Monday, November 18, 1996
GUZMAN:
Bitter words of columnist marginalize true activists’
dedicationBy Margarita Gonzalez
The following counterpoint is submitted by Margarita Gonzalez,
Chairperson of MEChA de UCLA on behalf of Movimiento Estudiantil
Chacana y Chicano de Aztlan.
In MEChA’s 27-year existence on high school and college campuses
throughout Aztlan, our organization has never made it a priority to
please every individual "Hispanic" suffering a major identity
crisis and psychological problems. That’s why no one in our
organization was surprised when Mimi Guzman, the two-bit Viewpoint
columnist who wouldn’t recognize a serious issue if it bit her in
the rump, published her viewpoint Nov. 8 full of venomous
accusations directed toward MEChA de UCLA.
Let me remind Mimi that the educational plight of Chicana/os
continues to be ignored. Junior high, high school and college
push-out rates have risen to 50 percent, forcing many Chicanas and
Chicanos into lives of poverty. The current right-wing trend in our
nation has been targeting our people by continually directing
racist and repressive immigration laws at our brothers and sisters.
And Gov. Wilson has begun the process of dismantling affirmative
action and civil rights protections. Bilingual education and ethnic
studies are next on the hit list, and all Mimi Guzman can do is
whine about her individual personal problems and petty campus
politics!
Why doesn’t Mimi Guzman actually try to do some ORGANIZING for
her community instead of just criticizing, complaining and dividing
it? But then, what would you expect from someone who badmouths
MEChA and then goes and joins an organization with a really
hard-core progressive Raza agenda like Bruin Belles.
Mimi Guzman goes on to perpetuate an unwarranted, unfounded
stereotype of MEChistas being "reactionary, exclusive,
narrow-minded, power hungry cholos who hate everybody but
themselves." To this I can only respond that members of MEChA are
some of the hardest-working, most committed students on this
campus. They come from all backgrounds and "linguistic abilities."
It is love for our people that unites us and makes us an
organization that challenges adversity and chooses to rise above
these petty attacks.
Mimi has insulted a great deal of students who actually care and
do something for their people. Mimi Guzman should try attending
more than one token MEChA meeting or event before she criticizes an
organization she hardly knows.
Let me also just clarify what Mimi Guzman’s experience with
MEChA de UCLA really is. In 1994 she was the chairperson of the
parent conference subcommittee of MEChA de UCLA’s Raza Youth
Conference. At that time Mimi did not lift a finger to do the work
that needed to get done, completely neglecting all her
responsibilities. It got so bad that MEChA leadership had to
scramble around at the last minute and desperately try to salvage
the mess that Mimi Guzman made of the parent conference in
1994.
We, the members of MEChA de UCLA, do not feel the need to
justify our actions or our philosophy to anyone. MEChA makes "no
bones about it" Â being a MEChista involves a personal
commitment to your people beyond attendance at events. Our
fundamental drive is to organize and challenge Chicana/o students
to maintain self-respect and dignity to overcome historical
prejudice, while training future community leaders to be
consciously committed to serving the people of Aztlan.
It is also understandable that many students have fundamental
disagreements with MEChA as an organization. That we expect. But be
it through MEChA, Raza Women, CCM, MEChA’s Raza Youth Education
Project or whatever avenue you chose to address the numerous
problems that our community is facing, it’s actually doing work for
your people that earns you respect, not just talk and inaction. We
encourage students to get involved in any of the many Raza
organizations on our campus. Our community needs you.
¡La Union Face la fuerza!