GUEST VIEWPOINT Organization works to remove barriers faced by Latino citizens registerguard/rg/opinion/31243164-78/lulac-rights-latinos-mexican-community.html.csp By Juan Carlos Valle For The Register-Guard Latinos in Lane County have a lot of work to do in joining the mainstream, and the mainstream has a lot of work to do in removing political, cultural and economic barriers to Latinos’ full participation. Existing organizations and institutions are supportive, but inadequate for the job. A lot of people are doing good work on issues of inclusion and minority rights, but in many ways it’s not enough. That’s why we need the League of United Latin American Citizens. The history is clear: When a third of Mexico’s territory was annexed by the United States following the Mexican War, nearly 77,000 people of Mexico became U.S. citizens. For generations, these citizens were plagued by prejudice that would result in overt acts of discrimination and segregation. Mexican-Americans were not allowed to learn English, and thus were disenfranchised. Many Mexican-Americans worked on farms and ranches. Others were denied jobs because they were perceived as lazy, poorly dressed, dirty and ill-educated. They were thought to be thieves. More Mexican-Americans than blacks were lynched between 1865 and 1920, and cases of Mexicans being assaulted and murdered were widespread. Signs saying “No Mexicans allowed” and “No Mexicans served here” were commonplace. In those days “Mexican schools,” poorly staffed and in deplorable condition, were legal in the Southwest. All this led many Mexican-Americans to build strong traditions of self-determination. In Texas, prejudice and discrimination had reached such extreme proportions that Mexican-Americans began organizing to defend themselves. On Feb. 17, 1929, in Corpus Cristi, the three main organizations merged to form a united voice called the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC. LULAC’s founding signaled the end of one era and the beginning of another. It also expressed a group of people’s unwavering will to overcome injustice, claim their rights as U.S. citizens, and access the American dream. LULAC founders felt that the times demanded that Latinos in the United States make a total commitment to their new homeland, despite the fact that many were unwillingly incorporated by conquest, economic need or political exile. To the Anglo community, LULAC’s simple proclamation had the symbolic force of planting a flag on ground that had not been conceded. Since its formation, LULAC has fought for the rights of Latino people and has reached many milestones along the way — desegregating hundreds of public places, supporting a class-action lawsuit against segregated “Mexican schools” in Texas, and ending 100 years of segregation in California’s public schools in a case that provided a key precedent for the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown vs. Board of Education decision. LULAC has assisted Mexican-American veterans, by going all the way to the Supreme Court, won the right of Mexican-Americans to serve on juries. LULAC has been a key factor in the creation of programs that support children in their development. For example, in 1957 LULAC piloted the Little School of the 400 project, a pre-school program dedicated to teaching 400 basic English words to Spanish speaking pre-school children and later it tansform the Little School of the 400 to Project Headstart under the Lyndon B. Johnson administration. Along the way, LULAC created the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the legal arm of the Latino community. It filed the lawsuit that defined Hispanic-Americans as a minority for the first time. It formed LULAC National Educational Service Centers Inc, which today serves more than 20,000 students a year through its network of 16 educational centers, and the LULAC National Scholarship Fund to centralize its scholarships and gifts. LULAC and its affiliates have fought to force the Immigration and Naturalization Service to process eligible amnesty applicants, and prevailed in a lawsuit that provides an avenue for 100,000 immigrants to become permanent legal residents. In 2005, LULAC challenged the Texas Legislature’s redistricting plan on grounds that it violated the Voting Rights Act and restricted Hispanic representation. LULAC’s strong support for members of our community led to the mobilization of millions around the nation to march for the rights of immigrants and their families. In 2008, three presidential candidates spoke at LULAC’s national convention — Sens. Barack Obama, John McCain and Hillary Clinton. That year, LULAC registered more than 50,000 voters. In 2009, LULAC worked to support the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor as the first Latina U.S. Supreme Court justice. Attaining these milestones offered many difficult, and at times life-threatening, struggles — struggles that LULAC and its members endured to achieve equality in justice, employment, housing, health care and education for all Latinos. Today, LULAC is the largest and oldest organization advancing the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, housing, health and civil rights of Latinos in the United States. LULAC’s legacy is expanding to Oregon. In Lane County, there’s a significant gap in the quality of life for people of color — including their civil and human rights. We face racial profiling issues, education disparities and inadequate access to health care. A a new vision is needed, with communities working together to improve our economic condition and to engage educators in how to educate our children. In this new millennium, the education system must reflect the changing demographics. Academic enrichment programs must take root and flourish at all levels. Good people are working hard on issues of inclusion and minority rights, but changing course requires a lot more of them. Lane County needs to aim to create an environment where Latinos and all individuals feel safe and engaged, where opportunities to participate are open at all levels, and where people are visibly committed to addressing racial inequality, economic disparities and discrepancies in civic participation head-on, with less emphasis on self-promotion or personal agendas. In January of last year, LULAC’s national leadership responded to multiple calls for support in addressing issues that have plagued our community, and held an organizational meeting in Eugene. It was full of hope and interest, bringing to the surface issues such as discrimination based on race, ethnicity, and national origin; racial profiling; disparities in health and education; opportunities for Latino youth and a need to reduce dropout rates in prominent school districts; the need for a Latino needs assessment; immigrant rights; job opportunities; immigration reform and, of course, civil rights violations. The issues are not new, and many before us have laid a foundation we must not only honor but build upon. The backing of a national presence such as LULAC gives us a better chance to fill the gap. Our community is ready to embrace the goal of eliminating prejudice against Latinos. LULAC was founded to address the needs of Latinos — needs that are parallel to but distinct from the concerns of other minorities. Our members and allies are now working side by side. LULAC of Lane County’s efforts will lead to job training events, health fairs, and efforts to reduce dropout rates among Latino youth. We will provide both feedback and perspective on racial profiling practices biased policing policies, and will establish a mentoring program and business training initiatives. The Latino community is multifaceted, multilingual, multilayered, and multicultural — a community with pride, with a strong but flexible bond. It is an integral part of Lane County. The Latino community is in grave need of securing their civil rights as well as human rights. An upcoming youth council — another historic moment for LULAC in Oregon — will draw from school districts and colleges across the state, engaging them in projects to help develop and enhance their leadership skills and abilities. Equally important is the strong support, investment and development of Latinas in our country. On June 7th, LULAC of Lane County is co-hosting the first-ever LULAC Regional Women’s Summit Pacific Northwest in Vancouver, Wash.. This summit will be attended by hundreds of Latina leaders. It is time for a civil, civic and honest action to protect civil rights in our community, and Latino youth will lead the way. The opportunities await — not only for Latinos, but for all other entities that are similar, different or complementary. LULAC members are ready for political participation, and sponsorship of voter registration drives and citizenship education programs will take place often. LULAC letter-writing and lobbying efforts to bring key Latino issues to the attention of leaders at all levels of government will be common. Collaboration with other entities will bring communities together. LULAC conmemorated its historic council installation in Oregon by marking another historic step: For the first time in Oregon, it marched alongside brothers and sisters of the NAACP in January at the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. March. Join history in the making by getting involved. This civil rights conversation is needed, and it’s about time it includes Latinos in our state. Juan Carlos Valle of Eugene is council president of the League of United Latin American Citizens Council 40001 (lulaclanecounty.org). ***********
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 14:12:38 +0000
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