1986_05 The Daily Collegian May 1986

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French influence
Mexican culture
During Mexico's colonial period, Spain jealously guarded its colony from cultural
influences from other European nations. Especially those powers which the
Spaniards considered a threat to its colony, primarily England and France.
As a consequence, the mestizo culture that developed in Mexico and in the
Southwest (USA) was a blending of Ihe Indian and Spanish culture with the latter
asserting a predominant influence.
It wasnt until Mexico gained its independence from Spain (1821) that Mexico
opened its doors to other countries of the world.
Mexico, howevever. still maintained strong cultural ties with its mother country.
Spain, and remained "Spanish" culturally until the beginning of the twentieth
It was during the second half of the nineteenth century that the music and dances
from Eastern Europe started to gain popularity throughout Mexico, particularly, in
the north.
The waltz and its related forms (polka, shotlise, redovas) received considerable
resistance from Ihe conservative Catholic Church which still maintained strong ties
with Spain.
This resistance centered supposedly on moral rather than cultural grounds.
Despite the opposition from the Catholic Church, the music and dance from Eastern
Europe started to take roots in Mexico especially among the aristocratic class.
The establishment of the Maximilian Empire in 1864 reinforced the predilection
for this type of music and dance.
Maximilian and his wife, Carlola, came from Europe's finest aristrocratic society
and entertained their Mexican guest in the finest European tradition. The courtly
dances that were performed during this period in time, besides the waltz and its
related forms, were the French Quadrilles, or most commonly known in Spanish as
cuadrillas.
The cuadrillas were a French *
reminiscent of the square dances tl
much more stately fashion.
Penetration of French soldiers to the northern part of Mexico brought this "latest"
style of darice'to this' region wne're'it quickly underwent certain changes and quickly
acquired a unique norteno temperament.
Even though this style of dance is no longer popular, the word cuadrilla is still in
popular use today, but in a different sense. Today, the term is used to refer to a group
of people who work in the fields.
Another cultural tradition left by the F/rench are the musical groups which
accompany the dancers of Jalisco called mariachi.
During this short lived reign of Maximilian, there existed in Jalisco. Mexico,
musical groups which played at various official ceremonies and social events. These
v     un-named ensembles were especially popular with the French and with the Mexican
aristocracy at wedding receptions.
The French attempted to Hispanize the French word mariage (marriage) by
appending a "chi" to the word and as a consequence, these groups that played at the
weddings were christened mariachi.
These are but a few examples of the cultural legacy left by the French during their
The cultural influence that took place during this period of time is still fell by many
Mexicans and Chicanos alike but have been obscured by time and space.
Mexican Chicano culture is rich in history and tradition and knowledge of it can
only lead to a better understanding of our heritage and real pride in ourselves.
El Significado de
Cinco de Mayo en E.U.
Los libros de historia de Mexico nos dicen: "El memorable 5 de mayo de 1862
atacp de Conde Lorencez con arreglo al arte de la guerra, al ejercito mexicano
compuesto de cuatro mil hombres a las ordenes del valiente General Ignacio Zarag-
oza. que defendia loscerrosde Loreto y Guadalupe, rompiendoel fuegodecanion a
las doce del dia. Cuatro columnas de mil hombres cada una lanzo el jefe frances y
todas fueron rechazadas tres veces, teniendo que abandonar el campo a las cuatro de
la tarde, con una perdida de 513 entre muertos y heridos, impidiendo un fuerte
aguacero que se continuara la persecucion. que era tambien dificil, porque derrota-
dos los invasores como cstaban, tenian todavia mas fuerza numerica que Zaragoza.
El ejercito frances, decia este caudillo, se ha batido con mucha bizara; su general en
jefe se ha portado con torpeza en el ataque. las armas naciona— les se han cubierto
de gloria., puedo afirmar con orgullo que ni un solo momento volvio la espalda al
enemigo el ejercito mexicano durante la larga lucha que sostuvo."
Este discurso historico jusfica y explica parcialmente la celebracion del 5 de mayo
en la Republica Mexicana, pero no en los Estados Unidos. El hecho de que la
poblacion de origen mexicano sea un conglomerado compartidor de las tradiciones
civico culturales mexicanas, tampoco aclara la pregunta implicada en el titulo. ya
que no festejamos exceptuando "El Grito de Dolores," otras fiestas patrias impor-
tantes como el 20 de noviembre: Celebracion de la Revolucion Mexicana de I910'el
5 de ftbrcro: Constituciones de 1857 y 1917, etc. Entonccs, por que celebramos el 5 de
mayo en los territorios de Azttan? Quien inicio esta fiesta? Al parecer, indirecta-
mente, Don Portfirio Diaz. Como todos sabemos. este controvertido dictador
part icipo tambien enla"Batallade Puebla" de memorable 5 de mayo. Por lo tanto.
cuando don Porfirio estuvo en el poder ordeno que el 5 de'mayo se cclebrara con
igual esplendor que el 16 de Septiembre: Independencia ile Mexico, puesto que el
habia sido uno de los prolagonistas en la "Batalla de Puebla."       \
Posteriormente, al iniciarse el movimiento de la Revolucion Mexicana, muchos de
los porfiristas exiliados en lo Estados Unidos siquieroh festejando el S de mayo en la
zona fronteriza de la Union Americana, creando asi esta tradicion que perdura hasta
nuestros dias. pero sin Diaz.    _:	
Dr. Cosme Zaragoza
LaVozdeAztlan:
A historical view
Letters to the Editor
La Voz, or La Pluma Morena (The
Brown Pen) as it was first called, was
spawned from the turbulent times of the
late 60s and early 70s, when racial tensions
were high and  protest demonstrations
The first issue was done on May 5,1969,
its content was largely political. Stories
ranged from the opposition to the draft;
the on-going war in Vietnam; the "Lib¬
eration of Chicanos"; to Ceasaer Chavez'
farm labor struggle.
The newspaper's political stance was no
secret; its stories and art work depicted
that. The name changed from La Pluma
Morena to Chicano Liberation, with the
name encircled in bandoliers. Stories cal¬
ling for an end to oppression and the need
for justice were standard copy. The at¬
mosphere in the early 70s was one of
urgency for Chicanos, and La Voz cap¬
tured it. Every square inch of every page
was used, with either a story, artwork, or a
poem relating the need for Chicanos to
educate, motivate and participate.
The use of La Voz as a medium for the
Chicano viewpoint was an important ob¬
jective, but also just as important was the
desperately needed experience that
Chicano journalists received.
With that experience. La Voz became
the starting point for such local media
people as Tom Uribes, editor of
Sentimientos and El Tiempo; Al Reyes,
former Channel 30 reporter and now with
El Tiempo; Marty Uribes, reporter with
Channel 47; and Larry Romero, formerly
with the Fresno Bee arid currently with the
San Jose Mercury News.
La Voz spoke with Larry Romero, who
was editor during the years 74-75, about
his experiences and feelings with La Voz.
"It was an alternative newspaper, it
gave a voice that was needed and is still
needed today," Romero said. Larry also
agreed that La Voz was a good training
ground for a reporter.
Having been with the San Jose Mercury
News for three years, now Larry looks
back, and remembers that one of the
problems La Voz encountered was the
lack of recognition.
"La Voz wasn't taken seriously by the
Journalism Department; they didn't con¬
sider it a legitimate endeavor," Romero
continued. "We were as concerned or
more so than other journalism students,
because we had a special feeling for the
community we wrote about." Even though,
according to Romero, La Voz broke
stories even before the Collegian, "we
didn't get recognition from the established
Romero's staff, like many other La Voz
staffs, was sprinkled with very few
journalism majors. "I was the only
journalism major on the staff, others were
concerned students and most of it I wrote
myself," he added.
Newspaper policy generally changed
Irom editor to editor; some thought La
Voz should be used primarily as a learning
tool, while others thought La Voz should
be used as a political tool. Romero dis¬
agreed with the latter, "I didnt think il
should be used as a political tool. You
Sea La Voz page 3
Reality leadership
plays political games
DtsmXZhacon
The Reality leadership in Asso¬
ciated students do not have a clear under¬
standing of what it is to be political and to
"play political games with student's inter¬
ests and concerns". They Iable themselves
nonpolitical because they refuse to ap¬
proach so-called "off campus" issues such
as apartheid and the grape boycott; these
issues do not involve students, they assert.
When they profess that the senate should
not be political, they mean these and other
social issues should not be directly dealt
with by A.S. government, but rather by
student clubs and organizations, if at all.
They  simply  cause  to  much  political
However, these self-proclaimed non-
political actors in the senate are in fact
playing power politics with students at an
unprecedented level and as a result are
arousing much more salient controversy
and polarization io the senate than a reso¬
lution condemning South Africa-type
racism ever could. The voting member¬
ship of the Finance and Budget Commit¬
tee (John Love, School of Business; Kent
Foster, School of Engineering; Greg Bar-
field, School of Health and Social Work;
and Ellen Tyler) have, as a body, decided
to make draconian cuts in cultural, ethnic,
progressive and academic student inter¬
ests while augmenting to student govern¬
ment enough money and power to sup¬
port a Third World nation.
The cuts in such areas as MECh A (cut
from $2,900 to $700), Chicanos In Law
(cut from SI,! 30 to $650) and the Chk»fio
Youth Conference (cut from $3,950 to
$3,350) are alarming vis-a-vis the increase
in student government, about $30,000
(The requested amount for student govern¬
ment is over $ 100,000 a significant increase
over last year's $78,956.) Most clubs are
not being budgeted at all for the purpose
of bringing relevent speakers on campus.
Instead, clubs must now go through a
separate hearing to sponsor those activi¬
ties. For example, MEChA, if they want
to bring speakers, would not be able to use
thier allocated funds hut rather would
programi
ingee
scpaia
posed by the Finance and Budget commit¬
tee, that in lieu of MEChA choosing their
speakers, the student politicans on that
particular committee would make the
choices. Even worse, any speaker recom¬
mended by the committee would have to
be approved by two executives (of which
there are three). That means that neither
the committee, the Senate, or MEChA
will choose MEChA speakers, but rather
Bob Whelan, Rebeka Burger, and John
Love would make the decisions for all.
How can two people decide what is
right for every club and organization on
campus? When the Geography Club
chooses a speaker, their decision is based
on their academic interests and what the
club wishes to promote (in this case the
study of Geography), not for political
purposes or the interests of the three exec¬
utive students (all business majors). The
•Chicano-Latino Student Association
might want to bring a speaker that pro¬
motes the Chicano, but because of the
proposed Fianance and Budget policy,
would have to get the approval of two
people that have no idea what it is like to
be an ethnic minority and could not pos¬
sibly see the same importance in a specific
activity. They do not care if a Caesar
Chivezccmc; to cafnpuisrrd iffaced with
Chavez
Pappa speaks
There* been a Iol written and broadcast
about me because of recent controversies,
and I Ve allowed many of them to go with¬
out response. Ill make an exception in
this case though,, because Danny Chac¬
on's column in Ihe last edition of La Voz
put me in the writing mood, and it got a
hearty laugh out of me, one which still
echos in the Collegian office where I hap¬
pened to be when I first read it.
Danny, I've watched you during AS
senate meetings and have silently rooted
for some of the causes you espoused and
have silently opposed others. And I've
sometimes admired your chutzpah, even
when I fervently disagreed with you and
even when your diatribes could be charac¬
terized as ramblings.
I recognize, Danny, that your recent
column was hastily written with little fore¬
thought. Your ramb'lings were indeed enter¬
taining, for it was easy for me to picture
you working yourself up into a frenzy as
one thought piled atop another and you
stuggled to remember them all and transfer
them to paper. But please try next time to
think out what you plan to write.
If 1 didn't know any better, I would
have taken offense at your labels. First,
you make me out to be a supporters of
apartheid in South Africa, which I am
not. Then you say I may be in favor of
sending student money to aid the Nicara-
guan contras. 1 am not. Next you place me
on the political spectrum to the far right, i
Actually, I might say that I'm more mod¬
erate and am a little righrofxenter. Cer¬
tainly, like much of this university's and,
indeed, this nation's population. ! am
more conservative than-liberal, though I
do come out on the side of liberals 03
some issues. Then" yoo compare me to a :
notorious tyranical killer. No, Panny,
you need not refer lo me as "Pappa-doc."
Erik is just fine, thank you.
If I were to take this matter as far as you
and your cohorts have, I might classify
your statement as a racial slur, to take it a
step further, for I am a member of both
ethnic groups. I also will have you know
that if I were to require international stu¬
dents to carry special campus passportrs,
which you have stated, my mother who is
still a citizen of Norway, would probably
never let me have the privilege of visiting
any of my Norwegian relatives ever again.
Many of these relatives, incidentally, know
what it's like to have their country occu¬
pied by a foreign army, one filled with
Furthermore, on another point, how
would 1 conduct myself in a government,
if I ever decide to make a "legitimate" bid
for office? Well, I'm not running for any¬
thing yet, so why should I create a plat¬
form here? Certainly, like many of your
cohorts (which does not mean all the
minorities on this campus), you have
twisted the issues to fit your requisites.
(Incidentally, it was very fortunate your
ploys didn't work in the recent student
body elections.) My concerns for profes¬
sionalism and fairness were directed at
those publications which should strive for
such high journalistic standards. I never
proposed that they should cease puplica-
tion, only that if they couldnt shape up,
they should be distributed independently
and let the students, then, decide if they
wanted to pick up those publications.
Evidently, your cohorts feared the results
of such a test. Such./oumfl/t»//e standards
easily could not be applied to cultural
the Theater Arts Department, the School
of Business, the School of Agriculture and
all the others. Many of these have as much
to offer students, if not more. The point
may simply be that funding of items that
legitimately belong to the respective depart¬
ments on campus has been picked up by
students too long. I see no reason why
students should be made to pay for pro¬
ducts which, legitimately, should be paid
for by their respective departments.
One more item: Federation "87? Come
on Danny, really. You've been watching
too many Star Trek episodes.
Another thing: I have not favored the
abolition of special publications. But, if
we are to spend student money to support
products of the Ethnic ^Studies Depart¬
ment, the Chicane-Latino Studies Depart¬
ment and the Armenian Studies Depart¬
ment, why shouldn't we als o spend student
money to create voices for the Art
Department, the Music Department, and
Learn facts
If La Voz readers would like lo see a
.good example of how hot to write a letter
to the editor they should check out the
Collegian (May 1, 1986) in which Robert
Edwards and Andy Adams responded lo
my column of April 30 which dell with the
myth that the U.S. is really undergoing a
Edwards and Adams think we are. They
sound to me like two white South Africans,
blissfully ignorant of the horrors of
Apartheid, lounging by a pool sipping
Pina Coladas in a lush Johannesburg
suberb, wondering what all the "terrorism"
is all about. Pitiful.
In many ways we Americans are in a
1 similar position. We don't hear about
U.S.— sponsored terrorism because it
doesn't reinforce our biases to hear about
Contra atrocities, the bombing of El
Salvador, the death squads in Latin
America, etc. To Edwards and Adams,
t anyone who talks about these things thaA .
'dlsttJrb trieTr personal mythology must be
a "terrorist" or a "commie" or whatever.
My columrwaddressed the problem of
terrorism against the U.S. and Israel from
its root causes. If Edwards and Adams
think that I was supporting Qaddafi's
tactics they should read it again. In fact,
after I read their responses to my column 1
wondered if they even read past the
headline.
They don't respond with facts or counter
arguments, just rhetoric. Take away the
name- calling, the anti- semitism bullshit,
and other assorted non- facts and what is
left? Nothing.
Edwards and Adams seem deeply con¬
cerned about terrorism, but 'they are
unwilling or too ignorant'to stop and
think what it is all about. They both have
fallen into the same trap. The notion that
crticism of policies (that help foster
terrorism) is somehow criticism of a people
(Americans), and criticism of bad policy
decisions is "blaming America." This is a
mistake. If Edwards and Adams are so
convinced that Reagan has done the right
thing, I invite them to travel to the Middle
East and proclaim to crowds of people
how proud they are to be an American
and that they support U.S. policy 100
nercent. They might get a surprise.
While they are at it, they could stop
Managua, Nicaragua on July 19 and be
guest speakers at the anniversary cele¬
bration where one- sixth of the Nicaraguan
people assemble (500,000 people) to re¬
affirm their commitment to the revolution.
We can hardly get that percentage of
people to vote!
Edwards and Adams obviously see
things through such an ideologically biased
perspective that they are not able to sort
out the facts. They are I Jte two little pigs,
stuck in the ideologies; mud, oblivious of
the world around them.
Il is not inherent that our country's
terrorisnii but it is in part made possible
because so many ignorant people like
Edwards and Adams have allowed the
wrong people to make policy virtually   From pag* 1
without question. It'sabout time we started
asking questions. Chavez
A.S. budget
Associated student Body fees total
approximately $500,000; allocations will
be voted on Tuesday, May 6th. Various
legitimate groups feel that the member¬
ship of the Finance and Budget committee
has shown favoritism to some clubs at the
expense of others. We are asking for a
closer look at Associated Students Adminis¬
tration costs. With two new computers
and a new copy machine in ihe A.S. office,
the work- load should be significantly leu
than last year. Therefore fewes office staff
will be needed, however the F A B com-
mittees's recommendation is
their budget by $35,000, a 21
over 1985-1986.
We feel that the proposed A.S. Admin¬
istration budget of$ 180,000, which is 36%
of the total Associated Students budget is
excessive and unfair to the student body
as a whole when one sees that the social
issue groups are only budgeted for a
$3,980. .79% of-the budget, and v«
other minority and cultural organizations
funds have been cut drastically or elimi¬
nated all together. We feel student fees
should go to clubs, and not create an
expensive bureauocracv.
Intramural sports and recreation has
been allocated $56,000 which is 11% otthe
budget. In light of the fact that some-clubs
were gutted, we feel this amount must be
investigated.
If cuts must be made, they should be
.tased on objective criteria, hot on'the FA
B members' personal opinions or biases
about the clubs.
Senators, club representatives, and
concerned students, will confront the FA
B committee at Tuesday s senate meeting
with these questions. We want all clubs to
have access to fair and equitable funding.
"We must no* attow the governor at.
Ca»omia and the aeMeri mtereate ot
Caaaornia grape growara to tnralen
bVm wsfwighout North America," aaad
"The grape growers can
hide from their duty under
the law, but they can't hide
from a boycott.
—Chavez
Chavez Issued a chaUeng. to the
California Table Grapa Commission,
headquartered In Fresno, to Jo4ri With
available to the consuming ptiMc.
Chavez aald the only way the d.-
edged Is through a boycott.
"Th* grape growers can hid. irom
their duty Under th. law, but they can't
hide from a boycott," said Chavez.
La Voz
From page 2
have to keep it as objective as possible and
strive for that."
Romero also remembered the attempts
by the Associated Students to do away the
Black and Chicano editions during consid¬
erations. "It happened almost every sem¬
ester," Romero said.
Fortunately for Romero and his staff,
the Daily Collegian supported them. The
publications developed good rapport with
each other. Romero cited no real problem
with the Collegian and added that they
were always helpful in one way or another.
One of Romero's priorities while being
editor was to get the Native American
students involved. One such student was
Rick Herdia, who broke a story that ihe
Fresno Bee later picked up, but neither
Rick nor La Voz received anv olher credit.
Chacon
a choice between funding a visi
or say Howard Jarvis, who would they
pick?
The answer is thai ihey should nol have
the choice in Ihe first place; Chicanos In
Law should choose their speakers, CLS A
theirs, etc.,
Besides their reluctance to give money
to clubs for speakers, these "non politi¬
cans' have «lso decided that the AS hat
been much too generous in. allocating
money, period. AS President— elect Bob
Whalen says that he is tired of people
thinking of the AS as "a place to come and
get money that they dont have to pay
back.*  - - -
This means that even though it is stu¬
dent money to begin with, students who
wish to utilize it must pay it back. His
proposal to establish the Associated Stu¬
dents as a credit union would accomplish
this. Bureacracy would increase and busi¬
ness students would have a place to train
for the professional world, but everyone
else would be left out.
This is a potentially dangerous shift in
the purpose and proper role of student
government. When we have as our leaders
individuals like John Love, who has stated
that cultural activities (e.g. Semana de la
Raza, Indian Week, etc.) have been get¬
ting tne "lions share' of money and
should be cut, while voting to give over
$50,000 to intramural sports, we must
stop and question their motivation. If cuts
need to be made, should they not be equit¬
able? the I nter-Business Council, of which
Love is a member did not suffer a single
cut while MEChA was reduced by over
suppose to be i
the world it is
the worse kiwi
n political. To the rest of
'•