LA Eastside

In order for this post and semi-rant post to make sense, please watch this clip from Democracy Now, in which the documentary, “Yo Soy El Army: America’s New Military Caste,” a film about the military targeting Latinos, is discussed. You can watch the first part of the clip by clicking here. After you watch the first part, play the video at the top and skip to 3:55 in which the discussion shifts to the DREAM Act being a back door military draft.
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Story on why she was here in East Los

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On Tuesday of this week, Judge Susan Bolton of the Federal District Court blocked the police in Arizona from becoming self-appointed immigration judge and jury.  The entire  SB1070 was not overthrown, but today Arizona residents will not be stopped for being Mexican.  Read all the details in yesterday’s New York Times.

Part II this morning (Friday) is that Sheriff Joe is defying the decision.  [Hope part III in this saga is that they arrest his ass.]  Read the story in Yahoo News.

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Things are getting tough.The weather is being idiosyncratic to put it lightly; libraries seem to be going the way of the Buffalo; unemployment is being cut down by the knees; people are getting fired because of doctored videos by right-wing racists; BP has still not sealed their leak; it is still not murder for a police officer to shoot an unarmed, handcuffed man; but you…

How are you doing?

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“The height of manhood/womenhood, Cesar Chavez believes, is to give of one’s self.”

Watching nine of my peers start an indefinite hunger strike to get Senator Diane Feinstein to champion the DREAM Act as a stand alone bill brought me back down to earth. Knowing that they’re going to be depraving themselves of all food except water for the next few weeks is nothing short of amazing. The hunger strike is in solidarity with the 21 students that participated in civil disobedience in Washington D.C. yesterday, two of them here from L.A. All across the United States, undocumented youth and allies are working on making the DREAM Act happen this year because immigration reform is an idealistic, farfetched dream right now. The current IR bill would mandate more enforcement and laws than new path ways for people to adjust their legal status. Immigration Reform is dead and people need to realize that by passing the DREAM Act first, we are creating a path for just and fair Immigration Reform that will help people, not just imprison and deport them.

Come and show your support as they hold down the corner of Sepulveda Blvd. and Santa Monica Blvd. in Westwood. It’s funny, the things you see sitting and watching the world drive by. Angry honks of road rage. Angry yells of idiots who talk out of their ignorant asses. But also to personally speak with people out on the streets, explaining to them what they are doing, what the DREAM Act is and why they are doing. Wishing us luck on the campaign and saying they support the cause. If you would like to help the cause, give her a call or two and tell her you support the DREAM Act as a stand alone bill and that she should get cracking on it (310) 914 – 7300. Feinstein already supports the DREAM Act, but that’s not enough. She has the power to put it up in the Senate so it can be voted and passed. Sim ply saying you support something to get people off your back isn’t enough.

“Come on Brown, come on!… I’m trying to tell you … I’m telling you, that picketing thing is over … All you’re doing is getting your own people in trouble. Now look …he leans over toward me and lowers his voice, “the blacks picketed for years … for years. They marched and they did they very things you people are doing right now … but you know something, and this is the honest-to-god truth … they didn’t get a thing until they had Watts! That is a fact. And I’m telling you, until your people riot, they’re probably not going to get a thing either! That’s my opinion.” Revolt of the Cockroach People ~ Zeta pg. 74

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In a show of solidarity against the anti-Latino/a and immigrant sentiment in Arizona and the 30 days 30 actions campaign currently going on,  artist from here in East L.A. and the Bay area organized a 12 hour print-a-thon, silk screening more than 1,000 posters, some stickers and shirts with various designs for the July 29 action taking place in AZ against SB 1070. Joel “Rage” Garcia and Melanie Cervantes first got the ball rolling for the print marathon after discussing solidarity work with the AZ coming up. Garcia along his partner/artist FelicaMontes , musician Olmeca and Vyal have been working with artist in AZ for the last few months. Doing organizing, connecting with artist there and helping them get the resources not found in AZ. Cervantes and her partner Jesus Barraza at the same time have been working on the AZ campaign as well providing artistic resources and support with groups, orgs and individuals in AZ along with frequent partner and collaborator Favianna Rodriguez. Initially the plan was for everyone to go to AZ and do the work there, but contributing artist Ernesto Yerena warned them that the weather conditions and the AZ boycott would impede their productivity. Soon enough the conversation turned to printing here in L.A. and with the help of artist Dewey Tafoya, Self Help opened their doors to use the space and the marathon was on.

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Last summer while I was visiting my family out in Utah I tried my hand at working at a farm picking raspberries. My family did it every season because it was good money and the farm owners needed the help harvesting. I put in a days work and I said to myself never again. Picking raspberries out there wasn’t as labor intensive and demanding as picking grapes, lettuce and other foods out in the valleys here in California. Or having to live out there and breathing in all that pesticide and chemicals used out there. But half way into the day my arms were scratched up, I was sneezing, I had watery eyes from all the pollen and my back was already aching from all the bending. There’s no machine or technique for this kind of work. It has to be done by hand and with care, other wise it all goes to waste.

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A while back I mentioned that the Benjamin Franklin Library was getting a make over. I can’t remember which blog post it was, sorry. The project to tear down the prison like gates surrounding the library and making it friendlier to the public cost a couple hundred thousand dollars. Again, details escape me at the moment, but I’m sure I mentioned them somewhere. Well, while the renovations aren’t complete, most of the work is done and I’d figure I’d post some pics up.

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