This article the first of a series of Border and Culture articles that are being reprinted with permission from Sonoran News. Stay tuned for more on cross border issues.
Paving the way to Aztlán with propaganda, politics, racism
Planned invasion continues
By Linda Bentley news reporter for the
Sonoran News, Cave Creek, Arizona.
AZTLÁN --- What was and where was Aztlán? The Arizona Republic fielded a similar question under their Science Q & A. Dan Kincaid responded: "Aztlán was the legendary original home of the Aztec Indians ... Aztlán, which means literally 'Place of the Herons' in their Náhuatl language ..." Kincaid goes on to say "... the Aztecs believed their Ancestors migrated in stages from Aztlán, reaching central Mexico about A.D. 1200. An Aztec subgroup, the Tenochas founded their capital, Tenochtitlán, in 1325 on an island in Lake Texcoco after seeing an eagle perched on a cactus and devouring a rattlesnake."
The New York University Press states: "Aztlán was the mythical place of origin in some Aztec traditions, a lake with an island in the middle that was replicated when the wandering Mexica settled at Tenochtitlan. The word Aztec is derived from this mythical place."
Another University in Buffalo, New York claims, "Aztlán is the Aztec name for their ancestral place of origin located, according to an old legend, somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean," citing that it corresponds geographically to Atlantis, as described in Plato's works, "Critias" and "Timaeus."
Teachings of MEChA "... the brutal 'gringo' invasion of our territories."
However, in a Hispanic Studies textbook, "The Mexican American Heritage" by East Los Angeles high school teacher Carlos Jimenez, Aztlán is depicted on page 84 in a redrawn map of Mexico and the United States, showing Mexico with one third more territory. On page 107, Jimenez states, "Latinos are now realizing that the powers to control Aztlán may once again be in their hands."
The textbook teaches high-school students that Mexico is supposed to regain the states of Colorado, California, Arizona, Texas, Utah, New Mexico, Oregon and parts of Washington and that they rightly belong to the "mythical" homeland of Aztlán.
The book contains no references or footnotes and teaches separatism, victimization and nationalism, while promoting an open border policy.
The myth of Aztlán is heavily promoted through MEChA club meetings at college campuses across the nation, rapidly gaining acceptance at high school campuses as well. MEChA stands for Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán or Chicano Student Movement of Aztlán. Their logo depicts an eagle holding a stick of dynamite.
The preamble of MEChA's National Constitution states: "Chicano and Chicana students of Aztlán must take upon themselves the responsibilities to promote Chicanismo within the community, politicizing our Raza with an emphasis on indigenous consciousness to continue the struggle for self-determination of the Chicano people for the purpose of liberating Aztlán."
The University of Arizona MEChA Chapter's website states: "The following documents are essential to the philosophy of MEChA. Every Mechista should be familiar with them. Listed along with their National Constitution is 'El Plan de Santa Barbara' and El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán, which opens with, 'In the spirit of a new people that is conscious not only of its proud historical heritage but also of the brutal "gringo" invasion of our territories, we, the Chicano inhabitants and civilizers of the northern land of Aztlán from whence came our forefathers, reclaiming the land of their birth and consecrating the determination of our people of the sun, declare that the call of our blood power, our responsibility, and our inevitable destiny.
'We are free and sovereign to determine those tasks which are justly called for by our house, our land, the sweat of our brows, and by our hearts. Aztlán belongs to those who plant the seeds, water the fields, and gather the crops and not to the foreign Europeans. We do not recognize capricious frontiers on the bronze continents.'
Preaching prejudice, racism, hatred and anti-Semitism La Voz de Aztlán is a bilingual online news service published from Los Angeles (Whittier), "Alta California" that claims to be "focused on news events that are relevant to La Raza in Aztlán, Mexico and beyond." They say that they also publish their own "unique analysis of world events and contemporary issues through editorials, commentary and political cartoons."
Publisher Hector Carreon and Editor-in-Chief Ernesto Cienfuegos definitely have a unique spin on events and issues. It is commonly known as racism and anti-Semitism. One of Cienfuegos' editorials is titled: "The 'Kosher Nostra Scam' on the American Consumer."
Cienfuegos said of their research, "What we found certainly was 'news' to us and it both shocked and angered us."
After becoming educated in the various kosher symbols on food packaging, Cienfuegos made the statement, "I learned that major food companies throughout America actually pay a Jewish Tax amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars per year in order to receive protection. The scam is to coerce the companies to pay up or suffer consequences of a Jewish boycott."
He concludes with, "... I demand my money back for all I had to pay over the years for the hidden and illegal Jewish Tax. Are there any bright attorneys out there that could bring a class action suit against the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations on behalf of the citizens of Aztlán and other non-Jewish people?"
Carreon wrote an editorial called: "Shattered Identities: 'Malinchismo' as a Dissociative Identity Disorder Caused by Ritual Racial Abuse."
He says, "To understand how these personality types may come about, we can refer to recent history involving the Jews during their traumatic 'Nazi Holocaust Period!' The German Jews had their own 'Vendidos' and 'House Niggers' called 'Judenrat' and 'Kapos.'"
Carreon says that what they all have in common is that they have all identified with the dominant oppressors. According to Carreon, the beginnings of the micro-traumas and ritual racial abuse start in kindergarten when little Juanita is told by her "gringa" teacher not to speak Spanish. At lunch she becomes the victim of ridicule by her "gringo" peers when she has a burrito for lunch instead of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
He claims Juanita grows up with "dismal self-esteem" and "self-hate" that could sentence her to life of gangbanging and drugs. But then, he says Juanita can alternatively take on different personality direction, caused by the micro-traumas and ritual racial abuse, one that causes her to dissociate her identity as Juanita. She might develop such a shame that she changes her name to Jane, bleaches her hair blond and starts to take on characteristics of "Anglos."
Carreon says this is "merely a nuisance but can become dangerous to our community when 'Anglos' start using these personality types against us."
He then states, "Like the 'Judenrat' in Nazi Germany, these 'Malinchistas' will be utilized against us in political campaigns like the present one against Bilingual Education."
La Voz creates anti-Semitic correlations from ordinary news in article upon article. Their agenda promotes racism against all white people, especially Jews, and portrays all Hispanics as victims.
"... designed to create cultural havoc"
Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) Superintendent George F. Garcia's promotion of outcome-based education and special treatment toward Hispanic children did not sit well with a group of TUSD parents.
They formed Arizona Parents for Traditional Education and petitioned Garcia and the governing board to return "back to the basics" education to TUSD, citing, "We do not want to replicate California's eight year mass experimentation and failure with outcome-based education."
One parent, John Stevenson, wrote an open letter to Garcia, responding to a front-page article in the Tucson Citizen where Garcia called for special classes and special help for Hispanic students.
Stevenson said, "Under the constitution of the United States it is incumbent on all government agencies to treat all citizens equally. It is unconstitutional for any government agency in the US to single out any racial group for special favors, nor should they single out any other racial group to suffer as a result. This action is blatant racial bigotry."
Stevenson continued, "In addition to racial bigotry, Mr. Garcia, you foster cultural terrorism. When you allow special consideration based on race, it builds lifetime resentment in the others. You, in effect, teach the others to hate those who you make privileged.
"When you teach a selected race that it requires your special help, you also teach them that they are either genetically or culturally inadequate. You try to modify that by teaching them that the only reason they need this help is because the white community abuses them."
Stevenson said Garcia's actions could be "construed as fraudulent and perhaps even traitorous" as his acceptance of the public's money, earmarked "to prepare children for their adult place in society," is, instead, being used by Garcia to bring about ideological change, using children to promote his vision of a socialist society.
"... one must suspect that this is a deliberate process. One designed to create cultural havoc," Stevenson wrote.
He ended his letter "Please, sir, I beg you, resign from your job immediately and save the community from further damage." That was back in August 1996. Garcia didn't resign. It wasn't until four years later that Garcia left.
Still posted as one of the goals of the TUSD Hispanic Studies curriculum: "Establish and nurture educational and community partnerships by taking an active role in advocating for Hispanic concerns and issues."
Political influencingState Representative John A. Loredo, Dem. District 22, who was first elected in 1996, then re-elected in 1998 and 2000, attended Phoenix College, where he first became involved in politics. He was elected president of MEChA and he was the first President-Founding Member of LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) Young Adult Council. He worked with Cesar Chavez organizing marches, rallies and boycotts. His first political campaign was the "NO on 106 (English Only)" committee. He served on an Ad Hoc Committee on Border Issues and on the Farmworker Affordable Housing Study Committee. He served on the Executive Board for the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators and as a board member of Friendly House, one of the four nonprofit organizations that was chosen to run the Palomino Day Worker Center in Phoenix.
Another organization that runs the day laborer center is
Tonatierra. Tonatierra Community Development Institute proclaims its location as Nelhuayotl, Aztlán, although they use a Phoenix PO Box for their mail.
Day workers are "forced to stand on street corners and suffer the scorn of a society which utilizes them to clean their houses."
Tonatierra's coordinator,
Salvador Reza, was born in Chihuahua, Mexico. His family moved to Ysleta, Texas when his father, a farm worker, was granted a work permit under the bracero program. Reza sees himself as a victim of racism, stemming back to his days in kindergarten.
After graduating from the University of California, San Diego, Reza began working for immigrant advocacy groups. He says he came to Phoenix because he believes it is the center of Aztlán, the original land of the Aztecs before they migrated south to Mexico. Of all the stories about where Aztlán might have been, Reza is the only one who believes its center is in Phoenix. Reza, one of the major lobbyists for the Palomino Day Worker Center in Phoenix, was quoted in an interview as saying that jornaleros, or day workers, are "forced to stand on street corners and suffer the scorn of a society which utilizes them to clean their houses."
One of Tonatierra's initiatives was the Macehualli Project, to organize the hundreds of day laborers in Phoenix. Reza believes the Macehualli Union de Jornaleros (Day Laborers Union) will achieve justice and dignity through the establishment of day labor centers.
Tonatierra and Reza's goals go far beyond the day laborer centers he wishes to create throughout the city. He is pushing for increased Latino political representation and expanding the Xinachtil Program (Xinachtil means "seed" in the Aztec language) in the public school system to teach "traditions, culture, art and science of indigenous people."
Immigrant advocacy groups no longer promote legal immigration, citizenship, learning English or any other assimilation into this country. Hispanic-rights groups talk of reoccupation and repatriation of the southwestern United States, the land of "indigenous people."
Demographic warfare ... exporting Mexico's surplus poverty
In Tucson, Pima County Legal Defender Isabel Garcia, co-chair of Derechos Humanos (Human Rights), promotes open borders and illegal immigration, proclaiming: "No human is illegal." She denounces the same laws she is hired to uphold, and does so on taxpayer's money.
The Pima County Board of Supervisors claim Garcia can do whatever she likes during her own time.
Garcia, along with co-chair Jose Lerma, have recently been selected to serve on a 100-member council created by Mexico's government to represent Mexicans living in the United States. Their main duty is to advise the Mexican government on the needs of the approximately 9-10 million Mexican natives residing in this country ... about half legally and half illegally.
The concept of reoccupation is not new. The term was used in an official study done by the Mexican Government's National Council on Population (Conapo).
Conapo's study predicts that during Mexican President Vicente Fox's six year term, ending in 2006, that two million Mexicans will enter the United States at the approximate rate of 380,000 per year.
The study also indicates that the Mexican government has embraced the concept of "demographic warfare," a re-conquering of the southwestern United States through unchecked illegal immigration and by exporting its "surplus poverty" to regain control. Mexican novelist Elena Poniatowska was quoted in Mexico's EWE news service as having said, "Mexico is at the moment recovering territories it lost in the past to the United States thanks to emigration (sic). The common people - the poor, the dirty, the lice ridden, the cockroaches are advancing on the United States, a country that needs to speak Spanish because it has 33.5 million Hispanics who are imposing their culture."
Mexican columnist Carlos Loret de Mola explained Mexico's "demographic warfare" strategy in Mexico's newspaper, the Excelsior, over 20 years ago.
Loret's article, "The Great Invasion: Mexico Recovers on its Own," described the strategy:
"A peaceful mass of people ... carries out slowly and patiently an unstoppable invasion, the most important in human history. You cannot give me a similar example of such a large migration wave by an ant-like multitude, stubborn, unarmed, and carried on in the face of the most powerful and best-armed nation on earth ... [Neither] barbed-wire fences, nor aggressive border guards, nor campaigns, nor laws, nor police raids against the undocumented, have stopped this movement of the masses that is unprecedented in any part of the world."
Loret describes a migrant invasion that continues and that will return the southwestern states to the jurisdiction of Mexico, "... without the firing of a single shot, nor requiring the least diplomatic action, by means of a steady, spontaneous, and uninterrupted occupation."
The effects of what Loret said then where already apparent in Los Angeles, which he called "the second largest Mexican city in the world."
MEChA promotes an ultimate ideology to liberate Aztlán. Four of the main Hispanic pressure groups, LULAC, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), the National Council of La Raza (La Raza) and MEChA, are united in their main objectives. They promote an agenda of racial and ethnic consciousness.
They all want more immigration of their own people into the United States. They want to stop deportation of illegal aliens and want to provide American citizen's rights, including the right to vote, to non-citizens. They promote Spanish as the official language in areas dominated by Hispanics. They believe that Americans must assimilate to Hispanic culture and language. They believe this is already their land and have no need to become citizens, learn English or assimilate in any way. By proclaiming the southwestern United States, Aztlán, they believe all those of Hispanic decent are already citizens. It appears that anyone who disagrees with that agenda is considered a racist. Author Michelle Malkin, who is of Filipino decent, disagrees ... she too has been branded a racist.
Mexican, white, non-white depends where benefits are
In the 1950s, the LULAC recognized English as the official language of the United States, emphasized the importance of citizenship, supported immigration control and mass deportation of illegal aliens. They even began all of their meetings reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
Today, the LULAC supports the theory Hispanics are victimized by white people.
"Mexicans" were counted separately, for the first time, during the 1930 Census. Because Texas was segregated, Mexicans felt they were losing their status as non-white and might face the same conditions as blacks.
The LULAC succeeded a few years later in having Mexicans recognized as "whites" again, and treated that way for segregation purposes.
Then, 40 years later, after affirmative action programs become introduced for blacks, the LULAC and La Raza lobbied successfully to be recognized as "non-whites" so that Mexicans would be recognized for racial preference purposes. They ebbed and flowed with identity, insisting they were white when there were advantages to being white. When benefits associated with being non-white surfaced, it was time to change color again.
In a letter to the editor (published in the March 12 edition of Sonoran News),
LULAC President Samuel Esquivel wrote, "You are what I would characterize as a 'true racist.'"
Esquivel also stated, "I hear the complaining about illegal immigrants being the cause of all these bad things, but I don't hear nobody complaining about their lawns not being cut, their houses not being cleaned, dishes not being washed in restaurants, cars not being washed, houses not being built, etc. The bottom line is, if it were not for these so called illegal immigrants, who people like you take advantage of, you would not be living in the lap of luxury, as you are accustomed to living." Esquivel claims that any suggestion about upholding laws of this nation is just a means of hiding racist behavior. Another letter, printed in the same edition, came from John Garrido, Chairman of the National Hispanic Coalition, in the process of forming. He states, "Long ago salsa replaced ketchup as America's number one condiment. As ketchup went by the wayside, those that attempt to diminish the values Hispanic Americans hold sacred will some day also go by the wayside."
Cutbacks in illegal alien benefits "a disgrace to American values"
The Ford Foundation alone has poured millions of dollars in funding into organizations like La Raza and MALDEF. And while MALDEF's Mario Obledo stated, "California is going to be a Hispanic state. Anyone who doesn't like it should leave," President Clinton awarded Obledo the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998.
Immigrant rights organizations continue to lobby for special treatment toward Hispanics - bilingual education, affirmative action, mass immigration and more hate crime laws.
La Raza claims immigration control violates civil rights and that cutbacks in welfare and other benefits for illegal aliens is "a disgrace to American values."
The United States Government apparently believes, somehow, that "regularizing" illegal aliens from Mexico will get one party or the other elected, depending on who grants the "regularizing." They are most likely mistaken.
These groups claim to hate Americans and all that is American. However, they keep coming ... coming to reclaim Aztlán. And, government officials seem to be paving their way with benefits, amnesty and "rights," at citizens' expense.
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