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The Save Our Centro Coalition is a member of the National Association of Latino Arts and Cuture ART |
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The Hummingbird / El ColibriA New SOCC Newsletter / April 2006 |
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1. Boycott Update: SOCC Meets with MediatorsCommunity representatives met with mediators from the National Conflict Resolution Center on April 9 to begin the mediation process aimed at resolving the six-year boycott of the Centro. The meeting took place at the World Beat Center in Balboa Park. Although there was unanimous condemnation regarding the Centro Board’s derailing of the planned Nov. 6 community meeting by hiring armed off-duty police officers as security, the SOCC is engaging in mediation as another opportunity for bringing a resolution to the boycott. During the two-hour meeting, the SOCC presented NCRC mediators with copies of the 17 point Audit Petition and the proposed Changes to the Structure and Procedures of the Centro. Both of these documents, which are available online at http://www.saveourcentro.org, were prepared during the last round of negotiations with the Centro. The Centro has failed to address key points outlined in the documents, including: disclosure about the state and inventory of the Centro’s art collection, questions about the Centro’s finances, opening Centro Board meetings to the public and working with the SOCC to re-establish policies and business practices that are inclusive and respectful of the Centro’s founders and its original mission: It is the sincere hope of the SOCC that the Centro Board addresses these issues, engages the community in a good faith dialogue and takes the steps necessary to resolve the boycott of the Centro. The SOCC had worked tirelessly with Centro Board representatives for much of 2005 to reach an agreement for ending the boycott. This work was to be presented at a Nov. 6 community meeting at the Centro. Hopes for a Nov. 6 resolution were dashed when the Centro Board violated the conditions of the talks by announcing less than 48 hours before the meeting that they had hired armed off duty police officers as security. The Centro’s inexplicable action resulted in the refusal of NALAC Executive Director Maria de Leon to participate due to concerns for her safety, delayed further negotiations, reinforced the concerns of the community and extended the boycott. As we enter this next stage of negotiations, we ask that you support the boycott of the Centro and the efforts of the SOCC to bring a positive resolution to the situation. You can find links to the award-winning work and dynamic projects of many SOCC members at http://www.saveourcentro.org/links.html. 2. National Reaction: The Community Speaks Out!"NALAC will not participate in a meeting with an organization such as Centro Cultural that treats another organization, artists and the community in this manner... (We) do not condone armed meetings with our communities." - Maria de Leon, Exec. Dir., National Association of Latino Arts and Culture, San Antonio "Their underhanded ways of doing things behind the community's interest certainly is not what we had in mind when we belonged to the Concilio de Arte Popular...It was for the ennoblement and empowerment of our communities." - Jose Montoya, Royal Chicano Air Force, Sacramento "Cesar Chavez said non-violence is our strength. What are they doing bringing guns against people with that philosophy?" - Chunky Sanchez, Los Alacranes, San Diego "To arrange for armed security when you are reaching out to the community is a good example of the Centro Cultural de la Raza's leadership being out of touch with the history of its community and serves as an example that the board operates out of an unfounded fear of its own community that they are mandated to represent. It further illustrates that the current leadership believes it is above it's own stated policy of the prohibition of firearms on the premises." - Richard Lou, Former Centro Board Member, Chair, Dept. of Art, GCSU, Millidgeville, GA "The directors of the Centro Cultural de la Raza have been incapable, due to a chronic lack of leadership, of resolving a dispute with a group of artists who, since the year 2000 have realized a boycott of the space." - Enlace, 12/26/05 3. Eyes on the Prize - Jorge Mariscal Voices His Vision"If some of you on the Centro Board are troubled by your colleagues who insisted that armed men attend this meeting, we urge you to act upon your initial reaction that told you this was wrong. Show courage by telling those who would promote fear and distrust that you will not be their accomplice. Withdraw your support and insist that no one who is armed will be allowed into the Centro. To those on the Board who demanded that armed men be invited into a community forum, we say you have lost touch with your own gente and are not worthy of the people's trust. Throughout his career, Cesar Chavez received constant death threats. And yet he consistently refused to accept armed security. By doing so, he maintained the moral and ethical high ground. Today at the Centro, the community will respect our tradition of militant non-violence. Those of you who would invite men with guns into our midst will violate that tradition. The people and future generations will not forgive you." 4. Inspiration Point: Eloissa Leonna’s Nov. 3, 2005 Letter"I worked at the Centro Cultural de la Raza for half a decade. It was hard work but I was rewarded with inspiration, pleasures, surprises, and treasured lessons from artists, activists and other community members. The Centro helped to nurture artistic and academic careers. It was a great social space and critical thinking WAS allowed. It was a place to honor freedom of expression. If you wanted nicey nice, you didn't go to the Centro--there were many other museums in the park that provided that. The Centro was real and sometimes that doesn't appeal to people who are trying to go mainstream! That's exactly why it seemed like an oasis to me. The people who passed through the Centro as artists, activists, staff and audiences, represented diverse cultures and opinions. It served as a vital grassroots meeting ground for dialogue about community and the issues we face. In the mid-90’s the Centro began to face hard times financially due in large part to the cultural backlash of the conservative right that caused funding cuts. There were management difficulties, too, that are common to lots of non-profits by their design. A few years after I’d left, the Centro changed executive directors and gained a new board of directors. The new administration sought to stabilize and grow the Centro anew. It was a great idea but their approach was experienced by many as divisive and anti-artist. There ensued a huge fracture between the administration and many, many artists & community members resulting in a boycott that is now 5 years old. The boycott is led by the Save Our Centro Coalition (SOCC) of which I am a member. I believe that it is important to work towards justice and for whatever you hold in your vision to support purpose and well being in yourself and community." Eloissa Leonna, former Centro Performing Arts Curator 5. La Neta: La Prensa editor Dan Muñoz tells it like it is"The Centro Board has shamed the community! They ignored the reasons of the founding of El Centro Cultural and the significance the Centro represented to all La Raza and our City! They have lost their soul. The Centro Board does not merit the support of the Hispanos, Mexican Americans, and Chicanos or of any other community who uses the Arts to bring history alive and place on display it’s historical significance. The Centro Cultural of La Raza is provided the use of the Centro in Balboa Park by authority of the City of San Diego. The question we raise is: Is the San Diego City Council going to allow this Gestapo behavior that is being carried out against the Mexican American, Latino, and Hispanic community?" La Prensa de San Diego, 11/11/05 Read the full editorial at http://laprensa-sandiego.org/archieve/november11-05/centro.htm. 6. SOCC Member Happenings*** 36th Annual Chicano Park Day scheduled for Sat., April 22 SOCC members the Chicano Park Steering Committee invite you to the 36th Annual Chicano Park Day, which will be held on Saturday, April 22. Chicano Park Day will have added significance this year, as the internationally recognized symbol for community empowerment and self-determination was a rallying point for local youth walking out in protest of HR 4377 and in defense of their community. This year’s theme, "Their Spirit Lives Within Us," is a tribute to Chicano Park heroes Corky Gonzales and Marco Anguiano, both of whom sadly passed away this past year. For more information or to donate to the Chicano Park Steering Community, please visit http://www.chicano-park.org. Date: Sat., April 22, 10am – 5pm. Entertainment: Los Able Minded Poets, Agua Dulce, Alurista, Los Fabulocos, Acteal, Ledesma Brothers, Koryn Cuevas, Los Romanticos, Peace by Piece, Ballet Folklorico Aquetzalli de Lemon Grove, Ballet Folklorico Yaqui, Ballet Folklorico Esperanza de Fallbrook, Rick Saiz, Grupo Folklorico Chicano - Youth, Jr. S.T.O.R.M. Hip Hop Dance Troupers, Francisco J. Bustos, Dr. Strangelove and the Atomic Cowboys, Michael Cheno Wickert, Emmanuel Ortiz, Yaqui Deer Dancers. Speakers: Chicano Park Steering Committee, Brown Berets, Save Our Centro Coalition, Red Calaca Arts Collective, Rigoberto Reyes. Also Featuring: ballet folklorico, danza azteca, lowrider car show, food, cultural activities y más! Chicano Park is located off Interstate 5 -- Cesar Chavez Parkway exit -- under the San Diego Coronado Bay Bridge. For further information, please call (619) 563-4661, or email. San Diego, Califas (Under the SD/Coronado Bay Bridge)
The incredible "Bajito y Suavecito" exhibit at the SD Automotive Museum in Balboa Park, which was co-organized by SOCC members Victor Ochoa and Carlos C. de Baca, ended on March 27 after two months of record breaking attendance figures. The exhibit was a commercial and critical success, garnering press coverage from all over the US as well as Britain and Japan. The exhibit featured 15 dazzling local lowriders plus rare ‘50s Chicano youth club memorabilia, fantastic miniature model cars and an exciting art exhibit featuring the work of David Avalos, Victor and David C. de Baca, Victor Cordero, Armando Flores, Ricardo Islas, Magu, Victor Ochoa, Alberto Varela, Werc 1. The exhibit was made possible with funding from the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (http://www.nalac.org). Look for a segment on the exhibit in the Urban Latino TV program and watch the video promo and see photos from the spectacular artists’ reception at http://www.saveourcentro.org/lowriderexhibit.html *** New Chicano Perk location opens in National City After nearly a year of plans and preparations, Ildi and Rene of Chicano Perk Café have opened a second expanded location at 616 National City Blvd. in National City. SOCC member Brent Beltran of the Red Calaca Arts Collective is handling the gallery and performance bookings. Look for exciting exhibits, poetry, music and more of that special Chicano Perk blend of community and coffee, which is generating quite a buzz in the press and throughout the community. As an added bonus, the new Perk is located across the street from Napoleone’s Pizzeria, where singer Tom Waits worked as a teenager. Will the next Tom Waits get his start at Chicano Perk? Upcoming April events include: Bill Caballero’s weekly Thursday Latin Jam (April 20), the Pre-Chicano Park Day Poetry Jam (April 21) and the closing reception for the Mujeres Fuertes exhibit (April 29). The Mujeres Fuertes exhibit features work by Berenice Badillo, Nuvia Crisol Guerra, Carmen Kalo, Fernanda Rios, and, for the first time, work displayed by Selina Calvo. The exhibit also contains a group mural, dedicated to the Women of Juárez, by Cihualtoteolt (Berenice Badillo, Nuvia Crisol Guerra, Carmen Kalo, and Elaine Ruiz). Congratulations to Ildi, Rene and the great community that makes the Chicano Perk vision a reality. For scheduling and booking information, email CPNCevents@yahoo.com or visit http://www.chicanoperk.com. *** Alacranes Team with Quino from Big Mountain for "Primero de Mayo" Online Corrido Inspired by his experience at the 500,000 person immigrant’s rights march, singer songwriter Quino from Big Mountain wrote an inspirational corrido for the upcoming May 1 Day Without Immigrants national strike/protest. He enlisted the help of friends Chunky Sanchez and Los Alacranes to record the song, which has been posted online at http://www.gigantedespierto.com. *** Sandra Sarmiento’s Craft Cartel Profiled in SD City Beat SOCC member Sandra Sarmiento’s Craft Cartel alternative sewing circle was profiled in San Diego City Beat. The craft Cartel takes place the first Sunday of the month at Chicano Perk, 129 25th St. For more information, email pocharte@aol.com. Read the City Beat article at: http://www.sdcitybeat.com/article.php?id=4028&atype= You can also catch Sandra online in a radio segment about the documentary "Our Brand is Crisis," which was featured this week on the KPFK program "Uprising". To listen to the webcast, log onto: http://uprisingradio.org/home/. Sandra (aka Pocha Peña) was also featured this week on the groundbreaking KPFK program The Pocho Hour of Power. *** Keep on Crossin’: MCASD Acquires KOC Installation / Keep on Crossin’ Song Posted The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego has acquired a Keep on Crossin’ installation for its permanent collection. The whimsical art project, co-created by SOCC members Victor Payan and Perry Vasquez, continues to win new converts to the crossin’ cause. Check out the Keep on Crossin’ website for a recent "Voice of San Diego" article on the project and an mp3 file of the inspiring song "Keep on Crossin’," which was written by talented songwriter Willie Venant after reading the "Keep on Crossin’ Manifesto." http://www.keeponcrossin.com *** Hot Monkey Love Café To Move In four brief years, Hot Monkey Love Cafe owners Rick and Alma Felan have hosted over 3,000 bands from all over the country, countless poets and numerous fundraisers for local activist organizations, women’s groups and artists at their stellar all ages performance venue and café. And now, the impending sale of the building they have called home since 2002 is forcing Rick and Alma to find a new location with very short notice. For more information about fundraising efforts as well as the café’s eclectic programming line-up of jazz, open mic, samba, salsa, hip hop and live music, please email hotmonkeylovecafe@yahoo.com or visit http://www.hotmonkeylovecafe.com. *** Jorge Mariscal Writes New Book on Chicano Movement SOCC member Jorge Mariscal has been getting rave reviews for his new book "Brown-Eyed Children of the Sun: Lessons from the Chicano Movement, 1965-1975," published by UNM Press. Mariscal, a UCSD Professor and frequent contributor to Counterpunch, "examines the Chicano movement's quest for equal rights and economic justice in the context of the Viet Nam War era. Mariscal outlines the social and political conditions that made El Movimiento possible, especially the Cold War, U.S. military interventions, the Black Civil Rights movement, and anti-colonial struggles in the so-called Third World. This context paved the way for U.S. minority groups to politicize their cultural production and elaborate radical identities." http://www.unmpress.com/Book.php?id=10886294693870 *** Teresa Caballero Teaches Ballet Folklorico in Sherman Heights SOCC member and former director of Ballet Folklorico en Aztlan, Teresa Caballero, is teaching Ballet Folklorico classes at the Sherman Heights Community Center. Classes are Mondays and Tuesdays, 6-8:30pm, bilingual, $10 per student per month. For children age 5+, youth and adults. Children and beginners are invited to participate 6-7pm, more advanced students 7-8:30pm. Class is located on the East side of the ballroom. Active, dedicated participants perform up to a dozen events a year, both at the Community Center celebrations and other events throughout San Diego. The group is well organized and fundraises together to keep up with costuming and accessories. The instructor will provide you with a complete information sheet with more about the program. For more information, email t.e.caballero@sbcglobal.net or visit http://main.shermancenter.org/art_culture.html. For more SOCC Member Happenings, visit http://www.saveourcentro.org/news.html 7. What YOU Can Do To HelpSUPPORT THE BOYCOTT! Write Letters of Support to community@saveourcentro.org These letters will be compiled and forwarded to our elected officials, the press and national arts and culture leaders. 8. SOCC Mission and SupportersSOCC Mission The 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. Website: http://www.saveourcentro.org 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. |
Contents1. Boycott Update: SOCC Meets with Mediators2. National Reaction: The Community Speaks Out!3. Eyes on the Prize: Jorge Mariscal Voices his Vision4. Inspiration Point: Eloissa Leonna’s Message5. La Neta: La Prensa Editor Dan Muñoz Tells It Like It Is6. SOCC Member
Happenings:
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