Women’s Delegation from Unión del Barrio Facilitates Workshop At the MALCS Conference:

August 8, 2001

On August 4, 2001, a delegation of women members from Unión del Barrio participated in the “2001 Summer Institute and Conference” organized by Mujeres Activistas en Letras y Cambio Social (MALCS). Under the theme “Activism, Academics, Artists, Scientists, and More”, the conference was held from August 2-4, at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) . Students, professors, and community activists from throughout the state of Califas and other parts of Aztlán, attended the conference.

MALCS was founded in 1982 at a meeting of mujeres held at U.C. Davis. Central to its founding, was professor Ada Sosa Ridell and along with other Chicana Mexicana scholar-activists. According to its founding declaration, MALCS explains its mission as, “Our purpose is to fight the race, class, and gender oppression we have experienced in the Universities. We draw upon a tradition of political struggle. We see ourselves developing strategies for social change; a change emanating from our communities.” (see, MALCS Declaration, 1982).

The Unión del Barrio delegation facilitated a workshop titled “Mujeres Presentes En La Lucha Y Dignidad De Nuestro Pueblo”. The objective of the workshop was to create unity and advance the struggle for Raza liberation through the introduction of the history and on-going work of Unión del Barrio.

The delegation provided an over view of the various projects of Unión del Barrio and their relationship to the question of women’s liberation. They emphasized the importance of getting women involved in the liberation struggle and to understand how the system uses the courts, jails, irrelevant education, and the media, to keep Raza down economically, socially, and politically. In their presentations, the Unión delegation summed up both the strengths and weaknesses (errors) of Unión’s work.

Representing Unión del Barrio at the conference, were: Elba C. Alvarez who spoke on behalf of Union del Barrio; Judy Abundis represented the Comité de Mujeres Patricia Marín; Cathy Espitia, summed up the work of the Chicano Mexicano Prison Project (CMPP); Helena Rodriguez describe the work of the Raza Rights Coalition (RRC); and Edna Llanes, also represented the RRC.

DELEGATION MAKES IT CLEAR WHERE THEY STAND

According to a report given by the Unión mujer delegation, their role at the conference was to create unity and advance the struggle for Raza self-determination; as well to tear down the wall purposely held-up by radical petty-bourgeois elements (within the movimiento) to divide Mexicana women activists from supporting the work of Unión del Barrio.

The report explains: “The Unión del Barrio has a jacket among some elements within our movement. It was our job to, in a constructive and positive fashion, change that around. We made it clear where we stood on the questions of male chauvinism, gays and lesbians, and organizational structure and discipline. Our answer was that the most qualified members take on leadership roles -and gender or sexual orientation are not the primary criteria for assuming leadership within the organization. While we uphold the necessity for equality among men and women, and we stated this clearly in our political program, our main and general goal is the self-determination of all Raza (women, men, and children). We want to destroy capitalism, neo-colonialism, racism, and all forms of oppression. To achieve this goal, we need the unity of all progressive sectors of our population. Moreover, this unity can only exist under the leadership of a highly organized, disciplined, and structured political formation (see report on “MALCS Conference” submitted to La Verdad newspaper, August 6, 2001).

According to the delegation, more than 20 mujeres who attended the workshop gave a warm and positive response to the presentations of the delegation. Several of those attending the workshop expressed recognition and appreciation for the openness of the presenters in explaining the contradictions (positive and negative aspects) found within the work of Unión del Barrio; saying that “other organizations don’t do that.”. Some of those who attended the workshop requested that their names be place on the Unión’s mailing list and look forward to working with Unión in the future.

The delegation will meet in the near future to analyze the workshop with the objective of following up on some of the issues that were raised and in defining future work with organizations such as MALCS. The report concluded by explaining that a more detail report on this area of work will be made to Union del Barrio and CPA (Chicano Press Association) affiliates.