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The Save Our Centro Coalition is a member of the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture ARTCULTUREACTIVISM
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2006
SOCC
Year in Review
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The top-grossing Bajito y Suavecito Lowrider Exhibit, curated by SOCC members, opened at the San Diego Automotive Museum in January. January 2006 started off strong with the opening of the Bajito y Suavecito Lowrider Exhibit at the San Diego Automotive Museum. This exhibit, which featured over 15 beautiful cars, vintage memorabilia, academic discussions and an art exhibit, was curated by SOCC members David C. de Baca, Carlos C. de Baca and Victor Ochoa. This amazing show, which was featured on the national television program Latin Nation, also received feature articles in the Union-Tribune as well as in European and Japanese magazines. It went on to become one the Auto Museum's most attended exhibits ever. Click here to see promo video. February
Chicano Perk National City opened on March 8. In six short months, under the artistic direction of SOCC member Brent Beltran, this expansion of the popular Sherman Heights cafe would organize more than 75 events, including a Dia de la Mujer celebration, art exhibits, concerts and poetry readings where thirsty patrons soaked up the cafe's signature drink, the Chocofrosti. SOCC member Bill Caballero's popular Thursday night Latin Jazz jam also helped transform the venue into a South Bay hotspot.
On April 22nd, 2996, the Chicano Park Steering Committee presented the 36th Annual Chicano Park Day. The event, which boasted some of the largest crowds in recent memory, honored our departed friends Corky Gonzales and SOCC leader Marco Anguiano with the theme "Their Spirit Lives Within Us." A model of grassroots, sustainable events, the annual free community celebration featured Azteca dancers from throughout the Southwest, ballet folklorico groups, hundreds of booth vendors and a great line-up of speakers and musicians.
SOCC member and Chicano music hero Chunky Sanchez performs with Quino and Los Alacranes at the May 1 immigrants rights march in San Ysidro. As the national immigration debate raged, SOCC members Quino and Chunky Sanchez of Los Alacranes recorded a song, Primero de Mayo, which would became a national anthem for students and immigrants fighting for social justice. The song received airplay all over the country and inspired a new generation to take to stand up for their rights. In the weeks surrounding the May 1 immigrants rights marches, Chicano
Park also fulfilled its mission by being a safe gathering place for
the
community to gather and organize amidst the historic murals. Chunky,
Quino and Los Alacranes performed the song at the May 1 immigrants
rights march in San Ysidro, and Aztec
Gold with Lou Chalibre was there to document it.
SOCC member Sandra Peña-Sarmiento, who was Associate Producer for the queer romantic comedy East Side Story, is shown here with the film's director Carlos Portugal and Producer Blanca Valdez and friends at the Vallarta Film Festival. In June, the queer romantic comedy East Side Story, for which SOCC member Sandra Peña-Sarmiento served as associate producer, was the hit of NewFest in New York. The film, which sold out two screenings at the prestigious festival, went on to dazzle audiences at the L.A. Latino International Film Festival and the Puerto Vallarta Film Festival.
The SOCC and the Centro began mediation on July 1. A representative of the NCRC is shown here talking with SOCC and community members outside the Centro on Nov. 6, 2005, after the proposed community meeting with the Centro was canceled due to the Centro's hiring of armed, plainclothes off-duty SDPD officers as security. After requesting resolution of the boycott for six years, the SOCC was finally able to bring the Centro to the table with the generous offer of help from the National Conflict Resolution Center. After only a few intense but productive meetings, the Centro agreed to conduct an internal review which confirmed longheld SOCC assertions that the Bylaws were changed illegally in 2000, that Valerie Aranda's removal from the Board was illegal and that Board and Staff members of the Centro have been negatively depicting the SOCC as homophobic during the boycott. The mediation process also saw a breakthrough in October with the creation of a joint SOCC/Centro Transition team to address issues of transparency, destruction of art and conflict of interest, which have plagued the Centro in recent years.
SOCC members Victor Payan nd Sandra Sarmiento thrilled audiences at the Museum of the Living Artist in Balboa Park with "Rudos Y Tecnicos: A Live aztec Gold Extravaganza."
On August 26, SOCC member Bill Caballero provided live musical entertainment for the San Diego Gay and Lesbian Center's Pachanga de Orgullo fundraiser for their Latino Services program. Bill's Latinbig band, Orquesta Binacional de Mambo, also performed at the 2006 San Diego Pride Festival.
September ended on a positive note, when a fundraiser organized by SOCC members Calaca Press raised $10,000 to help Chicano Park Steering Committee Chair Tommie Camarillo pay for desperately needed cataract surgery. October Hot Monkey Love Cafe
owner Alma Felan and Nuyorican poet Papoleto Melendez outside the
original cafe during a SOCC fundraiser for Pedro Pietri in 2004. Also in October, SOCC member Victor Payan
coordinated
a morning workshop on Art and Community Spaces at the 2006 National
NALAC conference.
December 
2006 ended on a strong note with the release of the Chicano Park Steering Committee's long anticipated Mural Restoration Technical Manual. The manual, whose lead artists included SOCC members Sal Barajas and Victor Ochoa, enlisted the expertise of muralists throughout California, including Jose Montoya, Judy Baca, Julietta A. Garcia-Torres, Juanishi Orosco, Celia Rodriguez, Yolanda Lopez, Gilbert "Magu" Lujan, Mario Torero, Guillermo Aranda, Esteban Villa and Ricardo Favela. The introduction was written by David Avalos. Developed as part of the Chicano Park Steering Committee's $1.6 million Mural Restoration Project, the manual encapsulated the best traditional and state of the art techniques for mural restoration.  What YOU Can Do To Help
End the Boycott! Stay informed! Join our new mySpace page, located at http://www.myspace.com/saveourcentrocoalition Write Letters of Support to community@saveourcentro.org Help Find Out What Happened to the Art? What Happened to the Money? What happened to the People? SUPPORT THE BOYCOTT! Website: http://www.saveourcentro.org
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SOCC MissionThe SOCC seeks to re-establish the Centro Cultural de la Raza as a relevant and dynamic community cultural Center that is open and responsive to the aspirations of the Chican@/Mexican@/Indigena community; that supports the free expression and liberating qualities of our culture; and that embraces all races, ages, genders and sexual preferences. Click Here For Sept 2006 News: Click Here For April 2006 News: Click Here For Sept 2005 News: Click Here For Aug 2005 News: Click Here For May 2005 News:
The e-publication of this newsletter is a donated service by www.pocharte.com and www.flyingserpent.net - providing full-service * Video Production * Technical Writing * Public Relations * Marketing/Promotional Campaigns * Website Design * Grantwriting * Arts Administration * Event Coordination * in San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles We Support the SOCC!Join the following individuals, artists, activists, Centro founders, former Centro Board members and organizations in their efforts to return the Centro Culltural de la Raza to the community. Ramon "Chunky" Sanchez The following groups also support the boycott and the effort to return the Centro to the community: Able Minded Poets For more information, please visit http://www.saveourcentro.org.
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