Boise State MEChA: ‘Grounded in a philosophy, not a nationality’

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By Riley Nelson

MEChA stands for Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano-a de Aztlan, or Chicano-a Student Movement of Aztlan. Aztlan is defined as Mexico, but with almost 30 percent more land extending into the United States, this also includes land owned by Mexico before the Mexican-American War.

The club MEChA originated in Santa Barbra, Calif. in 1969. It is now a nationwide network with chapters in junior high schools, senior high schools, community colleges and universities.

“We are an organization that has an interesting history,” senior math major and one of MEChA’s co-chairmen Mario Venegas said. “It came out during the ’60s and ’70s with Mexican-American students protesting for an education.”

MEChA, however, does not simply center on education. It has a broad range of topics, focusing on community, social and political aspects of their culture. Each group member showed appreciation for different aspects of the club and they all agreed community involvement is one of the most important aspects of their club. In the past, MEChA has been involved with several events including the Chicano Art Show at the Cinco de Mayo event and Cesar Chavez Week. They also pass out fliers to encourage people to vote and conduct outreach programs at local high schools.

“What our club does is promote higher education as well as educate ourselves about our culture and our history in general,” said MEChA Treasurer Elizabeth Ortiz said. Ortiz is a senior double majoring in resource management and general business management.

According to a study done by the National Center for Education Statistics, the percentage of Hispanics who drop out of high school is consistently double the percentage of Caucasians or African-Americans. In 2008, 4.8 percent of Caucasian students dropped out of high school, while 9.9 percent of African-American students dropped out of high school. Hispanics topped the charts with a staggering 18.3 percent dropout rate. MEChA aims to drive down this number.

“We want to inspire students to get a higher education, at least a GED,” Co-Chair Nancy Orizaba said. She is a junior majoring in political science.

Because it is a relatively small group, MEChA often partners with other clubs for events on campus. Among these events are the Anti-Columbus Day, which they did in conjunction with the Intertribal Native Council, the Student Diversity Center (formerly known as the Cultural Center) and other student organizations. They are also going to be a part of the Tunnel of Oppression, scheduled for Nov. 6 and 7 in the Hatch Ballroom of the Student Union Building. They highly encourage students to attend.

MEChA members describe themselves as a family. Orizaba says they may not always agree on everything but they have gained a deep respect for one another which is something they all agree is important. They want to encourage everyone to join, especially underclassmen. The group promotes pride in the Chicana-Chicano culture. However, Venegas explained the word Chicana or Chicano is defined not as an ethnicity but rather a state of mind.

“Don’t be intimidated by the name,” Venegas said. “We’re not exclusionist to begin with. Anybody is welcome.”