Somos Raza :

Our years of struggle have allowed us to understand clearly that by keeping Raza youth on drugs and into vicious pleito against each other, the gringo-colonial government of the United States is able to maintain Raza in a semi-slave situation where we do all the low-paying jobs, while a large group of rich gabachos continue to live and profit off the land stolen from Mexicans. Those responsible for pushing drugs and creating disunity (CIA, FBI, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Wilson, etc.) know that young people form the backbone of all liberation struggles. It is with the intent of destroying our capacity for organization and self-defense that our enemies pump drugs and hatred into our communities. It is for these reasons that Somos Raza, as a project of Unión del Barrio, has developed the following ten point platform. These points are part of the reality for young Mexicanos and Mexicanas and it is under this platform that Somos Raza guides our work in the barrios of Aztlán.

We understand that barrio gangs are not the real problem in our community: our job is to get across the message to Raza in gangs that we should stop fighting each other and that the "chingazos" should be directed at the real oppressors - the rich gringo colonialists who stole our land and keep us oppressed.

We understand that it is the intent of the U.S. government to destroy our capacity for organization and self-defense by pumping drugs and hatred into our communities.

We understand that the education we receive is a false education, controlled by the system to deny us our real culture, our history, and our right to this land - Aztlán/México Ocupado.

We understand that the role of the police/migra in our barrios is to protect the gringo system, serving as its attack dogs against the Mexicano community.

We recognize that the system uses the media (t.v., newspapers, movies, etc.) to portray Mexicano youth as gang-bangers, criminals, junkies, and inferior to white people.

We understand that this system has never implemented a law or policy with the objective of helping our community - the system uses its laws to "legalize" its attacks on our Raza.

We recognize the true nature of the prison system is to maintain our juventud in a state of oppression and colonization.

We recognize hispanic vendidos as those people who unite with the government and tell us to assimilate with the system - the very same people and system that is oppressing us.

We understand that Aztlán (also known as the "Southwest United States") is occupied México - it is our land stolen by the U.S. government in 1848.

As Mexicano youth we form a critical cornerstone of our struggle and we must understand that unless we unite around the fight for Raza self-determination, liberation for our gente is impossible.