BY ALEJANDRA RINCÓN AND CARLOS ALVARADO
HOUSTON - More than 300 high school and college students from Texas registered at the Tejana and Tejano Student Unity Weekend, held November 15-16 at the University of Houston. The conference was sponsored by La Raza Alianza, The Center for Mexican American Studies, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA), Latina Coalition, Mexican American Student Organization, and the Hispanic Student Association.
The Washington, D.C., October 12 march in defense of immigrant workers and fighting attacks on affirmative action programs in colleges were widely discussed by this new generation of Chicano activists.
The opening session was welcomed by Tejano/Tejana Student Unity Weekend co-chairs, Rachel A. Gómez, Jennifer Flores, and Tatcho Mindiola, the director of the Center for Mexican American Studies at the University of Houston. The keynote address was given by Maria Jimenez, a long time activist in the Chicano movement and most recently a central figure in the October 12 march in Washington.
The Latina Coalition sponsored the workshop "The Feminist Perspective of the Chicano Movement: A Critique of Nationalism." It also conducted a Latina Caucus on "Sexism in the 90's." The issue of homosexuality was addressed at both the roundtable discussion and the workshop.
The University of Texas (UT) at Austin MEChA chapter presented the workshop "Without Affirmative Action: The Hopwood Case." Bobby Garza explained the Hopwood case, which challenged affirmative action programs at UT. Garza reported that as a result of the case the UT administration eliminated or drastically cut graduate fellowship programs, scholarships, minority affairs offices, and the distribution of private scholarships for minorities through the campus. The administration also killed the Success Program, designed to help minority students make the transition to college easier.
Lisa Terry, one of the leaders of the UT Student Coalition in Defense of Affirmative Action, reported that activists organized rallies of up to 400, teach-ins, and a march of 200 to the state capitol during the spring. Terry noted that close to half of the protesters were Black and Chicano.
Olga Rodríguez, editor of The Politics of Chicano Liberation and recent Socialist Workers Party senatorial candidate in New Jersey, presented two workshops. Several of the participants had marched in Washington October 12.
Rodríguez said the Chicano movement gains strength when it fights the economic, political and social conditions that have determined its oppression in this country. Her view that capitalism is the root cause for the attacks on immigrant workers and affirmative action stirred debate. Students like Valentin Reyes and Evelio Flores, from La Raza Alianza in Dallas, active in defense of immigrant rights said they agreed capitalism was the fundamental problem. Others disagreed and said they thought capitalism could be reformed.
Dagoberto Roríguez, first secretary of the Cuban Interests Section in Washington, D.C., also spoke at a workshop. La Raza Student Alliance, Latina Coalition, and MEChA at the University of Houston were prominent supporters of the Cuban diplomat's week-long speaking tour in Texas (see article on page 4).
The conference did not decide on any steps the Texas Chicano student organizations should take collectively in defense of immigrant rights or affirmative action. However, many of the local groups are involved in such activity. The MEChA chapter at Texas Lutheran University, in Seguin has been fighting cuts on affirmative action, like the Austin chapter. La Raza Alianza in Dallas has been active in organizing actions in defense of immigrant workers. MEChA in Houston has recently formed a committee to involve itself in defense of affirmative action.
Alejandra Rincón is a member of the Young Socialists and of MEChA. Carlos Alvarado is a rail worker in Houston.