On March 21st Unión del Barrio member Ron Gochez announces his candidacy for Los Angeles 9th District City Council seat.

With more than 200 supporters who gathered at Unión del Barrio’s Centro Cultural Francisco Villa, in South Central Los Angeles, Ron announced his campaign to run for the 9th District City Council seat. Unión del Barrio presents who Ron is and what he stands for.

Ron Gochez is the proud son of two working-class undocumented migrants.  His mother left El Salvador because of the civil war.  He’s never met his biological father.  For Ron, his stepfather, whom he met before celebrating his first birthday, has been the only father figure he’s known. Ron has a younger brother.

Ron graduated from San Diego State University and then earned his masters at UCLA. He’s currently a high school history teacher in South Central LA, a proud member of United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) and a leading member of multiple community based organizations.

WHAT I STAND FOR…As a working class community, we need to realize that the only way that we can defend our interests and win political power is if to organize ourselves independently from the two-party system that is responsible for many of the problems plaguing our communities. As of today, every member of the Los Angeles City Council holds some form of loyalty to that two-party system.  This campaign will challenge that. There are many important issues that I will fight for when you elect me to advocate on your behalf on the City Council.

Among them are……

FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY- Union jobs, Living wage Jobs, Improved Worker Standards & Safety, Training Programs, etc. Will fight to bring investment to our community which is often forgotten or ignored.

EDUCATION- I will support a fully funded Public Education system and will fight to oppose budget cuts, school closures and the privatization of education!

COMMUNITY UNITY- Build a stronger relationship for everyone in CD9 but primarily between the African-American and Latin-American community. Fund youth programs to prevent gang violence.

FIGHTING POLICE CORRUPTION- Creation of an ELECTED Citizen Oversight Committee to fight racial profiling and the targeting of communities of color; stop the 30-day vehicle impounds of undocumented (im)migrants…

COMMUNITY PRIDE- Neighborhood beautification programs, programs for our youth and for our elders, murals, arts, parks, trash cans throughout our community…etc. Simple things that will improve South Central and Downtown LA

(Im)MIGRANT RIGHTS- I will fight to defend ALL the people of District 9, including undocumented migrants and immigrants. I have always supported FULL LEGALIZATION for all and will continue to do so. I will immediately push for a moratorium on ICE raids and deportations in the city of LA!

INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIR- Fix our roads, convert abandoned buildings to community centers, increase scrutiny against irresponsible landlords, etc.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING- Create stronger rules to protect tenants rights, force building owners to repair faulty buildings faster, etc. Will advocate for the thousands of homeless people who live in our district.

View pictures of the announcement on Flikr

Untitled from Marc B on Vimeo.

Visit the official campaign page at, www.rongochez.org

Descargue en Cubadebate el libro “Nuestro deber es luchar” (+ PDF en español y english)

Cubadebate ofrece a sus lectores libre descarga de la versión digital del libro Nuestro deber es luchar, que recoge el encuentro del Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro Ruz con más de un centenar de intelectuales de 22 países, celebrado el pasado 10 de febrero de 2012.

Translation by Unión del Barrio

CubaDebate offers to its readers, free download of the digital version of the book entitled, “Our Duty is to Struggle”, that compiles a gathering and exchange between Fidel Castro Ruz with more than one hundred intellectuals from 22 countries, which took place on February 10, 2012.

The book consists of a resounding call to struggle to save humanity from war, climate change and other dangers that threaten it, with simultaneous presentation of the book in Havana, Cuba, Caracas Venezuela by panelists and very prestigious intellectuals.

In Havana, the published text and its digital version will be presented in the Che Guevara Room at the America’s House by Dr. Roberto Fernández Retamar, Preseident of Casa, “Osvaldo Martínez”, Director of the Center of World Economic Investigations, along with Gisela Alonso, President of the Environmental Agency of Cuba. Entrance to the event is by invitation only.

CubaDebate will cover the presentations in detail, and will offer tweets beginning at 10:00am (15 GTM) on this call to save the planet, with the hashtag #SavetheWorld.

IN ENGLISH: Our Duty is to Struggle
Fidel Castro Talks with Intellectuals: “OUR DUTY IS TO STRUGGLE”

Unión del Barrio Holds Conference under the Theme: Breaking Colonization with Women’s Liberation on International Working Women’s Day

March 10, 2012 Los Angeles, California- In commemoration of International Working Women’s Day, Union del Barrio held a women’s conference at Central Region High, Social Justice Schools. Unión del Barrio members were joined by contingencies from San Diego that included the Association of Raza Educators (ARE), Lincoln High School MEChA and San Diego State University MEChA.

The conference was opened by Aracelia Alvarez of Union del Barrio in Los Angeles, who welcomed conference attendees. Judy de los Santos, Encargada de la Comisión de la Mujer of Union del Barrio’s Central Committee opened the program by elaborating on the historical context of International Women’s Day and the importance of recognizing and honoring the political and social contributions of women in the worldwide struggle for human progress, peace, and anti-imperialism.

The theme of the conference, “Breaking Colonization with Women’s Liberation” was a challenge to conference participants to identify what is stifling women from advancing and participating in political struggle, and finding ways to break that cycle.

Read full article, click here.

Unión del Barrio llevo a cabo una conferencia bajo el lema: Rompiendo la Colonización a través de la Liberación de la Mujer

10 de marzo de 2012 Los Ángeles, California – En conmemoración del Día Internacional de la Mujer Trabajadora, Unión del Barrio llevo a cabo una conferencia de mujeres en la escuela de Justicia Social, Central Región. Organizaciones de San Diego apoyaron a Unión del Barrio, las organizaciones incluyen a; Asociación de Educadores de la Raza (ARE), MEChA de Lincoln High y MEChA de la Universidad Estatal de San Diego.

La Conferencia fue iniciada por Aracelia Álvarez miembro de Unión del Barrio de Los Ángeles, dio la bienvenida a los asistentes de la Conferencia. Judy de los Santos, Encargada de la Comisión de la Mujer del Comité Central Unión del Barrio abrió el programa elaborando sobre el contexto histórico del día Internacional de la Mujer y la importancia de reconocer y honrar los aportes políticos y sociales de las mujeres en la lucha mundial por la paz, el progreso humano, y la lucha anti-imperialista.

El tema de la Conferencia, “Rompiendo la Colonización a través de la Liberación de la Mujer”, para los participantes fue un desafío identificar qué ha sido lo que no ha permitido que las mujeres avancen y participen en la lucha política y encontrar maneras de romper ese ciclo.

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MUJERES AT THE FOREFRONT OF LA RAZA’S STRUGGLE FOR LIBERATION

Unión del Barrio –an organization that for over 30 years has struggled for the self-determination and liberation of La Raza, and other oppressed poor and working class people– held a community forum on Thursday January 19, 2012, at the Memorial Senior Center. The Center is located in Memorial Park, found within a mostly Mexican and African American community in San Diego. The objective of the forum was to address the critical issues facing our community and the importance of the participation of women in these particular struggles.

TOWARDS A NATIONAL MOVEMENT
The forum was also part of Unión del Barrio’s ongoing work to build a liberation movement that can challenge the oppressive and violent system known as capitalism that controls most of the world today.

The forum, organized under the theme of “La Mujer: Al Frente de la Lucha por la Liberacion de la Raza”, brought together more than fifty participants, which included men and women, teachers, mothers, students, and community organizers. Also, the Save Our Barrio Committee (SOBC), Association of Raza Educators (ARE), Lindsay Community School, and the Chicano Mexicano Prison Project (CMPP) displayed information and art, and sold their group’s material (pamphlets, calendar, pins, etc.)

The program began with a welcome and review of the day’s agenda by Compañera Isabell Peña, a leading member of Unión del Barrio. Compañera Isabell explained to the audience the importance of participating in events like the forum, which provides a space for ideas to be exchanged and to have a dialogue with different sectors of our community. She stressed that forums help us develop the knowledge and creates the unity that will move our struggle forward. Compañera Isabell specifically referred to the forum as part of the work to build a mujer national liberation conference that will be organized by Unión del Barrio on March 10, 2012, in Los Angeles, California.

Read entire article, click here.

Download a PDF version of this article, click here.

Towards the Building of International Working Women’s Day Conference 2012

Breaking Through Colonization with Women’s Liberation: Women’s Conference

Saturday March 10, 2012 | 10am-1pm
Central Region High School #16
The Social Justice Schools
300 E. 53rd Street | Los Angeles, CA 90011

In commemoration of International Working Women’s Day, Unión del Barrio reaches out to progressive and revolutionary forces to join us to discuss the crucial importance of Women’s participation in Political Struggle and the pivotal role we play in advancing Raza Liberation Struggle for Socialism!

Keynote Speaker:
Adriana Jasso, member of Union del Barrio’s
Central Committee

Rompiendo la Colonización a través de la Liberación de la Mujer

Sábado 10 de marzo, 2012 | 10am-1pm
Central Region High School #16
The Social Justice Schools
300 E. 53rd Street | Los Angeles, CA 90011

¡En conmemoración del Día Internacional de la Mujer Trabajadora, Unión del Barrio hace un llamado a las fuerzas progresistas y revolucionarias para unirse a nosotros y hablar sobre la importancia de la participación femenina en la lucha política y tomar parte de un rol fundamental hacia el avance de la lucha por el socialismo y la liberación de la Raza!

Oradora Principal:
Adriana Jasso, miembro del Comité Central
de Unión del Barrio

More information | Mas información

1981-2011

Under the theme, 30 Years of Organized Liberation Struggle, Unión del Barrio Celebrates three decades of accomplishments

On August 26th, Unión del Barrio, its membership, allies, supporters, and families, came together to celebrate three decades of Organized Liberation Struggle for Raza self-determination, the re-unification of México and the socialist integration of Nuestra América.

The celebration took place at the Centro Cultural de la Raza in San Diego. The event began with a dinner,  a video presentation a message from the Central Committee,  messages of solidarity from fraternal organizations, the presentation of the “Orden del Caballero Aguila”,  emulations to extraordinary members and the presentation of the organizational flag to current leadership of Unión del Barrio.

To read full article, click here.

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Bajo el lema, 30 Años de Lucha Organizada por Nuestra Liberación, Unión del Barrio celebró tres décadas de logros

El 26 de agosto, Unión del Barrio su militancia, aliados, simpatizantes, familias, llegaron a celebrar tres décadas de lucha organizada por la auto-determinación de la Raza, la reunificación de México y por la integración socialista de Nuestra América.

La celebración se llevó a cabo en el Centro Cultural de la Raza en San Diego. El evento inició con una cena, con una presentación de video, una intervención del Comité Central, mensajes de solidaridad de organizaciones fraternales,  la presentación del “Orden del Caballero Aguila”, emulaciones a militantes destacados de Unión del Barrio, y la presentación de la bandera a los dirigentes de Unión del Barrio.

Leer artículo, haga click aquí.