May 2018 | Vol. 31 Issue 4
San Antonio, Tejas
La Voz de Esperanza May 2018 Vol. 31 Issue 4
Editor: Gloria A. Ramírez Design: Elizandro Carrington
Contributors
Phyllis Bennis (The Nation), Antonio Cabral, Cynthia E. Orozco (American Statesman), William Rivers Pitt (Truthout), Angela Valenzuela
La Voz Mail Collective
Alicia Arredondo, Juan Díaz, Sandra Duarte, Christina García, José García, Araceli Herrera, Julissa Maldonado, Janine Morales, Edie Ortega, Lucy & Ray Pérez, Tony Pérez, Blanca Rivera, Yolanda Salazar, Jessika Sotelo, Mary Uribe, Alma Van Nest, Helen Villarreal,
Esperanza Director Graciela I. Sánchez
Esperanza Staff
Elizandro Carrington, Paty de la Garza, Eliza Pérez, Paul Plouf, Kristel Orta-Puente, Natalie Rodríguez, René Saenz, Susana Segura, Amelia Valdez
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Conjunto de Nepantleras
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—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.
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Esperanza Peace & Justice Center 922 San Pedro, San Antonio, TX 78212 210.228.0201
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Fifty years ago in 1968, I graduated from William B. Travis high school in Austin, Texas. Our mascot was “The Rebels”—that no longer is represented by a confederate cartoon soldier. We were the largest graduating class in Austin (500) that year and Travis was the only high school in South Austin. I had grown up in East Austin on Castro St. and attended elementary schools there—Brooke and Govalle—until we moved to the South in 1962. We owned our casita in East Austin until 2017 when we finally sold it. My parents had been renting it for a paltry $400 in 2016 to make it affordable! I entered U.T. in the fall of 1968. My oldest brother had joined the Marines and gone off to fight in Vietnam. I joined the anti-war effort immediately marching on the streets with thousands of students against the Vietnam War and joining demonstrations at the great open mall under the UT tower, now barricaded with trees and walls. It became very important for me to recover my identity as a Chicana at U.T. because my East Austin Mexicana roots were left behind as a way of surviving the racist and alienating culture of South Austin when I attended the all-white, Porter Jr. High. By the time I was a sophomore at U.T., I was part of the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO) and went off in caravans to Crystal City to support the student walkouts and demands for Mexican American Studies. By the time I was a junior, I entered the School of Education in hopes of becoming a bilingual/bicultural teacher who could return to teach in the barrio, but I became disillusioned with the School because Bilingual/Bicultural Studies was not offered. I was also part of a committee that sought to implement Mexican American Studies in the College of Liberal Arts. Our efforts to that end were eventually thwarted with a Department of Ethnic Studies being set up instead that would include Mexican American Studies and other “ethnic” studies. I quickly decided to graduate a semester early in December, 1971 with a B.A. in history and a minor in Mexican American Studies. I went on to enter a graduate program, Teacher Corps, in San Antonio, Texas based in the Edgewood I.S.D. That decision would led me to get join the Raza Unida Party, Teatro de los Barrios, and other efforts in the Chicano movement. Fifty years later, it comes as a surprise to me that—in spite of having academic departments of Mexican American Studies and Chicano Studies throughout colleges and universities in the U.S.—in Texas, we are still trying to suppress the Mexican identities of children in Texas schools. That the Texas State Board of Education is still struggling to understand our presence in this border state—boggles the mind. Pero, ay vamos. We continue to assert our presence and our history. In this state we have always been Mexicanos/Mexicanas and Indigenas—and always will be. As the May issue of La Voz de Esperanza goes to press, the news around the world on April 14th was about the U.S. air strikes on Syria—the second set of air strikes by the Trump administration that, ironically, struck a year ago to the day (April 6, 2017) for the same reasons. Curious, no? While US allies lined up behind Trump—certain of their moral high ground as regards the use of chemical weapons in Syria—the administration’s hard right turn has veered the country into making “America” GRATE, again. Indeed, America grates on our nerves as never before and grates on our conscience as we endure renewed ISMs. We now project an image of xenophobia, of racism, of sexual oppression, of inequity, of greed and of violence, worldwide. The nation’s priorities, as set by “our leaders,” are to build a border wall, to protect the 2nd amendment, to embolden white supremacists, to play with the possibility of nuclear war, to objectify women, to vilify immigrants (especially, Mexicans), to ignore human needs and to maximize profits for the wealthy. In the fifty years, since I left high school—we seem to be moving backwards. We must call out all distractions and keep our hearts and minds focused on protecting and asserting our humanity. —Gloria A. Ramírez, editor 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.
About War and Peace: Will the Wrong Fail and the Right Prevail? By: Antonio C. Cabral
bit.ly/noNewWar
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U.S. military involvement in Yemen pursuant to the War Powers An ancient Mexican proverb warns “El que con lobos anda, a Resolution of 1973. The Senators also called such intervention aullar aprende.” Commonly it’s used to caution that if one hangs a violation of Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution that out with or listens to the wrong people, one will learn to imitate gives the authority to declare war only to Congress and not to the them. President. In today’s public discourse war hawks and neoliberals have Local voters and elected officials should demand approval steered the public discussion to what Noam Chomsky calls of that Resolution by both houses of Congress and that all those distracting issues that have silenced opposition to U.S. foreign wars be ended now. policy in general and in particular to the Another relevant issue missing from U.S. illegal Middle East wars. today’s public discourse is the U.S. interThat pro-war strategy has worked vention in countries south of us that has because most community leaders, cost thousands of lives and forced milactivists and common folks limit their lions to flee to the U.S. as undocumented public actions and discussions to local immigrants. issues while ignoring the ‘Elephant’ in Just two recent relevant examples: the room: The Middle East wars that In 2009 a bloody military coup have killed and wounded thousands of took place in Honduras that ousted the innocent people in addition to costing democratically elected President Manuel U.S. taxpayers $5.6 trillion since the Zelaya. Hillary Clinton, then Secretary U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 acof State, supported Zelaya’s ouster that cording to the Watson Institute at Brown resulted in an increase in political represUniversity (www.brown.edu/costofwar). sion, the murder of opposition political Other centers, including the Center candidates, peasant leaders and LGBT for Strategic and International Studies Source: bit.ly/noWar_Poster activists and femicides forcing thousands (www.csis.org), project that by the end of of Hondureños to flee north. Another example is the 2012 so2018 these wars will have cost us $7.6 trillion. Logically, then, when the U.S. public asks for more affordable called ‘peaceful’ coup that ousted Paraguay’s President Fernando Lugo, again with U.S. support, that also resulted in mass migrahousing and healthcare, improved sidewalks, public parks, etc. tion north. The wealthy oligarchy wanted to remove Mr. Lugo, and the usual obfuscating response from elected officials is that an ex-Catholic priest and bishop, ever since his 2008 election by funds are limited, they must be reminded of those $7.6 trillion the poor and landless peasants whom Lugo was trying to help. and also of their obligation as representatives of local taxpayers to speak out against those illegal wars not only because they keep Clinton admitted in her autobiography ‘Hard Choices’ her role in overthrowing Latin America governments. We can expect the draining our tax funds but also because they keep earning us the same intervention under hatred of people throughout Trump’s Administration. the world. Therefore, the public The fact that these wars discourse and actions by are illegal is an undeniable activists and people of truth shamelessly ignored conscience must include for 17 years by politicians the cause and effect of of both parties. U.S. foreign policy. However, there’s hope Unfortunately, our civil that this dark chapter in our society in general and Latihistory may end. nos/Chicanos in particular, On February 28, 2018, historically, have been a group of Senators, convinced that we should including Bernie Sanders, not criticize U.S. foreign introduced a bipartisan American anti-war activists have waged numerous protest rallies in a number of cities across policy and wars. This danjoint resolution to end the US to voice their opposition to another potential US military intervention in Iraq. Source:
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gerous reality has existed for decades and has led to the broader community remaining silent and even imitating the war hawks’ behavior and jingoism. One personal example: In 1969 I was a member of San Antonio’s Federation for the Advancement of the Mexican American (FAMA) and served as editor of its newspaper La Nueva Raza. Our office was on West Commerce Street across from what used to be David Crockett Elementary School. During one of our functions, Jake Johnson, a State Representative, was among our visitors. Johnson had a reputation of being a Democratic liberal who supported all of the Latino social causes. I walked up to him and asked, “Mr. Johnson, why don’t you ever mention publicly our invasion of Vietnam and that horrible human tragedy taking place for both sides?” Johnson became red-faced with anger and hollered at State Representative John Alaniz, a FAMA supporter, “John, will you straighten out this guy? I’m busting my ass in Austin fighting for your people and he dares ask me why don’t I speak out against the Vietnam War?” Johnson’s dismissive reaction didn’t surprise me but I was surprised when Alaniz responded, “It’s OK, Jake, he’s too young to know better.” The unwritten rule that Johnson and Alaniz endorsed even then was: Chicanos/Latinos can be involved in local issues but must never oppose the U.S. interventionist foreign policy. I had just completed service in the Marines but I was still expected to not condemn that infamous war. I mention this incident only to emphasize my central point: We must end the self-censorship about war. All people of conscience must resist against the never-ending Middle East wars and counterproductive interventions in Latin America. The only beneficiary of such costly and bloody adventurism is the military-industrial complex as five-star general Dwight
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Eisenhower warned us in his January 1961 farewell address as President: “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery ….with our (social) goals….” Some activist groups have confronted that danger. One is the organization Iraq Veterans Against the War (www.ivaw.org) that on January 15, 2005, adopted a resolution that reads in part, “Whereas the primary motivation for the prolonged occupation of Afghanistan is …..for the control of oil and natural gas resources in Central Asia and the Caspian Sea….Be it resolved that IVAW …calls for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all occupying forces in Afghanistan and reparation for the Afghan people ….” Similarly, the decades-old Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) published in its newspaper, The Veteran, in the fall of 2014 an editorial opposing the bombing of Iraq and Syria explaining how leaders are covering up the truth about those wars as they did during the Vietnam War. We are living a dangerous period of our history that demands that people of conscience, free of self-censorship and fear, speak out and openly oppose these wars. Failure to do so now signals the world that we have succumbed to the wrong people by imitating the wolves among us. Bio: Antonio C. Cabral is based in San Antonio. His works are published in Mexico and the U.S. He’s writing a book about his involvement in labor and community movements in San Antonio from 1968 to 2004.
The Costs of War Project Overview
Budgetary Costs
Human Toll
Additional Costs
The Costs of War Project, housed at Brown University, was launched by a group of scholars from around the US to document the hidden or unacknowledged costs of the post-9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and related violence elsewhere in the “war on terror.” The project has issued, among other reports, the most comprehensive recent estimates of the human toll and US budgetary costs of these wars. • Direct Violence: Over 370,000 people – including US soldiers, contractors, allied security forces, and civilian bystanders – have died due to direct war violence in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. • Indirect Violence: At least 800,000 additional people have died indirectly as a result of the wars, including through such phenomena as dislocation and loss of livelihood and the destruction of health care and sanitation systems, each of which have led to higher rates of disease, malnutrition, and resulting higher mortality rates.
• Direct Costs: Through 2018, the US federal government has spent or been obligated to spend $5.6 trillion on the post-9/11 wars, including medical and disability payments to veterans over the next forty years. • Massive Debt: This spending has largely been financed by borrowing. Unless the US changes the way it pays for the wars, future interest will exceed $8 trillion by the 2050s.
There are many other unacknowledged consequences of the choice for war, including environmental damage, fueling sectarianism across the Middle East, strengthening authoritarian forces and leading to historically high levels of corruption in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Syria. You can find this information and more on our site, www.costsofwar.org. www.costsofwar.org Email: costsofwar@brown.edu Twitter: @costsofwar Facebook: www.facebook.com/costsofwar/
American Air Strikes in Syria Would Do Nothing to Further Justice for the Victims of the Attack on Douma There is no legal justification for the current US troop presence in Syria, let alone additional air strikes. By Phyllis Bennis, reprint from
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Donald Trump’s the Prohibition of campaign-era neoChemical Weapisolationism is long ons, the chemicalover. He seems to want weapons watchdog a war now, and if he with a UN mandate can’t have one with and the only interNorth Korea because nationally credible the pesky possibility of agency on this issue, a diplomatic solution announced that its got in the way, Syria team was heading will do, and the recent to Syria and hoped alleged chemical-weapto begin its invesons attack by Bashar tigation in Douma al-Assad’s army on the by April 14. If all city of Douma, near goes well, we may Damascus, seems to get answers to at Douma, Syria, March 30, 2018. (Reuters / Bassam Khabieh) have provided the preleast some of the text. But war with Syria currently unknown means the potential for war with Iran, and even with nuclear-armed questions: Were chemical weapons definitely used? What Russia—so this is serious. And it’s not just talk. Trump has been were they made of? How were they delivered? Who was assembling a war cabinet and recruiting security advisers—John impacted? We probably won’t learn who was responsible Bolton, Mike Pompeo, Gina Haspel—known for choosing war over in the initial report—the OPCW’s mandate rarely includes diplomacy and torture over international law. that question. Trump has been conducting foreign and domestic policy The problem is, knowing what happened, or indeed even by tweet for some time; now he’s even flip-flopping by tweet. knowing who was responsible, doesn’t come with an obvious First it was the threat that “Animal Assad” would pay the bigchecklist of what to do about it. This is a classic “even if” situgest price for the Douma attack. Then, after a Russian diplomat ation: Even if we knew chemical weapons were used, and even said that Moscow would shoot down any missiles heading for if we knew who ordered them, that still doesn’t tell us how to Syria, Trump tweeted, “Get ready Russia, because they will be respond in a way that would uphold international law, prevent coming, nice and new and ‘smart!’” He warned that a decision future violations of the anti–chemical weapons treaty, hold the would come in 24–48 hours, then pulled back to threaten an atperpetrators accountable, and provide some modicum of justice tack that could be “very soon or not so soon at all!” to the victims. Accomplishing any, let alone all, of those goals The shift from imminent to “let’s wait” might be driven by would be a very tough lift. efforts to get France and Britain—whose leaders are champBut while we don’t know yet exactly what happened, what ing at the bit to join Trump’s crusade but whose parliaments we do know already is what not to do. We must not violate are appropriately wary—on board. Less likely is the possibility international law, risk killing more Syrians, prolong rather that the White House is actually waiting for information from than help end the war, undermine the international institutions chemical-weapons inspectors. that could someday help create real systems of accountability, Far more significantly, all of these threats are taking place or engage in the kind of escalation that could lead to a direct before we know what actually happened in Douma. Days after war between the two largest nuclear powers, the United States reports of a chemical-weapons attack surfaced on April 7, Defense and Russia… and that’s just the list of actions already under Secretary James Mattis admitted that the Pentagon was “still asdiscussion in the White House, and perhaps under way in the sessing” the claims. They still didn’t even know what chemicals, if Mediterranean. We should not do any of them. any, were actually used. The fact is that the United States is already at war in Syria, and As of April 12, five days later, the Organization for has been since August 2014. There are at least 2,000 US troops
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already on the ground, and the United States, working with its add to the mass suffering in Syria.” Syrian Kurdish militia partner, has been conducting air and drone The CPC went on to recognize that the “past two decades attacks against ISIS on an almost daily basis. That war has already of U.S. military intervention in the Middle East—including killed plenty of Syrian civilians. According to the British monitorPresident Trump’s unauthorized airstrikes on Syria last year— ing group Airwars, US and US-backed coalition air and artillery only confirm the failure of this approach to advance humanitarstrikes have likely killed between 3,940 and 5,937 Syrian civilians, ian outcomes. The U.S. should instead redouble its efforts to maybe more, since engage our allies and August 2014. enforce international Just two months prohibitions on chemiinto Trump’s presical weapons diplomatidency, in March 2017, cally and ensure that three US-led air strikes proper investigations attacked a school near can proceed.” And, Raqqa, killing 150 crucially, the congrespeople, according sional critics reminded to a UN war-crimes the president “that any investigation. That was U.S. use of force must roughly five times the be authorized by Connumber acknowledged gress first, as required by the Pentagon, which by the Constitution said that dozens of and the War Powers militants, not civilians, Skies erupt with surface to air missile fire as the U.S. launches an attack on Syria targeting Resolution.” different parts of the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria, early Saturday, April 14, 2018. | Associated Press were killed. In terms of interEditor’s Note: As the May issue of La Voz went to print, airstrikes rained down on Syria... After the Douma national law, there is attack, in what was no legal justification reported in The Washington Post as a “somber tone,” Trump said, for the current US troop presence in Syria, let alone addi“we are very concerned when a thing like that can happen. This is tional air strikes. Anticipating that concern, Mattis told the about humanity. We’re talking about humanity. And it can’t be al- House Armed Services Committee that attacking Syria would lowed to happen.” Chemical weapons are indeed horrifying, and be justified as self-defense because the 2,000 US troops on they are legitimately singled out—along with other weapons, like the ground in Syria must be protected. What he ignored, of cluster bombs, which the United States uses with impunity, or course, is that the self-defense exception to the UN Charter’s white phosphorus, an Israeli favorite in Gaza—for their particuprohibition on any country’s attacking another does not apply larly indiscriminate nature. But we cannot accept the hypocrisy of to the illegal presence of one country’s soldiers in another presidents, generals, diplomats, members of Congress from both country. American soldiers in Syria have not been attacked by parties, pundits, or anyone else who rages against a still-unconAssad’s army, but even if they had been, self-defense does not firmed chemical attack, even as they remain silent about, or even apply. And even if it is proven that the Assad regime violated in some cases applaud, the killing of Syrian and Iraqi civilians by the chemical-weapons treaty in the Douma attack, no indiUS drones and bombers, of Palestinian journalists and children vidual country has the right to enforce that treaty’s provisions by US-armed Israeli sharpshooters, of Yemeni families by Saudi or deter further violations. Such unilateral actions are also and UAE bombers refueled in midair by US Air Force pilots. violations of international law. Equally important, they would A US escalation in Syria—and that is what new US and do nothing to provide real justice or protection for the victims. allied air strikes would be, regardless of the claimed interest in We are hearing from US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haldeterring future chemical-weapons use—would be illegal, vioey words that resonate dangerously with those we heard at the lating both US domestic and international law. The Constitution UN Security Council back in 2002 and 2003, when the United makes clear that only Congress, not the president, can declare States was trying to justify war against Iraq. “History will war. The War Powers Resolution allows a president to use record this as the moment when the Security Council either dismilitary force on a very temporary basis without congressional charged its duty or demonstrated its utter and complete failure approval only when one of three very specific criteria are met— to protect the people of Syria,” she said. “Either way, the United an “attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, States will respond.” That’s chilling: either way, with or without or its armed forces”—none of which apply in Syria. The fact legality, with or without allies, with or without legitimacy. that Congress has in recent decades largely abandoned that right New US attacks on Syria will not protect the Syrian people. and allowed presidents to go to war without its consent does not They will only kill more Syrians, threaten a direct US-Russian make unilateral White House wars legal. conflict, and undermine—not strengthen—international efforts There are of course important exceptions. The Congressioto prevent the use of chemical weapons. We still need diplonal Progressive Caucus issued a powerful statement in response macy, not war. to the chemical-weapons allegations, calling on President Trump “to immediately reverse his policy of denying protecBio: Phyllis Bennis, director of the Institute for Policy Studtions to Syrian refugees fleeing violence. Syria’s civil war ies’ New Internationalism Project, is the author of Understandcontinues to be a complex regional conflict, and it has become ing ISIS and the New Global War on Terror: A Primer. increasingly clear that U.S. military interventions will likely
Commentary
Texas should be learning about Mexican-American culture By Cynthia E. Orozco - Reprinted from Opinion, Special to the American-Statesman, Austin, Texas Editor’s Note: My editorial speaks to my personal experience in pursuing and implementing Mexican American Studies at UTAustin in the early 70s mirroring what is currently happening in our state—50 years, later.
How SBOE could advance plan for MexicanAmerican studies.
World War II brought brief acceptance of the Spanish language and the teaching of Hispanic history in some schools through the textbooks prepared by Edmundo Mireles and folklorist Jovita González of Corpus Christi. But Mexican-American veterans returning from World War II still could not get a cup of coffee in many restaurants. A Bastrop school case began the end to legal segregated schools for Latinos in 1948. About 50 years after their association was formed in San Antonio, activists Pedro and María Hernández — now into their 70s — testified before the U.S. Commission in 1968. They submitted their document requesting “that adequate civic instruction begin in the elementary school and continue through all the higher grades for the purpose of erasing racial hatred and eliminating deformed historical narratives.” Also in 1968, Mexican-American high school students called for curriculum about themselves in places like San Antonio,
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The year is 1968 and the U.S. Civil Rights Commission is holding a hearing in San Antonio to hear MexicanAmericans from across the nation, but especially San Antonio, plead their case. They are there to hear about political, economic, cultural and educational problems. Mexican-Americans began to state their case in 1845, when the United States forcefully incorporated them into the nation. A 1911 Laredo congress was held to condemn lynching of Mexican-descent people, racially segregated schools, and the loss of the Spanish language. That same year, a Mexican-American — J.T. Canales, the only Mexican-American in the Legislature — was called the “greaser from Brownsville” while on the floor during the session. World War I veterans were denied the right to eat at restaurants throughout Texas. The Order Sons of America responded — and the League of United Latin American Citizens was formed in 1929. María L. Hernández and her husband, Pedro, also formed a civil rights/mutual aid society called the Order Knights of America in San Antonio. Back then, inferior separate “Mexican” schools were the order of the day.
Kingsville, and Edcouch-Elsa ISD in the Valley. Decades long civil rights activist Adela Sloss-Vento wrote the McAllen Monitor to congratulate student protestors. She wrote, “Students protested against discrimination for speaking Spanish on the campus, as well as for their demands, to have a course taught in said schools relating to the contributions of Mexican and Mexican Americans in the state and region, including factual account of the history of the Southwest and culture and history of Mexico.” She added, “There is no harm in this kind of knowledge. This kind of knowledge will bring unity and understanding.” Around 1968, Chicano studies began to take root in Texas colleges. Too little progress had been made. The Texas State Historical Association, a private association and history advocate, had included only three Mexican-descent women as relevant to the history of Texas in its 1976 edition of the Handbook of Texas encyclopedia. Since then, the book has added scores of Latinos relevant to Texas. There is even a Tejano Handbook of Texas. In 2016, several writers authored a Mexican-American studies textbook — but they were not scholars and included inaccuracies and racist references to Mexicans as “lazy.” Imagine 140 errors in one textbook. In 2018, another textbook was rejected. Mexican-American Studies Texas and the Texas chapter of the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies have played a major role in advancing the call for classes and curriculum. Chicano teachers and scholars have prepared accurate standards for high school classroom teaching. Curriculum is available, and time for a scholar to write a better textbook is needed. The will from the Texas State Board of Education, an elected board, to approve a high school class in Mexican-American studies is needed. Fifty years have passed since the 1968 U.S. civil rights hearing. Texas now has significant information about its Mexicandescent people — but the knowledge needs to seep down to the masses. It is high noon— time that this information be shared with schoolchildren. The Texas State Board of Education must approve Mexican-American studies for Texas schools. Latinos are already 52 percent of the state’s student population. We cannot wait another 50 years. BIO: Orozco is a professor of history and humanities at Eastern New Mexico University and a Texas State Historical Association fellow. Reprinted with permission of the author.
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My Reflection on Today’s April 11, 2018 Texas SBOE Vote on Ethnic Studies: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
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By Angela Valenzuela—Reprinted by permission of the author
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Today was an interesting day. Many of us gathered at the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) and testified, calling for a course on Mexican American Studies. I am happy to share my testimony to the SBOE below. The short of it is that we won—together with other underrepresented groups that fall under the “Ethnic Studies” umbrella, namely, African American Studies, Asian American Studies, Native American Studies, and Latino Studies. This opening of the curriculum to the historically under-served members of our communities who are not reflected in our state curriculum was the absolute best part of today. In all honesty, however, when it came to “Mexican American Studies”—which is what all of us present were unanimously calling for—it’s hard to shirk the sense of a loss of dignity with the SBOE’s decision to paternalistically name us in their own image. In an amendment that followed the testimony of more than 50 students, teachers and advocates from throughout the state of Texas, the SBOE chose to name the course, “Ethnic Studies: An Overview of Americans of Mexican Descent.” You can’t make this stuff up. This terminology is a throwback to the 1950s. I have a faint, yet crystal-clear memory in the early 1960s when my Mother told me that I was an “American of Mexican descent.” Then the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement occurred when as a middle schooler, I became a Chicana, brown and proud! And my mother never used this terminology again. Thanks to the Movement, this expression evaporated into the atmosphere. To grasp the gravity of this naming, it would be akin to naming African American Studies, “Negro Studies.” And we know just how much anger and outrage this would incite. The testimonios, everybody’s testimonios, with their sense of urgency, were impactful. What is so ironic is that so much of what was said today was about values, rights, and responsibilities. All were so off-the charts, eloquent and brilliant, adults included! :-) The children and youth present who spoke—and all spoke— were powerful! This exemplifies the very voice that all of our children need to have. And my husband and partner, Emilio Zamora, spoke correctly and eloquently about Reverend Martin Luther King’s dream of the beloved community that we, ourselves, through our work in the classroom and in the community, attempt to live. We have so much, as Mexicans and Mexican Americans, Chicanas, Xicanxs in all our complexity, smarts, and beauty to offer this country. Why do they revile us so? I get it. And then I don’t get it. Some among us commented afterwards today that, “Gee, we should have gone for “Chicana
[Studies]” or “Chicano [Studies].” After all, most of us are members of the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies Tejas Foco. “Mexican American” sounded a tad conservative, but sensible in this context. Sour grapes, I guess. The truth of the matter is that “Mexican American Studies” is a totality. Here, I am borrowing from my colleague, Dr. Anthony Brown at the University of Texas at Austin who spoke recently on how African American Studies is a totality. He is right. Asian American Studies, Native American Studies, and Women and Gender Studies, too. Mexican American Studies is a substantive, frequently cuttingedge field of study that is at least 40 years old [see Orozco article in this issue of La Voz] with its own associations, journals, theoretical frameworks, epistemologies, departments, centers, initiatives, local and state networks, and so on. To my ears, the name the board gave us doesn’t sound so stilted or anachronistic in Spanish, “Soy de descendencia Mexicana.” In English, however, it sounds plain backwards—with echoes of the oppressive 1950s and early 1960s. It reminds me of my elementary years of schooling when I felt ashamed to be “Mexican” or “Mexican American” because “Mexican” was a dirty word. Sadly, a high school student from San Antonio today advocated for a standards-aligned course on Mexican American Studies, saying that it’s time for the word, “Mexican,” to no longer be a negative, dirty word, on the one hand, and expressed, on the other, how her MAS course was the antidote to that. It is tragic to think of how far we have yet to go when one hears testimonies like these from our youth. To a person, what should have been an amazing, happy day after the decision “for Ethnic Studies in the state of Texas” was rendered, became a procession of bodies exiting the chamber in a somber manner. Not only did their naming us robs us of any true sense of accomplishment, it also spoke volumes about what the SBOE thinks of Texas’ Mexican American community, including the children and college students assembled there. Such is the stuff of majority-minority relations. We’ll get over it. After all, no good deed goes unpunished. This is not a closed chapter. We’ll remain involved and continue to advocate for a name of our choosing, for “Mexican American Studies.” In time, we will celebrate the true victory that the culmination of our many years of service, scholarship, research, and advocacy that today gloriously represents. Sí se puede! Yes we can!
Mexican American Studies advocates outside of the William B. Travis Building, Austin, Tx. 04.11,18.
Bio: Angela Valenzuela, professor in the Educational Policy & Planning Program in the Dept. of Educational Administration at UT Austin is also director of the Texas Center for Education Policy.
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Director enzuela, Ph.D., al V a el ng A r From: Professo ter for Education Policy en Texas C Education of ge le ol ican Studies C Austin Mexican Amer ity of Texas at on rs e as ve C ni rt U ou na C nce of the Arizo Re: Significa 18 dards , 20 ent of state stan s Date: April 11 pm lo ve de e th for itnes that a decision as an expert w builds the case solid conceptual ground. I w 2010, by Tucson m du an or em , on This policy m ram—under Texas SBOE member Marisa Perez-Diaz d on October 18 s (MAS) rests merican Studie se in Arizona brought forwar e State of Arizona whose prog tled. The speaks at a rally for MAS outside the TEA on A an ic ex M r fo disman , court ca against th en ng rs be tti April 11, 2018. Photo: Laura Skelding he d se ac ha tte en — d ed ne an m Hor itution. udents in the prec ic Instruction To t rights under the U. S. Const trict (TUSD) st is bl D Pu ol of ho nt Sc de d dmen Unifie perinten urteenth Amen of then-State Su rizona, the leadership a violation of their First and Fo t the State of A ly ns ai ag d le d ru ge a ar plaintiffs alle allace A. Tashim ch was particul , 2017, Judge W enth Amendment rights, whi tter than their 22 t us ug A on te be Four years later, often performed instead of making ents’ First and Close to seven at in the program olated the stud th ed vi ed at d ip ha ow ic e sh rt at pa st so e om ents who students al ud e st es saying that th at th d enormously fr th on te ct h fit fa rc ne e . Resea ents be ht of th egregious in lig were not in the MAS program Arizona had alleged, the stud ories mirrored in the school st of ho counterparts w toward America, as the State community, their history, and l r fu ei nt th , se es re lv ts se en them stud of finally seeing the experience t significance in activists, of mos that which I d an s, or at curriculum. uc ed g y for students, urces, includin the d a major victor provided by an array of reso ulum that had been taught to ke ar m on si ci sor ce ic es rr en of id cu Pr e ev th e nt ta pl While this de of on Assis gitimacy cs le l was the am Tu e ia th tr na e on zo th l ri ia A of tr . e the outcom University of SD students itness in the as an expert w es provided by rriculum on TU myself provided ched up with data and analys sitive effects of the MAS cu ts’ decision to pursue higher mat studen d the po students. This rly demonstrate achievement, attendance, and d to students of all races. ea cl at th ra re ab ie ic C pl em an ap s ad ol N ac ng r. er D findi es included high oreover, these e Positive outcom r non-MAS counterparts. M close look at th thei a Lopez took a ed positive effects sc ce an Fr r. education than D r rv se Tucson Professo ifically, she ob eater rsity of Arizona -level, TUSD students. Spec the children’s gr ve ni so U al t by bu ch t, ar en ry ta em en ev hi em Other rese ac el ic on l. AS curriculum ly higher academ tary school leve impact of the M imarily with respect to not on posed to MAS at the elemen pr having been ex USD MAS of the program ity as a result of auditor of the T rs t ve en e di nd to pe ss de ne in open by an May 2, 2011, th idence provided bium Report.” Released on ractor paid for by ev r ie rl ea on pendent cont as, “The Cam findings built These data and ished what came to be known gh this audit involved an inde Superintendent of Public e ou at rn St fu lth A as ent, Curriculum that evidence of any violations. aced Tom Horne e Tashima, in his final judgem pl re d ha en th no d dg by un Ju ho fo w ch rs hi to l— w di ha au nt m to ers, John Huppe findings of the MAS progra e Arizona taxpay tiv si po e th ed ject a high-profile, Instruction—re ver been such wed. ne vo s sa ha di e ly er ul th ef forc ation, , the MAS U.S. public educ an Studies. Stated differently search-based, of y or st hi e th ic re say is that in Mexican Amer ly a legitimate, All of this is to ol curriculum as nified School district is not on y. The Texas SBOE should ho sc y an of tting in the Tucson U gh bar of intense legal scrutin ican American Studies could high-stakes ve dagogy taught pe d an ssed the hi um urse in Mex d forward ul ic curr iculum, but it pa of TEKS Standards for a co act opposite is true. If carrie rr cu ry to ra pa e ex cated our proval college-pre cision, when th like ourselves that have dedi nt that their ap de de , ed nfi iv co ce el on fe e -c rizona—will or ill experts therefor unterparts in A d parcel to co ther a capricious state standards developed by r ei ei to th e te ua lik eq — r neve s of udents e part an OE on the basi ies, all Texas st e but to becom by the Texas SB s to Mexican American Stud all children not just to achiev s reer professional ca the positive benefits that help ap re to ed Please let me get pois Ethnic Studies. an narrative. on ic ns er io m at A t er ea lib gr the ard’s present de eigh in on the bo r. w to e m g in w allo the matte Thank you for r assistance in he rt fu y an of be know if I may
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William Rivers Pitt | Beyond Parkland: A Risen Generation Is Challenging the Nation
bit.ly/truthout_parkland Reprinted with permission: Truthout.org By William Rivers Pitt, Truthout | Op-Ed Some walked and walked and walked – they walked the earth, they walked the waters, they walked the air. Why do you stand? they were asked, and Why do you walk? Because of the children, they said, and because of the heart, and because of the bread.
Because the cause is the heart’s beat, and the children born, and the risen bread. — Daniel Berrigan, excerpt from poem “Some”
LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • May 2018 Vol. 31 Issue 4•
I have never been more frightened in my life. I have never been more hopeful in my life. The former I owe to the times. The latter I owe to the student activists who marched on 3/24, and to all the survivors of shooting after shooting who joined them, their memories crowded with the dead as they roared. Only an age so thoroughly repugnant could galvanize a response so perfectly righteous.
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What happened last weekend -- in Washington DC, in cities around the country and the world, and in my own tiny town square surrounded by neighbors with my daughter’s little hand in mine— changed me forever. I have never seen the like, nor has anyone else living. The March For Our Lives was the grandchild of the civil rights movement, the child of every Vietnam and Iraq War protest, sister and brother to every march and every raised fist that came before, and it stood proudly with them all. It did not strut or preen. It owned. The paving stones in Washington, DC are still whispering to each other: What was that? Days later, I’m not sure everyone fully comprehends what took place on Saturday. I’m not sure I do, not yet.
My daughter picked a sign and held it up for me to see, a wide smile peeking from behind windblown hair. It read, “AM I NEXT?”
It is about gun violence in schools, of course, and the wide availability of war weapons within our society. I attended the local 3/24 protest with my daughter, who is of an age with the Sandy Hook victims when they were cut down. Volunteers had set up a table filled with pre-made signs people were free to take. My daughter picked a sign and held it up for me to see, a wide smile peeking from behind
Naomi Wadler, 11, of Alexandria, Virginia, is hugged by Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Jaclyn Corin near the conclusion of March For Our Lives on Saturday, March 24, 2018, in Washington, DC. (Photo: Matt McClain / The Washington Post via Getty Images)
windblown hair. It read, “AM I NEXT?” in jet black ink. Part of my heart died on the spot, and it was just a sign. She’s still here. So many children aren’t. School shootings and war weapons: These two despicable phenomena are what brought us to this mighty crossroads. There is so much more, though, and speaker after speaker at the march in Washington hammered that point home until the windows rattled. The long-ignored calamity of gun violence in communities of color—including the violence of policing—was the centerpiece of the most striking commentaries of the day. Tall among them was the thunder laid down by 11-year-old Naomi Wadler: I am here today to represent Courtlin Arrington. I am here today to represent Hadiya Pendleton. I am here today to represent Taiyania Thompson, who, at just 16, was shot dead in her home here in Washington, DC. I am here today to acknowledge and represent the African American girls whose stories don’t make the front page of every national newspaper, whose stories don’t lead on the evening news. I represent the African American women who are victims of gun violence, who are simply statistics instead of vibrant, beautiful girls full of potential. So I am here today to honor the words of Toni Morrison: “If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, you must be the one to write it.” I urge everyone here and everyone who hears my voice to join me in telling the stories that aren’t told, to honor the girls, the women of color who are murdered at disproportionate rates in this nation. I urge each of you to help me write the narrative for this world and understand, so that these girls and women are never forgotten. Thank you. I would follow Naomi Wadler into fire. Her presence was incredibly powerful, and she demanded far more from us than thoughts and prayers. She wants genuine systemic change, she wants it now,
and the responding roar of the assemblage rang out as witness and warning.
Reinforcing the challenge laid down by Wadler was 17-year-old youth leader and activist Edna Lizbeth Chávez. Her sorrow was fathomless, her demands straightforward:
Policymakers, listen up. Arming teachers will not work! More security in our schools does not work! Zero-tolerance policies do not work! They make us feel like criminals. We should feel empowered and supported in our schools. Instead of funding these policies, fund mentorship programs, mental health resources, paid internship and job opportunities. My brother, like many others, would have benefitted from this. So let’s make it happen. It’s important to work with people that are impacted by these issues—the people you represent. We need to focus on changing the conditions that foster violence and trauma. And that’s how we will transform our communities and uplift our voices. This has not, and shall not, stop us. It has only empowered us. Mi nombre , my name, is Edna Lizbeth Chavez. Remember my name. Remember these faces. Remember us and how we’re making a change. La lucha sigue. Parkland survivor Emma González read the names of the students who died in her school before stopping the world with six eternal minutes of silence to honor them, her furious tears incandescent on her cheeks as she stood, and stood, and stood. “Six minutes and about 20 seconds,” she said. “In a little over six minutes, 17 of our friends were taken from us.” Journalist David Corn called it the “loudest silence in the history of US social protest.”
In an editorial published the Monday after the march, González wrote, “We Stoneman Douglas students may have woken up only recently from our sheltered lives to fight this fight, but we stand in solidarity with those who have struggled before us, and we will fight alongside them moving forward to enact change and make life survivable for all young people. People who have been fighting for this for too long, others who were never comfortable enough to openly talk about their experiences with gun violence, or still others who were never listened to when opening up about their experiences with gun violence or were afraid to speak out—these are the people we are fighting with and for.”
Here is a generation of young people reaching out to each other, and to us all, from the funeral shroud.
This largest generation in US history is coming into its voting rights day by passing day, a fact that should strike mortal fear into the hearts of those who enjoy things as they are. Bought-off fools with muddy wits are trying to shout down these new activists, to little effect, and those with a financial stake in the violent status quo are leaving visible puddles of desperation in their wake. For the first time in a very long time, the country is stoutly on the side of the protesters, and the protesters have no intention of letting the grass grow under their feet.
Every time a school carries out an “Active Shooter Drill,” another activist is born.
Beyond all that is one unbending truth: Every time a school carries out an “Active Shooter Drill,” another activist is born. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeps, someone once said. Time always wins. I have been attending protest rallies with grim regularity for a long time now. My experience of 3/24 was not nearly as dynamic as what was experienced in the capital or in the other larger protests around the country—just a few hundred people standing together in unity at the rag end of a long New England winter… but one of them was my daughter, clapping and cheering and shouting, “Everyone should be safe!” She was part of something big, she knew it, and she was proud. When she saw the footage of the larger marches on the news that night, she turned to me and said, “That was us, Daddy!” It sure was, I told her. “Let’s do it again!” Count on it, kid. We stand before the confluence of history. Generations of violence, racism, greed and indifference have conspired to make diamonds forged by the crushing weight of failure and fear. These student activists are now in the headlines because of gun violence in schools and the availability of war weapons, but they seek much more. In their whole lives, many have never known one minute of peace.They are determined that this will change. They are hard, they are strong, they are the ones they’ve been waiting for, and like springtime, they are finally here. La lucha sigue. The struggle continues. Copyright, Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission. Bio: William Rivers Pitt who lives and works in New Hampshire is a senior editor and lead columnist at Truthout. He is also a New York Times and internationally bestselling author of 3 books: War on Iraq: What Team Bush Doesn’t Want You to Know, The Greatest Sedition Is Silence and House of Ill Repute: Reflections on War, Lies, and America’s Ravaged Reputation. His 4th book, The Mass Destruction of Iraq: Why It Is Happening, and Who Is Responsible written with Dahr Jamail is available on Amazon.
LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • May 2018 Vol. 31 Issue 4
Emma Gonzalez speaks at the “March for Our Lives” rally in support of gun control in Washington, DC, March 24, 2018. Photo: Alex Brandon/AP. Image source: bit.ly/emma_gonzz
Donald Trump’s name was barely mentioned on Saturday, a fact that must have painfully dented his eggshell ego, but all he represents was cast down and denounced just the same. Thanks to Mr. Trump and those who serve him, fascism and overt racism have become fashionable again. What took place in Washington this weekend was, among other things, a giant middle finger aimed directly at the white nationalism of the age. Here is a generation of young people reaching out to each other, and to us all, from the funeral shroud.
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2018 Paseo Bring your stories to the Casa de Cuentos
Donna Guerra led a Genealogy workshop: Searching for Your Mexican Ancestors among the many sessions offered.
LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • May 2018 Vol. 31 Issue 4•
Kristel Puene listens to a community member tell his story of living on the Westside as scans photos documenting the experience that may end up as a fotobanner. Come by on 2nd Saturdays and share your stories and photos!
There was plenty of music and dancing at the Paseo with Panfilo’s Güera (l), students of 12 Conjunto Heritage Taller (middle), Juan Tejeda, Las Tesoros de San Antonio, Azul & more!
The new MujerArtes building, part of El Rinconcito de Esperanza at 816 S. Colorado St., is made out of compressed earth blocks (adobe). It is the site of a Mother’s Day Sale from May 5-12. Check for details on the back page of this La Voz de Esperanza.
Antonia Castañeda, escribana—a scribe—documented oral stories the old-fashioned way with paper and pen.
por el Westside
Sylvia Reyna conducted a workshop on Genealogy: Tracing Family Roots using Library Resources. Learning about San Antonio Area Backyard Chickens
Sylvia Mireles, buena gente, selling homemade chococlate cake!
Thanks to all who came out and the buena gente who made Paseo a success in 2018! Jacinto Madrigal, herbalist, shared his knowledge about plants.
LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • May 2018 Vol. 31 Issue 4
More than a few hearty souls braved the cold April weather to attend the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center’s annual Paseo Por El Westside on Saturday, April 7, 2018. The event was centered at the Esperanza’s Westside location at El Rinconcito de Esperanza, 816 S. Colorado, but spilled out into the surrounding neighborhoods with walking tours that reviewed the history, culture, architecture and politics of the Westside. Participants on the tour were able to view photo banners that transported them to the past reminding them of tiempos pasados and everyone’s abuelos and their stories. At the Rinconcito, comprised of 4 buildings including the Casa de Cuentos, Ruben’s Icehouse, La Casita and MujerArtes’ new Adobe abode— games, workshops, education stations, vendors, demonstrations, live plants and animals and performances made for an enjoyable day, even if it was coooold!
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Amnesty International #127 Call Arthur @ 210.213.5919 for info. Bexar Co. Green Party: Call 210. 471.1791 | bcgp@bexargreens.org
PFLAG, meets 1st Thurs. @ 7pm, University Presbyterian Church 300 Bushnell Ave. | 210.848.7407.
Celebration Circle meets Sun., 11am @ Say Sí, 1518 S. Alamo. Meditation: Weds @7:30pm, Friends Meeting House, 7052 Vandiver. 210.533.6767.
Parents of Murdered Children, meets 2nd Mondays @ Balcones Heights Com. Ctr, 107 Glenarm | www.pomcsanantonio.org.
DIGNITY SA Mass, 5:30pm, Sun. @ St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1018 E. Grayson St. | 210.340.2230
Rape Crisis Center, 4606 Centerview Suite 200, Hotline: 210.349.7273 | 210.521.7273 Email:sschwab@ rapecrisis.com
* community meetings * LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • May 2018 Vol. 31 Issue 4•
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Be Part of a
oasanantonio.worg | 210.492.5400.
Adult Wellness Support Group of PRIDE Center meets 4th Mon., The Religious Society of Friends 7-9pm @ Lions Field, 2809 Broadway. meets Sunday @10am @ The Friends Call 210.213.5919. Meeting House, 7052 N. Vandiver. | 210.945.8456. Energía Mía: Call 512.838-3351 for information. S.A. Gender Association meets 1st & 3rd Thursday, 6-9pm @ 611 E. Myrtle, Fuerza Unida, 710 New Laredo Hwy. Metropolitan Community Church. www.lafuerzaunida.org | 210.927.2294 SA AIDS Fdn 818 E. Grayson St. Habitat for Humanity meets 1st offers free Syphilis & HIV testing | Tues. for volunteers, 6pm, HFHSA 210.225.4715 | www.txsaaf.org. Office @ 311 Probandt. SA Women Will March: www. LGBTQ LULAC Council #22198 sawomenwillmarch.org | (830) 488meets 3rd Thursdays @ 6:45pm 7493 @ Luby’s on Main. E-mail: info@ SGI-USA LGBT Buddhists meet 2nd lulac22198.org Sat. at 10am @ 7142 San Pedro Ave., rd NOW SA meets 3 Wed See FB | Ste 117 | 210.653.7755. satx.now for info | 210. 802. 9068 | Shambhala Buddhist Meditation nowsaareachapter@gmail.com Tues. 7pm & Sun. 9:30am 257 E. Pax Christi, SA meets monthly on Hildebrand Ave. | 210.222.9303. Saturdays. Call 210.460.8448 S.N.A.P. (Survivors Network of Proyecto Hospitalidad Liturgy meets those Abused by Priests). Contact Thurs. 7pm, 325 Courtland. Barbara at 210.725.8329. Metropolitan Community Church Voice for Animals: 210.737.3138 or services & Sunday school 10:30am, www.voiceforanimals.org 611 East Myrtle. Call 210.472.3597 SA’s LGBTQA Youth meets Tues., Overeaters Anonymous meets 6:30pm at Univ. Presby. Church, 300 MWF in Sp & daily in Eng. www. Bushnell Ave. | www.fiesta-youth.org
Progressive Movement in San Antonio
¡Todos Somos Esperanza! Start your monthly donations now! Esperanza works to bring awareness and action on issues relevant to our communities. With our vision for social, environmental, economic and gender justice, Esperanza centers the voices and experiences of the poor & working class, women, queer people and people of color. We hold pláticas and workshops; organize political actions; present exhibits and performances and document and preserve our cultural histories. We consistently challenge City Council and the corporate powers of the city on issues of development, low-wage jobs, gentrification, clean energy and more. It takes all of us to keep the Esperanza going. What would it take for YOU to become a monthly donor? Call or come by the Esperanza to learn how.
¡Esperanza vive! ¡La lucha sigue, sigue! FOR INFO: Call 210.228.0201 or email: esperanza@esperanzacenter.org
Start your 2018 tax-deductible donations to Esperanza today! I would like to donate $________ each month by automatic bank withdrawal. Contact me to sign up.
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Notas Y Más May 2018
A nature tour on the 1-mile out-and-back trail of Bulverde Oaks Nature Preserve—at the NW corner of Judson Rd. & Loop 1604—is offered every 1st Saturday (May 5th) from 9am to 12pm by Green Spaces Alliance to see the rescue bee hives, bird blind, pollinator meadow, stock pond, wildlife and learn about land conservation. The guided tour begins about 9:15am. Pets are not allowed! Reserve your spot at: greensatx.org/bulverde-oaks/ The 37th Tejano Conjunto Festival is scheduled for May 16-20. The Seniors Conjunto Dance & Accordion Wars takes place on May 16th 10am to noon, free, at the Guadalupe Theater, followed by the Conjunto Hall of Fame Reception and Induction Ceremony honoring conjunto legends on May 17th at 6 pm, also at the Guadalupe Theater. On May 18, 19, & 20 Conjunto concerts and dancing reign at Rosedale Park with 3-day passes for $30 Pre-Sale and $40 after May 4th or $15 per day. For scheduling go to: www.guadalupeculturalarts.org/tcfsa2017-schedule/
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.
LULAC’s State Convention, Honoring Our Tri-Centennial & LULAC’s Progressive History takes place in San Antonio on May 31-June 3 at the historic El Tropicano Hotel, 110 Lexington in San Antonio. For information see: www.texasstatelulac.com
of Art, 300 Augusta St., on the tradition of creating Cabezudos and Gigantes that are used in Spain for festivals and celebrations. Taught by Maestro David Ventura and his wife Neus Hosta, the sessions on June 18-22 & June 25-28 | 9am-3pm, are free. Pre-registration is required. Participants will learn how to The Story of El Laredito: Historical Recreate the giant heads from papier-mâché enactment by cultural anthropologist Dr. and plaster using mold forms. AcelebraMaria Citlali Zentella & Un Dia en El tory parade will culminate the workshop Mercado, a culinary experience inspired on June 30 at The Pearl. Call by the Chili Queens takes place on June 8th from 6pm to 9 pm at Centro Cultural 210.200.8227 or email classregistraAztlán, 1800 Fredericksburg. Free! Travel tion@swschool to pre-register. Particithrough time periods with a theatrical pre- pants must attend all 9 sessions. sentation and food tasting influenced by The Other Side of the Alamo the new settlers through different generawill be on exhibit at Galería tions. And on July 13th, The Story of El Guadalupe, 723 Brazos St., Laredito: Visual Art Exhibition, Poetry, through July 20th featuring 26 artMusic and Dance by renowned local ists and more than 40 works curated artists will take place at Centro Cultural by Ruben C. Cordova, Ph.D. Selected Aztlán from 6-9PM. Call 210. 432.1896 Chicano/a artists counter the mainstream or check: www.centroaztlan.org/currentmyths of the Alamo’s iconic status events through traditional and non-traditional artwork in a variety of media. M-F, 9amIn commemoration of San Anotnio’s 300th anniversary, The Pearl will sponsor 5pm or weekends 11am-5pm. Free! See: www.guadalupeculturalarts.org a workshop at The Southwest School
The Society for the Study of Gloria E. Anzaldúa (SSGA) and Trinity University present:
t h e l i f e a n d wo r k o f G l o r ia E . A n z a l d ua
Celebrating: BORDERLANDS/LA FRONTERA —1987-2017 a day and a half of transformative dialogue & synergy • May 17 - May 19, 2018 • Trinity University, SA TX For scholars, artists, writers, performers, community activists & gente inspired by Chicana feminist writer & cultural theorist, Gloria E. Anzaldúa.
Day Trip El Retorno Symposium at UT - Rio Grande Valley Wednesday May 16, 2018 • 5am Departure / 8pm Return • Stop at Cemetery in Hargill, Texas to visit Gloria’s grave
Opening plenary speaker Linda Heidenreich
• Lunch and Program at El Retorno — UT-Río Grande
Chicana historian, Dept. of Critical Culture, Gender, & Race Studies Associate Professor Ph.D., University of California, San Diego
• Keynote Speaker: Dr. María Herrera Sobek Art exhibit Shadow Beast: Creating Sin Vergüenza Thursday, May 17, 2018 • 6pm Galeria E.V.A. • 3412 S Flores St, SA, TX 78204
Closing plenary speaker Paola Bacchetta Professor of Gender & Women’s Studies and Vice Chair for Pedagogy, University of California, Berkeley
Celeste De Luna “Loteria Nepantla” linocut print on paper 6”x9”
Noche de Cultura A celebration featuring music, poetry and more Friday, May 18th • Evening following day sessions Esperanza Peace & Justice Center 922 San Pedro Ave • San Antonio, TX 78212
For registration info contact Lois Garza at 210-999-7601 or lgarza@trinity.edu. | Or visit the website at: bit.ly/MundoZurdo2018
LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • May 2018 Vol. 31 Issue 4
El Mundo Zurdo 2018: An international conference on
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LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • May 2018 Vol. 31 Issue 4 May 19 - Sat.
Musica from the Yucatan peninisula of Mexico
Leyendas Antiguas
Saturday May 19 @ 8pm • Esperanza, 922 San Pedro • $7 mas o menos • Call 210.228.0201 for more info Non-Profit Org. May 12, Sat. Second
Saturday Convivio
Gather your photos from the Westside (1880-1960) and bring them to La Casa de Cuentos every 2nd Saturday at 10 am for scanning and story telling.
Esperanza Peace & Justice Center
922 San Pedro San Antonio TX 78212 210.228.0201 • www.esperanzacenter.org
US Postage PAID San Antonio, TX Permit #332
Haven’t opened La Voz in a while? Prefer to read it online? Wrong address? TO CANCEL A SUBSCRIPTION EMAIL lavoz@esperanzacenter.org CALL: 210.228.0201
Casa de Cuentos 816 S. Colorado St. Call 210.228.0201 for more info May 5 -12
MujerArtes Cooperativa’s
Annual Mothers Day Sale MujerArtes Clay Cooperative, 816 S. Colorado St.
Many unique gifts!
May 5th through May 12th • Exhibit & sale open 10am-5pm, Mon-Sat.