Dear Editor,
I am a proud graduate of Gilroy High School and a former
resident of California (from 1979-2001) First off I would like to
commend Cynthia Walker for writing such a great article.
Dear Editor,
I am a proud graduate of Gilroy High School and a former resident of California (from 1979-2001) First off I would like to commend Cynthia Walker for writing such a great article. My reference to this article being great is that I believe that we as Americans truly should value and exercise one of our greatest freedoms whenever possible: Freedom of speech.
All too often we may find ourselves holding ourselves back as to be politically correct and as not to offend anyone. We find ourselves “gritting our teeth” as Ms. Walker stated. Instead of engaging with intellectual conversation with our neighbors we take offense to the first words we might hear, instead of digging deeper to what may have caused those words to be uttered.
As a former Gilroy resident, I take offense to those who live in Gilroy post 2000 and do not contribute to maintaining a sense of community. I am directly referring to individuals whom may find themselves locked up in their $1 million residences and for no reason whatsoever would ever find them selves volunteering or contributing in more hardship burdened areas such as “across the railroad tracks”.
You want to talk about scandal and corruption in the government and use Mexico as the poster child for this way of life? Talk about hypocrisy, one need not look down south to find corruption and scandal in politics and government. We currently have top government officials in the Republican Party who have been involved with dastardly deeds including “sanctioned” acts of terrorism.
This is nothing new to America’s government. Both Mexico and the United States’ governments are derivative of Eurocentric, oppressive twisted interpretations of liberty, democracy and freedom.
They have done a good job as to pull the wool over your eyes and making you believe that you have the freedom to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If this were true then our nation’s financial wealth would not be distributed in the following format: The wealthiest 1 percent of households owns roughly 33.4 percent of the nation’s net worth, the top 10 percent of households owns over 71 percent, and the bottom 40 percent of households owns less than 1 percent (source: the Survey of Consumer Finances, sponsored by the Federal Reserve Board).
As for understanding the reconquista and Aztlan movements: It is not for you to understand. Fortunately, you have never walked a mile in my or any other oppressed brown person’s shoes. You have never lived a day in our lives, and upon my worst enemy I would not wish such a life filled with hardships and responsibilities. I will never claim to nor attempt to understand what it is like to live a day in the shoes of a “middle class Anglo person who isolates themselves from the world of reality.”
Our movements do not seek the physical reconquista of California or any other land.
Our movements seek the re-awakening of a subconscious genetic knowledge and inheritance. Our ancient cultures and societies predate that of any Eurocentric community.
The plan to “hand over political control” of any current land being governed by the United States has never been a part of any Chicano movement that I’m aware of. I would strongly suggest picking up a copy of “Amoxtli San Ce Tojuan – We are One” on DVD.
This documentary tells of the story of immigration in the ancient America. What we seek is not physical, political or any other form of control over anyone. What we are struggling for is to empower those whom are led to believe that because you are brown you are less valuable, less than human and an expendable byproduct in the process leading toward the advancement of Eurocentric, capitalistic, materialistic, oppressive and individualistic ideals.
To refer to Malthus and contribute to the anit-immigrant hysteria currently plaguing our nation reminiscent to that of the “red scare” of McCarthy-era America shows that we need to continue to fight for human rights within the United States which is often referred to as the world’s “only super power.”
We have a lot of work ahead, since us brown folks are going to be the majority in 2018 or so. We have to ensure that we have leaders whom believe in basic human dignity and rights. I am thankful for those like Tom Tancredo of Colorado and former governor of California, Pete Wilson. It is because of these individuals and those who share ideals like them that I find great motivation to continue the spread of philosophies and ideals of “Aztlan movements” to future generations.
Those who believe we must assimilate to a master culture or set of ideals, it is for them that I pray for during my prayers, I send the smoke of mother earth in their directions so that maybe a spirit of peace and love for humanity may someday awaken them from their slumber of ignorance, racism, and bigotry.
¡Viva el movimiento!
Long live the movement!
Ceasar Tony Montoya, former Gilroyan
