Chicano Park Celebrates Its 27th Anniversary:

Editor's Note - The following article is reprinted from the March-June1993 issue of ¡LA VERDAD! with minor additions. The original article was entitled "Chicano Park Celebrates Its 23rd Anniversary: Proof That The Chicano Mexicano Movement Is Growing In Strength And Once Again Able To Influence And Direct Events In The Community." In this period of renewed and intensified anti-colonial struggle, our organization is bearing witness to the tremendous growth of our people's movement for self-determination. The purpose of summing up Chicano Park Day trough this article is to highlight that, although this article was written in 1993, today in 1997 the history of Chicano Park and what it represents to our movement and to our people still hold true 5 years later.

The community of Barrio Logan in San Diego is typical of the thousands of barrios found throughout Aztlán and other parts of occupied Mexico (for example Barrio Segundo in El Paso and Fruitvale in Oakland, Califas). It is here where the colonial bourgeoisie (gringo capitalist), with the support of its neo-colonialist allies (hispanic vendidos), have set-up the most ecologically destructive businesses. Factories, recycling centers, junk yards, auto repair shops, and toxic chemical warehouses all of which are located next to our people's homes and school yards.

This is a product of our movements inability to rest away the political power which is concentrated in the hands of white politicians and the neo-colonial vendidos (hispanic politicians, poverty pimps, and so forth). This is the reason why we find drugs- utilized as a means by which to keep Raza docile, confused, divided, and unable to fight for their rights- being imported into the community by the CIA, FBI, DEA, and other government agencies. The stores and other small businesses are generally owned by Arab merchants (in other parts of Aztlán we find Korean merchants) who have no respect for the community, care only about making money, and are allied with the gringo ruling class to keep La Raza oppressed. The chota (police) are, for all intents and purposes, an occupation army designed to keep the masses of Mexicanos oppressed, under a state of military siege, and as a pacified labor pool forced to be exploited by the gringo-colonialists and their allies, the vendido petty bourgeoisie (hispanics).

But, as has been the case historically, in all Mexican barrios and communities in the occupied territories (Aztlán), Raza have time and time again rebelled against the colonial conditions in which they exist and attempted to take their destiny into their own hands. On April 22,1970 Raza in San Diego- in a manifestation that was being duplicated throughout Aztlán- rebelled against the colonial authorities and took controlled of their lives by forcibly taking over a parcel of land located under the Coronado Bay Bridge. The bridge itself, and the adjacent highway (I-5) had virtually destroyed up to 30% of the community. For years, the Mexican community in Barrio Logan had petitioned city and state officials for a much needed community park. Even though Barrio Logan is located within walking distance of the San Diego Bay, the community had no access to it, or even a park for recreation.

The Take Over And Building Of Chicano Park Occurred During A Period Of Time When Revolutionary Struggle Was The Main Trend Throughout The World

A few days prior to the April 22nd takeover, members of the Logan chapter of the Brown Berets and MEChistas from nearby San Diego City College had found out that the city and state- despite the years of petitions and making presentations to city officials- had begun the construction of a highway patrol station on the location that the community residents had requested as a park site. Immediately, community meetings were held and with the support of other organizations and barrio residents, leaflets were circulated throughout the community and area schools; calling for people to occupy the construction site with the objective of establishing a community or "peoples" park.

Under the leadership and organization of individuals such as Mario Solís, Manuel Savin, José Gomez, Josie Telamantez, David Rico, Ronnie Trujillo, Charlene "Güera" Valencia, Alurista, Salvador "Queso" Torres, Ermundo Ruiz, Victor "Cosmos" Ochoa- just to name a few- young and old, the workers, MEChistas, Brown Berets, occupied the land and began building Chicano Park; the area was cleaned, grass was planted, and murals were painted.

In the April-May 1970 issue of ¡LA VERDAD!, the community's position was summed-up as:

"The oppressor never asks the oppressed his permission or opinion about anything. The Chicano community was never asked whether we wanted a freeway, a bridge, or let alone a police station.....The reality is that there is an unwanted freeway and unwanted bridge in Logan Heights. And plans for an unwanted police station and parking lot have been made.

"The community needs a park, not a police station. Obviously since nothing else has worked, the only alternative has been for us to create our own park. No one listened to our people; for this reason the people are no longer talking, but acting. La Raza is not asking for a park, it's building a park!

".....With the same spirit, with the same sweat, with the same blood and determination that built Aztlán, the Chicanos of Logan reclaim our land. La Raza is working for independence, for control of its environment.

¡Viva La Tierra, Viva La Raza!

¡Hasta La Victoria, Siempre!

Twenty-seven years later, in commemoration of the establishment of Chicano Park, we read in ¡LA VERDAD! Feb.-April 1991:

"Chicano Park would not exist at all if it were not for militant struggle, sacrifice, goals, and tactics put into practice by our people. If the gente from Barrio Logan had 'gone through the system', 'been patient', 'played the game', and done all of the other things that the tio-taco vendido 'leaders' tell us we must do, there would be nothing under the bridge but a Highway Patrol substation and there would be no Chicano Park Day Celebration today! Like everything else, we have won from the gabacho system, Raza took action and demonstrated that we were prepared to 'risk it all' to have what righteously belongs to us!

"This revolutionary act has gone down in the history of the Chicano Movement all across Aztlán as one of many confrontations with the system during the last period of struggle (1965-75) that defined our Movimiento as one for power, independence, and for the liberation of our tierra from gringo colonialism. Chicano Park stands as a living symbol of that struggle today!"

The take over and building of Chicano Park occurred during a period of time when revolutionary struggle was the main trend, not only in occupied America- for example the Black Power Movement, American Indian Movement, and the Chicano Movement- but throughout the world (Vietnam, Tupamaros in Paraguay, 16th of September League in México, etc.). The taking over of the park has become a historical day in our people's struggle for liberation and its revolutionary murals are known throughout the world.

In the years following the defeat of the Chicano Movement in 1975, revolutionary nationalist and self-determination politics were on the decline and in some areas of occupied Mexico (Aztlán) these struggles were non-existent. As a result, many of the commemorations of the founding of Chicano Park, like the great majority of the events being organized by our gente during 1980s, were no longer manifestations of Chicano Power and National Liberation politics. Budwieser, Camel, and other colonial-imperialist corporations were allowed to be sponsors of the annual Chicano Park Day celebrations. The mayor, city council members, and a host of Raza enemies and other low-life elements were allowed to address Raza attending the celebrations.

Unión del Barrio, along with other groups and individuals, had for years criticized the nature of the annual Chicano Park Day Celebrations and often questioned if they were worth holding at all. But a fundamental difference between our criticism- and those waged by other forces- was that Unión del Barrio's analysis was grounded on the historical and political realities of our movement; the contradictions as manifested in the Chicano Park Day celebrations were rooted in the fact that our movement had been destroyed militarily by 1975 and that whatever movement politics that did exist- including Unión del Barrio- were too weak and disorganized to take on the tremendous work that would be necessary to insure a liberation oriented celebration. While, on the other hand, the criticism put forth by other forces was based on personal ondas and petty differences with members of the Chicano Park Steering Committee (the organizers of the annual celebrations).

Yet, as much as we opposed the "commercialization" (a.k.a. re-colonization of the park celebrations) and being consciously aware of our own shortcomings, we understood the necessity of being present at the celebrations (Unión del Barrio has never missed a single celebration) and to the best of our ability attempted to politicize and win Raza into liberation politics; this was done through the display, circulation, and sale of movement materials at the park events.

By the late 1980s, the Chicano Movement, pushed forward by groups such as the Movimiento de Liberación Nacional (centered in Colorado and Nuevo México), COMPAS (from El Paso), and Unión del Barrio (southern Califas), began pulling itself out of a period of "Demoralization and Disorganization" (1976-1986), and once again placed liberation in the minds of many within the Chicano Mexicano movement. Unión del Barrio itself had stabilized its membership, had helped build several coalitions (locally and nationally), secured a building, and had began the publication of its own newspaper (¡LA VERDAD!) and by 1989 was in a position to more actively take on struggle, and begin to seriously contemplate working on the Chicano Park Day Celebrations.

The 23rd Annual Celebration Of Chicano Park Day Was Significant In Many Ways

The opportunity came in 1992, when a leading member of the Chicano Park Steering Committee "called it quits" as far as his work on the park celebrations was concerned, many members of the Raza community in San Diego believed that there would be no more Chicano Park Day celebrations. The possibility that straight out reactionaries and the government would openly take over Chicano Park commemorations was raised. We immediately communicated and held a meeting with the forces still committed to continuing the celebrations and offered our participation under conditions which would be agreeable to the Chicano Park Steering Committee and Unión del Barrio. This consisted of no corporate sponsorship or government involvement, making the program much more politically oriented, and the cutting down on "the partying" by shortening the hours of the event and tightening up security. As a result of this meeting, the Chicano Park Steering Committee and Unión del Barrio, later joined by the Brown Berets de Aztlán, united to co-organize the 1993 Chicano Park Day celebration.

Taking into consideration the re-resurgence of a strong self-determination movement and clear objectives of the organizers, the "23rd Chicano Park Day Celebration," held on April 24, 1993 was a great success. Over 2,000 people attended, in the spirit of carnalismo and liberation, the six hour long event. Free of corporate and government strings, alcohol and violence, the celebration was rich in culture and political struggle. In fact, many of those who had attended previous park celebration commented on how well organized and politically oriented the 1993 event was.

In 1997 The Mexicano Movement For Self-Determination Is Willing To Take On Anyone Who Attempts To Compromise The Integrity Of Chicano Park

Since the resurgence of a strong self-determination movement during and since the early nineties, the Mexicano community has been influenced by pro-Liberation politics and Raza self-determination organizations. We must be clear that there is a growing Raza Liberation consciousness within our community and the reason for this is precisely because the organizations that never gave up the ideas and politics of the sixties and seventies.

Within the past year there have been those neo-colonial forces who have- either consciously or unconsciously- violated the integrity of Chicano Park by holding assimilationist, "be part of the system" events. One example was seen during the Republican National Convention (RNC). While the National Chicano Moratorium held a massive march against these racist punks- an opportunist Coalition held a "No on Prop. 209!" march after the NCMC March against the Republican Convention. In an attempt to save the poverty pimp (social service) agencies that pay for their Mercedes and pay their mortgages, local hispanics used Chicano Park as a starting point to: a) march against the Republican Party; b) support the anti-Mexican Democratic Party; and c) march against Raza self-determination. In past issues of ¡LA VERDAD! we wrote:

For many individuals it was the first time they had taken a stand against anything in Aztlán. This stand was on two levels- it was a stand against prop. 209 (the CCRI or anti-affirmative action initiative) and it was a stand against the politics of self-determination.

In addition we wrote:

We felt it was a crime against our people when we saw righteous Chicano activist forced to march in unity with the white feminists (NOW)- as the U.S. flag, "Clinton/Gore '96" signs, and the homosexual flag were unfurled in Chicano Park in a way that made them equal to the Mexican flag and the UFW flag. (see April-August 1996 issue of ¡LA VERDAD!)

A second event- even more repulsing than the first- took place on November 4, 1996 on the eve of the 1996 presidential elections. An opportunist clique of hispanic attempted to sing and dance our gente to sleep at the Chicano Park Kiosko by preaching Democratic Party politics. This was an attempt to hold a last minute get out the vote rally in support of anti-Mexican president William Jefferson Clinton. It wasn't until a local vendido disrespected the Mexican flag, and after this same individual flipped off the community, that self-determination anger- under the leadership of the Raza Rights Coalition- kicked out the Democratic Party off the land that is and shall always be liberated land for our people-Chicano Park. (for more on this event see Sept.-Dec. 1996 issue of ¡LA VERDAD! and December 1996 issue of Voz Fronteriza )

The 27th Annual Chicano Park Day Celebration Is A Continuation Of Our Peoples Historic Anti-Colonial Struggle

This year's Chicano Park Day Celebration was held on Saturday April 19, 1997 under the theme "Con Unión Hay Fuerza, Con Fuerza Hay Victoria: We Saved Our Murals!" This years Chicano Park celebration was significant in many ways. One, it proves that the Chicano Mexicano Movement is growing in strength and continues to influence and direct events in the community. Two, the struggles of the community and their organizations have been able to save the historic cultural murals at Chicano Park. Third, unity among organizations, as represented by the coming together of the Chicano Park Steering Committee, the Brown Berets de Aztlán, Unión del Barrio, Centro Cultural de la Raza and the Amigos Lowrider Car Club, is on the rise. And four, the community and the masses of the Chicano Mexicano people (as represented by the 3,000 people present) are in general agreement with the Liberation politics advanced by our movement; and do not need the vendidos to entertain them. Obviously, we have a long way to go before the Chicano Park Day Celebrations become total events of revolutionary struggle, but a major step forward towards this end has been made these past five years since the 1993 Chicano Park Day Celebration.

¡Que Viva Chicano Park!
¡Hasta La Victoria - Siempre!