45th Annual National Chicano Moratorium Commemoration August 29, 2015 Defensa del Pueblo-Raza Resistencia!
by Jaime Cruz
On behalf of the National Chicano Moratorium Committee and supporters, we invite the Community to join the historic Long March and Rally to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the historic August 29, 1970 National Chicano Moratorium. We call for unity because that’s what we need to bring about a new awareness of the true level of oppression, repression, and present day acts of ethnic cleansing strategies, law enforcement misconduct, economic exploitation, xenophobic immigration policies and the rise of white supremacy aimed at La Raza throughout Occupied Mexico-Aztlan.
Every year as the NCMC we organize the annual commemorations of the Chicano Moratorium against the war in Vietnam that included issues such as stopping the draft, stopping police abuse, ending education inequality and economic inequity. The August 29, 1970 moratorium had 30,000 supporters marching through the streets of East Los Angeles to a rally and program at what was then Laguna Park. Without any warnings various law enforcement elements attacked the peaceful rally; hundreds were injured, hundreds arrested, and three deaths were caused by L.A. County Sheriffs: Two Brown Berets (Lynn Ward and Angel Diaz), as well as L.A. Times journalist Ruben Salazar.
The 45th commemoration will take place August 29, 2015 and will address issues of law enforcement abuse, economic exploitation, immigration, political prisoners and the ongoing militarization of a false border that serves the white settler mentality and doctrine called manifest Destiny.î This includes a community march on the original 1970 march route to Ruben Salazar Park (renamed from Laguna Park) for an afternoon rally and program.
The issues we face today are not new, nor are causal factors new, like the resurgence of the white settler-white supremacist ethnic cleansing agenda supported by religious right-wing fanatics, xenophobic republicans, and Cuban-american republican fascists. If there’s anything new, it’s the apparent acquiescence by sold-out Hispanic elected democrats to the 1% percent fascists in order to maintain their Americanism and electability. The same holds true for the ruling class in Mexico, the same ruling class that sold Mexico out in the war of 1848. As the 1% plutocracy functions without restriction in the U.S., so do the 1% and government in Mexico along with their drug cartel partners continue the assault on human rights with sanctioned government-military-drug cartel death squads.
We didn’t cross the border, the border crossed us. Of note is the staggering fact that President Obama has deported more people than all the other Presidents combined. And, he supports the increased militarization of the border by the republican congress. The US continues its doctrine of Manifest Destiny via various forms of colonization internationally and domestic policies of eminent domain and gentrification as a strategy for internal colonization and control.
At the core of the attacks on our civil and human rights is the green light given to law enforcement and white supremacy to engage in ethnic cleansing atrocities without fear of repercussion. it’s our responsibility to expose and stop them.
We must ask ourselves the question: are we better off with an improved & quality education system, better health care, better housing, meaningful and union paying jobs?” What about the lack of respect for our history, culture, and language? What about immigration enforcement abuse and the surge of racism against Raza? The obvious answer to these questions is, we are worse off than 45 years ago.
How can this be? What happened to the so-called American Dream and the Decade of the Hispanic? All you had to do was agree to work within the system, believe that you are an American and not wave any Mexican flags. The irony of conditions in the Barrios today, is that the same issues remain not because we are not aware or have not addressed them. They continue because the fundamental approach through status quo American values advocated by the Democratic and Republican parties have compromised viable solutions to improve the quality of life for not only Raza, but all people.
When we hear, “Why are you still involved? You can’t keep doing methodologies of the 1960s & 70s!”, our response to them is that to do nothing and keep silent is to acquiesce to those would control our future and deny our right to Self Determination. The theme for this commemoration is En Defensa del Pueblo-Raza Resistenciaî because we honor those who are still involved in the Movimiento as we continue to pursue Self Determination.
Join the Historic Long March. Early Rally, Assemble 8:00am,
August 29, 2015
Depart 9:00am from Alma Ave. & Cesar Chavez Ave. to Ruben Salazar Park, 3864 Whittier Blvd. & Ditman Ave., for 12 noon Program & Rally.
For further info contact: Jaime Cruz, NCMC at (323) 687-0963 or jcruzor1@aol.com
