UdB Statement Against the Treaty of Guadalupe:
Editor’s Note -The following is the presentation given by Elba Alvarez (Riverside Unit) on behave of Unión del Barrio, at the “150 years Against the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Marcha in Tucson, Arizona on January 31, 1998.
Compañeras y Compañeros
I’m here today on behave of Unión del Barrio, we want to recognize the tremendous work and sacrifice that went in to putting this marcha together. We know that it didn’t happen by chance or coincidence, it was hard work compañeros. We especially want to recognize, the National Chicano Moratorium Committee, the hosting region of the NCMC here in Tucson (Xicano Mexicano Coalition for Self-determination). They have done excellent hard work, and we would like to thank them for that. We know that the work was hard towards organizing this historic event, and very important.
As Unión del Barrio, we feel this event is historic, precisely because this demonstration right now is an expression- the marcha earlier with all of us here- are expressing the will and determination of our people, to continue to struggle for Raza self-determination and National Liberation.
Unión del Barrio is here because, along with many of you, we believe in the complete and total liberation of the Chicano Mexicano people. Today Raza here in Tucson, and throughout México, north and south, of the military imposed border that divides our nation, we have gathered here in Tucson to protest the 150 years of illegal occupation of our land. We are here to protest 150 years of oppression. We are here to protest 150 years of racism. and 150 years of police and migra brutality. We say today ¡YA BASTA! to 150 years of the oppression and colonization of our people.
Compañeros y Compañeras
We are here today because we believe that it is a natural and it’s a human right of every people to self-determine their own destinies. Therefore we feel it is our human right for our people to be free, for our people to control our own nation, and its our right as a people to decolonize and liberate ourselves from foreign powers. We urge everyone here today; hombres, mujeres, young ones, old ones, the ones who have been in the movement, and those that haven’t been in the movement, to join an organization that is committed to the National Liberation of nuestro pueblo.
We as believe that without an organization we will never be able to liberate ourselves from gringo colonialism. Therefore we ask that you take this question of organization and unity very seriously, because if we don’t unite and if we don’t organize, then we can not liberate ourselves. ¡Somos un pueblo... sin fronteras!
¡Hasta La Victoria Siempre!
It is Unión del Barrio’s position that the so called Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was militarily imposed upon our nation. We recognize it as an illegal treaty that the colonizer used to legitimize the occupation of our land. We didn’t cross the border compañeros; The border crossed us!