Raza Resistance is Growing Throughout Occupied México:

On Saturday February 15, 1997 Raza youth in Fillmore made a call for all Raza to join them in "The March for Equality and Justice." Just as in every barrio were Mexicanos are found, the Raza in Fillmore are also living with the same injustice, misery, poverty, insecurity and shame that has become so common in our communities. What is new and different about Fillmore is that there our gente are saying ¡Ya Basta!

Fillmore is a small town just east of Oxnard; about one and a half hours north of Los Angeles. It is an agricultural town in which the great majority of the population is Mexicano. It is estimated that the population is 85% Raza and 15% gringo. It is a town where racism and discrimination against Raza is clear and present.(Please see the October 1996 issue of Voz Fronteriza for more information about the anti-Mexicano attacks that have occurred in Fillmore.)

The poverty, racism and lack of adequate resources for our gente made the pueblo join together on the 15 of February to demand control of the schools. This discrimination on the part of school administrators, teachers and city officials has been kicking Raza out of schools and pushing our youth out onto the streets with no education.

We recognize that it was the November 1996 Raza Youth Liberation Conference (NRYLC) in Oxnard (which was organized by the National Chicano Moratorium Committee in Oxnard, Unión del Barrio, Mexicanos Unidos en Defensa del Pueblo, and the Brown Berets de Aztlán) that influenced the compañeras and compañeros to mobilize the gente in Fillmore. At the November conference the compas from Fillmore realized concretely just how much support they had outside of Fillmore, and they went back to challenge the gringos there with assurance that those groups that made up the NRYLC would support them in their efforts.

The youth of Fillmore organized a marcha from a local church to City Hall in protest of the racism found in Fillmore schools, and to demand the end to the segregation of these schools. Along with demanding community control of the schools, the community also demanded the implementation of a Chicano Studies course at all levels, as well as exposing the racist nature of police agencies found in Fillmore.

Raza began gathering in front of St. Francis Church on the corner of Hwy. 126 and C Street at 9 am. That day the chota had all it's riot gear and personnel on hand to intimidate and try to put fear in the minds of Raza; to keep them from participating in the righteous march for justice. Needless to say their attempts at intimidation were worthless, precisely because the pueblo of Fillmore were determined to place their demands in front for the whole world to see.

The route of the marcha was through the barrio, where the community would be able to witness the power of Raza organization and action. As soon as the march began, Raza came out from their homes and enthusiastically joined the marcha. As the march approached City Hall the number of participants had nearly doubled with close to 350 Raza marching, and chanting - demanding relevant education and an end to the racist attacks against the Mexicano community of Fillmore.

Once at City Hall the compas from Fillmore made the demands of the event clear. By this time the entire town knew of this march and was listening to the presentations made by various community gente and organizations from throughout Occupied México (Aztlán). Among the organizations present were; Unión del Barrio; comrades from Mexicanos Unidos en Defensa del Pueblo (MUDP); El Congreso from UCSB; and representatives from the National Chicano Moratorium Committee (NCMC).

The significance of this event was tremendous for the gente of Fillmore, because this was the first known march that was mobilized by Mexicans under the banner of self-determination. The nationalism was clearly present with Mexican flags at the front of the march. There was not a single U.S. flag in sight. At the conclusion of the event the people were asked to fill out petitions to prove that the community is willing to find some form of solution to the problems Raza face in Fillmore.

One thing must be made clear: the February 15 event was a tremendous step towards building Mexican power. A power that will fundamentally change this society to work in the interest of our people. We understand that the history of Raza has been a history of resistance, and for this reason the gente of Fillmore have made it clear that our people will keep resisting until we have peace, justice and dignity. Unión del Barrio salutes the community of Fillmore and those young Mexicanas and Mexicanos who have made the struggle of their people their own. We will support you any way we can so that you and your familias can one day win the justice, dignity and power that we all deserve.

¡Viva La Raza de Fillmore!
¡Hasta La Victoria - Siempre!