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| The California Future as Northern
Aztlan
Raoul Lowery Contreras
If California Governor Gray Davis’ coffin nail, Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante, had been a member of the Communist Party U.S.A., it would not have been as frightening as his membership in MeChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan). MeChA’s Constitution preamble: “Chicana and Chicano students of Aztlan must…promote Chicanismo within the community, politicizing our Raza with an emphasis on indigenous consciousness to continue the struggle for the self-determination of the Chicano People for the purpose of liberating Aztlan.”For the politically correct, “indigenous” means Indian-Native American, something Cruz Bustamante is not. He has no “indigenous” or Indian blood. So, Bustamante fails the “indigenous” test, he doesn’t have a drop of indigenous blood. Then comes the proposition of “liberating Aztlan.” For the politically correct, “Aztlan” is an imaginary land from whence came the Aztecs of Central Mexico. These students and their sycophants insist that the Aztec Indians originated in what is now America’s Southwest. Nonetheless, not even they claim the Aztecs came from California. Despite MeChA’s beliefs, there is no proof the Aztecs sprung from the ground like maize anywhere, much less Utah, Arizona or New Mexico. In fact, most anthropologists agree that the Aztecs might have been part of the waves of people who crossed a land bridge between Siberia and Alaska in what is now named the Bering Straits. In the face of historical/anthropological scholarship, Mechistas like Cruz Bustamante fervently believe that the territory bought from Mexico after the Mexican and American War-- that includes California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and parts of Kansas and Oklahoma-- is Aztlan and that it truly should be “liberated” by Mechistas. We should be thankful that Cruz told Fernando Quintero of LatinoLink in 1999, “I wasn’t the most radical Mechista…”(at Fresno State). This is the public admission we have of Bustamante’s MeChA membership and beliefs that documents his membership in this extremist group. Here is the MeChA philosophy that Bustamante accepts, believes and has never publicly repudiated: "In the spirit of a new people that is conscious…of the brutal 'gringo' invasion of our territories, we, the Chicano inhabitants and civilizers of the northern land of Aztlán from whence came our forefathers, reclaiming the land of their birth and consecrating the determination of our people of the sun, declare that the call of our blood is our power, our responsibility, and our inevitable destiny.We must shower pity on the pathetic few who believe this philosophy, especially to Lt. Governor Bustamante who actually believes this swill. We must also pity those who would endorse chapparito (little guy) Bustamante in his race for Governor; like, for example, Senator Joe Lieberman, erstwhile candidate for President, who said in San Francisco (Chronicle, August 15), "(Bustamante) is a great American dream story…He's very able, very honorable and very progressive. He can be a great governor." Of what, Joe, Northern Aztlan? Here’s more of the MeChA manifesto that Bustamante has not rejected: “The Federal government is campaigning to pacify and assimilate our Gente by labeling us "Hispanic." The term "Hispanic" seeks to anglicize and deny our indigenous heritage by ignoring our unique socioeconomic and historical aspect of our Gente. These factors have made it necessary for Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán to affirm our philosophy of liberation (i.e. educational, socioeconomic, and political empowerment) for our Chicano and Chicana nation.”So, why doesn’t Bustamante reject these silly words? Does he live in the United States of America or, “our Chicano and Chicano nation?” Has Cruz Bustamante rejected these words from his fellow Mechista on the Bill O‘Reilly program on the Fox News Channel on March 8, 2002. "Gochez: We are the nation of Aztlan. O'Reilly: All right, that's good, you are the nation of Aztlan. That's great. Do you want your own territory? Do you want them to give you some land?In 2001, I wrote these words in my book (page 181), “The New American Majority…,”The name Aztlan is more associated with radical Chicano groups than with Meso-American, pre-Columbian Aztecs.” Further, I wrote, “On college campuses…throughout the Southwest…Mecha not only has a presence, but they draw attention from the Mexican-haters. The Haters use MECHA as a whipping boy and MECHA goes out of its way to provide them with material to use against everyone in the Mexican-American population.” Mechistas Gochez and Bustamante reflect the worst elements of the Mexican American community among us. Their philosophy is junk philosophy, as is their history, as are their politics. Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante is running for governor of California. If elected, will he be governor of California, or governor of Northern Aztlan?
Contreras’s book, “The New American Majority, Hispanics, Republicans & George W. Bush,” is available at www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, and www.iuniverse.com E-mail: sdraoul@att.net |
Raoul Lowery Contreras'
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