IE I e ue e

Chicano you'th fighting national oppression

Selected artic~es from UNITY newspaper 10$ All over the U.S., Chicano youth are fighting against Barrio youth and Chicano oppression discrimination at school and on the job, against police themes at South Bay conferences p. 2 brutality and racism, in sum, against national oppression. Chicanos work to end gang warfare p. .3 Along with young people from other nationalities, Chicano youth are among the most oppressed groups in the country Defend the Perez family! p" 5 and also one of the most active. In the last year, young Chicanos have launched strong Chicana mother experiences racist court system p. 6 organizing efforts to put an end to violence among barrio youth. This year a conference took place in Oxnard, Cali­ Free the }ioody Park community defendentsl p. 7 fornia, which attracted over 3,000 youths. A peace treaty was signed among the different barrios and a pledge was Carlos Montes case made to continue organizing to end barrio warfare. This exposes police infiltration p. 9 summer other conferences will take place in San Jose Militant rallies mark Chicano Moratorium p. 11 and Mountain View, California. UNITY/LA UNIDAD has carried articles to help pass the Time, Newsweek "discover" word about these positive efforts. The following articles Chicanos and Latinos p. 1.3 are re-prints from UNITY, which show the different ways Hollywood slanders Chicanos p. 14 that young Chicanos are organizing against national oppression.

1 iii hican s arrl y uthan I!III ill en ar Ican ressl n -l ti t e essl th ay I C nfe ncas

§a;m JO§!e, CA - "We can't be plan the San Jose conference. fighting each other. We've got to They formed a group called Bar­ join forces to work for our Raza. rios Unidos de San Jo, for this That's why we need barrio purpose. Gustavo Arias, a mem­ u ." With these words, ber of Barrios Unido5, ex­ members of Barrio Horseshoe plained, "We don't want to just West San Jose) and Barrio on a conference. Confer~ Vicky's Town (in South San ences won't stop the fighting be­ Jose) shook hands and caned a tween barrios. We want to truce to the that had ex­ to work isted betw.een them. This first step to stop barrio " warfare One of the main issues ference win ©H:ldre~§ is flO',,,,, to Ventura, CA - Over 3,000 Unidos. the conference is Chicano youths are expected to planned as an "educational, attend a Barrio Youth Confer­ cultural and social experience." ence on May 8 here. The largest It aims to combat barrio warfare event of its kind ever organized by promoting self-esteem and in this area, the conference wiH alternatives for youths, in­ be held at the county fair­ cluding education and jobs. grounds. Speakers, workshops and cul­ up <;;ase. The conference is organized tural presentations are scheduled For more '=0:11" by Barrios Uundas, a county­ for the program. A major fea­ Chicano tact Banios Unido§ wide Chicano youth organiza­ hue of the conference will be the Mountain View and Redwood P.O. Box San tion working to help end gang signing of a "peace treaty" by 95109. violence in the community. The representatives of various Vel1- Since many groups and theme ofthe conference is "Bar­ tura County barrios. This will be individuals have joined efforts to JUNE 15, 1979 rio Unity." According to Barrios an important step toward ending 3 gang violence in the community. tional programs in the communi­ ty. Contrasted to Boulevard B~rrios Unidos Nights this mm shows more of elend the erez Barrios Unidos was formed the actual conditions of national last August foHowing an End oppression that Chicanm; face in Barrio Warfare Conference held the barrio. fa ily! in San Fernando and attended When Barrios Unidos tried to 2,000 Chicano youths. Xavier show the film and make a presen­ Flores, chairman of Barrios tation at some Oxnard high Unidos, said the conference schools, they were refused per­ made them realize that Chicanos mission by the Oxnard School from different barrios can get District. The authorities said the; together in peace. Barrios oral presentation would turn Uoidos was formed to try to end into a' 'political discussion" that gang warfare and expose the real "would be offensive to a broad reasons it exists. section of the community." "There have been people that What they reaHy fear is the youth say violence is inherent to realizing that their enemy is not (Chicano) culture," Flores told each other, but the capitalist UNITY. "I'm saying, no." system of national oppression. Barrios Unidos points out that in In contrast to the school La Colonia, Ventura County's authorities' Barrios largest live Unidos' work has been endorsed mile area; 60!lJ'1l the Association of Mexican an eighth American the Raza 50!lJ'ij live below the , and other "',...,"""'''',''',." llillllonstrations against poliee brutality grow in San Joss (UNITY photo) and 430711 are un­ employed. These are the under- Jose, CA. - Youth Get­ Perez family who had supposed­ violenCe, ting Together, a Chicano youth ly vandalized one of the neigh­ group, is building support for bor's hOlmes, When Mrs. Perez the January hearings of four questioned the police as to Barrios Unidos has been very members of the Perez famHy, they were arresting her ~ 6-year­ active since it was formed, It has who were arrested in October old son, the police brutaUy man­ 1918 when San Jose police ter~ handled her. When several fami­ held IvIAY 1979 rorized their home. Charges ly members demanded Mrs. Pe­ and ;;;"'.""".'''!Jl'b'U \;Hi:HJ,'''! against the family range from rez's release, the police eral banios in assault on a police officer to shotguns, threw the daughter to Santa Paula and other areas. interfering with arrests. Some of the ground, and assaulted Mr, Barrios Unidos ruso organized the Perez family received up to Perez with the front of a shot­ a boycott of the movie five counts, gun. Boulevard Nights and set up What did the Perez family dOl Youth Getting Together is mo­ picket lines at one of the main to wind up with these unjust bilizing to defend the Perez fami­ theaters showing the film. charges'? On October 17, 1978, ly. Youth Getting Together group uses the film The Home the San Jose Police Department formed out of the youth moni­ Boys in many of their eauca- came to arrest a member of the tors for last year's commemora- 5 tion of the 1970 Chicano Mora­ case go undefended. torium which focused on police Youth Getting Together and brutality in the barrios. The other supporters like'the Anti­ group believes that it is impor­ Bakke Decision Coalition are tant to organize Chicano youth now organizing a dance to raise to fight the many forms of na­ money for the lawyer's fees, tional oppression they face, in­ which are already estimated at Free the Moody Park cluding police brutalitv. $1,500-2,000. Call (408) The kind of treatment the 294-3705 to give donations, or Perez family received is nothing for more information. Through community new to the barrios. For example, concrete mass support, the Perez in 1976, a young Chicano - family will win! Danny Trevino - was shot and defendents! killed by an off-duty policeman, when Danny was just sitting in JAN. 12, 1979 his car. Youth Getting Together does not intend to let the Perez

Houston - Pretrial hearings are tak­ insisting that all charges be dropped. ing place for eight Chicanos and one The trial is the latest chapter in the white person arrested in the wake of the continuing struggle against police Moody Park rebellion her~ last May. repression here in Houston, which has Chicana mother The most recent series of hearings began raged unabated since Joe Torres was October 30, to hear various defense mo­ murdered by the police 18 months ago. tions. The defendants face felony This struggle has been a focal point for charges of inciting to riot and assaulting the Chicano movement throughout the experiences racist a police officer. They are standing firm­ Southwest. The brutal nature of the ly together and are stronger than ever, court system

Dear UNITY, I didn't think it could happen to me. I if they weren't there to see it? was very embarrassed when I was arrested I was not surprised with the jury's deci­ and stayed overnight in jail. My ex­ sion. I feel that it is an injustice that I have perience with the court system will always a record. My experience with the court stay with me. system tells me that there is something The court and judge stated that I am in­ more underneath it. nocent until proven guilty. But the way Mrs. Perez they did it from the beginning until the end of the trial was that I am guilty and Ed. note: Mrs. Perez is another victim of have to prove my innocence. Especially police brutality. Last October, she was ar­ when the DA was attacking me for rested after protesting the harassment of needing a Spanish translator. But normal­ her family when San Jose, CA, police ly, Spanish is my first language and came to arrest her son. (See UNITY. No. English is the second. His attack appealed 1. Jan. 12. 1979). to the all-white jury's prejudice who don't know how it is to live in the barrio. Of course they believed the police story in­ Some of the Moody Park community defendants outside Houston courthouse October 30, showing stead of mine. How could the jury decide MAY4.1979 determination to fight police brutality against the Chicano people. (UNITY photo) 6 7 capitalists and the people's mili­ people indiscriminately. People tant resistance have both stood ran into stores, apartments and defendants. Support has also build a national campaign out in bold relief. just anywhere to get away. It come from El Concilio, the around only three. was in one apartment, in the Centro de Aztlan, and the The RCP's chauvinism and Joe Torres and the MAYO student organization. sectarianism has made their Moody Park rebellion Irvington Village apartments, that 13 people ran for safety. As one defendant told name scum throughout the Like most of the defendants on Most were strangers to each UNITY, "There has been a lot Southwest. One Chicano in trial today, Joe Torres was a other, and many had not even of unity among the barrios since Moody Park told UNITY, "If young Chicano from the barrio. been in the park the day before. the death of Joe Torres. you're going to write an article, On May 7, 1977, two police beat The SWAT busted in and took Everyone from all the barrios tell them what the RCP has Torres and threw him hand­ everyone at gunpoint. A came to the trial of the police done and that we want them out cuffed into the Buffalo Bayou number of additional sporadic who killed him. Now it's an the of our barrios!" to drown. Torres'. murder arrests were also made barrios against the police, not sparked a fire which has been elsewhere in the community. against each other." Statewide. * * * burning ever since. The 13 people were later in­ throughout the Southwest, and The Moody Park defendants The community demanded dicted by the Grand Jury made in other parts of the country, are determined to fight their justice, and mass protests con­ up of 99% white people from support is growing as word of case to the end. They are uniting tinued throughout the cops' the $30,000 a year and above in­ the frame-up spreads. to fight the national oppression trial last year. Last October, the come bracket. The judge who is Support is growing in spite of carried out by the capitalists cops were fined one dollar for hearing the pre-trial motions is efforts by the Revolutionary and their army - the Houston their crime! The people hit the also clearly biased, since he is Communist Party (RCP) to Police Department. streets again, and mass outrage the same judge who issued the wreck and split the Moody Park was so great that the federal warrant that resulted in the ar­ defendants' struggle. The RCP government had to grant a new rest of the thirteen. refuses to support all the defen­ NOV. 3,1978 trial on civil rights charges. But Even since the arrests, there dants, but instead is trying to again, the cops were let off the have been more instances of hook. blatant national oppression hi On May 7 this year, the an­ this case. Of the 13 people niversary of Torres' murder, the originally arrested, two have Chicano community came out since been deported to Mexico. for the annual Cinco de Mayo Another, Adam Garcia, was Carlos Montes case celebration in Moody Park. The shot and killed by the police on police began harassing some September 30, in Corpus youths on the pretext of Christi. A fourth defendant exposes police "breaking up a fight." When pleaded guilty, hoping to avoid J the people objected, the cops possible imprisonment, and was ) beat everyone they could get placed on ten years probation! infiltration their hands on. Enraged by this Support for the defendants brutality, the Chicanos fought Los Angeles - In the course tion formed in the late 1960's. back with rocks, bottles and There has been widespread of the struggle to free Carlos He is currently being charged fists. A number of police cars support in the barrios.A rally in Montes, police infiltration of with arson, and faces up to 20 were burned. The cry of Moody Park raised $600 for progressive and revolutionary years in prison. The struggle "Remember Joe Torres!" rang their defense costs. The Brown organizations has been further against this frame-up has won throughout the park. Berets from the Magnolia bar­ exposed. Montes is a former broad support from the Chicano The next day, police swept rio have helped in the support leader of the Brown Berets, a movement. through the barrio and arrested marches : and rallies for the revolutionary Chicano organiza- At Montes' next court ap- 8 9 least four police spies were sent tionary leaders. the masses from struggling. The to infiltrate the Los Angeles But the Justice for Carlos more the police and the capitalist chapter of the Brown Berets, Montes Committee is uncover­ state are exposed, the more mass which had been active ever since ing a chapter of repression support has grown to free Carlos the famous high school "blow­ against the oppressed nationali­ Montes as his case moves closer outs" (walkouts) in East Los ties which the state prefers to to trial. Angeles. The agents were Frank keep hidden. The Committee is Martinez, Fernando Sumaya, showing that the charges against Roberto Avila, and Robert Montes are truly a political DEC. 1, 1978 Acosta. They were sent into the frame-up designed to intimidate Berets in an attempt to destroy the organization by trying to cause internal dissension, by try­ ing to provoke terrorist ac­ Militant rallies mark tivities, and by trying to frame up leaders such as Carlos Montes. Chicano Moratorium The four agents were members of the Public Disorder Intel­ ligence Division (POlO) of the Los Angeles Police Department. The POlO also spied on at least 27 other Chicano organizations in the Los Angeles area, includ­ Carlos Montes (UNITY photo) lUI the United Farmworkers Union, the MEChA's, La Raza pearance on December I, the UDida Party, and others. The Justice for Carlos Montes Com­ POlO also spied on 175 other op­ mittee plans to demand that the pressed nationality and pro­ court dismiss charges against gressive organizations. Montes on the grounds that the The capitalists live in mortal state is covering up information fear of the fury and power of the gained through infiltration of national movements. They will the Berets. When the police in­ do everything they can to try to filtration became exposed, the smash them and to silence their police destroyed the files. revolutionary leaders. Besides Montes' defense also plans to the POlO activities, the state call four police spies to the also developed a Counter-Intelli­ Hundreds march on witness stand to testify on their gence Program (COINTEL­ 1970 OIicMlQ Moratorium. (UNITY photo) spying activities on the Brown PRO) to attack and smash revo­ Berets during the 1960's. This is lutionary organizations like the "The people united will never Angeles and San Jose, California just one example of how the state Black Panther Party. To a large be defeated!" "Que viva el Mor- last month as hundreds marched has historically tried to destroy extent, the state succeeded in atorio Chicano!" (Long live the to commemorate the historic the Chicano movement. disrupting some organizations, Chicano Moratorium!) These and August 29th Chicano Moratorium. Police spies through provocation, jailing, other militant chants echoed On that day in 1970, over 20,000 Between 1968 and 1970, at and even killing many revolu- through tne barri6s of Los people took to the streets to pro- 10 11 test the Viet Nam War and the movement to unite our com­ national oppression of Chicano munity and all communities people. against this sytem which has not This year, the marches and ral­ challged, which is still killing our Time, Newsweek lies were sponsored by the Anti­ youth, damning our families to Bakke Decision Coalition (ABDC) dead-end futures, working for in Los Angeles and by the slave wages in garment shops and "discover" Chicanos Committee to Commemorate the smothering in hot foundries ... August 29th Chicano Moratorium Across the nation, let us spread in San Jose. Speakers at both the lesson of the Chicano and Latinos rallies firmly linked the struggles Moratorium as we take up the of the Chicanos in the 1960's to struggle against national the current struggles against the oppression. " Bakke Decision and California's Just as in the 1960's, the bourgeois irritating or threatening." According to Both the San Jose and Los media is again having to deal with New West (January 29, 1979), Chicano Proposition 13 cutbacks in jobs Angeles events represented a wide Chicanos and Latinos, as another mas- culture is an "adolescent culture - full and services. range of Chicano groups, sive upsurge against national oppression of petty jealousies, paranoia and macho In San Jose, the Chicano Mora­ organizations of other oppressed takes shape. Suddenly, Chicanos and bravado. It's a defeated culture .... " torium was commemorated this Latinos are being f;:atured in nationalities and progressive national magazines, news- year for the first time in a spirited people. In San Jose, Chicano papers, and TV documenta­ march and rally on August 27. community groups, cultural ries. Why? The capitalists About 225 people joined the groups, students and working are doing everything possihle rally, which included participants to diffuse the struggle people were joined by ABDC against national oppression and speakers from the ABDC and chapters from northern California, and keep it from winning the the Coalition to Protect Jobs and and many others. In Los Angeles, support of white workers and Services, an anti-Proposition 13 contingents marched from ABDC other oppressed nationalities. cutbacks group. Centro Cultural They hope to do this by: chapters, local La Raza Unida • discrediting Chicanos de la Gente and others performed chapters, Chicano and Asian and Latinos with racist slurs spirited songs and poetry. student groups, East Los Angeles and lies, blaming them for In Los Angeles, over 300 high school students, the their own oppression; people marched through the heart • promoting reformist illu­ American Indian Movement, and sions among Chicanos and of the East Los Angeles barrio on Getting Together newspaper. Latinos; September 2, down Whittier At both rallies, a speaker from • making thinly-veiled threats of retaliation against Boulevard to Salazar Park, site of Getting Together newspaper No maUer what Time and Newsweek say, Chjcanos and Latinos have a proud hjSfOI~ Chicanos and Latinos who 0' struggle. Top lett: Chicanos in Texas plotest pollee murders. ~oUom Iflft. the 1970 demonstration. Despite spoke, saying, "The Chicano Mor­ Dominican studenls in New YOlk lighting 10 saW'e Hostos College. RIghI; Puello demand their rights. Rican DeoDle mSlch '01 Puerto Rican independence. attempts by police to intimidate atorium was an extremely signifi­ the community, the sidewalks cant event in the history of the Racist attacks were packed with people. They Chicano people because it clearly ReViving the image of the came out of stores and garment "sleeping Mexican" (who's waking up, The cultural backwardness painted by targeted imperialism as the cause of course!), the January 1, 1979 News­ the press, and the language "handic~p" shops to join in the chanting, and of the misery of the Chicano week says that Chicanos "have been invi­ (Time), keep Chicanos and Latmos some marched alongside for people and called for unity with sible to most of their countrymen t from "really learn(ing) to compete m blocks. As the march wound all oppressed people in the U.S. shrouded by their own language and cul­ American society as a whole." In other under a freeway, the chants of ture." One reason for Chicano "passiv­ words Time is blaming them for their an d throughout the world to ity," says Newsweek, is "the legacy of a own ~ppression and slandering their "Chicano Power" and "Que Viva defeat the common enemy." race that has never quite shaken off the culture. la Raza" rang out. stigma of a conquered people." Reformist promises An ABDC speaker declared, Time says that many "northern and veiled threats "Let us once again build a mighty peoples find (Chicanos and Latinos).tan­ SEPT. 197B talizing or mysterious - and somettmes All the "in-depth analysis" of 12 13 F

Chicanos and Latinos in the media bers and assertiveness often Angeles, the largest Chicano thing as national oppression or leaves out any mention of the history of produces growing hostility," barrio in the U.S., and uses a a Chicano movement exists. If resistance against national oppression, especially when "Hispanfcs except for a few brief mentions of the become not only visible but number of Chicano actors. It Boulevard Nights is to be be­ farmworkers movement. also insistent on their also superficially portrays lieved, Chicano youth face no Instead of the path of struggle and rights." some aspects of Chicano life, oppression, but spend all their revolution, the capitalists dangle before Already this year many showing the youth with their time hanging out, getting high, Chicanos and Latinos promises of Chicanos have been economic and political freedom if they murdered by police across low riders and gang life. picking up women, or shooting would only play by the rules of the country. The capitalist But Boulevard Nights is a and stabbing each other. bourgeois reformism. Newsweek tells state harasses and persecutes bad movie. In a very slick way Chicanas are portrayed as a them that they cannot solve their prob­ Chicanos and Latino revolutionaries, it portrays the most negative lems because they have "remarkably lit­ such as Carlos Montes, Nicaraguans.in bunch of whores. tle political clout and few political the anti-Somoza movement, or Puerto stereotypes of Chicanos. Gang warfare is indeed a prob­ leaders." They suggest more "political Ricans who refuse to have their land The characters are Tony, a lem in the barrio, and it is due to activism," which they define named "Puerto Rico, U.S.A." au clubber who thinks about national oppression. This is as electing Chicano and But this carrot and stick policy is nothing but clothes and cars, Latino politicians. Time failing, Chicanos and Latinos have never mentioned in the movie. says the real hopes for never believed the racist garbage in and his brother Chuco, a slow­ The message of Boulevard liberation lie in the Time and Newsweek. They refuse talking vato loco (crazy dude). Nights is clear: Chicano culture emergence of a "Spanish­ to forget their proud history of resis­ They cruise Whittier Boule­ consists of gangs, drugs and speaking Bobby Kennedy." tance to national oppression. And every vard and get into gang fights. And if Chicanos and day, more and more Chicanos and violence. There is no sense of a Latinos won't go for these Latinos are seeing that only socialist In the end, Chuco is shot in the community which works and dead-end politics, the revolution will put a final end to na­ neck and dies. Tony tries to struggles together. Chicano capitalists make it clear tional oppression. climb out of the barrio with his that they'll use force 'to pride in their culture and their keep them in line. Time girlfriend, who "makes it" by struggle is reduced to pride in warns that "growing num- JAN. 26,1979 getting rid of her accent, acting one's clothes or car. The revolu­ "white," and working in an tionary' Chicano struggle is re­ all-white office as a secretary. duced to a primitive battle for From this movie, no one turf or gang vengeance. Hollywood slanders would know that any such Boulevard Nights' solution to Chicanos

In the last year, Time, NeW8- Chicano youth. week and other magazines have run long feature articles on the Is this how Chicanos Chicano "phenomenon." The really live? widely-watched 60 Minutes Thousands of Chicano aired a segment on "Gang life youths have gone to see Boule­ in the Chicano barrio." Now, vard Nights, lured by the hope Hollywood has released that the movie will show their another media slander: life as it really is. This is the first Boulevard Nights, a "gang time that Hollywood has made film" which purports to show a film. about the Chicano bar­ the "reality" of life among rio. The movie is set in East Los 14 15 gang warfare is bourgeois and is picketing theaters. A re­ assimilation. cent Chicano student conference Growing boycott of movie in Denver, Colorado, voted unanimously to boycott the film. Many Chicanos are protesting The movement to expose Boulevard Nights because it ex­ Boulevard Nights and other ploits the gang problem for prof­ films like it is also a struggle to it and degrades Chicano culture. end the decades of racism Fifty-seven MEChA organi­ Chicanos have faced from the zations in California are con­ capitalist media. This struggle ducting a boycott of the movie, will continue until films like and have set up picket lines at a Boulevard Nights are driven out number of theaters throughout of the theaters and the true and the state. In Ventura County, beautiful story of the Chicano California, Barrios Unidos, a people is told. large Chicano youth organiza­ tion, has also called a boycott MAY4,1979

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