Monday, April 13, 1998
National MEChA meeting at UCLA successful
CONFERENCE: Participants enjoy free, open dialogue about race,
gender issues
By Dennis Lim
Daily Bruin Contributor
The National Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA)
Conference, held at UCLA this weekend, saw a radical change of plan
Sunday when members from all of the Oregon chapters walked out of
the conference.
The walkout was prompted by their disagreement with the
constitutional structure of MEChA, which the chapters claimed
allowed for too much bureaucracy and not enough open discussion on
issues.
"We’re mimicking the white model of politics, and that’s not
what we are about. We’re following the constitution first and our
indigenous mentality second," said one student representative from
Oregon.
After talks between the Oregon chapter and the national
organization, the dissenting members returned, agreeing to resolve
the issue after the conference.
Prior to the walkout the 2,000 members of MEChA, one of the only
national organizations of Chicana/o students, gathered on North
Campus Friday for part of the national conference.
The conference, held every year at different campuses across the
country, discussed major issues facing the Chicana/o community.
This year’s theme, "From Birth to Consciousness: La Fuerza
Liberadora de la Mujer" (the liberating force of women) celebrates
the role of women in the Chicana/o culture
During the discussions, words like "racism," "sexism," and
"oppression" littered the air as each of the groups discussed the
role of women and race in their respective communities. The
participants exchanged stories of inequality and racism easily, and
each of them were equally understood.
"Usually at conferences as large as these, you don’t get a lot
of dialogue about issues," said Maria Perez, a participant in the
conference and a MEChista.
"At this conference we had real strong discussions about the
theme and the issues all of us face," she continued.
"These are issues we needed to address, and I was glad to see
that others shared my view on these issues," affirmed Jerry
Warmsley, another participant.
Discussions were quickly followed up with workshops, addressing
myriad issues, from affirmative action to the native Aztec
language. Each workshop is given by community leaders in their
respective fields.
In addition to allowing dialogue on major issues facing them,
the conference allowed MEChA members to establish networks, learn
about the issues facing the Chicana/o community and hear from
national leaders in the Chicana/o community.
This year’s speakers during the national banquet included
Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, President of the Mexican
American Legal Defense and Education Fund Antonia Hernandez, Sal
Castro, organizer of the East Los Angeles School Blowouts in 1968,
and community organizer Luz Bazan Gutierrez.
The banquet honored both Castro and Gutierrez as recipients of
the 1998 National MEChA Aguila Award. The award, given as MEChA’s
lifetime achievement award, honors those that have given the most
to the Chicana/o culture.
"I am really honored and humbled at the same time," Gutierrez
said.
"Humbled because it is the youth who are beginning to recognize
the efforts of past generations and especially women," she
continued.
Each of the speakers addressed the growing importance of the
Chicana/o community and the role MEChA plays in shaping that future
role.
Particular emphasis was placed on three California propositions:
187, 209, and the most recent proposition, 22, which would ban
bilingual education in California.
"MEChA is about saying in one unified voice: ‘We won’t go back
to that other era,’" Villaraigosa said.
"The hands of time only move forward. They don’t move back to
that other era when oppression and racism ran rampant," he
continued.
Castro spoke of the growing power of the Chicana/o community and
the lack of education that community is receiving.
"We lead the nation in high school and college dropouts, yet by
2010 we will be the largest minority group. Who will lead us?
K-Mart blue-light special announcers?" Castro said.
Despite the disruptions during the last day of the conference,
participants still expressed optimism about the conference as a
whole.
"The unification of the Chicanas and Chicanos at this conference
was the most beautiful thing. It was more breathtaking than a
sunset to see so many chicanos together for one purpose … it
almost brought a tear to my eye to see so many of my people
together," said Adrian Naranjo, a participant.MICHAEL ROSS
WACHT/Daily Bruin
Some two thousand national members of MEChA met
on Royce Quad to discuss race and gender issues.