La Voz - June 2016

a publication of the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center

San Antonio, Tejas

June 2016, Vol. 29 Issue 5

S ave o u r Brac k e n r idge Pa r k t radit io n s!

ยกPre s e r ve n ue s t ro p a rq ue Br ac k !

Br ac k ac c e s s f o r a ll !

Cam pi ng at Brac k!

S ave ou r Brack Birth day tradit io n s!

La Voz de Esperanza June 2016 vol. 29 Issue 5 Editor Gloria A. Ramírez Design Elizandro Carrington Cover Art Mary Agnes Rodríguez

Contributors

Yon Hui Bell, María Antonietta Berriozábal, Araceli Herrera,Tom Keene, Beatriz Macín, Rev. Monte Marshall, Pancho Valdez

La Voz Mail Collective

José H. Cossio, Olga Crespin, Juan Diaz, Claudia Enriquez, Pauline Enriquez, Blanca Hurley, Ray McDonald, Angie Merla, María Plemmons, Yolanda Salazar, Maria N. Reed, Blanca Rivera, Mike Sánchez, Vanessa Sandoval, Adolfo Segura, Sandra Torres, Tomasa Torres, Helen Villarreal

Esperanza Director Graciela I. Sánchez

Esperanza Staff

Imelda Arismendez, Elizandro Carrington, Eliza Pérez, Gianna Rendón, René Saenz, Susana Segura, Amelia Valdez

Interns

LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • June 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 5•

Anastasia Christilles, Natalie Rodríguez & Hunter Sosby

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Conjunto de Nepantleras -Esperanza Board of Directors-

Rachel Jennings, Amy Kastely, Jan Olsen, Ana Lucía Ramírez, Gloria A. Ramírez, Rudy Rosales, Tiffany Ross, Lilliana Saldaña, Nadine Saliba, Graciela I. Sánchez, Lillian Stevens • We advocate for a wide variety of social, economic & environmental justice issues.

• Opinions expressed in La Voz are not necessarily those of the Esperanza Center.

La Voz de Esperanza is a publication of Esperanza Peace & Justice Center 922 San Pedro, San Antonio, TX 78212

210.228.0201 • fax 1.877.327.5902 www.esperanzacenter.org Inquiries/Articles can be sent to:

lavoz@esperanzacenter.org

Articles due by the 8th of each month

Policy Statements

* We ask that articles be visionary, progressive, instructive & thoughtful. Submissions must be literate & critical; not sexist, racist, homophobic, violent, or oppressive & may be edited for length. * All letters in response to Esperanza activities or articles in La Voz will be considered for publication.

Letters with intent to slander individuals or groups will not be published.

The weeks leading up to Easter, ‘Ama made us wonderful breakfasts: chorizo con huevo, papa con huevo, weenies con huevo, jamon con huevo, bacon and egg y mas! No pancakes or atole—we had to eat as many huevos as possible those weeks so we could have enough cascarones to decorate and fill with confetti, or something forbidden (salt, sand, or glitter?).

The week before Easter Sunday we spent dyeing and filling the cascarones and shopping—for Easter clothes, picnic supplies, food and a piñata. Magnus, who was at college, warned us NOT to get a bunny piñata this year. She had joined Voice for Animals on campus and DID NOT like the idea of hitting a bunny piñata.

On Good Friday, Daddy and ‘Ama took us to the mercado downtown to witness la pasión y muerte de Jesús. After the dramatic performance on the streets, we sat together in San Fernando Cathedral to pray and reflect on Jesus’ death. Done with church, we walked to the old mercado to see the piñatas—but Daddy reminded us that we would buy our piñata from one of the Westside piñata shops. ‘Ama let us buy some baleros for our Easter baskets.

Saturday, Daddy dropped off our oldest brother, Sonny, with a tent and blankets at Brackenridge Park to save us a spot. They unloaded la troquita setting out grandpa’s barrel bbq pit, two extra tables and Abuela’s folding chairs made with webbing that Grandpa kept in vintage shape.

My sister had packed the playpen to keep baby Ray from getting into mischief. We found a table close to the water. Sonny would be joined by teenage primos and a couple of tios who would spend the night in their tents with an ice chest of provisions.

On Easter Sunday, I awoke at home at 6am to the smell of beans cooking on ‘Ama’s olla. She already had bags of chips, bread, plates, cups, plasticware, napkins and food in containers packed into paper bags with handles. A bunny cake with coconut was enclosed in a plastic cake carrier. Four large ice chests with sodas, water and beer sat in the porch waiting to be iced down. Along the edge of the carport was a volleyball net rolled up and neatly tied with rope. Two volley balls sat on top of the net and two footballs. Sixteen cartons holding a dozen and a half of cascarones each and 3 dozen boiled eggs were packed into boxes.

Two paper bags full of candy eggs, mini candy bars, jelly beans and plastic eggs sat next to six Easter baskets of various sizes filled with one small animal de peluche—a baby chick, duck, rabbit, or dinosaur for my little brother. It was time to load up the SUV at 7:30 am. We stopped at the ice machine and emptied the bags into the coolers. We, six, and our parents were crammed into the SUV finally on our way to Brack!

The day was filled with laughter as we ran around cracking cascarones on cousins, tios, tias, brothers, sisters and a few on ‘Ama, Abuela and Daddy. The food was plentiful and the BBQ from Abuelo’s pit was the best! The potato salad was addictive. Finally, the Easter egg hunt was on for the little ones and volleyball for the older kids. As my cousins, boys and girls, played football Uncle Carlos threw the ball so high that it got stuck in a tree. Climbing the tree didn’t work, throwing sticks did not work, shaking the branches did not work. The ball remained stuck! So, everyone took turns throwing the extra football up into the tree until finally one of the girls actually hit the ball in the tree. Down it came!

The grand finale was the Easter piñata, a giant cascarón bulging with all kinds of Easter candy. When it busted open one of our aunts grabbed it—opening it wide to scatter the candy throughout the grounds so everyone could fill their baskets and pockets. ‘Buelita laughed at the children and teens who scattered everywhere collecting candy and bringing some to ‘Ama, Daddy, Abuela and the Baby. Another memorable Easter at Brackenridge Park in San Antonio, TX. Will this tradition continue at Brack?

ATTENTION VOZ READERS: If you have a mailing address correction please send it to lavoz@ esperanzacenter.org. If you want to be removed from the La Voz mailing list, for whatever reason, please let us know. La Voz is provided as a courtesy to people on the mailing list of the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center.

The subscription rate is $35 per year ($100 for institutions). The cost of producing and mailing La Voz has substantially increased and we need your help to keep it afloat. To help, send in your subscriptions, sign up as a monthly donor, or send in a donation to the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center. Thank you. -GAR VOZ VISION STATEMENT: La Voz de Esperanza speaks for many individual, progressive voices who are gente-based, multi-visioned and milagro-bound. We are diverse survivors of materialism, racism, misogyny, homophobia, classism, violence, earth-damage, speciesism and cultural and political oppression. We are recapturing the powers of alliance, activism and healthy conflict in order to achieve interdependent economic/ spiritual healing and fuerza. La Voz is a resource for peace, justice, and human rights, providing a forum for criticism, information, education, humor and other creative works. La Voz provokes bold actions in response to local and global problems, with the knowledge that the many risks we take for the earth, our body, and the dignity of all people will result in profound change for the seven generations to come.

Brackenridge Park: Traditions Endangered?

An inclusive and open public process is what I am seeking when changes are being made to historic spaces that belong to everyone in our city. —María Antonietta Berriozábal Most San Antonians of any age or any epoch have memories of wonderful Brackenridge Park. I sure do! Recently, a friend sent me information on a recent meeting held to discuss a Master Plan for that special place. The missive raised my concern that major changes are being proposed for “Brack”, name we use for our beloved park, but when someone asked the presenters at the meeting I discuss below if a presentation would be made to the communities who actually use the park the answer was “those people do not attend meetings.” This is plain wrong.

Media reports indicate that about 75 people showed up to a public meeting held at the Botanical Gardens on April 26, 2016 sponsored by the Brackenridge Park Conservancy.

As my friend described those present—they were “upper middle class to affluent white people” who, in this person’s

opinion, ‘never use the park’ “. A person from the “city’s transportation department” was in charge of a sign-in sheet.

The Project Team Leader Jim Gray from rialtostudios. com, a landscape architect, stated that this was the “second official hearing”. Gray was joined at the meeting by the architectural firms involved in the planning, Alamo Architects and Ford Powell Carson.

The Plan presented was: 1. That several multi-story parking garages will be built by Pape Dawson all around the perimeter of Brackenridge Park: at Alamo Stadium, the Doseum, near the golf course, at USAA at Hildebrand/Broadway, by the Sunken Gardens and other sites.

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2. Traffic will be closed into the park, except one or two one-way streets.

3. There will be no parking or driving in the park

Will our traditions CONTINUE?

4. Persons attending the park will have to ride a tram to get into the park.

5. A “Grand Lawn” will be created where the picnic areas now sit. Avenue A will be closed to traffic. Park attendees will walk in or park on River Road and then walk in.

6. A charge for Easter picnickers of perhaps $50.00 will be charged for their picnic and camping areas. “Let them make reservations,” it was stated.

After receiving this information I went to the Brackenridge Conservancy website and found the information on the master plan. I also found this article from the Rivard Report which reports on the proposed park master plan. It also includes a link to the Master Plan. However, neither this article nor the Conservancy website had the details provided at the April 26 meeting that the attendee provided for me. At that meeting even a developer’s name was mentioned for the actual work - Pape Dawson. http:// bit.ly/rivardmeeting Worthy of note is that supposedly some of the estimated $150,000,000 cost for the Master Plan will be paid with 2017 bond funds. I can appreciate that there is investment needed in Brackenridge Park because it has long been neglected. However, it is a park that continues to be used, largely by the Latino community, and this has been the case for gen4 erations. The Family

LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • June 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 5•

Easter Picnic at Brack and other celebrations is a long held tradition. Those who use the park the most should be part of discussions on any modifications or outright changes.

Unfortunately, what I continue to see is that while public spaces are being improved at public expense the communities who traditionally have used those spaces are no longer welcomed.

From what I have seen so far, it seems Brackenridge Park is going the same way.

In all honesty what is very difficult to take is that this is one more example of the gentrification that is occurring in our inner city and of the loss of understanding of the right of all people to enjoy the public spaces of our city—the Commons. It’s privatization or removing direct accountability from our elected leaders through the creation of entities that manage these spaces. Hays Street Bridge. Hemisfair Park. Municipal Auditorium. Main Plaza. Where are we going?

Can we Bring ou

r own pits?

ck?

a r B o t in s s e c c a g in iv r d e will we hav

My questions and comments at this point are: 1. Have only two public meetings been held on improvements of such an important park?

2. If the plan is going to be taken to the city in June, why have public hearings not been held in the neighborhoods where people live who frequent this park, particularly patrons from our east, west side and south sides?

3. Will the camp outs before Easter Sunday be eliminated?

4. If the Brackenridge Park’s changes/improvements will be paid for with bond funds, it makes no sense to exclude the users of the park whose vote the city needs for bond issue passage in 2017.

5. On the other hand if the plans are to pay for the work with private monies, that means more privatization of public sites and that is going down on a very slippery slope.

ask for more public hearings.

If some of the proposed changes take effect it will mean that thousands of familias who have used the park for generations will not be able to do so in the future. At the same time they have had no opportunity for input into the changes.

Note: “As the June issue of La Voz de Esperanza was going to press, I learned from Councilman Roberto Trevino of District l that in response to community concerns, there are plans for more public input that will be inclusive of other council districts. We will keep you informed.” Check www.esperanzacenter.org for updates or upcoming meetings on Brackenridge Park.

Will we be able to camp out?

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In light of the climate of divisiveness we are experiencing at the national level these days the sense that I received of the meeting held April 26 is very troubling. It is exclusion and lack of respect for users of the park.

That Pape Dawson of Vista Ridge fame is also involved in another moneymaking endeavor gives me serious pause to say the least.

I have asked Councilman Roberto Treviño for more information and answers to my questions. I have heard from him and he will be responding.

I urge you to stay informed on this very critical issue for our community. Contact your council representative and

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All those who take the sword will perish by the sword

by Rev. Monte Marshall, Senior Pastor, Travis Park United Methodist Church

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I am a follower of Jesus, but in my childhood, my father gave me the gift of a 22-caliber rifle. I used it for target practice and, on one occasion, for hunting. In my early twenties, I came to see the discrepancy between following Jesus and possessing firearms. I proceeded to change my thinking and my behavior. I no longer own a firearm of any type, and I haven’t for many, many years.

As a follower of Jesus, my perspective on violence and the possession of firearms has been influenced by the stories of Jesus found in the Christian scriptures. In Matthew’s gospel, for example, those who come to arrest Jesus in “a place called Gethsemane” were carrying weapons of violence, “swords and clubs.”

Apparently, Jesus was unarmed, but one of his disciples was carrying a sword. After Jesus had been seized, the sword-carrying disciple drew his weapon and attacked one of those who had accompanied the arresting officers, cutting off his ear. Jesus said to this disciple: “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take the sword will perish by the sword.”

Because of stories like these, the first followers of Jesus renounced violence. There is a consensus among historians on this point.

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But that was then, this is now. Swords are no longer the issue—guns are. The followers of Jesus today are all over the map on the issue of violence and the place of firearms in our society.

As the senior pastor of Travis Park United Methodist Church in San Antonio, however, my counsel to the congregation I serve is to follow Jesus by renouncing violence and the carrying of weapons. In my view, violence begets violence. The only way to end violence is to renounce violence and to put away the weapons we use to inflict violence.

Does this make us vulnerable to others who might do violence? Yes, but in the same way that Jesus was vulnerable. Are we defenseless? No, there are non-violent alternatives to the use of weapons that can be learned and practiced.

In light of recent actions by the State of Texas to affirm the carrying of handguns in a variety of public places, I am grateful that the leaders of the church that I serve have acted unanimously to adopt a policy that prohibits both the open-carry and the concealed-carry of handguns on our church campus. Our aim is simple: to follow Jesus.

We also gladly stand in solidarity with others of different faiths, and with those of no faith, who have taken similar actions and who share a common commitment to a non-violent world.

EL PARQUE BRACKENRIDGE NUESTRA TRADICIONES EN PELIGRO La mayoría de los habitantes de San Antonio tenemos un recuerdo agradable en el parque Brackenridge. Recientemente llevó a cabo una reunión para discutir un plan maestro para este lugar tan especial y sus alrededores.

El líder del proyecto es el arquitecto Jim Gray, de rialtostudios.com; en el equipo también están las firmas Alamo Architects y Ford Powell Carson.

El plan incluye desde la construcción de varios edificios para estacionarse; el cierre del tráfico en calles entrando al parque; el uso de un tranvía para entrar al parque; la creación de un gran jardín en las áreas de picnic; el cierre de Avenue A, por lo que los visi-

tantes del parque deberán entrar caminando o en tranvía; y posiblemente una tarifa para poder usar las áreas de picnic y de campamento.

Supuestamente parte del presupuesto para estas modificaciones, de $150,000,000 será cubierto por los fondos de bonos de 2017 que se presentarán al público.

Dicen que se necesita invertir en el parque porque está muy descuidado, pero sigue siendo muy visitado por la comunidad latina. Varias celebraciones que se realizan ahí son ya tradicionales. Los que usan el parque deben participar en las discusiones sobre cualquier cambio que pretenda hacerse para garantizar que seguirán siendo bienvenidos con las tradiciones intactas.

Entre otras dudas que surgen, ¿por qué no se ha involucrado a los vecindarios de las personas que mayor uso hacen del parque? Si la idea es pagar los trabajos con dinero privado, significa más privatizaciones de lugares públicos.

Los conminamos a mantenerse informados, a contactar a su representante en el concilio y exigir más audiencias públicas.

—Beatriz Macín

Carry equals No Campus

By Yon Hui Bell, SAC

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The young man in the back row asked me about Campus Carry on the first day of class. He did wait for an opportune and appropriate time – that lull when we educators stand in front of students and ask if there are any questions – he didn’t just blurt out the question. And he assured all of us that he only carried a gun to protect us.

The next day I received an email from a student explaining he would be absent and would I please let him know what he missed. For the next day or two I carried around an anxious suspicion that the student who had announced he was carrying a gun to protect me had just emailed to inform me that he would now begin a subtle siege on our fragile teacher-student relationship. The open war on teachers – their professionalism, their worth – now included gun toting students.

A college education, for many, is meant to provide intellectual stimulation and growth, much of which is facilitated through human interaction. Campus Carry fundamentally affects that interaction. The free exchange of ideas is distorted by reticence and suspicion. Educators worry that students will take grades and performance evaluations too personally. Students worry that their comments and opinions will be understood too harshly. The arena of participation and classroom discussion, which has always been fraught with social anxiety, has now become even more silent.

This silence is what I fear most about the new law.

However, I cannot blame Campus Carry for this silence.

Campus Carry is but another ludicrous law passed by a ludicrous government responding selfishly and ineffectually to a social problem it doesn’t want to solve.

At the core of the gun debate is the fact that we are all afraid of active shooters, whether they be international terrorists, domestic ones, or personally known ones. We are all afraid of being

victim to someone’s gun-toting violence. This fear isn’t unfounded, especially considering statistics and that the United States continues to be the largest weapons manufacturing country in the world. If a factory makes cake, its workers eat cake (albeit discounted or damaged). If a country makes weapons, its citizens eat weapons. Most politicians do not want to discuss that fact. They’d rather we discuss who can and cannot obtain weapons and where we can and cannot carry our damn weapons.

I will not be scared or silent. I do not want my students to be scared or to think silence is the best public response. I will not avoid “sensitive” topics as educators concerned about Campus Carry are being told to do. What’s the point of education if it isn’t to discuss these topics? I will ask my students the age-old questions. What is the meaning of life?

How great is a country if it has the highest rate of gun violence and the largest prison population in the world? What is happiness? Is it owning the latest iPhone and having all-you-can-eat access to the internet? What is equality?

Is economic segregation the same as racial segregation?

Will more guns really make a society safer? Though I can’t completely escape the factory, I will not be a silent cog nor will I just churn out unquestioning silent cogs.

Education should help us develop our ability to respectfully communicate diverse and disparate opinions. I tell my students that this is the gift of language – to be able to express ourselves, to share ourselves, to agree and disagree, and, ultimately, to learn from one another. Each of us inhabits a personal reality, but we also share a social reality.

Language allows us to bridge these two realities, which must be bridged because they are so intimately intertwined. You cannot be safe in one if you are not safe in the other. Silence, whether in the classroom, in government hallways and offices, or in social organizations, does not make us safe. We must continue to speak up and rise up until the multitude of our voices overpowers those ludicrous ones currently in power.

And I was wrong.

The email was from a different student.

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CUBA, HONDU

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By Tom Keene

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With President Obama’s visit to Cuba in March (2016), we can consider the issue of political rights in Cuba for the last 50 years.

We may contrast that with the issue of human rights in Honduras for the last seven years. In 2009 the Honduran army overthrew the democratically elected government. The United Nations, the Organization of American States and the European Union denounced the coup. The U.S. State Department did not. What followed and still continues is a reign of corruption, persecution, police impunity, dramatic growth in both the crime rate and drug cartels.

One consequence felt by us North Americans is the fact of more than 13,000 Honduran children crossing U.S. borders between October 2013 and May 2014.

Presently, with regard to Cuba, President Obama expresses hope of moving beyond the “…conflicted history of American imperialism, Cuban revolution and Cold War isolation…”

Eugene Robinson looks forward to “…the day when Cubans are free from the Castro government’s suffocating repression.”

Reflecting on the contrast of America’s hope for Cuba and our indifference to Honduras could bring us to wonder about our own national integrity.

Why such lack of integrity at our national level? Here is why. As Americans we have two heritages, each with different agendas, values and purposes, each in conflict and contradiction with the other. These different heritages are that of a democratic republic on the one hand, and that of empire on the other.

Today we are caught between these

two heritages as we explore and test the reasons for having policies that greatly harm ourselves and other

people. Our question is which heritage does domination serve? Empire or Republic?

Let’s look at our democratic heritage: Our Declaration of Independence.

All humans are created equal.

Each with certain inalienable rights.

Government derives its authority from the consent of the governed.

When governments fail, the governed have the right to abolish these governments and institute new governments.

In other words: People do not get power from the government, the government gets power from the people.

The Constitution’s Preamble sets out, in the words of Lincoln, a “government of the people, by the people and for the people,” designed to “establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty.

In other words, government is here not to control and use the people but to protect and serve the people. Like our system of free public education to all children. Like the WWII and Korean War GI Bills that provided low interest home loans and college education to millions of GIs whose resulting economic prosperity produced more tax revenue than taxpayers ever spent on GI Bills. A democratic republic invests in its citizens, their liberation and their well being.

Here is what our heritage of empire looks like. By definition, empire invests its resources in domination of its own people as well as other people. American empire tells its subjects that they must pay for the most expensive military in the world but that we can’t afford universal health insurance or publicly funded childcare for working parents.

American empire began with the European domination of Indian lands and people. It built its wealth on slave labor imported from Africa. It conquered and occupied half of Mexico’s land, then fought a Civil War over who would control the wealth producing labor in these territories taken from Mexico: the slave holders of the South or the factory owners of the North, who in turn paid their workers slave wages. After the Civil War American empire turned to dominate the Caribbean, taking Puerto Rico and making Cuba an economic satellite. In the Pacific, empire took over Hawaii and the Philippines, calling that ocean an American lake. American empire then fought Filipinos for three years, using concentration camps to quell their fight for independence. Over 200,000, mostly women and children, died in those camps for lack of food and sanitation.

American empire took Panama, built the canal and sent in the Army and Marines to control whoever governed in the Caribbean

URAS AND US

When it comes to war, republics

and empires behave differently. A democratic republic distributes

political power to all and requires a formal declaration of war from elected representatives of the

people. An empire concentrates

political power in the hands of the

few, and it is the few who make the decisions that lead to war.

American empire invaded Mexico in 1916 to occupy its oil fields with no declaration of war. Wars in Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf, and then the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were fought without formal declaration of war by representatives of the people.

An empire’s military will depend on mercenaries and economically stressed volunteers. A republic, when forced to defend itself, can rely on a draft of its own willing citizens.

By its very nature, a democratic republic serves all its constituents equally. Empire, by its nature, serves wealth and power. In a republic, the military serves to protect the nation, the people and the Constitution. In our empire, the military along with CIA covert operations, serves wherever corporate interests require.

So as we reflect on our dual heritage, empire and republic, as we think and talk about our ongoing oppression of other nations, let us consider three questions. Whose forces are making these decisions? The forces of empire or the heritage of our democratic republic? Which forces will benefit from oppression? Empire or Republic? Who will pay the price? Empire or Republic?

How shall we respond to this continuing challenge? We can respond with denial, “Empire is not really that dangerous to us.”

We can respond with despair and cynicism, “Yes, it really is that bad and we can’t do anything about it.” We can respond with hope, as modeled by the people of Esperanza, recognizing that injustice and empire have two offspring: anger at the way things are, and courage to change the way things are. The choice is up to us. We can take on the heavy duties of citizenship or passively conform ourselves to be subjects of empire.

If this struggle for democracy at home seems overwhelming in the face of empire, remember: we are not powerless. We can do something and that something will lead to other things we can do. At the end of our lives we will be responsible, not so much to have succeeded, but to have been faithful to our heritage of a democratic republic, faithful to our consciences and to ourselves.

Bio: Tom Keene was a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division during the Korean War. He has served his community as a community organizer, teacher and buena gente of the Esperanza.

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and Central America. After WWII, our CIA overthrew democratic governments in Iran (1953), Guatemala (1954) and Chile (1973) when they dared to put control of their natural resources, oil, lands and minerals, in the hands of their people and out of the hands of American corporations. My old army division, the 82nd Airborne, was used to overthrow a democratic movement in the Dominican Republic in 1965. In the 1980s we intervened in Nicaragua and El Salvador to ensure American empire. We invaded Grenada and Panama for the same reason. In all these cases, we violated international law. In 1986, Nicaragua went to the World Court and sued the American empire for its intervention. The World Court found the United States guilty of international terrorism. The U.S. simply declared it did not recognize the authority of the World Court and continued its illegal campaign. Such is empire when it comes to international law.

We can see how different empire is from a Democratic Republic. In an empire the members are thought of as subjects: subjects of the king or emperor, of the government, love it or leave it. Government secrecy is necessary because the people can’t be trusted. In a corporately driven empire, its members are thought of as consumers, to have things is to be somebody. Corporations and their CEOs invest in the best government money can buy.

In a democratic republic, its members are thought of as citizens who feel free to question authority, demand freedom of information, who participate in the decisions of government, city, state and federal, through voting and membership in a political party that is not owned by money.

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CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION

SENIOR/DISABLED RESIDENTS SPEAKOUT ON SAN ANTONIO HOUSING AUTHORITY’S NEGLIGENCE & VIOLATION OF HUD REGULATIONS

CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION

“The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” —Maya Angelou

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By Pancho Valdez, Interim President Resident Council

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On April 14th several residents of the Lofts of Marie McGuire, fed up with being ignored by the SAHA bureaucracy, we spoke to a reporter from KWEX TV and the San Antonio ExpressNews about how our✊ rights under federal Housing, Urban & Development regulations were being ignored and violated by the local housing authority.

While SAHA has a protocol for addressing grievances/concerns these residents made it clear that their issues that include damage to cars, threats of violence, violence, sexual harassment, racist slurs, harassment of LGBT tenants, unfair evictions are not being addressed appropriately and in many instances swept under the rug.

I personally have been assisting residents at Marie McGuire with these issues and I can attest that many of these issues are written down, submitted and no one ever hears a thing about them again. SAHA maintains that the outcome of these complaints cannot be discussed as that would violate confidentiality requirements. We maintain that any resident who openly gets high or drunk, makes threats of violence, beats their dog, keeps people awake at night with noise and allows their offspring and boyfriend to beat them has forfeited their confidentiality as the entire building knows who the village idiot is!

Prior to taking their grievances public residents at the Lofts of Marie McGuire marched to the apartment of the former president of the Resident Council handing him his notice that the members wished to oust him as per the Council by-laws. On March 23rd he resigned in shame as the residents did not wish to be represented by a White man who had no problems with referring to Black residents as N***ers, who made unwanted sexual advancements to women residents and who was calling the police on residents that he had personal issues with. Many residents submitted written complaints and to this day nothing has transpired that we are aware of to this man who by SAHA’s

own rules should have been issued numerous lease violations. It takes three such violations to get evicted from a SAHA property, or so the bureaucrats claim.

Other residents have submitted complaints of sexual harassment from another male resident only to be ignored by SAHA management. One woman resident was also threatened with death and physical harm and it took almost three weeks to get her moved to another location and then only because she joined us at the SAHA Administration building and spoke to the news media about her situation. Supposedly she was granted emergency status, but it took three weeks to respond to her concerns! Meanwhile the perpetrator of the threats, the cruelty to her dog, the loud noise at night still lives at Marie McGuire and says she will appeal her eviction notice.

While none of us feel that people should be evicted unfairly we all feel that the woman in question has gone over board in her disruptive behavior and needs to go. We also question the eviction of a Black resident who accompanied us, who was provoked into an altercation by the former Resident Council president and thus getting him his third lease violation. Other residents who are late in their rent are encouraged to make agreements to pay the late rent to avoid eviction. The problem is that the managers are denying that payments have been made or that such agreements even exist. Thus our Council is educating the tenant body to never go alone into the office and make sure all agreements are in writing!

The fight for justice at Marie McGuire will be an ongoing struggle and we understand that. We just feel given the fact that SAHA is a public entity funded by our rent and federal taxes it should be held accountable. We are not begging for charity, nor do we seek special treatment. We are demanding justice!

Bio: Pancho Valdez is a retired trade unionist and activist who began fighting for social justice in the summer of 1965.

He can be contacted at: mestizowarrior@gmail. com or at 210-422-8000

G r a ci a s B u e n a G e n t e !

For making the 2016 Paseo a success!

—Paseo por El Westside Buena Gente 2016— Tomás Ybarra-Frausto Liz Limón Cuevas & Ramón Hernández Familia Enrique Sánchez Tomasa Torres Dudley Brooks Rachel Jennings Sylvia Villarreal Petra De La Rosa Isabel Sánchez Mildred Hilbrich Gloria Aguila Beatrice Macín Jessica Rocca Amy Kastely Yolanda Salazar Paz Garcia Gustavo Sánchez Beatrice Moreno Maria Reed Zurina Wason-Carrington Guadalupe Segura Firdos Vohra Natalie Rodríguez Elizandro Carrington

Frieda Saul Herrera Rachel Martinez Maria Miller Jessica Gonzáles Gloria Cordora Imelda De León Sandra Torres Blanca Rivera Cynthia Spielman Jaime Rivera

LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • June 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 5

Juan Diaz Josie Merla Yolanda Salazar Monica Cruz (U.I.W) Angie Merla Catie Merla-Watson Antonio Villanueva James Kitchen Marianna Villanueva Mike Sánchez Jacinto Madrigal Lanier Police Explorers Bernard Sánchez

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Adam Greenup Adolfo Segura Aissatou Sidime-Blanton & Stewart Blanton Alan Lindskog Ali Friedrich Alicia Arredondo Alicia Guadiana Alicia Politis y familia Allen Buck Alonso Jasso Amanda Haas Amelia Malagamba Amy Kastely & Graciela Sánchez Ana Maria González Ana Ramírez Anastasia Christilles Andrea Figueroa Andrea Greimel Angelita Merla Anita Revilla Anne Wallace Antonia Castañeda & Arturo Madrid Antonio Cabral Araceli Herrera Argelia Soto Arnold & Juanita Sánchez Arturo C. Madrid Asia Ciaravino Barbara Smith Barbara Villegas Beatrice Moreno Bernard Sánchez Bernardita de Lourdes Pérez & Annette D’Armata Bett Butler Betty Stapp Phillips Blanca Hurley Blanca Rivera Blue Alvarez Brad Veloz & Mike Rodríguez

Bryce Milligan C. Juanita Criado Carina Hiscock Carl Bernal Carl Leafstedt Carlos Castañeda Carmen Tafolla Carol Rodríguez Carolina Flores Catalina García Celia Perez Booth Charles Rice-González Choco Leandro Dresser Chris Lucerne Chuck Squier Claudia Guerra Colin Kloecker Connie & Phillip Reyes CoYoTe Phoenix Cristina Ramírez Cynthia Bonner Cynthia Pérez Cynthia Spielman D.R. Varella Dale Lasater Daniel González Danna Schneider Darlene M. Clements David & Karen Stokes David Peña Jr. Deborah Myers & Mary Irma “Nicki” Valdez Debra Dimando Dee Villarrubia Denise Mejia Dennis Oliver Diana & Xavier Sánchez Diane Balzadúa Diane Dustendorft Dolores & Reynaldo Campos Dolores Garcia Donna Guerra Doris Rips Doug Steadman

!

LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • June 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 5•

Esperanza donors since December 2015 Edward Juárez Edwina Scinta Elena Guajardo Elisabeth Delgado Elise Garcia & Carol Coston Eliza Pérez Elizabeth Aguilar Ellen Riojas Clark Elva Cárdenas Elva Treviño Elvia Niebla Esther García Estela González Esther Guajardo Eugenia Silva Ezequiel Peña Fanny Mayahuel-Thomas Firdos Vohra Frank Pizana Frieda Aguilera G. Sterling Zinsmeyer Gail & Marcus Raney Gail Wise Gary & Jeni Houston Gary Poole & Liberty Heise Geeta Patel Genevieve Rodríguez George Rice Gianerla Herrera Gianna Rendón Gloria A. Ramírez Gloria Almaraz Gloria Castañeda Gordon Sanford Grace Rosales Graciela G. García Gregory Fox Harvey Mireles & Sylvia Hector Cárdenas & Delia Helen Suárez Helen Villareal Imelda Arismendez Imelda De León Isabel & Enrique Sanchez

Isabel Zambrano Ismael Rivera Ismael Rodríguez Itza Carbajal Jack Elder Jacob Nammar James Kitchen Jamie Lewis Janet Grigsby Janet Padilla Janice Olsen Janie Barrera Javier Cervantes Jed Maebius Jelena Todic Jennifer Falcón Jennifer Hall Jennifer Jordan Jennifer Niño Jennifer Stephenson Jennifer Till Jessica White Jesus García Jezzika Lee Pérez Jo Ann & Gilbert Murillo Jo Reyes Joe & Kim Treviño Joe Blanco Joe Tedesco John B. Elder John Dauer Joleen García Jon Hinojosa José Hernández, MD José Rodríguez Joseph Dunwoody, Jr. Joseph Windham Josephine & Jesús Campos Josie Méndez-Negrete & Jorge Negrete Juan C. Diaz Juan Rodríguez Juanita Criado Judith Cashin Lerma

Mil Gracias!

Mark Day Mark Reyna Marsha Krassner & David Spener Martha Wallner Mary Agnes Rodríguez Mary Jane Garza Mary Lou Miller Mary Pérez Melissa Martinez-Carrasco Melissa Rodríguez Meredith McGuire & Jim Spickard Michael Gross Michael Laney Michael Villarreal & Jeanne Russell Miguel Gonzáles Mimi Quintanilla & David Schmidt Minette Aqueille Miryam Bujanda & Gerald Poyo Molly Cox Nadia Gaona Nadine & Imane Saliba Nancy Barceló Nancy Fullerton Nasrin Akhtar Piri Neifa Nacel Dovalina Nettie Hinton Norma Alarcón Norma Cantú Octavio Quintanilla Odelmira V. Martin Olga Crespin Olga Hernández Pablo Uresti Pat Saliba and Linda Libby Patricia Castillo Patricia Ezell Patricia Llinas Patricia West Houck & Lyssa Jenkens Paul & Mary Davila Paula Parvin Pauline Enriquez

Perla Alarcón Peter Haney & Laura Padilla Petra Mata Philip Chain Philip Twining & Jessie Jennings Priscilla Pesina Rachel Delgado Rachel Jennings Rachel Martinez Ramón Hernández Ramón Rivera-Servera Raul L Madrid Raul Solis Ray McDonald Raymond Garza Rebecca López Rebecca Montalvo Rene Saenz Renee Garvens Rhett Smith Richard Alles Richard C. Arredondo Richard Pressman Rita Urquijo-Ruiz Roberto y Rosa Milk Robert Salcido Roberto Treviño Rodolfo López Rodolfo Rosales Roger Singler Roland Sul Serna Rosa Elisa Klein Rosa Rios Rosario Yanez Rose Garcia Rose Martinez Rose Provenzano Rose Stone Rudy Enriquez Ruth Lofgren Sandra Dunn Santos Soza Sarah Gould SF Crissy Sharyll Soto Teneyuca Sofia Penberthy

Thank You!

Stella & Frank Anaya Jr. Stephen Guzman Steve Arredondo Steve Hurley Stuart Johnson Susan Guerra Susana Méndez Segura Suzanne de Satrustegui Sylvia Cantú Sylvia Covarrubia Sylvia Reyna Tam Ngo Tanya Mote Teresa Barajas Teresa Krupp Teresita Garza & Barry Peterson Terris Thompson Thelma Rivera Theresa Billeaud Theresa Rodríguez Therese Huntzinger Thomas Heikkala Tim Duda Tom Edmonson Tom Keene Tomas Ybarra Frausto & Dudley Brooks Tot & Ward Albro Tracy McMartin V M Timmons Veronica Cardona Veronica Cruz Viola Casares William Schur William Stichnot William Thomas Walker Xochitl Codina Yolanda & George Ozuna Yolanda Patino Yoly Zentella Yvette & James Sánchez Yvonne & Robert Rendón Yvonne Herrera y más...

LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • June 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 5

Judith Norman Judith Sanders Castro Kerry Lobel Kimberly Goodwin Kirsten E. Gardner Laura Butterfield Laura Codina Lavonna Dietering Lazaro Leal Lee G. Morales III Leticia Bocanegra Leticia Sánchez Letitia Gomez Libby & Lloyd Doggett Liliana Wilson Lillian L. Stevens Lilliana Saldaña Linda D. Beddingfield Lindsey Zuniga Livie Reyes Liz Helenchild Lori Rodríguez Lucy Dimando Lyndee Bordini M Reese Madrid M. Antonieta González Madeline Guyer Magda Chellet Marcee Binder Margarita Elizarde Margie Rodríguez Margot Oviedo Maria Alejandro Maria Antonieta González Maria De León Maria Inez Rodríguez Maria Lydia De Leon Maria Miller Maria Ojeda Maria Salazar y Jo Ann Castillo Marian Walls Marianne Ornelas Mariela Rodríguez Mario E Carbajal Marjorie C. Reed & Peggy J. Curet

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* community meetings *

Amnesty International #127 For info. call Arthur @ 210.213.5919.

University Presbyterian Church 300 Bushnell Ave. | 210.848.7407.

Bexar Co. Green Party: Call 210.

471.1791 or bcgp@bexargreens.org

Parents of Murdered Children, meets 2nd Mondays @ Balcones Heights Community Ctr, 107 Glenarm | www. pomcsanantonio.org.

Celebration Circle meets Sun., 11am @ Say Sí, 1518 S. Alamo. Meditation: Weds @7:30pm, Friends Meeting House, 7052 Vandiver. 210.533.6767.

DIGNITY SA Mass, 5:30pm, Sun. @ St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1018 E. Grayson St | 210.340.2230 Adult Wellness Support Group of PRIDE Center meets 4th Mon., 7-9 pm @ Lions Field, 2809 Broadway. Call 210.213.5919.

Energía Mía: (512) 838-3351 Fuerza Unida, 710 New Laredo Hwy. www.lafuerzaunida.org | 210.927.2294 Habitat for Humanity meets 1st Tues. for volunteers, 6pm, HFHSA Office @ 311 Probandt.

LULAC Council 22198, Orgullo de SA, meets 3rd Tues. @ 6:45pm @ Papouli’s.

E-mail: info@lulac22198.org NOW SA Chapter meets 3rd Wed. See FB/ satx.now|210.802.9068|nowsaareachapt er@gmail.com Pax Christi, SA meets monthly on Saturdays. Call 210.460.8448 Proyecto Hospitalidad Liturgy meets Thurs. 7pm, 325 Courtland.

LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • June 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 5•

MCC services & Sunday school @ 10:30am, 611 East Myrtle|210.472.3597

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Overeaters Anonymous meets MWF in Spanish & daily in English | www. oasanantonio.org | 210.492.5400.

People’s Power Coalition meets last Thursdays | 210.878.6751 PFLAG, meets 1st Thurs. @ 7pm,

Esperanza has been approved to be part of

The United Way Combined Federal Campaign

Rape Crisis Center 7500 US Hwy 90W. Hotline: 210.349.7273 | 210.521.7273 Email: sgabriel@ rapecrisis.com The Religious Society of Friends meets Sunday @10am @ The Friends Meeting House, 7052 N. Vandiver. | 210.945.8456.

S.A. Gender Association meets 1st & 3rd Thursday, 6-9pm @ 611 E. Myrtle, Metropolitan Community Church.

SA AIDS Fdn 818 E. Grayson St. offers free Syphilis & HIV testing | 210.225.4715 | www.txsaaf.org.

SA Women Will March: www. sawomenwillmarch.org|(830) 488-7493 SGI-USA LGBT Buddhists meet 2nd Sat. at 10am @ 7142 San Pedro Ave., Ste 117 | 210.653.7755.

Shambhala Buddhist Meditation Tues.

7pm & Sun. 9:30am 257 E. Hildebrand Ave. | 210.222.9303.

S.N.A.P. (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests). Contact Barbara at 210.725.8329.

Voice for Animals: 210.737.3138 or www.voiceforanimals.org SA’s LGBTQA Youth meets Tues., 6:30pm at Univ. Presby. Church, 300 Bushnell Ave.|www.fiesta-youth.

Veterans for Peace can be contacted at: BeEthical@yahoo.com

Give to the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center at your workplace during the United Way Combined Federal Campaign...

Use code: 8022 for the following Charitable Campaigns: Bexar County Charitable Campaign City of San Antonio Charitable Campaign Combined School District Charitable Campaign

¡Todos Somos Esperanza!

You can also spread your support for the Esperanza all year by becoming a monthy donor.

Call or come by the Esperanza to sign up. We work to bring awareness and action on social justice issues year round. It takes all of us working together to keep the Esperanza moving forward.

¡Esperanza vive! ¡La lucha sigue, sigue!

FOR INFO: Call 210.228.0201 or email: esperanza@esperanzacenter.org

Start your 2016 tax-deductible donations to Esperanza today!

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Send to 922 San Pedro, SA TX 78212. Donations to the Esperanza are tax deductible.

I would like to volunteer Please use my donation for the Rinconcito de Esperanza

Notas Y Más June 2016

The Texas Democracy Foundation & the Texas Observer celebrate the 10th anniversary of The MOLLY National Journalism Prize Dinner recognizing superior journalism in the tradition of Molly Ivins on Thursday, June 2nd at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, Texas.

A Cocktail Reception at 6 pm will be followed by the Awards Dinner at 7pm emceed by Holland Taylor, star of ANN, a play based on the life of the legendary Ann Richards. Keynote speaker will be Rolling Stone journalist Matt Taibbi. See www.texasobserver.org/molly16 “History Mystery Summer Camp” at the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures will put campers ages 8-12 on the case of a mystery lost in time, with just a few artifacts to tell the tale. Participants will collaborate with museum experts to analyze the fragments of history and partner with exhibit fabricators, educators and storytellers to help recreate the story of the mystery they’ve unraveled. Sessions are open for 25 campers per session on June 27th – July 1st for ages 8-10 and July 25th – 29th for ages 11 and 12. Sessions are from 9 am to 2 pm daily. Campers should bring a sack lunch. Fee is $160

Brief news items on upcoming community events.

Send items for Notas y Más to: lavoz@esperanzacenter.org or mail to: 922 San Pedro, San Antonio, TX 78212.

The deadline is the 8th of each month.

per child with museum member discounts available. Enroll at http://TexanCultures. com/SummerCamp The Autonomous University of Social Movements (AUSM) is an organizing/ education project dedicated to the theory, practice and context of community organizing. Apply now to study in Mexico from July 3 to 30. Check mexicosolidarity.org or call 773.583.7728.

Chicana, Latina, Afro-Latina, Native American and Indigenous women in global, colonial and post-colonial engagements, emphasizing entangled histories and comparative and crosscultural analyses. To register see http:// institute.malcs.org/2016/registration/

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center and ARTS San Antonio will team up to celebrate both Arts SA’s and The Guadalupe Dance Company’s 25th anniversary Call for Papers on Archives and Public with a no-doubt memorable performance History: Places, Pasts and Identities—A by Grammy award-winner Lila Downs special issue of Archives and Records with traditional Folklorico dancers from seeks to explore approaches to the public The Guadalupe Dance Co. on Friday, use of archives in all fields of study.

August 26th @ 7:30 pm at the Lila CockProspective authors may contact Victoria. rell Theatre in the Henry B. Gonzales hoyle@york.ac.uk to discuss potential Convention Center. Tickets are $19-$79. articles. Submissions deadline: July http://www.artssa.org 31st. Check: www.tandfonline.com Check out the new bilingual offerings at The 2016 MALCS Summer Institute will Cinco Puntos Press opened in 1985 in be hosted by the University of Wyoming El Paso, TX. It is one a few independent in Laramie, August 3-6. The 2016 theme publishing companies that is still operating is “Deconstructing the Equality State: that offers a complete selection of bilingual Remnants of Colonialism, Trauma, and books for all ages and diverse communiInvisibility” and will showcase new ties! See:http://www.cincopuntos.com/ or historical research on the centrality of call 915.838.1625. multiple identities and experiences in

Si usted trabaja en un hogar particular asistiendo a alguien que necesita ayuda con su cuidado personal, sea una persona de la tercera edad, padece de una enfermedad o una discapacidad, es probable que usted sea una trabajadora al cuidado que incluyen: asistentes de cuidado personal, cuidadoras, auxiliares de enfermería certificadas, auxiliares de salud en el hogar, y acompañantes. Cualquiera que sea su título, si este es su trabajo entonces usted tiene nuevas protecciones.

A partir del primero de enero, 2015, si usted trabaja en un hogar particular proporcionando asistencia a una persona de la tercera edad con alguna enfermedad, herida o discapacidad, usted podría tener derecho a recibir: • Por lo menos el salario mínimo federal por todas las horas que usted trabaja; y • Pago de sobretiempo a tiempo y medio de la tasa regular de pago por todo el tiempo que usted trabaje en exceso de 40 horas en una semana laboral.

Y no importa el estatus legal de la trabajadora! Estos derechos son para todas las trabajadoras.

La Alianza Texana (sin nombre oficial aún) en algunas ciudades de Texas (Austin, El Paso, El Valle, Houston, San Antonio y Temple) ha empezado una campaña para informar a la comunidad y a las trabajadoras, que estas protecciones laborales básicas son Federales! Y deben ser respetadas! Nuestra campaña dio comienzo a partir del primero de mayo y se finalizarán el 31 de julio.

Para mayor información escriba a domesticasunidas12@gmail.com or llame al 210.310.6071 o vea: http://bit.ly/homecareguide con detalles en español.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Effective January 1, 2015, most direct care workers will be entitled to receive federal minimum wage and overtime pay protections. Direct care workers are workers who provide home care services, such as certified nursing assistants, home health aides, personal care aides, caregivers, and companions. A Texas Alliance is being formed to distribute information on your rights as a Home Care Service Worker. Austin, El Paso, The Valley, Houston, San Antonio and Temple are participating cities. Write to domesticasunidas12@gmail.com or call 210.310.6071 or visit http://bit.ly/homecareguide2 for details in English.

LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • June 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 5

Trabajadores de Cuidados Directos por Araceli Herrera

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LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • June 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 5•

Esperanza Peace & Justice Center

922 San 922 San Pedro Pedro San San Antonio Antonio TX TX 78212 78212 210.228.0201 • www.esperanzacenter.org

Non-Profit Org. US Postage US Postage PAID PAID San Antonio, San Antonio, TX TX Permit #332 Permit #332

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TO CANCEL A SUBSCRIPTION EMAIL lavoz@esperanzacenter.org CALL: 210.228.0201

Noche Azul

Noche Azul Summer Series Saturdays at 8 PM • Doors open at 7:15 PM.

@ Esperanza, 922 San Pedro • $7 mas o menos