Victor Jara

"The cultural invasion is like a leafy tree which prevents us from seeing our own sun, sky and stars. Therefore in order to be able to see the sky above our heads, our task is to cut this tree off at the roots. US imperialism understands very well the magic of communication through music and persists in filling our young people with all sorts of commercial tripe. With professional expertise they have taken certain measures: first, the commercialization of the so-called ‘protest music’; second, the creation of ‘idols’ of protest music who obey the same rules and suffer from the same constraints as the other idols of the consumer music industry – they last a little while and then disappear. Meanwhile they are useful in neutralizing the innate spirit of rebellion of young people. The term ‘protest song’ is no longer valid because it is ambiguous and has been misused. I prefer the term ‘revolutionary song’." Victor Jara

I've been listening to Victor Jara today. I find his songs to be are very humble and inspirational.

Sept 11, 1973

"Workers of my country, I have faith in Chile and its destiny. Other men will overcome this dark and bitter moment when treason seeks to prevail. Keep in mind that, much sooner than later, the great avenues will again be opened through which will pass free men to construct a better society. Long live Chile! Long live the people! Long live the workers!"
President Salvador Allende's farewell speech, September 11, 1973.

On this day in 1973, the democratically elected, Marxist, president of Chile, Salvador Allende, was ousted by a United States backed military coup. In his place, the United States placed Augusto Pinochet. One of the worst dictators of Latin America.

U.S. seizes Fannie & Freddie

"The Bush administration on Sunday said it was taking over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the troubled mortgage companies that play a key role in the U.S. housing industry. To keep the companies afloat, the administration said it would funnel billions of dollars in taxpayer money into the companies.
"-NPR

socialism for corporations. capitalism for the poor.

Hipster: Representation of The End of Western Civilization?

Is hipster sub-culture representational of the end of western civilization? Highly doubtful. I recently read an article in Adbusters that attempted to support the claim that hipsterdom was "the end product of all prior counter-cultures....stripped of their subversion and originality." Though, I do agree that hipsterdom is vapid, vacuous, self-involved and hyper-consumptive in it's quest for "street cred" and "fame." I do not agree that it is a direct representation of the decline of western civilization, at least not any more than the consumptive yuppies, materialistic gangster rappers or the apathetic grungers of the early 90's. I would say that the aforementioned groups are all equal in their materialism, consumption and apoliticalness, but I do not for one second believe that anyone of these groups or a sub-culture alone is any indication of the decline of western culture or civilization. Our culture as a whole is reflective of our decline: profits over people, material over emotional substance, amorality over ethics. What's the difference between a hipster male that lusts over a pair of $300 Nike Dunks with the yuppie female that spends $300 on Prada sunglasses? Is the former justified by the fact that it's considered "counter-culture" and the latter isn't? Aren't they both equally as materialistic and consumptive? Considering the levels of poverty in the world, how does one justify wearing a pair of sunglasses or a pair of shoes whos price in this country could buy a family in need groceries for a month, or in another part of the world, could feed a family for months? What's the difference between the "counter-culture" skinhead that gets drunk and assaults people from that of a jock who acts the same? Is counter-culture then just limited to that which is obscure, or not the norm in a purely fashion sense? Does growing a mohawk, dyeing it green and putting a safety pin in your ear make you counter-culture even though your actions are in accord with the main culture? Does being "punk rock" and volunteering your self to poverty for the sake of poverty make you marginalized, poor? Of course it doesn't. Banksy said it best: Why act like revolutionaries, when we can just dress like them. In defense of the hipster sub-culture, some people have mentioned how the contempt held for hipsterdom is just that of an older generation looking down at the newer generation. This is true to an extent, seeing as how previous generations tend to think that their generation did everything the best way possible, and the newer generation is just running amok: Chuck Berry was loud, Janis Joplin was a druggie, The Rolling Stones were suggestive, punk was too weird, etc. My qualm with hipsters isn't their style, music, mode of transportation or apoliticalness, millions of people in this country are apolitical, it also isn't their materialism, millions more are obscenly materialistic. My problem with hipsterdom is the conflict of a group of people deluded into thinking that they are counter-culture when they are in fact blatantly mainstream in their materialism, excess and individualism. To an extent everyone values, has and needs material possesions, but as with everything in this world, there is a point where you run the risk of becoming excessive. What we have here is the marketing and consumption of "cool." Our counter-cultures have been subverted and most of us don't even know it.

Adbusters article on Hipsters

Books:
Lula and the Workers Party-Sue Branford
Understanding The Venezuelan Revolution-Marta Harnecker
Conversations With Durito-Subcomandante Marcos

Demographics

I've been back in Chicago for a a little over two months now and so far so good. I managed to get a good job, through a good friend, working for the city and teaching kids art. With all that said, money is still short. I haven't received a first check yet and the bills are pilling. Another good friend, with good intentions, informed me of a "street team," wheatpasting job. I was hestitant at first, with just cause. I'm not to fond of marketing or advertising, with most of it having a target audience. The first deterrent was the fact that the street team leaders wanted me to paste 300 posters in 5 days. Riiiiight. The second deterrent was that the job involved advertising liquor. I like liquor, but I don't necessarily want to advertise it. But the thing that did me in, the factor that broke the camels back was WHERE I would be pasting said advertisements. Here's a quote from the "informative email" I received:

"Target locations

Wild-posting locations are more prevalent in urbanized zones that are under development, going through expansion, or have a high-concentration of abandoned buildings. There are many designated boards in the targeted areas, but in some cases it helps to get innovative on how you can post in these areas."

It's pretty common knowledged that most of any citys' abandoned buildings or under-development, expansion zones tend to be located in neighborhoods of color; hispanic or black. Now, as if that wasn't enough, I was also emailed a list of 35 desired locations for pasting the liquor advertisements. These are areas where the highest level of poster-pasting was to be done: The target zones. Here's a link to the list. I believe that alcoholism in neighborhoods of blight is a huge problem, one that is greatly promoted by target marketing, all in the name of profit. Why would I want to perpetuate a problem that destroys families and generates more poverty in neighborhoods already stricken with lack of resources and opportunities? Especially if I truly believe that a better world is necessary. I could use "the profit," but mostly I feel the need to live in accordance with what which I believe to be true. I refused to the job. Pinnacle Vodka and Street Attack can go fuck themselves.

Digesting

I've been digesting the events that took place the last few months and gathering thoughts. I'll start blogging soon.

Mexican Military and Police Use Drug War to Attempt to Enter Zapatista Territory

By The Good Government Council
La Garrucha, Chiapas, Mexico

June 6, 2008

JUNE 4, 2008

DENUNCIATION

ACT OF PROVOCATION

From the Road to the Future Good Government Council (Junta de Buen Gobierno El Camino del Futuro)

To the people of Mexico and the world, to the comrades in the Other Campaign in Mexico and the world, to the national and international news media, to human rights defenders, to the honest non-governmental organizations

The Road to the Future Good Government Council makes the following denunciation:

1. A column was sighted consisting of a military convoy and public safety police, municipal police, and judicial agents at 9:00 in the morning southeastern time; there were 2 big trucks and 3 small trucks of soldiers, 2 public safety trucks, 2 municipal police trucks, an anti-riot tank, and a truckload of judicial agents.

2. All in all there were around 200 provocateurs.

3. Before entering the town of Garrucha, the headquarters of the Caracol, about 30 meters from the edge of the town, 3 trucks from the convoy stopped and 4 soldiers got out of a truck as if to outflank the town of Garrucha by using the road to our collective cornfield. The people reacted and organized themselves to eject the convoy. The soldiers immediately got back in their truck and continued along the road. Those in front were intimidating the people, taking photos and filming them as they waited for the other provocateurs.

4. Arriving at the spot where the soldiers from Patiwitz were stationed, another military convoy joined the column, which continued on its way to engage in another provocation.

5. They arrived at Rancho Alegre, a community known as Chapuyil.

6. They got out of the trucks and headed for the town of Hermenegildo Galeana, where all the people are Zapatista support bases, accusing the townspeople of growing marijuana in their fields.

7. People throughout the Zapatista area of Garrucha, including the autonomous authorities, are witness to the fact that no such fields exist. The Zapatistas here work in their cornfields and banana plantations. They are willing to struggle for freedom, justice, and democracy and resist any provocation whatsoever.

8. Around 100 soldiers, 10 public security police, and 4 judicial agents headed for the town of Galeana. All the repressors painted their faces to confuse people and to avoid being recognized in the hill country. They walked for a while on the road and then went into the hills on their way to the town.

9. The federal column was guided by a person named Feliciano Román Ruiz, who is known to be from the Ocosingo municipal police.

10. The townspeople of Galeana ––men, women, girls, and boys–– organized themselves to eject the troops, come what may.

11. They met up with the troops in the middle of the road and the melee began. All the Zapatista women, men, boys, and girls told the soldiers in no uncertain terms, “Go back to where you came from, you aren’t needed here. We want freedom, justice, and democracy ––not soldiers.”

12. The soldiers said, “We came here because we know there’s marijuana here and we’re going on ahead come hell or high water.” That’s when the people took out their machetes, shovels, rocks, slingshots, ropes and whatever was at hand, and drove them back.

13. The soldiers said, “Well, this time we’re not going any further, but we’ll be back in two weeks and we’re going in there come hell or high water.”

14. They took another road down to the village of Zapatista support bases called San Alejandro where 9 vehicles with 40 soldiers and 10 policemen were waiting for them.

15. On their way down, they trampled the cornfield, which is the town’s only food source.

16. In the Zapatista town of San Alejandro, the 60 repressive agents took up their positions, ready for a confrontation.

17. The people reacted and used everything at hand to drive back the federal forces.

18. Soldiers from Toniná, Patiwitz, and San Quintín participated in the confrontation.

19. People of Mexico and the world, we want to tell you that it won’t be long before another confrontation occurs, provoked by (President Felipe) Calderón and (Governor) Juan Sabines and Carlos Leonel Solórzano, the municipal president of Ocosingo, who’ll call out their dogs from all the forces of repression. We are not drug dealers. As you know, we are brothers and sisters of Mexico and the world. It’s clear that they’re coming for us Zapatistas. All three levels of the bad government are coming after us, and we’re ready to resist them if that’s what’s necessary, just as our slogan says: We’ll live for our homeland or die for freedom.

20. People of Mexico and the world, you know that our struggle is a peaceful, political one. As it says in the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle, it’s a peaceful, political struggle known as the Other Campaign. Just look where the violent provocation is coming from.

21. Comrades of the Other Campaign in Mexico and other countries, we ask you to be on the alert because the soldiers said they’ll be back in two weeks. We don’t want war. We want peace with justice and dignity. But we have no other choice than to defend ourselves, resist them, and eject them when they come looking for a confrontation with us in the towns of the Zapatista support bases.

22. All we can tell you is to look and see where the provocation is coming from. We’re now informing you of what’s going on, hopefully in time.

That’s all we have to say.

RESPECTFULLY YOURS,

La Junta de Buen Gobierno
Elena Gordillo Clara Claribel Pérez López
Freddy Rodríguez López Rolando Ruiz Hernández




saw this one coming a mile away.

In The USA

I'm back in the states. It's bittersweet, I'd rather still be in Mexico. I'm slowly recovering from the cranial pressure that I had due to an infection in my ethmoid sinuses. My stomach is still upset, but that will pass with time, aswell. I'm going to take this time to recover and plan my returm, which I would like to be sooner than not. There are still many things that I would like to see in Mexico, many things I would like to learn. Here's to looking ahead.

"How Far Left Has Latin America Moved?"

This an article about the rise of leftism in latin america by Immanuel Wallerstein. I found it interesting, maybe you will too.

The Militarization of Mexico

One of the first things I noticed upon entering Mexico was the number of soldiers and checkpoints on the countries main roads. I guess I wasn't all that surprised when I was by the border towns, but became more concerned the deeper I went into the country. The soldiers are posted on main roads under the premise of combating drug-trafficking and the drug-cartels that run rampant in Mexico, specifically in the states on Michoacan and Sinaloa. So why am I seeing checkpoints in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico and Queretaro, which are not know as heavy drug trafficking states? This last week the US congress voted on the Merida Initiative as part of the Iraqi Supplemental Bill. The Merida Initiative, also known as Plan Mexico, would give Mexico $500 million in aid to combat drug-trafficking and $50 million to Central American countries for the same purpose. Drug-trafficking violence is a HUGE problem in Mexico, with the drug-cartels brutally killing civilians, soldiers, police and each other. Up until the month of April there had been, on average, at least 3 drug-cartel related murders per day in Ciudad Juarez, since the beggining of the year. One of the cities with the highest drug-related murders in the republic. 45 mins from where I was staying, by the border of Michoacan and Guanajuato, a police officer and a woman were killed execution style in broad daylight, Mexican police chiefs have been killed left and right, with three just recently asking the US gov't for asylum. I've seen soldiers walking the streets of mexican cities with AK-47s and Uzis calmly tucked under their arms, driving in hummers and army trucks with as many as ten soldiers in the cab. Mexico is becoming a military state, and all in the name of fighting a drug war for the US. Mexico isn't known as a drug consumptive state, yes people use drugs in Mexico, but the demand isn't as great as it is in the US, hence Mexicos role as a supplier. What the Merida Initiative fails to do is attempt to curb US consumption and address the issues of need that make drug-trafficking a practical means of income. Again, I'm brought back to the disparities in wealth that exist in Mexico, in the third world and in urban areas of blight. Areas where heavy drug-trafficking exists. These same disparities in wealth, resources, education, food, opportunity, running water, etc, are what drive people to immigrating or seeing drug-dealing as a viable form of income. If these gaps in wealth were lessened, people would be less inclined to turn to drug-trafficking for the sake of survival. I believe that if people are given the option to make a positive choice, that most of the time, they will make that choice. If people are given positive resources and opportunities, they will take them. We live in a society that creates situations of need, a society that creates negative opportunities with high-risk as a last resort for survival: drug trafficking, immigration, prostitution, human-trafficking, etc. Then we wonder why people act the way they do. Necessity. What the Merida Initiative will accomplish is to further militarize Mexico. The Mexican army, along with the Mexican Police force, is known as being one of the most corrupt, brutal organizations in the world. Their behavior is evident in the militarys handling of the massacre of Zapatistas at San Salvador Atenco and of the Oaxacan teachers strike in Oaxaca, the latter which ended the life of american journalist Brad Will. As for the police, just ask any tourist or Mexican native. Even tour guide books like Let's Go and Lonely Planet bluntly advice NOT asking police for help in Mexico, unless it is a complete neccesity. Another effect of the Merida Initative will be its aid in curbing political dissent in Mexico. Militarized states aren't conducive to protests or civil disobedience. It is in the United States best interest to help keep Mexico "stable." Keeping Mexico stable was the main reason why the US gov't intervened in Nicaragua. If Nicaragua could successfully create a populous gov't through revolution, what was to stop Mexico? A country with comparable levels of poverty. Examples need to be made. So again, how is the Merida Initiative good for Mexico? It's not. What is good for Mexico and humanity is upholding systems that eliminate extreme poverty and need. It can happen.


book: Here's to you, Jesusa!-Elena Poniatowska

drained.

i might be coming home soon. i´ve been literally sick about every other week i've been here. two colds, one stomach flu, typhoid and amebiasis, all in 8-10 weeks. after finally getting over typhoid, i went to mexico city for a week and left with a sore throat and in coldsweats. at this point it´s financially difficult for me to remain in mexico, physically draining and mentally exhausting. i`ve been trying to stay positive and take it all with stride, but becoming ill again has broken my spirits once again. money i could use on travelling i´m using for medicines and doctors visits, time i could use for travelling is spent laying in bed, mental energy that could be used to reflect is wasted thinking about if i should remain in mexico or leave. i´m thinking of returning to the states for a few months and trying again, but don´t know if it`s wiser to stay put. i´m torn. frustrated. things don`t always go as planned, that's a given, the only thing i can do is try to make the best decision possible. i do know that there`s a saying in mexico that goes: ni afuerzas los zapatos entran. you can´t even force shoes to fit.

sick again

mexico has it in for me. mexico citys pollution made me sick, i now have pharyngitis. this is getting a little out of hand.

shaking in my seat, in mexico.

The last few weeks have been rough, really rough. It's one thing to come down with a cold and be away from home, but another to get typhoid and not have a familiar face. I think that's enough to make anyone homesick. There was a point when I felt it was in my best interest to return home, and honestly, I was one click away from buying my ticket. I was stressing about about the money I had spent on doctors visits, on the medicines, the hospitals. Stressing about my stomach constantly being upset, the incessant fevers, being bed ridden and taking 12 medicines in the span of two weeks. It's been a week since I've stopped taking medicines and I think it's safe to say the typhoid is gone. I still have a lingering fear of eating, but my other choice is starving or going home, none of which I feel like doing. I've decided to continue my stay in Mexico, there are still many things I would love to see and learn. I'm seeing muchos Mexicos everyday, every single one worlds away from the other. I'm thankful that my parents taught me spanish, though when I think about it, I don't think they really had much of a choice, they only spoke spanish. Regardless, they instilled in me an appreciation for the language, for their culture. This has allowed me to communicate with people that I may not have been able to otherwise, to put myself in situtations that might be difficult for others. I'm currently in Mexico City and am completely amazed by it. 19.2 million people crammed in a valley. I had a brief conversation last night with some street vendors who make their living making posable dolls from pipe cleaners, each doll runs about 10 pesos each. We talked about what I inevitably end up talking about: Immigration. This lady has an uncle that left 30 years ago, and she's only seen him once since. "Immigration destroys families," she says. That seems to be the running theme around here. I want to meet more people like her, people who know people who have left and people who haven't had to leave. I want to understand all of this more. I think I have every opportunity to, I just need to hang in there.

May day, May day.

What a terrible two weeks it has been. It all started with a cold, nothing too serious. Sore throat, runny nose, a little bit of sneezing. I was prescribed a penicillin that I quickly became resistant to, so the doctor decided that I should get a few shots of a stronger antibiotic. That cured my cold, the sore throat and the runny nose, but I remained with a mild fever and a general feeling of malaise. Telling a doctor that you have a general feeling of malaise and a mild fever is pretty vague and will get you questioning looks. The answer? A stronger antibiotic. That did nothing. Three days later and my fever got worst and so did the malaise. It was finally suggested that I be given a blood and stool test. Americans tend to get either typhoid or amebiasis after about a month or two of being in the country. Lucky for me, I got them both at the same time. I was prescribed two more antibiotics. Cipro for the typhoid and metronidazole for the amebiasis. The metronidazole made me sick after 4 days of taking it, so after a sleepless night an almost panic attack, I decided to call my doctor in the morning. One of the side-effects of metronidazole is anxiety, it can have effects similar to those of a stimulant. My blood pressure is now on average about 130-90, the highest was 150-100. That's insanely high for a 26 year old male. I wish Mexico wasn't trying to kill me. I'd really like to stay here, but not at the risk of my health.

Typhoid and Amebiasis

Two of the worst things to have in Mexico, i have. At the same time. Fuck.

Cultural Purgatory

Growing up I have always been considered Mexican. Though I am Mexican by race, culturally, nothing could be farther from the truth. I'm the product of an American culture. Yes, I have Mexican cultural tendencies, but the truth remains, I am an American. Though, I prefer Chicagoan. At age 14 my parents decided that it was in my best interest for the family to move to the suburbs. During my first week of school my classmates were kind enough to educate me about racist terms I had never heard before. That was when I first became conscious of my cultural purgatory. More problems arose once I became one of the few Mexican kids in my school who listened to punk. I was no longer acting Mexican, according to my Mexican friends, now I was acting "white." The white kids called me Mexican and the Mexicans called me white. Identity crisis? Luckily, I never really felt alone in my cultural purgatory. On more than one occasion, my uncle, an immigrant who is now a US citizen, has always said something to the extent of "the Spanish that we know, we are forgetting. While the English that we're learning, we can barely speak."The Mexican Immigrant who returns home, no longer feels completely at home, and from what I have seen, is at times treated as a tourist. This mostly applies to the Mexican-immigrant that has established a life in the United States, the immigrant that has been gone for a considerable amount of time. Regardless, there's still an interest in the Mexican-immigrant to retain and nurture this "long-distance nationalism." I love having conversations with Mexicans about their "Mexican brothers" once removed: the Mexican-Immigrant, and their "Mexican cousins:" the Chicanos. The Mexicans perception of the returning Mexican-Immigrant is one filled with curiousity and a sense of detachment. Mexican-immigrants are sometimes seen as exaggerated versions of Mexican culture, caricatures of their cultural identity: big belt buckles, rare leather boots, big trucks, etc. El Mexicanismo that was once natural, second nature, has now become deliberate. A sort of "we will live in your country out of necessity, but not like you." A conscious, defining, defiant act. This seems like a very natural response considering the risk posed to the culture by living in a foreign country. Growing up a Chicano my parents have made no illusions about me being an American, they too are very aware of this fact. Yet, it hasn't discouraged them from instilling a certain level of pride or an awareness of our cultural past. They are my direct link to a world that very much has the potential to be lost. My grandfather is Mexican, my father a Mexican-Immigrant, and I'm an American. Each one of us worlds away from the other. It's amazing to meet Mexicans and observe them trying to figure me out. I'm brown, tattooed and obviously from a city, but Mexican or American? I'm fluent in English, yet fluent in Spanish. And not only fluent in the languages, but in their idioms as well. There's something in the way that I speak Spanish that doesn't quite make sense, I don't have a Chicano accent, an American accent. I have a rural accent. I inherited that from my parents. Instead of saying "para usted?" (for you?) I'll say, "pa' usted." Think the equivalent of "y'all," a slight Mexican drawl. A lot Mexicans I've met are perplexed by this, but I feel like it makes perfect sense. I'm somewhere in the middle.

Patrick Oster- Mexicans: A personal portrait of a people.
Mariano Azuela- The Underdogs: A Novel of the Mexican Revolution

Pulque (Octli)

I drank Pulque over the weekend and it was awesome. I've always wanted to try Pulque and learning that it was used in religious ceremonies by the Aztecs only added to the allure of it. Pulque is made by fermenting the juice of the agave plant, known as aguamiel. Though mezcal, tequila and pulque are all made from the agave plant, they are each made through different processes. Mezcal and tequila utilize the heart of the agave plant, while pulque only the aguamiel. Making pulque is a very organic, raw, simple process, with rarely any pasteurization involved. It's has a white, chalky color and the consistency of smoothie that's been sitting out for a while. Pulque isn't really distributed in mass quantities, though there are a few companies that sell it canned, as it's still mostly considered to be a "rural mexico" type of drink. Some people I was drinking w/ kept joking that you get drunk from pulque not only because you drink it, but because it keeps fermenting in your stomach. I don't know how much truth there is in that, but I could definitely see why people would think that. Pulque is a very, very raw drink, you're literally drinking agave nectar, and it tastes exactly what you would imagine an agave to taste like. Bland. I guess you could say it's an accuired taste. Halfway through drinking my first pulque I started feeling a bit light-headed, spacey. I'm not saying that I had any visions of Centzon-Totochtin and Ometochtli, the Aztec gods of drunkeness, but I did have a bit of trouble following my train of thought. Maybe it's because we had been drinking a bit before that, but I like to think that it was because of the pulque. Since learning of Pulque I've been interested in trying it, partly because of the rawness of it all, but mostly because my grandfathers, great-grandfathers and every descendant before them had consumed it. The PBR of the olde days. I'd like to know more about my ancestors, and being in Mexico definitely increases my opportunity to do just that. I've been reading a bit about the history of the town that my dad's from in an attempt to learn more about the indigenous people of the region, and have learned that archeologists are starting to speculate that El Cerro de Culiacan, an inactive volcano that sits at the foot of town and is known as Teoculhuacan Chicomoztoc to the Aztecs, was possibly the cradle of pre-hispanic Mexico. This means that the Toltecs, Mexicas, Aztecs and Purepechas would've all descended from there. I've known about my direct ties to the Purepechas of Michoacan, my maternal great-great-grandmother was Purepecha, but I've been mostly in the dark about my paternal indigenous roots. There's been speculations of the Guachichiles, Otomi or Chichimecas, all who lived around the region of La Canada de Caracheo, but I'm yet to find any concrete evidence or a direct link. Regardless, the search continues.

The Inevitable

I've been in Mexico for a little over a month now, and I continue to feel like I've taken a very necessary step in the right direction. Has it been an easy step? No. Especially when everything seems to go out of its way to remind me that I am not from here. As if I'm not already aware. The food. The water. The people. What will come of it? I have no idea. Yet, I still find it very necessary. Mostly because I've had the opportunity to talk w/ many people about Latin America, globalization, humanity, immigration, Mexicans, Americans, Mexican-Americans. Specifically about what effects they feel any of these topics has had, regardless if they're negative or positive, on their life. I've been fortunate enough to meet people that have made me question what I believe, and others who have brought up points that I might have overlooked. How great would it be, if overall, we could live in society that was not only critical, but capable of admiting fault? Of boldly changing situations and systems for better ones. A society that accepts progressive ideals when they first become available, and not after blood has been shed or war waged. I guess we're all just afraid of change. MLK was assasinated on April 5th, 1968. The 40th anniversary was 5 days ago. Civil rights is considered as something very undeniable in this moment in time, but a mere 40 years ago it was considered unthinkable. Worst of all, unacceptable. The same goes w/ feminism, gay rights, environmentalism, etc. The fact that conservatives in the American government continue to be afraid of socialist revolutions in Latin American countries and in the world over, only serves to validate that disparities in wealth do exist and should be changed. Progress has been made. We're slowly, but surely, moving towards a more just society. A society where the majority of a population won't have to risk their lives in order to eat. A world where people can enjoy the type of life that we in the United States take so much for granted. The simple things. Food. Clean water. Education. The ability to immerse myself in a different culture, in order to learn more about my past and my future. Does this mean that society should remain idly by, because progress is "inevitable?" No. Even though ALL of these changes have been caused by a rather small minority of humans who have taken it upon themselves to be part of progressive movements, at the risk of their well being, society as a whole, needs to become aware and take these effects into their own life. So as to not burden a minority that is striving for change, because of a majority that literally begs it, needs it. I hope I will learn how to live my life in accordance w/ what I see and feel. Whatever that may be.

Mezcal (from Nahuatl -mexcalli, liquor)

I didn't go blind. As anticipated.

San Miguel de Allende

On September 16, 1810, Miguel Hidalgo of the nearby city of Dolores, lead his his rebel army into the city of San Miguel. San Miguel, under the leadership of Ignacio Allende, helped rally against Spanish rule. The town was officially renamed San Miguel de Allende in 1826, in recognition of Ignacio Allende's contribution to the Mexican struggle for independence from Spain. The city of San Miguel is an amazingly beautiful town w/ a population of about 138,000, that displays it Spanish influence proudly in it's colonial style homes, large terrace windows, open air patios, ornate doorways, cobble stone roads and Spanish style churches. As in most Mexican towns, the tallest structure is the church steeple, making for amazing sunsets visible from any west facing street. The state of Guanajuato is considered to be the cradle of the Mexican revolution, w/ it's inception being in the neighboring town of Dolores Hidalgo. I was initially planning on staying in San Miguel for only about a week, but since learning of the areas historical meaning, I now plan on staying a bit longer and visiting neighboring Dolores Hidalgo. My intention is to learn as much as possible about my parents native country. I find it a tragedy that so much history and culture has the potential to be lost in one generation.

Book:
The Conquest of New Spain- Bernal Diaz

La Misma Luna

I traveled to the city of Celaya this weekend to see Under the Same Moon (La Misma Luna). The movie was as good as i had anticipated, though I could've done w/out the some of the over-dramatization. I guess I'd feel different if it wasn't such a socially charged film and if the topic of immigration wasn't so controversial in the US. I understand the point of appealing to emotions, but the facts of the immigration issue are harsh and sad enough that they don't need any additional dramatization. When one starts over dramatizing such an issue, anti-immigration supporters will begin alleging that immigrant supporters are capitalizing on peoples emotions, bleeding hearts and not sticking to facts. You could deny emotions, but you shouldn't deny facts. The fact that anyone is forced out of economic necessity to separate from loved ones for an indefinite amount of time, in order to provide, should speak volumes in itself. The fact that millions of people will risk their lives and walk three-four days through 100+ temperature should be more than sufficient evidence of great injustices perpetuated by a system that fails humanity. No one should have to risk their lives w/ so much abundance in wealth and material. The income of the average Mexican seems to be anywhere between 80-100 pesos a day, that's about $8-10USD. My movie ticket was 47 pesos, half a days labor. I started thinking about the crowd in the movie theater, in relation to the price and the topic. How many of the people in the theater are able to see this movie on the effects of immigration, on Mexican families, in a Mexican theater at 47 pesos a ticket, because someone in their family immigrated in order to afford them a better life? This thought was further magnified when my Mexican friend asked me during the movie, in disbelief, if INS agents in the U.S. actually raided immigrants at their jobs. With all honesty, how is she really expected to know? My friends older siblings both immigrated to the U.S. and now live in Wisconsin. They helped put my friend through The University of Celaya, thus helping alleviate the economic necessity of their family in Mexico. I asked my friend if she has ever thought about immigrating to the U.S., to which she responded, "Not really. I have no reason to." This led me to think about how many families or individuals in this theater have never, or ever will, experience the effects of immigration because they're part of a minority who's parents are educated, professionals or politicians, and make a better living, thus never having to leave. Therefore, the concept of immigrating out of necessity is something foreign to them. Like something out of a movie. Something that they might not be so inclined to want to change. Mexico, like many third world countries, which most of the world is, is characterized by pockets of wealth in a landscape of over-whelming poverty. The mall, where the theater is located, is adorned w/ stores like Aldo, Checkers Shoes, Hot Topic knock-offs, Gap, A & F, etc. The food court will sell you a Whopper meal for 60 pesos, a Subway sandwich meal for 50 or maybe a Big Mac meal for 60. American prices w/ Mexican wages. Meanwhile, outside in the parking lot boys as young as 14 offer to wash cars, carry bags or help guide you park your car. Older ladies sell tamales, cups of atole (a corn based drink) or antojitos (snacks). Further down the road, at any given intersection, young boys hop on car hoods of unsuspecting motorists, washing windshields w/soap filled Pepsi-bottles, tattered rags and broken pieces of rubber that serve as impromptu squeegees, for anywhere from 1-5 pesos. The spirit of the entrepreneurial capitalist at work or the spirit of necessity? The movie brought back memories of confusion and fear, given that my parents, up until i was 8 were both illegally in the U.S. Confusion on first seeing my dads face on a falsified green card and wondering why the name didn't match his face. Fear on the fact that my father would leave for work, knowing very well, that it was possible that he and my mother might not return home. Everyday, conscious of the raids that were occurring in numerous factories in the Chicago area. I'm not pretending that situations of blight don't exist in the the US, because they very much do. It just that these situations are just that much more dramatic and obvious in a country like Mexico. It's that much easier for me to observe and relate, given that I am a product of two immigrants, speak fluent Spanish and have a Mexican background. This isn't an attempt at volunteering myself to a life of poverty, but an attempt at volunteering myself to take notice, lest I insist on pretending to be oblivious, mostly out of not knowing what to do. Because like it or not, all of this hit's too close to home.

Book:
The Pig and The Skyscraper. Chicago: A History of Our Future.-Marco d'Eramo

Under The Same Moon

The debut feature from director Patricia Riggen, this drama centers on a young boy's journey across the US/Mexico border to be reunited with his mother. Adrian Alonso stars as Carlitos, a Mexican adolescent living with his grandmother while his mother works as a maid in the US, hoping someday to send for her child. But when the grandmother dies unexpectedly, Carlitos must sneak across the border and seek out his mother. Featuring a supporting performance by America Ferrara of ABC's Ugly Betty, The Same Moon premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival where it received a standing-ovation.

Chiapas Fundraiser

The Chiapas Building Project hopes to support sustainable development projects in the communities of Abosolo and San Juan Cancuc in Chiapas, Mexico. We are raising funds to buy mechanical presses that make "earth blocks"—durable, sustainable, economical building materials for everything from homes to schools and clinics. Community members will receive the proper training on how to use the press and how to use the natural resources found in their areas to make the earth blocks. This project promotes sustainability, and it lets community members decide what type of building their community needs.

In support of this project, we are hosting a fundraiser on Thursday, April 3, 2008, at Garcia's Mexican Restaurant, from 7:00-10:00pm. Garcia's is located at 1758 W. Lawrence (close to the Montrose Brown Line stop or the Clark bus). Tickets will cost $30 in advance and $40 at the door, and include dinner and beer, wine, and margaritas. This event should be a blast and it is something you can feel great about supporting. Also, please feel free to invite anyone you think might be interested.

If you are unable to attend, please consider making a donation to the project directly through the Neighbors Corp., which is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt charity. Donations should be sent to:

Chiapas Building Project
c/o Neighbors Corp., Attn: George Terrell
434 West Oakdale, Unit 2
Chicago, IL 60657


Thanks to Jessi

a lucid explanation

idealogical alienation is difficult in chicago. luckily, it's magnified furthermore in mexico by cultural differences. it's not that bad. well, kind of. i tend to get along better w/ the residents than w/ the "nortenos," (northeners)that's what the residents call them. the nortenos return to their hometowns around this time of year, basically, to party. it's their triumphant return home. their "look, i left poor and miserable and now i can afford to pay $1000 to a mariachi to follow me around for 5 hours". that literally happened, it was my uncle. there is an abundance of big trucks w/ chromed rims, tinted windows, sound systems playing the latest mexican hit, usually in 3/4 time. bottles of tequila and corona flow day and night, mexican-american kids walk in droves, speaking english, horrible spanish or a combination of both. immigrants and their children come dressed like exaggeratedly wealthy cowboys or exaggeratedly wealthy americans. materialism. plain and simple. the residents hold some resentment towards them, i really don't blame them. some can't wait until the fiestas are over in order to have their sleepy little town back, their quiet "jardines" (gardens) in peace(at least the ones w/out a business, of course. businesses cater to the returning immigrant: peanut butter, skky vodka, micheladas, etc. that's just good business, right?) one can't really blame the norteno immigrants for their over-the-top, tackiness, given the stories they insist on recounting to each other about growing up playing w/ rocks,toiling the soil from sun up to sun down at the age of 10, of ridicule for not having material, in an attempt to validate themselves. keep in mind that most of the adults in these horatio alger-success stories are in their late 40's to late 50's, and they reflect on these days long gone w/ a certain nostalgia of simplicity, "we were poor in wealth, but rich in values." this town first received electricity in 1960, many of these immigrants still remember the day. now they can have it all, and so can their american children. that privilege isn't only reflected in their children's clothes, but also in their attitudes. they start fights amongst each other, they drink themselves into oblivion, discharge firearms. they parade around like they own the place. actually, given the buying power of the american dollar, they almost kind of do. the town is returning to normal as of late. most everyone is heading back to their real lives in appleton, wisconsin; whiteton, california. las vegas. chicago. not mexico. is this directly the average americans fault? no. could this be a result of disparities in wealth? i'm betting more likely than not. most would place the blame solely on the mexican gov't for it's peoples plight. consider one of the major concerns of american policy in latin america: "to install governments that favor private investment of domestic and foreign capital, production for export and the right to bring profits out of the country." the best thing out of all of this for me: no one has told me any of it, i've seen it w/ my own eyes.

books:
anarchism and other essays- emma goldman
what uncle sam really wants- noam chomsky

class-consciousness

obama never said the word "class." it's a "dirty," charged word in the united states. it entails socialism, class-awarness, but it's there. "u.s problems are neither black nor white nor latino nor asian." they're class problems, world problems. i hope obama is as good as he sounds, and i hope he doesn't go the way of MLK and JFK. if history serves as a guide to what the future may hold, people in power don't particularly favor class-awareness.

a slaughter, of sorts.

I reaped the benefits of the slaughter yesterday. tender, homemade carnitas. everything but the squeal. the guy who made them had the recipe handed down to him from his father and his father from his father, and so forth. he was extremely secretive and requested to be alone during the 3 hour process. i don´t blame him. they were some of the best carnitas i´ve ever had. the guy goes by the name of "cache." the spanish word for big cheeks, cacheton(ka-che-tone), shortened. he´s just one of the many immigrant stories that i have had the pleasure of listening to since my arrival to mexico. stories of crossing the desert, evading the migra and death, for a job. it´s nothing new to me. my parents are immigrants themselves, but it´s different to hear different stories from other people. the situation has to be pretty bad in your country if you´re willing to risk your life for a job. a job that doesn´t afford you benefits, a minimum wage, social security or respect from most euro-americans. cache talked about working from may until august in wisconsin as a landscaper, from september to december in cheese factories, then traveling to florida the remaining months to pick lettuce. that was his life for many years in the united states, all so he could feed his family back in his hometown. he´s now settled and resigned himself to making carnitas in mexico. "it´s not the best life, but it provides and that´s all that matters," he says. i´m currently reading the devils highway by luis alberto urrea. it´s about the 26 men that crossed into the arizona desert, where 14 eventually perished from the heat. it´s a tragedy that situations of "competition" have to be created in the name of progress, and that people have to flee their homes and willingly risk their lives to simply eat. i think of all of the excess and privileges that have been afforded to me in my life, and though i don´t feel guilty for ever having them, i do feel guilty for ever thinking that i ever needed more. you really have to respect someone who is willing to die to feed their family. anyone of us would act the same way, if faced w/ the same situation. this i know as truth. it´s part our animal nature. a part we insist on promoting.

dead in their tracks by john annerino
the devils highway by luis alberto urrea

The Rise of American Nationalism?

I'm at the airport right now after having spent most my time this weekend with my family. I love my family. Hardworking, blue-collar, working-class folk. Everything was great, up until my grandmother commenting to my mom on how one of my uncles and some of his friends were almost beaten to death in Texas by a group of racist minutemen. The minutemen waited for them outside of a party and proceeded to beat them with machetes and other assorted weapons. Completely racially motivated, the Hispanic men weren't apprehended crossing the US-Mexican border. I really hope this isn't the beginning of an imminent trend, but if history serves as any sort of guide as to what the future may bring, the future for Hispanics in this country looks bleak. The Skinhead movement in England turned violently nationalistic as a response to a country in an economic recession, a large influx of Pakistani immigrants and the Falkland's War. The working-class Skinheads blamed immigrants for their social problems, though it's almost always the immigrants that keep a faltering economy afloat w/ their cheap labor. Yes, being cheap labor takes jobs away from the Nationals of any country, but Capitalism depends on spending as little as possible for the most work or product, as possible. Capitalism creates need. These Mexican and Hispanic immigrants are doing what anybody else would do, given the circumstances. Most people don't flee to a foreign county to work undesirable jobs, unless their life depends on it. I'd really hate for there to be in increase in violence against Hispanics and Mexicans, but with our economy in a recession, a war that's taking it's toll on the American public and an incessant influx of Mexican Immigrants, aggressive retaliation seems almost inevitable. The rise of the Racist Skinhead movement is one example in history of race violence within a class, but it's one that maybe some of us are familiar with. This isn't a race issue. It's a class issue. Let us hope this incident was just a fluke.

Que bonito es volar y dejarse caer.

I'm leaving for Mexico on March 2nd. On a trip that i feel will have a great impact on me. I've been leaving for about 6 weeks and have been feeling the subtle changes ever since. What had started as a month long trip, has evolved into a trip of indefinite amount of time. What had started as a trip to temporarily free myself from Chicago winter, has become an opportunity to build a bridge between that which is rhetoric and that which exists, between all that I have read, and that which is. Only through my eyes and experiences, can I fully understand stories about mass immigration, American policies, social movements and the rising left in Mexico and Latin America. The uprising against a system that has failed it; Economic Imperialism. Europe has bought in to it; The European Union. Latin America has not. I've sold a good majority of what I own, given away that which I couldn't sell, and kept that which I consider practical. I've never considered myself a materialistic person, I've always regarded it as trivial, and will hopefully always continue to do so. Have I bought into it? Of course. Have i kept it to a minimum? I've tried, but like a stone in a river, one is slowly eroded away. This is an attempt to see how a country lives w/ less, in order to hopefully learn myself. Not participating is no longer enough. There's nothing wrong w/ possessions or comfort, everyone should have them and everyone should be. But there is something wrong w/ a certain comfort that begs stupidity, indifference and blind discipline. Have I been the most moral person in my life? Of course not. But if I can figure it out, anyone surely can. There's something terribly wrong. This will reinforce everything I've ever suspected, or it will question everything that I believe. This is an attempt to find out, lest I resign myself to a life of mindless consumption, drunken stupors, self-important art, empty words or seeing and remaining silent out of not knowing how to react. Maybe I'm full of shit and will return to "grow up," finish art school and make a bunch of "toys" for vapid kids to buy at Rotofugi at a price of $200. To those who know me, i hope this doesn't come as a surprise, knowing what you now know. To those who don't know me well, I hope you think I've lost my mind. I'd find it amusing. Idealism isn't something you only posses when you're young. I'm off to find out if there's truth in that, wish me luck. -Miguel

Geraldo Vandre-Pra não dizer que não falei das flores