I don’t think the endorsement by Tom Metzger (quasi-famous former Grand Wizard of the California Ku Klux Klan and director of the White Aryan Resistance) will particularly hurt Cruz Bustamante in his run for the California recall governorship — but it probably won’t help, either, and it will draw further attention to Bustamante’s unrenounced (if softpedaled) relationship to MEChA, a Chicano activist/separatist group.
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I guess I fail to see the connection between WAR and MECHa.
Uh, they’re both racist?
For example:
In the spirit of a new people that is conscious not only of its proud historical heritage but also of the brutal “gringo” invasion of our territories, we, the Chicano[/a] inhabitants and civilizers of the northern land of Aztlán from whence came our forefathers, reclaiming the land of their birth and consecrating the determination of our people of the sun, declare that the call of our blood is our power, our responsibility, and our inevitable destiny.
We are free and sovereign to determine those tasks which are justly called for by our house, our land, the sweat of our brows, and by our hearts. Aztlán belongs to those who plant the seeds, water the fields, and gather the crops and not to the foreign Europeans. We do not recognize capricious frontiers on the bronze continent
Brotherhood [and sisterhood] unites us, and love for our brothers [and sisters] makes us a people whose time has come and who struggles against the foreigner “gabacho” who exploits our riches and destroys our culture. With our heart in our hands and our hands in the soil, we declare the independence of our mestizo nation. We are a bronze people with a bronze culture. Before the world, before all of North America, before all our brothers [and sisters] in the bronze continent, we are a nation, we are a union of free pueblos, we are Aztlán.
Por La Raza todo. Fuera de La Raza nada.
———–
Aryan nation/bronze nation. Same package, different color.
Umm.
no.
MECHa’s motto is “La Union Hace La Fuerza” .
And by your measure SNCC is a racist student organization.
All student movements from the 60’s/70’s that were intended to boost minority populations are racist by your view point.
There is a difference between “Le Voz De Aztlan“, which you quote, and MECHa.
A little non-right wing bias here.
I’m not exactly swayed by the unbiased nature of a MEChA-affiliated web page, either. Especially one that mentions that the red stripe on Marine uniforms is to celebrate the Mexicans killed by the Marines in the Mexican-American War — though the same page does note that People’s ideologies may change, but we would not denounce El Plan de Aztlan ….
The rest of that page does not strike me as particularly reassuring, and, in fact, disingenuous by asserting that the separatism claimed by El Plan De Aztlan (not La Voz De Aztlan) is only about “spiritual liberation.” (Once we are committed to the idea and philosophy of El Plan de Aztlán, we can only conclude that social, economic, cultural, and political independence is the only road to total liberation from oppression, exploitation, and racism.)
El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán is described as a “founding document” for MEChA at their Cal State Northridge chapter site. The history of MEChA there states quite clearly that Both El Plan de Aztlán (EPA) and El Plan de Santa Barbara (EPSB) served as the historical foundation for the establishment of a viable Chicana/Chicano Movimiento and are therefore fundamental to the M.E.Ch.A. Philosophy. The constitution of the MEChA chapter at UCSB note in the preamble that they believe that it is our duty and right in advancing the Chicano Nationalist Philosophy that finds itself within El Plan de Aztlán, El Plan de Santa Barbara, and The Philosophy of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/a de Aztlán for the advancement and betterment of the Chicano Community and that El Plan de Santa Barbara, El Plan de Aztlán, The Philosophy of MEChA, and all the principles from the Regional, Statewide, and National Constitution will be our guiding documents in the development of our chapter and that one of their objectives is to implement the objectives set forth in El Plan de Santa Barbara, El Plan de Aztlán, and Philosophy of MEChA.
The MEChA Philosophy restates the goals of the Plan de Aztlan, incorporating them.
So while El Plan de Aztlan is not all there is to MEChA, it is a substantial part of it — analogous, maybe, to the Declaration of Independence to the US (perhaps more closely tied than that).
There are aspects of MEChA — fighting against prejudice toward Chicanos, fostering pride in Chicano achievements, encouraging education among Latino youth, etc. — that are more than laudable. But there are other aspects — which identify the “gringos” as thieves and oppressors, and which do seek cultural, political, and national separation from the “Europeans” — which are less so — and in that rhetoric, MEChA is no better than WAR.
I have no idea to what extent Mechistas in general subscribe to all the sentiments in El Plan De Aztlan, etc., but I think it’s reasonable to inquire as to which of them Bustamante did or does still believe in.
I would like to re-iterate what Dave said. Segregation and “identity” movements are by their very nature racist. Those movements where the contributions of a sub-culture to the greater culture are advanced are not. Promote your group all you want. Just don’t bring any others down.
Bringing this in context with other discussions, this is analogous to the whole debate on whether we are a Christian nation. Did Christians contribute to the well-being of this nation? Yes. Are we a “Christian nation” to the extent that those who are not are not welcome? No, or at least I hope not. It is this latter component which is promoted by the so-called Christian Identity movement. (There is both racial and religious bigotry tied up in this.) Those of us who call ourselves Christian must continually condemn what Tom Metzger and people like him do in the strongest possible terms. Lt. Gov. Bustamante would be well served to do the same with El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán.
So, a document written in 1969 (Hmmm…what was going on the Denver in 1968/1969. Oh that’s right the Chicano civil rights movement) is racist (the “El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán” was written in Denver). A student group formed to combat racism, to take back land, water and rights stolen over the previous 100 years, to empower people to become active in politics, fight swimming pool bans and segregation, is racist.
Good. To. Know.
Remember folks it was the sixties. The wheels were coming off of the white male controlled wagon pretty quickly at that point. Every disenfranchised group was forming political factions to express their rage and promote a political agenda, and several of them used “strong” language to express their anger. It was the sign of the times.
Many of the Race based political action groups have, what would be considered by whites to be “Racist” statements. The JDL, SNCC, SCLC, AIM, and MECHa, all have them (though the JDL is listed as a hate group by the SPLC).
Odd…MECHa is not listed as a racist or hate group by the SPLC but WAR and La Voz de Aztlan are. Well they must be wrong.
Tacitus *smirk* ok.
Another good article is here.
A correction for Rich.
“In service of my people, everything; apart from my people, I have nothing.”
As the former darling of the Right said:
“Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.”
So Boulder, using your logic, it was acceptable that Strom Thurmond was affiliated with the kkk? I mean, when he was a member, it was in a different time and a lot of people were members, so it’s alright?
Sorry, any group that looks to promote itself at the expense of another group, be they white, black, red, or purple, is racist. It should not be forgotten that Cruz once embraced those thoughts and goals.
Yes, many of the activist groups of the sixties were racist. (Note: I deliberately left the Spanish untranslated.) If Bustamante said that he doesn’t believe in Atzlan that would be good enough for me. It is not the membership that is the issue, it is whether he holds the racist ideologies of the past. At this point, we simply don’t know.
I have never held the views of the Christian Identity movement. But, because they have attempted to coopt the name Christian, I am forced to communicate that I don’t believe it. I don’t get upset or ever tire in saying that. Nor do I resent people making me do it.
If people of all colors and creeds would take the extra effort of condemning racism in their own communities, this country would move that much faster towards Dr. King’s dream articulated 40 years ago. People wrongly criticized both President Bush and President Clinton for over-apologizing on race. I really believe that it is impossible to over-apologize here.
Lastly, I follow Jesus of Nazarath and not Goldwater of Arizona, and he said that we should love our enemies and bless those who persecute us.
Adam B
No.
By my Logic the KKK and WAR are listed as Racist/Hate Groups by the SPLC, and MECHa is not.
by my logic:
WAR, KKK equal white, male, disenfranchising.
SNCC, MECHa, SCLC, AIM, NOW, and others were groups that were Routinely disenfranchised and prayed upon by the likes of the KKK, and WAR. You fight fire with fire.
Human nature is to promote yourself at the expense of others.
And yes, Cruz once had the silly idea that his purpose in life was to be something better then a fruit picker. Maybe he should save everybody a lot of trouble and disembrace himeself of those ideals.
1. Yes, it was possible to be racist in 1969. It was possible to be racist in ostensibly a good cause. It was possible to be racist while supporting trying to uplift one’s “own” people. Separatist movements — white, black, brown, or green — are racist.
I’m not denying, condoning, or expressing any pleasure at the way Hispanics have been treated in this country, or in how they were treated in the 60s.
But the South was treated pretty badly during the Reconstruction. That helps explain the Klan, not justify it.
Regardless, even if one chooses to explain away the rhetoric of the 60s by saying it was a time of “rage,” even justifiable rage, the language remains at the philosphical heart of the modern-day MEChA. If it’s no longer part of what the hardcore leadership in the organization want, then let them amend it; otherwise, we have to take them at their word.
If a candidate in the race belonged in college to an organization that in its founding documents promoted a separate homeland for Whites (or promoted segregating all Hispanics in the southwest), I don’t think anyone would have a problem with asking whether they supported or renounced that particular cause. Indeed, I suspect that such a candidate would be hounded from the race before they could deny it.
2. While the SPLC does not list MEChA as a hate group, they do identify Black Separatist groups, such as the Nation of Islam, as such. I suspect the difference is that current MEChA activities are not hate-focused, as they label the NoI people as, even as they also identify NoI’s separatist beliefs. On that part of things, I do not see as much difference. Again, that may be as much because of what MEChA currently does — but, again, if separatism is no longer part of MEChA’s constitution, charter, philosophy, it would be nice to see some official MEChA recognition of that.
3. Aside from snidely dismissing Tacitus out of hand, did you actually read the material? That it took Bustamante as long as it did to renounce the separatism in the MEChA foundation documents doesn’t mean, to me, that he’s a separatist, just that he’s unwilling to take a principled stand if he thinks it will offend some potential supporters.
4. I have seen a number of alternative translations for the Por La Raza todo. Fuera de La Raza nada slogan. Yours seems to be the most tortured, though it’s hard to filter through the ones that just copy the translations from someone else. On the other hand, I’m not quite sure why I can’t find a MEChA translation of it, given the brouhaha.
If his goals were to better himself by trodding over others, then yes, he should “disembrace” himself of those ideas. I especially think it’s important if he assumes the role of Governor.
Even if MEChA isn’t listed with the SPLC, it is evident from the statement that they embrace racist ideas (as racist is defined in Websters). I’m inclined to believe from your posts that you believe that only White males can be racist. Is that accurate?
I would also strongly disagree with your notion that it is “Human nature is to promote yourself at the expense of others.” If that’s the case, why do people, of all ethnicities, volunteer their time and sweat for others? What does an individual have to gain by giving blood? Why don’t more people murder their supervisor/manager to get promotions?
by my logic:
WAR, KKK equal white, male, disenfranchising.
SNCC, MECHa, SCLC, AIM, NOW, and others were groups that were Routinely disenfranchised and prayed upon by the likes of the KKK, and WAR. You fight fire with fire.
I disagree. Fighting fire with fire burns everyone. If WAR says “the northwest US should be an all-white homeland,” that’s not any more (or less) outrageous and reprehensible than saying that the southwest US belongs to the Chicano and children of Aztlan, and should be taken back from those European gringos.
I don’t have any trouble with folks fighting against disenfranchisement, and, in fact, applaud them for doing so. But that doesn’t give you a pass to do it in any way you want, any more than (arguably) blowing up civilians at restaurants is a legitimate and defensible way to fight against disenfranchisement elsewhere.
Because the following statements are racist. (from the mission statement)
Recognizing that all people are potential Chicanas and Chicanos, we encourage those interested in developing a total commitment to our movement for self-determination for the people of Aztlán to join Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán. Thus, by all means necessary, We Chicana/Chicano estudiantes or Aztlán, dedicate ourselves to taking our educational destiny into our own hands through the process of spreading Chicanismo, in the spirit of carnalismo. M.E.Ch.A. is committed to ending the cultural tyranny suffered at the hands of institutional and systematic discrimination that holds our Gente captive.
As, M.E.Ch.A., we must accept the challenge to combat all forms of oppression, and manifestations as experienced through racism, sexism, and homophobia, both inside and outside of our Movement, in order to better develop a more meaningful educational plan of action (refer to Goals and Objectives). Advocating an educational revolution, we recognize that our bullets are our books and our victories are an increase in Chicana/Chicano graduates committed to our people’s progress.
Sorry, nowhere in the El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán do I see a call for “Separate Homeland” for Chicanos. I have read it several times and only find the statements that encourage people to fight for their rights, their land, and education. Only the most tortured reading of it produces the same level of hate that WAR or the Klan does.
And yes, I read Tacitus, and then I read the sites that debunked his argument. The Debunkers had better arguments. And since MECHa is not a separatist group, Bustamanta is not a separatist. He has no reason to distance himself from them.
I find it amusing that civil rights groups are now racist/sexist. The organizations that have fought for years to better this nation are no being hoisted up on petards of others making. I am also amused that any time someone with a spanish surname runs for office the MECHa charge is trotted out.
Adam B. Remember your statement the next time you have a job interview, are in line for a promotion, or run for public office.
Finally, I have worked with card carrying members of the Klan, and with people that were members of MECHa when they were in collage. The MECHAista’s were far better/nicer people.
The recent broadening you cite as to what it means to be Chicano/a (“all people are potential Chicanas and Chicanos”), much of that is of recent adoption.
On the other hand, there is still a strong ethnic/nationalist aspect to MEChA, as in the goals/objectives from the 1999 National MEChA conference in Phoenix:
Essentially, we are a Chicana and Chicano student movement directly linked to Aztlan. As Chicanas and Chicanos of Aztlan, we are a nationalist movement of Indigenous Gente that lay claim to the land that is ours by birthright. As a nationalist movement we seek to free our people from the exploitation of an oppressive society that occupies our land. Thus, the principle of nationalism serves to preserve the cultural traditions of La Familia de La Raza and promotes our identity as a Chicana/Chicano Gente.
It’s unclear to me how that relates to the broader statements of what it means to be Chicana/o (or, as one cringe-inducing reference put it, “Chican@”).
And despite your inability to find separatist/exclusionist sentiments in El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán, those sentiments are there:
In the spirit of a new people that is conscious not only of its proud historical heritage but also of the brutal “gringo” invasion of our territories, we, the Chicano inhabitants and civilizers of the northern land of Aztlan from whence came our forefathers, reclaiming the land of their birth and consecrating the determination of our people of the sun, declare that the call of our blood is our power, our responsibility, and our inevitable destiny.
We are free and sovereign to determine those tasks which are justly called for by our house, our land, the sweat of our brows, and by our hearts. Aztlan belongs to those who plant the seeds, water the fields, and gather the crops and not to the foreign Europeans. We do not recognize capricious frontiers on the bronze continent.
Brotherhood unites us, and love for our brothers makes us a people whose time has come and who struggles against the foreigner “gavacho” who exploits our riches and destroys our culture. With our heart in our hands and our hands in the soil, we declare the independence of our mestizo nation. We are a bronze people with a bronze culture. Before the world, before all of North America, before all our brothers in the bronze continent, we are a nation, we are a union of free pueblos, we are Aztlan. For La Raza todo. Fuera de La Raza nada.
El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán sets the theme that the Chicanos (La Raza de Bronze) must use their nationalism as the key or common denominator for mass mobilization and organization. Once we are committed to the idea and philosophy of El Plan de Aztlán, we can only conclude that social, economic, cultural, and political independence is the only road to total liberation from oppression, exploitation, and racism. Our struggle then must be for the control of our barrios, campos, pueblos, lands, our economy, our culture, and our political life.
[…] A nation autonomous and free – culturally, socially, economically, and politically- will make its own decisions on the usage of our lands, the taxation of our goods, the utilization of our bodies for war, the determination of justice (reward and punishment), and the profit of our sweat.
As someone of only 1/8 descent from La Raza de Bronze, I’m not at all sure I’d be welcome in such an “autonomous nation,” or whether I’d simply be one of the European invaders to be turned out with dynamite and macahuittle .
I think there is enough lack of clarity as to whether “liberation of Aztlan” and the like refer to actual political separatism, cultural separatism, or what, to make me uncomfortable. While it’s clear that much of MEChA’s public work (and activism) is oriented toward the laudable goals of educational opportunity, fighting discrimination, and fostering justifiable pride in the culture, there remain aspects of it that are, I think, understandably troubling — and folks who have an association with them (such as Bustamante) are correctly asked about them — especially since his association was in the early 70s, not long after the organzations “radical” founding.
I find it amusing that civil rights groups are now racist/sexist.
If they build themselves up by tearing others down, or by demonizing others, or even, I would say, that you can’t be a “good” person if you don’t put “your people” and their interests first — then, yes, I’d say that they are racist/ethnist/sexist.
The organizations that have fought for years to better this nation are no being hoisted up on petards of others making.
Or, at times, of their own.
Nobody — certainly not me — is claiming that there was not, nor even that there is still not, racism and sexism in society. I think we have gone a tremendous way toward eliminating it, but it’s still a reality, and it was even moreso in the 60s/70s. But that doesn’t give you a bye to do whatever you will in opposition to it, even if opposing it is, per se, a good thing.
I am also amused that any time someone with a spanish surname runs for office the MECHa charge is trotted out
Well, if they associated with MEChA, that’s one of the consequences. If they associated with another radical/reactionary group at the time, ditto. Folks understand that — they just want to know how the person feels about those positions now.
You left out the header on the edited bit:
6. Creation of an independent local, regional, and national political party.
A nation autonomous and free – culturally, socially, economically, and politically- will make its own decisions on the usage of our lands, the taxation of our goods, the utilization of our bodies for war, the determination of justice (reward and punishment), and the profit of our sweat.
Heck that almost sounds conservative…tying to found your own political party to redress wrongs.
And I guess that where you see “separatist/exclusionist” language, I see people who are tired of being exploited, having their land taken away from them, having their culture destroyed, having their water taken away from them, and seeking to throw off the shackles of their oppressor/exploiters and empower themselves.
Anytime the majority feels that any of it’s “Rights” are being challenged, they are going to feel that the minority is tearing them down, or that they are being to “demonized”, and that they are being “excluded”. “And Darnit, why can’t things just be like they used to be!” That is how things have been every time this has happened in this country.
What!?! Non land owners being given the right to Vote. This is madness!?! And on, and on, and on.
This is the current quandary with gay rights. The majority feels that its “Rights” are being challenged, and that they are being “Demonized” because of it. They do not want to give up their rights to do whatever they want to do in regards to G/L/Bi/Tg people. Or you hear things like “why can’t you just be like straight people in public?” Well, why should they?
Anytime change occurs, people are going to loose something for others to gain something. Change does not occur without strong will, shame, or force.
Anyway, isn’t that the whole point of civil right groups? To stand up for your “group” of people, because not standing up for your “group” of people wasn’t working out so well before. There is nothing saying that you can’t join in the struggles of others to share the burden.
Title IX is another example. By the time Katherine gets to collage about 60% of the student body will by female. All of the sports except for Men’s basketball and football will be women’s sports.
Other bits that are amusing: Would Bustamante’s MECHa background have been brought up if he wasn’t the leading Democrat? Would MECHa been brought up if he was a republican? Why is the far right so afraid of the Possibility of only the second Latino Govenor in California’s histoy?
Things change.
One group looses for the other to gain.
For one group to be freer, the other group looses some control.
Balance: There is only so much water in the cup, it is how it disistributed that matters.
The win-win situation is only seen in hindsight.
I don’t disagree with anything you say about change and the perception that rights are a zero-sum game (which they aren’t, but sometimes it can feel that way).
Other bits that are amusing: Would Bustamante’s MECHa background have been brought up if he wasn’t the leading Democrat?
Probably not. There wouldn’t be any need to.
Would MECHa been brought up if he was a republican?
Interesting question. Probably not, since the Dems contniue to court the Latino vote, and an attack on MEChA would likely offend some hard-core (or hoped-for) Democratic constituencies. Would it have been brought up by the GOP? Probably not, execpt by McClintock supporters. But that’s politics and party loyalty, for you.
Why is the far right so afraid of the Possibility of only the second Latino Govenor in California’s histoy?
I suspect that, yes, a few of them are scared of a Latino governor — probably because they do believe that Bustamante is part of a cultural and political take-over of the Southwest — if not a seceding Aztlan, then a demographically inevitable change in things.
But I suspect that most of them just see him as a potential Democratic/Liberal governor, regardless of his race, and think that’s the wrong answer for California and/or the US. They’re opposed to Gray Davis, too, even though he’s so white it hurts.
I don’t think your comparison between MEChA and gay rights holds water. The difference, as I see it, is that the gay rights fight seeks for inclusion into mainstream society while MEChA seeks to seperate itself and create its own little shangri-la.
If, as you say, the folks in MEChA are tired of being exploited, having their lands taken, etc, why is illegal immigration from out southern neighbors so high? Could it be that opportunities here, created in part by the terrible capatalist gringos, better than in the homeland?
I wouldn’t go so far as that, Adam — certainly not in the 60s, and even not now. Granted that economic opportunities are better here than in, say, Mexico, it doesn’t mean that worker exploitation or ethnic prejudice don’t exist today, nor that they have not been a problem in the southwest during US history in the area, a problem that deserves to be more fully stamped out than it has been to date.
Or to put it another way, bad behavior on the part of your opponents does not in itself justifiy your position. This works both way in this argument. Racism on the part of your opponents does not justify racism on your part. So, sixties-style radical groups cannot be racist themselves. Just because the means chosen by MEChA may be wrong, the ends of treating manual laborers equitably is not tainted by this. So, employers who mistreat workers are not justified.
Finally, Adam is comparing against such a low bar with the Mexican economy I don’t see how we can conclude anything concerning working conditions.