First Published: Unity, Vol. 5, No. 7, April 23-May 6, 1982.
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Paul Saba
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“It is our responsibility as students – not just to get a degree – but to join with our people to fight for political control of Aztlan!”
These sentiments, movingly expressed by Patricia Recinos, a member of Movirniento Estudiantil de la Raza from Los Angeles, called to order the spring conference of the statewide MEChA (Chicano students) organization. The April 17 conference was held in Los Angeles and was attended by over 200 students representing 30 high school and college MEChAs in California.
The conference was called to help develop a unified perspective and plans to beat back the unprecedented attacks coming down on Chicano students at the college level.
Various speakers and MEChA representatives told of the latest attempts to totally eliminate or drastically reduce Chicano studies, and do away with special admissions programs, financial aids and tutorial and counseling services for Chicanos. Mechistas from the community colleges told of efforts to drive them out of school by setting up a tuition system this coming fall. Most Chicano students in California attend community colleges because they charge no tuition.
The keynote speaker for the conference was Bill Flores of San Jose, a veteran activist in the Chicano Movement, a former Mechista and a member of the League of Revolutionary Struggle. Flores pointed out that the attacks on Chicano students come from the capitalist system.
“These colleges are built on our land, land which was stolen from us by the capitalists,” said Flores, “And now they want to close the doors of the colleges in our faces.”
He encouraged the students to do all that they could to build their unity, and to help in the fight for the self-determination of Aztlan. He stated that “only through political control of our nation can we ever have a truly equal, just and democratic educational system in the Southwest.”
The conference focused primarily on how to deal with the struggle for higher education, but also took up the issues of international solidarity, Chicanas and health care, and the struggle of undocumented Mexicans for their rights. The students were also unanimous and vocal in expressing their solidarity with the struggles of other third world students. Speakers from the American Indian Movement and San Francisco State’s United Peoples of Color for National Liberation spoke and were given a rousing reception.
The conference was successful in deciding on a general approach to the issue of cutbacks, as well as on specific targets, demands and activities to move the struggle forward.
The MEChAs defined the target of their struggle as the state legislature, which controls the purse strings for the colleges in California. The main demands of the MEChAs are: end all cutbacks in financial aids for Chicanos, restore funds to the Educational Opportunity Programs, end all attacks on Chicano Studies, and no tuition for the community colleges.
The MEChAs will raise these demands in a unified way at several major activities. On May 3, designated as El Dia Estudiantil (Day of the Students), the MEChAs will hold campus and regional actions throughout California. The Dia will be undertaken with the same general perspective which guided the statewide conference: “Education and Unity to Serve the Communities of Aztlan – Self-Determination for the Chicano-Mexicano People.”
The conference also voted to support a statewide demonstration of Third World students against cutbacks slated for May 12 at the state capital in Sacramento.
The California statewide MEChA organization is the oldest and largest regional Chicano student organization in the Southwest. It has been functioning consistently since 1977 and has had an important impact on the struggle.
The statewide organization reflects the growth, unity and maturity of the Chicano students and of the Chicano movement. This was reflected in the consistent expression at the conference of the idea that Chicano students are going to school in order to gain skills and professions to help their people. It was reflected in the explicit recognition that their struggle is a part of the overall struggle of their people for self-determination. And, very importantly, it was reflected in the democratic character of the conference. Everyone freely shared their experiences and ideas, helped to concretely define the major issues facing Chicano students, and developed specific methods for dealing with those issues.
The statewide MEChA organization was built through a great deal of struggle, and has survived different attempts to weaken or divide it. One such attempt was made at this conference by the Communist Workers Party (CWP).
The CWP had tried unsuccessfully to build a boycott of the conference. When they failed, they tried to fan up suspicions and division within the conference itself. Towards the end of the conference, when all the major decisions had been agreed upon, certain people linked to the CWP attacked the organizers of the conference and introduced a resolution attacking certain MEChAs and the League of Revolutionary Struggle. Their attacks were meant to invalidate the entire conference and to split the statewide MEChA. When their “movida” (maneuver) was overwhelmingly defeated by a 3-1 vote, the CWP stalked out of the conference muttering threats.
But the unity of the statewide is based on the efforts of hundreds and hundreds of Mechistas over the years, and on the recognition within the Chicano student movement that a serious struggle against national oppression requires unity and organization. This unity cannot be destroyed by the CWP or anyone else.
The statewide MEChA conference showed once again the important role that Chicano students are playing in the struggle for self-determination. The MEChAs seem ready and willing to meet the challenges of the 1980’s and to carry forward their traditions of national pride, militancy and unity. The MEChAs are an inspiration for the whole Chicano Movement and for all working and oppressed peoples.