me of my past, just like honey and lemon.

My God. I think that I have been more consistent in my efforts to diary here more than previous failed attempts. I spent nearly a whole year without doing any effort to write and here I am.

I believe that I can safely return to the posting thang more often now.

I was musing about the state of poverty, yeah, that’s me, the muser. But in all earnest, I am troubled by it. Though I think that it will never change, no Star Trek fantasies here. Money? Right.

Christianity is the culprit. I blame the cristian faith for more things in this world so I’ll pile it up on that piece of crap.

I betcha some people with get offended by that. Who the fuck cares about these christian taliban anyways. I do, apparently. Either way, they annoy me. I hate the faith but at least I have spent the time reading it. I know most of my bible and not just the stupid King James one. I know the catholic one too.

Anyhows, I worry that poverty can never be eradicated. I mean, look at governments around the world. I was watching I can’t fucking remember what some stupid middle class sport event and I watched intently at the facilities for said monkey show. Wads of bucks spent to make the place spic and span. If only people had the same drive to try and help people there wouldn’t be so much fucking discrimination. Which brought to my attention the fact that government does actually engage in discriminatory acts that favor, constantly, proyects for the middle class and only for the middle class.

Fucking politicians, they never care about the people, they only care about their stupid wallets, am telling you.