La Raza Justice Movement

FOR RELEASE: Friday, April 27, 2012

La Raza Justice Movement Concerned With SCOTUS Decision

The Supreme Court’s decision to review Arizona’s anti-immigrant law, SB 1070 is being met with concern by La Raza Justice Movement. Most troubling to the organization are the potential consequences of the law. NPR reports:
“Outside after the argument, Arizona’s governor was asked if, in fact, the state does have plans for a mass incarceration of the estimated 400,000 illegal immigrants in her state.

Brewer paused for quite a long while and then replied: ‘If they’re breaking the law, there’s that possibility, I would assume.’”

While arguments centered on federal jurisdiction, La Raza Justice Movement will support other organizations that will bring further litigation based on racial profiling.

“This law is not only an anti-immigrant law. It is an anti-Mexican law,” said Hector Chavana Jr., president of the group. La Raza Justice Movement has steadfastly promoted a moratorium on deportations. The fear of Brewer-style mass incarcerations is one of the reasons.

La Raza Justice Movement has called early-on and publicly for an end to programs like 287-G and secure communities, and the group has criticized Sheriff Adrian Garcia for promoting such programs, starting with an open letter in July of 2010.

The group will continue to offer support to other local organizations with similar concerns.

La Raza Justice Movement Continues To Monitor Developments With UH Chicano Mural

On December 19^th, La Raza Justice Movement held a press conference outlining concerns about the university’s commitment to preserving the Chicano mural at the Cougar Den as part of the renovations at the University Center.  Students and faculty had worked for weeks, and in some cases months, before the press conference to secure commitments from the university regarding the mural’s preservation, unfortunately  to little avail.   By her own account, Monica Rhor, a reporter from the Houston Chronicle had been unable to find any administrator from the university who would fully commit to preserving the mural the week before her press conference. Her story ran in the Chronicle on December 17.   As of the Friday before the press conference, one elected official in contact with La Raza Justice Movement said that he had not heard any response from the university, despite efforts to reach out.  Additionally, at least one professor said that the administration had never included the mural in any of their proposed schematics for the renovated University Center.

In the days correlating with increased media attention, the university began producing statements with increasingly encouraging language.  In perhaps the strongest language to date, the university has stated unequivocally, “the mural, donated to the University by the Mexican-American Youth Organization, will be carefully preserved and relocated to a more prominent location in the new UC.”

In this and in other statements, the university has stated that the mural is on canvass.

Inasmuch as it appears that it took media inquiries to get the university to commit to the mural’s preservation, La Raza Justice Movement will continue monitoring the university’s commitment.  After the press conference, one of the original mural artists, Ruben Reyna, contacted La Raza Justice Movement to report that the mural, in fact, is not painted on canvass contrary to university claims, and that he believes the material to be vinyl.  He says that he, like other concerned participants, is opposed to moving the mural at all.  Finally, the very nature of what might be a “prominent location” is subjective, and La Raza Justice Movement is interested in helping to define what a prominent location might be, if it must be moved, as many members and supporters are alumni, and all are taxpayers.

Artists, non-profit organizations and professors from  Austin, El Paso and Arizona have contacted La Raza Justice Movement offering their support.  The organization will meet with supporters in early January.  The organization plans to formally request a schematic of the new University Center with the mural included in the schematic no later than January 15^th and will present signed petitions to administration pending developments.  Until the university is able to articulate the exact proposed location of the mural in the New University Center, La Raza Justice Movement considers the mural to be under threat, of being relegated to an obscure part of the university, and will continue organizing toward a community response.

La Raza Justice Movement

2702 Little York Rd, Houston, TX 77093

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.

UH Mural: Pressure Creates Encouraging Statement, But No Written Commitments

As of late last week, The Chronicle reported that a decision on preserving a prominent Chicano mural at the University of Houston’s University Center had not been made.

Today, a press conference in defense of the mural was attended by current students, alumni, faculty, business and community leaders.  At the press conference, a university official, Richard Bonnin, circulated a statement which said that preserving the mural was a “priority” and that a study indicated that preservation of the mural “may” occur.

“A priority is not a promise,” responded Hector Chavana Jr, after having received it from a Fox reporter, “and may preserve does not mean will preserve.  We will continue organizing until the university says that the mural WILL be preserved in a prominent location.”

Pro-preservation activities are being considered for January, unless the university provides a definitive statement saying that the mural will be conserved in a prominent location, preferably where it is now housed.

Press Conference:  Latinos React To The Proposed Destruction Of The Chicano Mural At The University of Houston. Press Conference Scheduled

La Raza Justice Movement

2702 Little York Rd, Houston, TX 77093

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 13, 2011

La Raza Justice Movement Condemns Attempted “Eviction” Of Occupy Houston from Herman Square, City Hall, Houston

La Raza Justice Movement has received reports that Occupy Houston might be forcibly removed from Herman Square effective immediately.  It is our position that no entity, government or otherwise, may grant or deny the right of any human being to express himself or herself in any peaceful way.

La Raza Justice Movement stands with Occupy Houston in its efforts to correctly identify oligarchs, and their domination of the electoral/political process, as the source of many political problems in the country.

Instead of our regular Tuesday study session on July 5th, we will go to the following. We have been invited since La Raza Justice Movement is part of Houston United.

5PM As Co-sponsor of Cipriana Jurado’s visit to Houton, Housotn United is invited to a dinner / dialogue with Cirpriana Jurado at HIWJ — 2nd Floor St Stephen’s Episcopal Church — 1805 West Alabama — 77098.

From there, we will go to the Rothko Chapel to hear her tell her story.

In mid June, La Raza Justice Movement began its bilingual, summer study circle. This summer, the group will meet every Tuesday to discuss philosophy, politics and to informally share ideas about the so-called Latino community. The group hopes to make its belief statement more relevant by illustrating how some of its beliefs are applied in the real world.

The group who met was diverse, ranging from professors, to peo-
ple who confessed. “I don’t know anything about this yet,
but I want to learn about our community.”

During the first meeting, a bilingual interview with Honduran
President Manuel Zelaya was played for the group. In the
interview he describes how masked military personnel
forced him from his home, and why he believes that the coup
was engineered in the US.

This corresponded with La Raza Justice Movement’s twelfth be-
lief, which states, in part, “We believe that we are owed repara-
tions for the theft of our land as indigenous peoples and for the
political, economic and military interventions which brought
many of us from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras
etc. to the United States. We believe that these interventions
are chiefly responsible for the poor conditions in these coun-
tries.”

La Raza Justice Movement started in 2005, and has participated in different community organizing. In 2006, the group
became involved in a campaign to place street lights near Doss
Park in Northwest Houston, after a young girl had died after
being hit by a car. Later the group became focused primarily
in the struggle for just immigration policies. In 2009, the group
joined many other groups in changing detention policies,
which allowed for the incarceration of baby immigrants in Tay-
lor, TX.

More information on the group can be found at LaRazaJusticeMovement.org
The group plans to continue
meeting every Tuesday through-
out the summer at 6PM. The
study circle is co-sponsored by
the Chavana Office and this
newspaper. The normal meet-
ing place is 2702 Little York Rd,
between 59 and Aldine West-
field. However, some meetings
might be held out of the office,
so it is wise to call beforehand.
Fore more information or to reg-
ister for the free study circle, call
713-695-3072.

Coalition Reacts To Redistricting

For weeks, members of a loose coalition of Latino activists, professors and concerned citizens had been lobbying for a redistricting map which would create four so-called Latino opportunity districts. These efforts challenged the city of Houston plan, which offered only two. However, these efforts also challenged notions by other parties, which promoted the idea that three Latino opportunity districts would be sufficient.

Due to recent population shifts, Latinos comprise forty four percent of the city’s population. With a total of eleven districts, a truly representative map would reflect at least five Latino districts. As a coalition, we were challenged to find or to produce such a map.

Late last week, we became familiar with a map, which did provide five potential Latino districts, and did so with a deviation of .5%, which is a deviation almost ten times lower than the city’s original plan.

Jerry Wood’s analysis seems to make no mention of the fact that the submitted map had five Latino districts, and seems to outright discount the map. He seems to refer to the plan in question as the Guerra three plan in his analysis, whereas our coalition referred to the map as the 5B plan when it was submitted. It is unclear as to whether our map has truly been considered or not.

Yesterday, the city unveiled a plan which would ostensibly create four potential Latino districts.

We are against any effort by the city to obfuscate any of the proposed maps. We call for all maps that our coalition has proposed to be properly evaluated and posted on the website. We understand that the vote on the map has been tagged, and we commend the efforts to provide the community with the time to evaluate the map.

Central and South Americans and Mexicans were the original guardians of this piece of earth. How have we become second and third class citizens, and even aliens in our own lands?

Why do we call ourselves Latinos and Hispanics? Latinos are from Rome. Hispanics are from Spain. Most of us have never been to Spain or Rome. What SHOULD we call ourselves?

The United States promises equality, yet our schools are falling apart. Predominately white schools are funded at ten times the rate of our schools. What sort of equality is missing from this system?

The borders are open for the transfer of wealth from one country to another, and the borders are open for corporations, but the borders are closed for the people who work for and buy from the corporations. Why?

The Zetas were trained by the United States military in Georgia. Why?

Mexicans are ex-slaves. Why do most of us not know this? What affect does this history of slavery still have on us?

As a man or woman, are you be able to explain this to your children? Will you be able to provide them the answers?

Every person has a role to play in Our Restoration. What is yours?

Come have some pan dulce with us and answer these and many more questions. Tuesdays, June, July and August 2011. Little York and 59 area.

La Raza Justice Movement Presents Its

Free Summer Study Sessions, Tuesdays At 6PM, Beginning In June

Come Join Others Interested In Social Justice and in Our Restoration (O/R)

Learn About Our 13 Beliefs And Current Events: Politics, Immigration, Education etc.

Little York And 59 Area

Call For More Information And To Register 713.695.3072 or facebook.com/hectorchavanajr