By Edward Barrios Acevedo
He could have been one heck of an auto mechanic. But the prevailing forces of the civil rights movement, a raging war overseas, and a leap of faith in education, rewrote the destiny of Armando Vázquez-Ramos.
Beginning this month and extending throughout the year, countless events will celebrate the 40th anniversary of what Armando and many others of his generation hail as the birth of the Chicano Movement.
They connect it with the March 1968 walkouts involving hundreds of East Los Angeles high school students.
Led by a passionate young teacher named Sal Castro, Mexican-American kids defied their instructors and in many instances their parents to protest institutional racism and inequitable education conditions on their campuses. Their actions lit a fire that engulfed young, brown teens throughout the whole Southwest.
This year Armando celebrates a parallel 40-year stretch at California State University at Long Beach that began as a student leader and continues as an activist professor. He doesn’t appear ready to slow down any time soon.
“Much has happened since then,” the burly, bespeckled professor reflects. “But we still see a similarity to the conditions we faced 40 years ago — unpopular war abroad, attacks on civil liberties, and a continuous dehumanization of immigrants and Latinos.”
ONE PROJECT: CAPTURING HISTORY
There has been tremendous progress, he admits, but challenges are everywhere, including raging dropout rates, poorly prepared college entrants, unacceptable retention statistics, and unequal representation at almost every level of business and government.
Today, the Chicano Studies professor says, he is offering tune-ups not of automobiles, but of the lives of underserved young people in this beachside town 20 miles south of Los Angeles.
At an early morning breakfast, I caught up with the professor to press him on the environment he finds himself in 2008.
“My mission is the same today as it was 40 years ago — to improve the educational level of my community,” he insists. He’s juggling a dozen projects, including writing a detailed account on the history of Mexican Americans in Long Beach for generations that follow to read.
LIFE AS LABORER WAS HOPEFUL GOAL
Over the years, Vázquez-Ramos has assisted thousands of students. Many return to him as elected officials, educators and business leaders, some seeking his counsel on issues, others just to absorb an old fashioned pep talk from a trusted adviser.
“Seeing students succeed as professionals and do things of value in their own communities is the greatest glory of teaching,” he insists.
Against a backdrop of poverty and lack of role models, Armando came to the United States from Mexico City when he was 12 years old. Life as a skilled laborer was a hopeful goal.
Then, when he graduated from Lincoln High School, where the walkouts were incubated the following year, he was accepted at California State University at Long Beach as part of the first Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) class in 1967-1968.
Today, the EOP program continues to identify promising students who need enrollment and education assistance.
“It really changed my life,” he reflects. “It has inspired me to do the same for others just like mE. He argues that there is a direct correlation between the success of students and curricula that reflect the cultural and ethnic content the Latino students demanded during those walkouts four decades ago. He recalls leading some fellow college freshman to visit Lincoln High and encourage the rebels to pursue their reform mission.
“It’s a constant struggle to eliminate ignorance and hate through education,” he says as he drives home his final point: “We all benefit from the investment. We owe our kids the same effort and opportunities that gave us our chance.”
(Edward Barrios Acevedo is a teacher and freelance writer in Los Angeles. He can be reached Edwardfactor@yahoo.com.)
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Murguía Meets with CNN on Cable Hate Speech, MSNBC Next
Two of the nation’s three major cable networks agreed to meet with the National Council of La Raza to discuss its concerns about their encouraging hate speech. NCLR president Janet Murguía sent a letter Jan. 30 requesting to discuss the issue with the chief executive officers of the three networks.
The first session, with CNN Worldwide president Jim Walton was set for Feb. 21. By press time. neither organization responded to Weekly Report’s inquiries as to whether any understanding was reached.
The second meeting, with Murguía and MSNBC, is set for March 14.
“Fox News has sent us a written response which suggests that they may not be interested in a meeting; we have responded to them and are waiting to see what happens,” said Cecilia Muñoz, Senior VP of Research, Advocacy and Legislation at NCLR.
The letters requested that they stop inviting anti-immigrant extremists on their shows as experts on the immigration debate.
The National Council of La Raza launched its “We Can Stop the Hate,” campaign Jan 31. “to unmask the presence of hate groups and extremists on the immigration debate, especially on major cable networks.”
Muñoz added, “Many more organizations have notified us that they are writing letters to the networks as well. The response has been really encouraging.”
Since NCLR launched the campaign and its website www.WeCanStopTheHate.org, it has received an overwhelming positive response and the number of supporters has increased, Muñoz said.
Next on the NCLR agenda is taking a closer look at electoral campaigns. “We expect a number of congressional and local races to focus on the immigration issue, and intend to call them on it if they use materials or spokespeople from hate or extremist groups,” she said.
The website allows anyone to get involved or just stay informed with its weekly updates on the impact extremist groups are having on immigrant communities. Muñoz said, “We’re taking it one step at a time, but are very serious about achieving success. We hope this is a campaign that will enlist people from across all communities.”
This post was written by Hispanic Link reporter Emily Ruiz.
For more, visit www.hispaniclink.org.
The first session, with CNN Worldwide president Jim Walton was set for Feb. 21. By press time. neither organization responded to Weekly Report’s inquiries as to whether any understanding was reached.
The second meeting, with Murguía and MSNBC, is set for March 14.
“Fox News has sent us a written response which suggests that they may not be interested in a meeting; we have responded to them and are waiting to see what happens,” said Cecilia Muñoz, Senior VP of Research, Advocacy and Legislation at NCLR.
The letters requested that they stop inviting anti-immigrant extremists on their shows as experts on the immigration debate.
The National Council of La Raza launched its “We Can Stop the Hate,” campaign Jan 31. “to unmask the presence of hate groups and extremists on the immigration debate, especially on major cable networks.”
Muñoz added, “Many more organizations have notified us that they are writing letters to the networks as well. The response has been really encouraging.”
Since NCLR launched the campaign and its website www.WeCanStopTheHate.org, it has received an overwhelming positive response and the number of supporters has increased, Muñoz said.
Next on the NCLR agenda is taking a closer look at electoral campaigns. “We expect a number of congressional and local races to focus on the immigration issue, and intend to call them on it if they use materials or spokespeople from hate or extremist groups,” she said.
The website allows anyone to get involved or just stay informed with its weekly updates on the impact extremist groups are having on immigrant communities. Muñoz said, “We’re taking it one step at a time, but are very serious about achieving success. We hope this is a campaign that will enlist people from across all communities.”
This post was written by Hispanic Link reporter Emily Ruiz.
For more, visit www.hispaniclink.org.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Memo to Media: Stop Using Hate Groups as ‘Immigration Experts’
By Janet Murguía
“Janet is a lying, fact-misrepresenting Mexican jerk. There will come a day when the average American has had enough of her and her lies and runs her back to Mexico with the rest of the diseased, ignorant, budget ruining, crime causing scum they are.”
Since I became head of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) three years ago, I have received hate mail. My predecessor got it as well. Typically, we shrug it off as coming with the territory. When people tell me to “go back to where you came from,” I joke that they would be surprised to find they are sending me back home to Kansas.
It is no longer a joke. I received that email above at the height of the immigration debate and have received many more, including death threats. So have many members of my staff. The immigration debate has opened the floodgates to hate speech in this country of ours. Hate and extremists are defining the debate on immigration.
Hate is part of our national legacy. Throughout U.S. history, Native Americans, African Americans, Irish immigrants and other groups have suffered from injustice stemming from hate. The immigration debate has made the Hispanic community hate’s latest target, and too often, the news media serve as the anti-immigrants’ bullhorn.
The Internet, television, and the political stage have become platforms for hate. Turning the term “illegal” into a noun, nativists, extremists and politicians have broadcast their messages across the county. They demonize the undocumented and, in turn, all Latinos. They depict us as disease-ridden invaders and criminals.
The media have been instrumental in moving this language from the fringes of society right into our living rooms and everyday lives.
Dan Stein, president of FAIR, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, has warned that immigrant groups are engaged in “competitive breeding” aimed at eliminating white power. He has appeared eight times on MSNBC and 18 times on CNN. The Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled FAIR a hate group.
Television talk show hosts like CNN’s Lou Dobbs have echoed the anti-immigrant hate speech, calling undocumented immigrants “criminals” and an “army of invaders.” Glenn Beck, a CNN commentator, jokingly read an ad that said the one-step solution to the immigration and energy crises is a “giant refinery” that produces “Mexinol,” a fuel made from the bodies of illegal immigrants coming here from Mexico.
The news media are not the only ones willing to work with anti-immigrant extremists; some politicians do, too. Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee accepted the endorsement of Jim Gilchrist, a man who proclaimed he is “proud to be a vigilante.”
The distorted images projected by the media and some politicians have had dangerous consequences. All Latinos become targets for anti-immigrant hate crimes and speech because it is impossible to look at us and determine who is a citizen and who is not.
According to the FBI, anti-Latino hate crimes have increased by 23% over the past two years.
The reality is that most immigrants, undocumented and documented, are hardworking and family-oriented – they are a part of our national fabric. Many hold down multiple jobs to provide for their families. The undocumented would choose to be here legally if they could, but the immigration system is broken. For people wanting to come here, there is a 20-year backlog to legal entry.
The only way to combat hate is to confront it with something just as strong, just as pervasive in society – hope. The hope for a better future for all U.S. residents is the driving force behind NCLR’s efforts to unite with others to silence hate speech and stop hate crimes.
Last month, I experienced the power of hope firsthand. I was honored to be the first Hispanic keynote speaker at the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. unity breakfast in Birmingham, Alabama. I urged African Americans and Latinos to renew both communities’ historic commitment to promoting equal opportunity for all of us. Unity among all communities will strengthen our resolve to remove hate from the mainstream.
Anti-immigrant groups are using every medium to spread their message of hate. We must be just as persistent with our message of hope. NCLR has launched a website, www.wecanstopthehate.org, as part of our Wave of Hope campaign. We have also written letters to politicians and network executives insisting that they eliminate hate from the immigration debate on their news programs.
Hope is more than just wishing for improvement. It is an expectation backed by action. The media have a responsibility not to amplify the voice of hate. The rest of us have a responsibility to challenge those seeking office to renounce the politics of hate and to distance themselves from those known to be affiliated with hate groups or vigilantes. Together, we can ensure that hope triumphs.
(Janet Murguía, president & CEO of the National Council of La Raz, the nation’s largest Hispanic advocacy and civil rights organization, writes a monthly commentary for Hispanic Link News Service. Reach her at opi@nclr.org)
“Janet is a lying, fact-misrepresenting Mexican jerk. There will come a day when the average American has had enough of her and her lies and runs her back to Mexico with the rest of the diseased, ignorant, budget ruining, crime causing scum they are.”
Since I became head of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) three years ago, I have received hate mail. My predecessor got it as well. Typically, we shrug it off as coming with the territory. When people tell me to “go back to where you came from,” I joke that they would be surprised to find they are sending me back home to Kansas.
It is no longer a joke. I received that email above at the height of the immigration debate and have received many more, including death threats. So have many members of my staff. The immigration debate has opened the floodgates to hate speech in this country of ours. Hate and extremists are defining the debate on immigration.
Hate is part of our national legacy. Throughout U.S. history, Native Americans, African Americans, Irish immigrants and other groups have suffered from injustice stemming from hate. The immigration debate has made the Hispanic community hate’s latest target, and too often, the news media serve as the anti-immigrants’ bullhorn.
The Internet, television, and the political stage have become platforms for hate. Turning the term “illegal” into a noun, nativists, extremists and politicians have broadcast their messages across the county. They demonize the undocumented and, in turn, all Latinos. They depict us as disease-ridden invaders and criminals.
The media have been instrumental in moving this language from the fringes of society right into our living rooms and everyday lives.
Dan Stein, president of FAIR, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, has warned that immigrant groups are engaged in “competitive breeding” aimed at eliminating white power. He has appeared eight times on MSNBC and 18 times on CNN. The Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled FAIR a hate group.
Television talk show hosts like CNN’s Lou Dobbs have echoed the anti-immigrant hate speech, calling undocumented immigrants “criminals” and an “army of invaders.” Glenn Beck, a CNN commentator, jokingly read an ad that said the one-step solution to the immigration and energy crises is a “giant refinery” that produces “Mexinol,” a fuel made from the bodies of illegal immigrants coming here from Mexico.
The news media are not the only ones willing to work with anti-immigrant extremists; some politicians do, too. Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee accepted the endorsement of Jim Gilchrist, a man who proclaimed he is “proud to be a vigilante.”
The distorted images projected by the media and some politicians have had dangerous consequences. All Latinos become targets for anti-immigrant hate crimes and speech because it is impossible to look at us and determine who is a citizen and who is not.
According to the FBI, anti-Latino hate crimes have increased by 23% over the past two years.
The reality is that most immigrants, undocumented and documented, are hardworking and family-oriented – they are a part of our national fabric. Many hold down multiple jobs to provide for their families. The undocumented would choose to be here legally if they could, but the immigration system is broken. For people wanting to come here, there is a 20-year backlog to legal entry.
The only way to combat hate is to confront it with something just as strong, just as pervasive in society – hope. The hope for a better future for all U.S. residents is the driving force behind NCLR’s efforts to unite with others to silence hate speech and stop hate crimes.
Last month, I experienced the power of hope firsthand. I was honored to be the first Hispanic keynote speaker at the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. unity breakfast in Birmingham, Alabama. I urged African Americans and Latinos to renew both communities’ historic commitment to promoting equal opportunity for all of us. Unity among all communities will strengthen our resolve to remove hate from the mainstream.
Anti-immigrant groups are using every medium to spread their message of hate. We must be just as persistent with our message of hope. NCLR has launched a website, www.wecanstopthehate.org, as part of our Wave of Hope campaign. We have also written letters to politicians and network executives insisting that they eliminate hate from the immigration debate on their news programs.
Hope is more than just wishing for improvement. It is an expectation backed by action. The media have a responsibility not to amplify the voice of hate. The rest of us have a responsibility to challenge those seeking office to renounce the politics of hate and to distance themselves from those known to be affiliated with hate groups or vigilantes. Together, we can ensure that hope triumphs.
(Janet Murguía, president & CEO of the National Council of La Raz, the nation’s largest Hispanic advocacy and civil rights organization, writes a monthly commentary for Hispanic Link News Service. Reach her at opi@nclr.org)
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