Sneak Preview: Songs of Hope & Struggle by Agustín Lira and Alma (out 6/24/16)

A powerhouse of the farmworker and Chicano civil rights movements, social activist Agustín Lira spun out songs that fueled the pioneering political theater group Teatro Campesino. From the United Farmworkers grape strike in 1965 through the next half-century of his original music with a message, Lira tenaciously tells the truth as he sees it. On Songs of Struggle and Hope, he and his trio Alma treat us to signature songs of La Causa as well as to new creations that speak of homelessness, child obesity, personal loss, and hope for the future. 61 minutes, 40-pages of bilingual notes and photos.

Un proponente del movimiento de los trabajadores campesinos y por los derechos civiles chicanos, el activista social Agustín Lira produjo canciones que alentaron al Teatro Campesino, grupo pionero del teatro político.  Desde la huelga de las uvas de los trabajadores del campo unidos (United Farmworkers) en 1965 a través de la siguiente mitad de siglo por medio de su música original con mensaje, Lira tenazmente cuenta la verdad como la ve.  En Cantos de Lucha y Esperanza (Songs of Struggle and Hope), él y su Trio Alma nos brindan tanto canciones de La Causa como creaciones nuevas que hablan del desamparo, la obesidad juvenil, la pérdida personal, y la esperanza para el futuro.

Links

http://www.folkways.si.edu/news-and-press/video-quihubo-raza-by-agustin-lira-and-alma-from-songs-of-struggle-hope

Music Sampler

http://www.folkways.si.edu/sneak-preview-songs-of-hope-struggle-by-agustin-lira-and-alma

Documenting the Legacy of César Estrada Chávez Exhibition

Jerry Brown Hands United Farm Workers a Setback

By Dan Walters

dwalters@sacbee.com

Photo courtesy of the OC Register

What goes around comes around.

Jerry Brown devoted much of his first governorship to seeking other offices, so his record of accomplishment was scant.

He’s often touted a 1975 deal to give farmworkers, excluded from the National Labor Relations Act, union rights in California, supposedly settling years of strife between the United Farm Workers Union and growers.

However, it merely ignited decades of new strife, which continues with Brown’s recent veto of a new farm labor bill.

Brown erred 39 years ago by having the law take effect immediately and by appointing an obviously pro-UFW Agricultural Labor Relations Board, including the auxiliary Catholic bishop of Fresno, Roger Mahony, as chairman.

Farmers bristled at the board’s makeup, it struggled to organize while being deluged with UFW election petitions, and the union was frustrated by not immediately gaining contracts.

The UFW did score some wins during the early years, thanks to having a pro-union board and staff, but then went into a decades-long skid.

UFW leader Cesar Chavez and his successors contended that Republican governors emasculated the ALRB and growers stalled on contract negotiations. The union’s critics say that as Chavez pursued other causes, the UFW failed to supply seasonal workers under contract “hiring halls.”

In 2002, Democratic legislators and then-Gov. Gray Davis tried to help the UFW with mandatory mediation of stalled negotiations.

Three years ago, after Brown had returned to the governorship, he and lawmakers empowered the ALRB to certify a union if it found employer misconduct.

The legislative activity was largely spurred by a conflict between the UFW and Gerawan Farming, a huge, Fresno-based fruit grower with thousands of workers. The union won a Gerawan representation election in 1990 but never got a contract. Both sides say the other stalled.

Using the new ALRB powers, the UFW tried to get back in the game with mediation, but Gerawan said it would be unfair since only a handful of current workers voted in the 1990 election.

The company and its anti-union employees petitioned for a new election in 2013, but the ALRB never counted the ballots and earlier this month, its chief prosecutor issued a 28-page complaint alleging that Gerawan interfered.

The farming company denies the charges, saying they were trumped up to void an election that the UFW had lost, and the whole issue is now in the courts.

Meanwhile, the Legislature passed still another bill requiring the ALRB to implement its mediation order while reviews are pending and limiting the ability of courts to intervene.

Over the weekend, Brown vetoed Senate Bill 25, saying he wanted a “balanced and fair” process.

“We should look at the entire process before making further changes,” he said, handing the UFW a big defeat and farmers a victory.

MEChA organizes march in Chico, California for César Chávez Day

Article courtesy of ChicoER.com

 Photo of César Estrada Chávez by Jesús Manuel Mena Garza

The memory of farm labor activist César Estrada Chávez was honored Saturday with a march through downtown and neighborhoods near the Chico State University campus.

About 40 members of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán gathered at City Plaza during a break in the rain. Some used whistles to raise awareness as the group traveled down Main Street, chanting, "What do we want? Justice."

Student Stacy Rios said the march for César Chávez Day was to honor the hard work of the man who formed the National Farm Workers Association with Dolores Huerta. The group later became the United Farm Workers union.

Rios said it's unfortunate that some students in the community misunderstand the holiday, or even believe it is a Mexican holiday. Some students have used the day off from classes to dress up in Mexican costumes and attend theme parties.

Juan Guzman, director of MEChA, said he believe it's more ignorance than disrespect for the work of Chávez, who worked for farm laborers of all countries of origin.

"It's more for people as a whole," he said.

Letters were sent to bars and student groups to help educate people about the meaning of the holiday.

Saturday afternoon in the student neighborhood, there were a few groups of young people walking and wearing sombreros. At one point during the march, the MEChA students were chanting "Long Live César Chávez," alternating between English and Spanish. One man yelled, "English, please," as the group marched by.

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Dolores Huerta: Let’s Violate Arizona’s Ethnic Studies Ban

[Click header for more detail and full-audio interview from Pacifica Radio]

Chicano movement icon and United Farm Workers Union co-founder Dolores Huerta was on Flashpoints, a local Bay Area news magazine on KPFA on Friday, and spoke about the recent shootings in Tucson, as well as HB 2281, Arizona’s new ethnic studies ban.

Huerta said that much of the ignorance today was a product of young people being deprived of a comprehensive history of the United States. Huerta said that people in other states had to defend ethnic studies by expanding it where they could and taking it ‘down to the grammar school level.” “[Ethnic studies] is how we are able to start the fight against discrimination,” Huerta said, and then offered her own ideas for how to support students in Arizona:

I was thinking about Arizona, what I’m suggesting to my friends over there. Just like during the ’60s we had the Freedom Schools. They’ve got to start Freedom Schools and violate the law. Teach ethnic studies out there. I know very good friends of mine, Robert Rodriguez, who’s over at the University of Arizona at Tucson, and many of my really good friends out there. Okay we’re just going to teach ethnic studies and violate the law, get people in jail.

I think I’ll just have to go back to Arizona and do another lecture over there and have them get me arrested and let’s appeal the case all the way up to the Supreme Court in terms of just a first-amendment rights.

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UFW Photographer George E. Ballis Fights Cancer

George Elfie Ballis has been dealing with jaundice from a blocked liver and gall bladder from pancreatic cancer the past month and a half and may not live much longer.

MAIA’s REQUEST

Please do not call here to ask questions, express love or sympathy as we need to focus on caring for George. E-mails are preferable.
If you are in the Bay Area, please let us know if you are available to help Maia get back and forth from Oakland (Montclair district) at her sister’s home to the Veteran’s Hospital in SF in the AM and home in the PM Mon. and Tues. Oakland phone: 510-339-3587

For those of you who want more details:

He just learned his prostate cancer was in remission in early September. A few weeks later he had severe jaundice. We thought is was a stone, but it was cancer. Things are happening quickly. They tried in Fresno VA unsuccessfully then successfully at SF Veteran’s Hospital to place a tube (stent)t in his common bile duct,
He has lost weight and is a lovely fluorescent yellow. He is feeling weak, tired and disoriented from liver toxicity. He is not in pain, but his skin itches badly and that keeps him awake at night. Yesterday he was very lucid and stronger than he has been since his release from San Francisco VA a week ago. We had some concerns about his platelet count being very low.

History:

The Fresno VA found and tried an endoscope-down-the-throat procedure to remove a blockage that they suspected was cancer in the pancreas blocking his common bile duct; but sent him to SF VA the following week for their superior equipment.
I took him to the San Francisco VA Emergency when his symptoms got worse. He had a procedure there the next day where the docs placed a tube through his blocked common bile duct (for gall bladder and liver) to open it to his intestine. His CT scan showed he still has large deposits of bilirubin in his liver, but it had a place to exit for 2 days. When he was released 4 days late, we got a flat driving home on I5. We ended up having the tow truck drive us home. The 5 hour trip lasted 8 ½ hours and we got home in the dark. He was feeling badly 2 days after they placed the stent and his bilirubin count went down 1 point from 31 to 30. This week bilirubin was up to 36. Normal is 1, so it indicates the duct Is clogged again for some reason - either the bilirubin is very dirty, or the stent got pressed by pancreatic cancer. So his continued liver toxicity is causing brain fog, disorientation and weakness.

During the MRI diagnostics, they found a mass in his pancreas and a small mass in his liver. We just got a PET scan (will pinpoint all his cancer) but do not have the results. We will then know if has spread to his liver.

We leave for Oakland today, he is in SF VA tomorrow AM and the procedure to place a stronger metal stent is Mon., which will allow his bilirubin levels to go down if it works. That may return his brain function and allow him a possible 3 months of life.

Smiling Seriously,

Maia Ballis for George Elfie Ballis
SunMt
559.855.3710
Box 314
Prather, CA 93651

Information from a Daniel del Solar email

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Download 2010 César Chávez Calendar. It's Free!

[Click on image to download printable JPG. A higher-quality PDF version is available for download at my website jmmgarza.com. Viva César Chávez.]

Download 2010 César Estrada Chávez calendar. Be the first in your neighborhood, barrio or gated community to download a FREE/GRATIS Super Chicana/o calendar. You don't have to be a Super Chican@ to own this fantastic calendar. Hispanics and others are also welcome to share in the glory.

Downloading Is Easy

All you have to do is "click" on the thumbnail image of the calendar to download. Save your downloaded 11x17 inch JPG and print two copies (a laser or inkjet printer works fine). By the way, you can easily downsize the JPG to make a letter size (8.5 x 11) print. Generously give one poster to your Chicana/o Studies (Hispanic Studies may not count!) or photography professor. They will be absolutely impressed by your excellent taste.

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to phone me at (909) 557-7151 or send me an email.

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Download Free César E. Chávez Wallpaper 1024x768

Download a FREE César E. Chávez wallpaper for your computer. The size of the wallpaper is 1024x768. Start by clicking on the image of Chavez. Drag the larger photograph to your desktop or folder. 

FYI: The image is offered at no cost to the general public for non-commercial use. The photograph (wallpaper) of César E. Chávez is copyright 2008 Jesús Manuel Mena Garza. 

The photograph of Chavez reminds us of the struggles of the United Farm Workers of America Union (UFW). It was through their determination that many of us enjoy the freedoms we take for granted today. As the leader from San José's Sal Si Puede barrio would say, "Si se puede!"

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Free Super Chicana/o Posters

Be the first in your neighborhood, barrio or gated community to download a FREE/GRATIS Super Chicano/a poster। You don't have to be a Super Chican@ to own any of these fantastic posters. Hispanics and others are also welcome to share in the glory. All you have to do is "click" on the thumbnail image of the poster to download.

Save your downloaded 11x17 inch PDF and print two copies (a laser printer works fine... an offset printer is better)। By the way, you can easily downsize the PDF to make a letter size (8.5 x 11) print. Generously give one poster to your Chicano/a Studies (Hispanic Studies may not count!) or photography professor. They will be absolutely impressed by your excellent taste.

If you're a Chicano/a Studies Prof, tenured or not, you should download my Chicano Photographer series brochure (8.5 x 11 inch). It details images from my Chicano Photography series that you may want for your next book or presentation. By the way, you are in luck, Jesús Garza is available for presentations, conferences, exhibitions, panels and especially lunch. Gracias!

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