Committee on Chicano Rights

Que Viva El Parque Chicano, que viva Aztlan, que viva Mexico, que viva La Raza.

Estimadas hermanas, hermanos, familiares, comunidad, y enemigos, muy buenas tardes. Si, digo enimigos porque uno no puede esta en una lucha de cambio, y no tener enemigos.

History has brought together to celebrate the 45th year of the founding of Chicano Park. I want to speak to all of you; but especially to you young people about the issues/problems that we confront daily us as a conquered people here in the U.S. Yes, I said conquered people because other than the Native Americans, we are the only other ethnic group in the U.S. covered by international treaty; the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that supposedly ended the US/Mexico War.

To me the historical significance of Chicano Park is that it was created thru the self-determination of our people, who confronted, struggled, and sacrificed by occupying by taking over this Tierra that belonged to the community. This after city and state gringo politicians deceived the community by planning to construct a California Highway Patrol station, instead of a park. To me those politicians proved the old saying, “Never trust a Gringo that smokes a cigar, or speaks Spanish.”

To you young people today, I want to speak to you for the simple reason that my generation, historically speaking is on its way out. We’re not dead yet, but the truth is that my generation is old, sick, tired, broke, and many of them unfortunately have become what Malcom X called, “people of affairs,” in other words they got a little piece of the pie, and now they only talk the talk, but no longer walk the walk. Or to put it in Español, “primero mis dientes, y despues mis parientes.”

For your generation the truth is that all of the issues and problems that the Chicano Movement has struggled against, that afflict our people will soon become your problems, in other words it’s going to be your generations turn at bat.

Your generation like all past generations will have problems, but I tell you today …the future belongs to you, your children and grandchildren because in the very near future you are going to be the majority population in the US Southwest or Aztlan, because of demographics.

The only problem that remains is that the white political system has the power, and our people don’t.

Look at what has happened in just 45 short historical years.

In 1970 when most of my generation got involved with the Chicano movement, the Chicanos/Latino population in the U.S according to the US census numbered 7 million; in 2010 55 million, in 2015 it is probably 60 million. By 2050 you, (not us because we will be gone) will number 134 million. Afro-Americans have a saying, “We shall overcome,” Chicanos say, “We shall overwhelm.” I guess down deep inside were all good Catholics.

So the question is; if the future will belong to you, your children and grandchildren what kind of future is it going to be if all the problems that afflict our people remain unsolved?

For solutions we have to look to history. But first we must remember what the great Afro-American revolutionary Malcom X stated, “A people without a history, is like a tree without roots…dead and anyone can do what it wants with that tree, just like it can to a people that do not understand their history.”

History also teaches us that if you want a solution; “you first have to know what the problem is, and to know what the problem is…you have to read and understand your history.”

You need to understand that the problems our people face today are historical; those problems were here before you and I we were born, there here right now, and they’re going to be here until we develop the social, economic and political power to solve them.

What are some of the problems? Blatant racism still exists as witnessed at the US/Mexico border daily and in Murietta last year when gringo mobs attacked our children. Other problems are; more of youths being in prisons than colleges, migra raids that have resulted in 2 million of our people being deported, and the age old problem of police brutality, just to name a few.

Those problems mainly come from the white run political system, but in our own communities we have our own problems, starting with the gringo run His/Her Hispanic movement that was originally baptized by President Nixon. It is a movement that denies our Indian mother, and has not contributed one original idea to resolving the problems or issues afflicting our people other than a political philosophy of what’s in it for me, me, me.

That can’t be denied, as witnessed by todays His & Her panics politicians, so-called national groups, and officials that are used by the gringo establishment for them to continue to govern and fleece heavily Chicano populated cities like Bell, NC and Escondido. Think about it, in the city of Bell 90% Chicano and poor (annual income $24,000), the city manager was making $800,000 more than the President of the US. In NC, population 70% Chicano run by a gringo Mayor, with 4 His/Her Hispanic Councilpersons last year passed a proposition to tax the poorest residents in SD County 200 million for the next 20 years, this on top of the 100 million that they will collect to year 2016.

But the biggest that our people confront is that we have not built the organized social, economic, or political POWER that 60 million Chicanos/ Latinos should have to solve their problems, and make politicians accountably! That will be the biggest problem yours, and future generations will confront!

So what about the census population numbers; won’t they provide our people with the solutions necessary to solve our problems?

In my opinion no, because numbers don’t mean anything if we are not educated, politicized and organized. By education, I don’t mean going to Harvard, SD State, UCSD, what I mean is first we must learn our history, our language and culture.

Politicized doesn’t mean registering to vote or becoming a ratero politician, hell we have thousands of politicians today and what have they done? In fact do you think any of them are even here today? What politicized means is read a newspaper, a book, find out who the politicians that are spending your money are, the trustees on school boards that are in charge of supposedly educating your children, then you can vote and run for public office. Finally being organized means coming together as a people to protect and defend our rights and interests.

In closing I leave you with 3 things to remember:

1) The struggle that the Chicano Movement continues to fight is part and parcel of the historical struggle that we as a people have been fighting since 1519 when Hernan Cortez conquered Mexico.

2) You will be the majority population in this country by the turn of the century, and historically speaking we have already won; it just a matter of time for a future generation to develop the social, economic and political power to govern.

3) “Without struggle, there is no progress” and,

4) I want to read a partial part of Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales (presente) epic poem, “I am Joaquin.” Corky wrote and left us this timeless words:

I AM JOAQUIN

I must fight
and win this struggle
for my sons, and they
must know from me
who I am.
Part of the blood that runs deep in me
could not be vanquished by the Moors.
I defeated them after five hundred years,
and I have endured.
Part of the blood that is mine
has labored endlessly four hundred
years under the heel of lustful
Europeans.

I am still here!

I have endured in the rugged mountains
Of our country
I have survived the toils and slavery of the fields.

I have existed
In the barrios of the city
In the suburbs of bigotry
In the mines of social snobbery
In the prisons of dejection
In the muck of exploitation
And
In the fierce heat of racial hatred.

And now the trumpet sounds,
The music of the people stirs the
Revolution.

Like a sleeping giant it slowly
Rears its head
To the sound of
Tramping feet
Clamoring voices
Mariachi strains
Fiery tequila explosions
The smell of chile verde and
Soft brown eyes of expectation for a
Better life.

And in all the fertile farmlands,
the barren plains,
the mountain villages,
smoke-smeared cities,
we start to MOVE.

La raza!
Méjicano!
Español!
Latino!
Chicano!
Or whatever I call myself,
I look the same
I feel the same
I cry
And
Sing the same.

I am the masses of my people and
I refuse to be absorbed.

I am Joaquín.
The odds are great
But my spirit is strong,
My faith unbreakable,
My blood is pure.

I am Aztec prince and Christian Christ.

I SHALL ENDURE!
I WILL ENDURE!