1993_02 The Daily Collegian February 1993

              Page 2— Opinion
February 10,  1992
To be American
in the Americas
Letter fo the Editor—
On behalf of Kaleidoscope, we
would like to cordially invite all of you
to attend the unveiling of our Raza
mural established at California State
University, Fresno.
Together, each and every one of us
have worked hard towards establishing
clubs and organizations which reflect
our culture. Not only do we have
students, clubs, organizations, faculty,
staff and administrators, now more than
ever, we have immortalized our Raza
through the arts.
It has been 72 years since CSUF
was founded, and thus it has been since
1921 that this university has been bare
— without any true artistic symbolism to
reflect the cultural population.
Out of such a population, our Raza
population presently contribute to 35
percent of CSUF fees which amount to
incalculable amounts of dinero per year.
We should be proud hermanas y
■ hermanos that after all these years, we
finally have something which reflects us
as a people here at CSUF.
This is not to say that we are not
fortunate for the opportunity to attend
college and make something better of
ourselves, but we must remember that
going to college is not a privilege like
most of us grew up believing. It is our
right! It is of great importance that each
and everyone of us witness this histori-
calnnoment as a familia, for it is not just
an unveiling of a mural, it is the Awaken¬
ing of our pride as RAZA — a proud
people.
Mary Helen Ortega
.  :     •''
By Arturo Hines
Because all of us Latinos are a
brotherhood, in that way we want to
take care of ourselves.
Ail latinos are a brotherhood,
and that's how we should take
care o£ourselves...
— El General
We're all Americans. From
Parliefto Puebla, from Panama to
Paraguay, we all live on the continents
that make up the Americas. Neverthe¬
less, the concept of "being American"
has a unique meaning for a person of
Latino heritage.
Being American is something that
goes beyond living in the United
States.
As Latinos and inhabitants of the
Americas, we share and enjoy a
common heritage that is at the same
time proud, singular and painful.
Think of the similar history we
have inherited: the legacy of great
indigenous civilizations that spanned
the continents; rich and diverse, forms
of art; Spanish; a vibrant literature that
reflects a contemporary consciousness;
the union of two (and more) races; a
.. strong spirit that has endured and
triumphed over adversity —be it
political, social or economic.
What does all of this mean for us?
A lot. To be an American means that
we must evaluate our-reality and —
that of all Latinos — in a way that
transcends geographical boundaries.
This idea has its roots in the
thinking of Sim6n Bolivar, the libera¬
tor of South America, and Jose" Marti,
a fighter for Cuba's independence.
This consciousness and empathy
especially applies to the political
arena.
Take Guatemala, for example. A
short while back, Rigoberta Menchu,
an indigenous leader, won the presti¬
gious Nobel Peace Prize in honor of
her constant struggle for indigenous
people's rights.
While Menchu's achievements are
cause for celebration among us as
"Latinos, we must also remember the
problems facecttoday by the indig¬
enous peoples of the Americas./
His award highlights the spirit that
has.fueled 500 years of resistance by
the Guatemalan people against oppres¬
sive governments.
In El Salvador and Mexico, there
has been a new focus lately on human
rights issues. In El Salvador, this focus
comes in the wake of peace accords
which ended an especially bloody civil
war.
In Mexico, the naming of Jorge
Carpizo as the new Attorney General
indicates a new seriousness about-
prosecuting abuses of power by
governmental officials. As Latinos in
the U.S., we must monitor events in
Latin America, as well as U.S. policy
towards the region.
These are just a few examples of
the importance the^Americas possess.
The trend towards a global economy
has new implications for the U.S. and
Latin America with respect to politi¬
cal, social and cultural issues.
To be an American demands that
we be aware of our past, as well as
future changes worldwide that will
affect us and Latinos everywhere.
Hines is a senior at CSUF, study¬
ing Spanish and Speech/   ,
Brown Pride from page 1 —
logical for a Chicano to speak for
the black community or any other
ethnic minority group, yet the
white media and society continue
to blow us off as if we didn't
exist by seeking a black person to
try to represent everyone,
including Chicanes, as was the   .
case duringihe'L.A. Riots.
So what does our commu¬
nity need to do in order to be
taken seriously, without being
overlooked as if we aren't
important? And what must we
do so that our community can
progress without having the
media or politicians seek other
ethnic minorities to represent us
as if we couldn' t speak for
ourselves? The answer will
require much effort, yet is simple.
Raza (Mexicana, Chicana,
India) has to speak up for itself.
We can not allow white or black
people :o continue trying to
represent us. Our experiences are
unique and different than what
gringas and gringos go through,
especially white liberals or
people of color who claim that
we are all one, thaLtJiey are color
blind, and that racial harmony is
right around the corner if only we
try. This is very idealistic and
will never happen. Raza thus
must invest in their own commu¬
nity, financially, culturally,
politically, etc.
When I speak of investing
in one's community, I am
referring to shopping at a
Mexican-owned store, supporting
Mexican-owned construction
businesses, Mexican lawyers and
politicians. By doing this we can
hold such people accountable.
There's no reason why we should
all go to the Fashion Fair Mall to
shop at a gringo-owned business
when we can go to a Mexican-
owned store at tlrtfFuIton Mall.
By doing this we are pumping
money back into our community.
The black, Jewish, and Korean
communities have done this and.
have been successful. We should
also do the same because if we
can't keep our community
financially fit we will continue to
live in poverty and no one will
take us seriously, as is the case
today.
When I say that we must
invest in our community cultur¬
ally, I am referring to our history,
heritage, and Indio/a roots. We
must not allow our kids to
become so confused that they
wear "X" caps or join Greek
organizations with out first
knowing their own history and
those who have contributed to
our survival since the arrival of
the European.
This investment must also
be extended to local, state and
federal politicians. The Demo¬
cratic and Republican parties
don't give a damn about Raza. To
them a Mexicano or Chicana are
worthless as far as votes are
concerned. Also, the Communist
and other independent parties can
not represent us for they try to
disregard our color and cultural
experiences by seeing everyone
as "one" — a false perception
which dilutes our status as an
, ethnic group in the U.S.. Thus we
must organize our own political
^parties and run our own gente for
Office. If that individual wins and
setts out like Henry Cisnei os and
Lauro Cavasos did, then we hold
them accountable even if it
means a recall.
• What I have written will
most likely be criticized by
politically correct people and
conservatives as well. It will be
labeled racist, bigoted, and
prejudiced. Once again others
will try to determine our Raza's
status and destiny. But to those
critics our reply should be:
Although you call it racist
and separatist we call it self
determination. And although you
may see it as reactionary and
militant we see it as a matter of
survival for the brown race of
Aztlan. The decade of the
"Hispanic" is dead and the future
of Brown Pride, not as a fad but
• as a statement "con^anas" to
succeed is here!
Viva La Raza!!!
C/S Rafas
LaVoideAztldn
Editor: Hector Amezcua Jr.
Staff Writers: Virginia Adame, Christina
Medina, Leo Pena
Columnists: Ralph Avitia, Arturo Hines .
Cartoonist: German Amezcua     ^
Copy Editor: Jana Ballinger Amezcua
La Voz is published monthly by the Associated Students Inc. of California
Slate University of Fresno. The newspaper office is located in the (Ceals
Campus Building. Fresno, 9374T>004^. Opinions published, are not
necessarily those of the ASI. The DallyXolltgian or its staff. Unsigned
editorials represent the majority opinion of La Voz's editorial board.
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