AUGUST 15, 2002

AS I APPROACH THE AGE OF 60 YEARS, I CAN STILL VIVIDLY REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED
(PERSONALLY AND POLITICALLY) ON AUGUST 29, 1970 WHEN 20,000 TO 40,000
CHICANO'S TOOK TO THE STREETS IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA TO PROTEST THE WAR
IN VIETNAM.

CHICANO'S IN THE LATE 60'S AND EARLY 70'S WERE KNOWN AS THE "FORGOTTEN,
INVISIBLE, OR SILENT," MINORITY TO U.S SOCIETY, ITS POLITICANS, POLICY
MAKERS, AND SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INSTITUTIONS. BUT THINGS WERE STARTING TO
HAPPEN AND RAPIDLY CHANGING IN MEXICAN AMERICANS COMMUNITIES. THE SO CALLED
"SLEEPING GIANT" (AS CHICANO'S WERE REFERRED TO) WAS STARTING TO AWAKEN.

· CESAR CHAVEZ AND THE UNITED FARM WORKERS UNION HAD LAUNCHED A BOYCOTT OF
TABLE GRAPES IN AN EFFORT TO ORGANIZE THE HISTORICALLY UNORGANIZED
FARMWOKERS.

· BERT CORONA, WAS ATTEMPTING TO ORGANIZE THE TRULY UNORGANIZABLE…THE MEXICAN
UNDOCUMENTED WORKER.

· ABE TAPIA, PRESIDENT OF THE MEXICAN AMERICAN POLITICAL ASSOCIATION (MAPA)
WAS URGING CHICANOS TO BECOME POLITICALLY INVOLVED.

· JOSE ANGEL GUTIERREZ, IN TEXAS HAD ORGANIZED A THIRD POLITICAL PARTY, LA
RAZA UNIDA.

· RODOLFO "CORKY" GONZALES IN COLORADO HAD DECLARED THAT CHICANOS WERE A
NATION (AZTLAN).

· REIES TIJERNA IN NEW MEXICO HAD PICKED UP THE GUN (AND WAS BEING CHASED BY
THE U.S. NATIONAL GUARD), OVER THE ISSUE OF LAND!

· THOUSAND OF CHICANO WERE PROTESTING, MARCHING, AND BOYCOTING OVER ISSUES OF
RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION.

IT WAS AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND THAT THE AUGUST 29 CHICANO MORTATORIUM AGAINST
THE WAR IN VIETNAM WAS BORN, AND HOW I BECAME PART OF IT.

IN 1970, I WAS 27 YEARS OF AGE, MARRIED, HAD TWO CHILDREN, AND WAS A PRINTER.
I HAD BEEN POLITICALLY INVOLVED IN THE CHICANO MOVEMENT FOR 2 YEARS AND WAS
PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL CITY CHAPTER OF MAPA. MY INVOLVMENT UP TO THAT
POINT HAD BEEN IN ORGANIZING PROTESTS FOR THE BOYCOTT OF GRAPES IN SUPPORT OF
THE UNITED FARM WORKERS, WORKING ON LOCAL ISSUES (POLICE BRUTALITY,
IMMIGRATION, ZONING, YOUTH) AND ELECTORAL POLITICS.

SINCE MAPA WAS THE ONLY POLITICAL ORGANIZATION WE ORGANIZED AND RAN A LARGE
NUMBER OF CAMPAIGNS FOR LOCAL CANDIDATES. DURING THAT PERIOD, I ALSO MANAGED
THE INITIAL SUCESSFUL CAMPAIGN TO ELECT PETER CHACON TO THE CALIFORNIA STATE
ASSEMBLY.

IN 1965, PRESIDENT LYNDON JOHNSON HAD DECLARED A POLICE ACTION IN VIETNAM.
DARK AND FOREBODING WAR CLOUDS (JUST LIKE TODAY) WERE PRESENT IN EVERY
CHICANO BARRIO THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHWEST.

CHICANOS, AT THAT TIME COMPRIZED BUT 6% OF THIS NATION'S POPULATION, BUT MADE
UP 20% OF THE CAUSALITIES IN VIETNAM! YOUNG WHITES STARTED TO RECEIVE COLLEGE
DEFERMENTS, AND WHITE CONTROLLED DRAFT BOARDS BEGIN TO DRAFT (IN RECORD
NUMBERS) POOR PEOPLE, BLACKS, AND ESPECIALLY CHICANOS FOR VIETNAM.

AFTER FIVE YEARS OF WAR, REALITY FINALLY HIT HOME. YOUNG CHICANOS WERE DYING
IN OBSCENE NUMBERS, AND NUMEROUS "BODY BAGS" CARRYING YOUNG DEAD CHICANOS
WERE BEING RETURNED TO THE HOMES OF GRIEVING FAMILIES THRUOUT THE U.S.

THOSE OF US WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE CHICANO MOVEMENT RECOILED IN ANGER AND C
ALLED FOR PROTESTS AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY IN SENDING OUR YOUNG
PEOPLE TO DIE IN VIETNAM. IT HAD ALWAYS BEEN THE MOVEMENT'S POLITICAL
POSITION THAT THE WHITE RACIST SYSTEM HAD MADE CHICANO'S STRANGERS IN THEIR
OWN LAND, PLACED THEM LAST IN JOBS, EDUCATIONS AND RIGHTS, BUT HAD ALWAYS
PLACED THEM FIRST TO DIE IN ITS WARS!

AT THE BEGINNING, THERE WAS A "GENERATIONAL" DIVISION IN OUR COMMUNITY, OVER
THE ANTI-WAR POSITION. BITTER DISCUSSIONS AND ARGUMENTS IN COMMUNITIES AND
FAMILIES FOLLOWED. STRONG OPPOSITION TO THE ANTI-WAR POSITION CAME MAINLY
FROM THE MEN WHOM WE ADMIRED, AND LOOKED UP TO, OUR GRANDFATHERS, FATHERS,
UNCLES AND OLDER BROTHERS. THERE WAS A HISTORY, AND A LONG PROUD TRADITION OF
MILTARY SERVICE IN THE CHICANO COMMUNITY. MANY HAD PROUDLY SERVED (MY OWN
FATHER INCLUDED) WITH DISTINCTION AND HAD DIED IN WORLD WAR II AND KOREA.
MEXICAN AMERICANS WERE THE MOST DECORATED AND HAD WON THE MOST MEDALS OF
HONORS OF ANY ETHNIC GROUP. TO THE MEN OF THOSE GENERATIONS, (WHO HAD NEVER
BEEN POLITICAL), SERVICE IN THE MILTARY EQUATED, "MACHISMO." MANY OF MY OWN
FRIENDS SERVED AND DIED IN VIETNAM. THE OLDER GENERATION COULD NOT UNDERSTAND
WHY (IF WE WERE MEN) WE WERE NOT GOING TO ENLIST AND SERVE (AS THEY HAD) IN
VIETNAM. AS THE WAR WORE ON, MANY OF THE SAME VETERANS WHO HAD OPPPOSED THE
ANTI-WAR POSITION CHANGED, AND SUPPORTED OUR POSITION.

IN SAN DIEGO AS IN OTHER AREA'S, NUMEROUS MEETINGS, CONFERENCES AND "MINI"
DEMOSTRATIONS WERE HELD TO PREPARE FOR LOS ANGELES.

FROM THE BEGINNING, THE DEMOSTRATION WAS TO BE A PEACEFUL PROTEST, TO SEEK
REDRESS FROM THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, UNDER RIGHTS THAT WERE SUPPOSEDLY,
PROTECTED AND GUARANTEED BY THE U.S. CONSTITUTION AND BILL OF RIGHTS.

AUGUST 29, 1970 FINALLY ARRIVED, WE (THREE OTHER INDIVIDUALS AND MYSELF)_
ARRIVED IN LOS ANGELES ON SATURDAY MORNING AROUND 7:00 A.M. THE FIRST THING I
WITNESSED, WAS SOMETHING THAT I HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE. THOUSANDS UPON
THOUSANDS OF CHICANOS FROM ALL OVER THE U.S., SOME FROM NEW MEXICO, TEXAS,
COLORADO, ARIZONA, AND THE MIDWEST, WHO HAD ALL GATHERED FOR A POLITICAL
EVENT. FIVE HUNDRED TO ONE THOUSAND PERSONS FROM SAN DIEGO ATTENDED THE
DEMOSTRATION.

DEPENDING ON WHOM YOU SPEAK TO TODAY, TWENTY TO FORTY THOUSANDS CHICANO'S
(PARENTS, CHILDREN, STUDENTS, SENIORS, WORKING PEOPLE, AND ACTIVISTS) FROM
THRUOUT THE U.S., (JOINED BY PERSONS FROM MEXICO AND PUERTO RICO) MARCHED ON
THAT DAY.

THE DEMOSTRATION TURNED OUT TO BE THE LARGEST PROTEST TO BE ORGANIZED BY
CHICANOS IN THEIR 130 YEARS HISTORY AS A CONQUERED PEOPLE IN THE U.S.

I REMEMBER THAT THE MARCH STARTED LATE (AROUND 10:00 OR 11:00 A.M.), AND THAT
IT WAS A VERY HOT DAY. AS WE WALKED, SOME PEOPLE WERE BEHIND THE BANNER OF
THE VIRGIN DE GUADALUPE; OTHERS CARRIED MAPA, BROWN BERETS, MECHA, CRUSADE
FOR JUSTICE, UFW, ETC, BANNERS. WE ALL WALKED IN UNITY, AND I FELT THAT MOST
OF US WERE MARCHING TO END A WAR THAT WAS DESTROYING OUR MOST PRECIOUS
HERTIAGE -OUR YOUTH.

ALONG THE ROUTE PEOPLE ON THE SIDES WERE YELLING WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT, AND
MANY JOINED THE PROCESSION. AFTER 5 LONG MILES WE ARRIVED (AROUND 2 OR 3
P.M.?) AT LAGUNA (NOW SALAZAR PARK). PEOPLE WERE TIRED AND WERE RESTING ON
THE GRASS. THE SCENE APPEARED TO ME, TO BE JUST LIKE A GIANT FAMILY PINIC.
PEOPLE CONTINUED TO POUR INTO THE PARK AND ALL WERE WAITING FOR THE CULTURAL
EVENTS AND SPEAKERS TO BEGIN.

WHILE WAITING, I ASKED A FRIEND IF HE WANTED TO GO AND GET SOMETHING TO
DRINK. WE JOURNEYED TO A LIQUOR STORE BY THE PARK AND WHILE THERE WE NOTICED
THAT SOME INDIVIDUALS WERE LEAVING THE STORE WITHOUT PAYING FOR THEIR
MERCHANDISE. AS WE TRAVELED BACK, I REMEMBER POINTING OUT TO MY FRIEND THAT
HUNDREDS OF SHERIFFS' AND POLICE OFFICERS WERE STATIONED ACROSS THE STREET ON
WHITTER BLVD. BEING NAIVE, BOTH OF US THOUGH IT ODD, BUT NOT THREATENING SO
WE CONTINUED INTO THE PARK.

AS WE SAT DOWN WE HEARD AND THEN SAW A COMMOTION COMING FROM THE DIRECTION
WHERE WE HAD JUST LEFT. WE COULD SEE THAT THE SHERIFF AND POLICE WERE
STARTING TO LINE UP. SUDDENDLY WITHOUT ANY PROVOCATION THE SHERIFF AND POLICE
BEGAN TO ADVANCE ON THE PEACEFUL CROWD. AT THE TIME, MOST OF THE CROWD, WHICH
WAS IN FRONT OF THE PARK, HAD ABSOLUTLEY NO IDEA OR KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT WAS
HAPPENING.

AT ONE POINT, SECURITY (THE BROWN BERETS) RUSHED FORWARD AND ATTEMPTED TO
EXPLAIN TO THE POLICE THAT EVERYTHING WAS UNDER CONTROL. BUT IT WAS NO USE; A
FULL FLEDGED INSTIGATED POLICE RIOT WAS NOW UNDER WAY. THE BROWN BERETS WERE
ATTACKED AND BEATEN.

AS THE POLICE ADVANCED, I WITNESSED SCENES THAT I WILL NEVER FORGET. BEFORE
MY EYES, HUNDRED'S OF OUR PEOPLE, CHILDREN, WOMAN, YOUNG AND OLD PERSONS WERE
BEING BEATEN, TEAR GASSED, MAIMED, AND ARRESTED.

THE POLICE AND SHERIFF DEPUTIES APPEARED TO BE TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL AND
CRAZED WITH A DESIRE TO HURT, MAIM AND KILL CHICANOS.

MANY OF US REMEMBERED THE ZOOT SUIT RIOTS, AND IT WAS 1940 ALL OVER AGAIN!

IN SELF DEFENSE CHICANOS, WITNESSING WHAT WAS HAPPENING, AND SUFFERING FROM
130 YEARS OF OPPRESION, RACISM, AND DISCRIMINATION STOOD UP, AND FOUGHT BACK.

I REMEMBER AT ONE POINT THE BRIGHT SKY SUDDENLY TURNING BLACK BECAUSE OF THE
NUMBER OF OBJECTS THAT WERE BEING THROWN BACK AT THE POLICE. PEOPLE WERE
THROWING BOTTLES, CANS, DIRT, STICKS AND ANYTHING THEY COULD GET THEIR HANDS
ON TO PROTECT THEMSELVES.

PEOPLE WERE MAD AND THERE WAS FIERCE HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING. YOUNG CHICANOS
WERE GOING UP TO THE POLICE, LANDING ONE GOOD BODY BLOW KNOWING THAT THE
POLICE WOULD IMMEDIATELY CLUB THEM DOWN. A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE BEING MAZED,
BEATEN AND ARRESTED.

FOR A WHILE THE CROWD APPEARED TO HAVE THE UPPER HAND AND PUSHED (TWO OR
THREE TIMES) THE POLICE BACK. HOWEVER AFTER WHAT SEEMED TO BE AN HOUR THE
POLICE REGAINED CONTROL.

IT WAS THERE THAT I LEARNED A LESSON THAT I HAVE NEVER FORGOTTEN TO THIS DAY.
EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF CHICANOS, AND ONLY HUNDREDS OF THE
POLICE, THEY HAD SOMETHING WE DIDN'T… ORGANIZATION.

AS I STOOD IN THE PARK AROUND THE LITTER AND MAYHEM, I SAW THAT THE POLICE
WERE LINING UP IN FORMATION AND SEEMED TO BE WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN.
LATER I FOUND OUT, THAT THE POLICE WERE SIMPLY GAUGING THE DIRECTION AS TO
WHICH WAY THE WIND WAS BLOWING. WHILE I STOOD THERE I SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE
A CAN, LAND 3 OR 4 FEET FROM ME. I REMEMBER STARING AT THE CAN, AND SECONDS
LATER, THE CAN EXPLODED. IMMEDIATELY I KNEW WHAT IT WAS, TEAR GAS. I REMEMBER
AFTER THE TEAR GAS CAN EXPLODED, THAT IT MADE EVERYONE, INCLUDING MYSELF; CRY
UNCLE. PEOPLE THEN STARTED TO RETREAT TO A RESIDENTIAL SIDE STREET, WHERE
PEOPLE AT THOSE HOMES WERE PULLING OUT GARDEN HOSES TO ALLOW THOSE OF US WHO
HAD BEEN TEAR GASSED TO WASH THE POISON OF OUR FACES.

AFTER WASHING UP, WE LOCATED EVERYONE IN OUR PARTY, AND PROCEEDED TO WHITTER
BLVD. FIERCE FIGHTING WAS STILL GOING ON. I REMEMBER, A BLACK AND WHITE
POLICE CRUISER TRAVELING ON WHITTER BLVD. AFTER IT HAD TRAVELED ONE SHORT
BLOCK; THE CAR HAD BEEN COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY THE ANGRY CROWD.

SINCE WE HAD NO IDEA WHERE WE WERE AT, OR HOW WE WERE GOING TO GET BACK TO
OUR CAR, WE STARTED TO WALK DOWN WHITTER BLVD. HUNDREDS OF PERSONS WERE ALSO
WALKING. WHILE WALKING, WE STARTED TO SEE UNDERCOVER POLICE COMING OUT FROM
THE SIDES OF THE STREETS WITH GUNS DRAWN, SHOOTING UP IN THE AIR, OR AT
PEOPLE. AFTER WALKING A DISTANCES, A KIND HEARTED INDIVIDUAL WHO I BELIEVE
WAS FROM TEXAS ASKED US IF WE NEEDED A RIDE. WITHOUT HESITATION ALL OF US
PILED IN. WE ASKED HIM TO DRIVE US TO THE MAPA HEADQUARTER ON BROOKYLN
AVENUE.

UPON ENTERING THE MAPA OFFICE, I REMEMBER ABE TAPIA CALLING ME INTO A ROOM IN
THE BACK AND INFORMING ME THAT A PRESS CONFERENCE TO DENOUNCE THE "POLICE
RIOT," WAS GOING TO BE HELD SHORTLY. IN THAT SAME ROOM I SAW BERT CORONA
SPEAKING TO RICARDO ROMO (ENDORSED BY MAPA) WHO WAS RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR OF
CALIFORNIA UNDER THE PEACE AND FREEDOM PARTY. RICARDO HAD A BANDAGE ON HIS
HEAD AND WAS BLEEDING PROFUSELY FROM A HIT ON THE HEAD.

AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE BERT CORONA, AND ABE TAPIA LAMBASTED THE POLICE FOR
THE UNPROVOKED ATTACKS OF OUR PEOPLE, AND THE POLITICAL SYSTEM FOR THE DEATH
OF OUR YOUTH IN VIETNAM. IT WAS THEN THAT I HEARD THE NEWS THAT PEOPLE HAD
BEEN SHOT AND 3 INDIVIDUALS, (ANGEL DIAZ, LYNN WARD, AND LA TIMES JOURNALIST
RUBEN SALAZAR), HAD BEEN MURDERED BY THE POLICE AND SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.

OUR GROUP CONTINUED OUR INQUIRES, TO DETERMINE IF ANY OF OUR PEOPLE FROM SAN
DIEGO WERE MISSING, ARRESTED, OR HURT. AFTER MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE WAS
SAFE, WE DEPARTED FROM LOS ANGELES AT AROUND 6:30 P.M. I REMEMBER AS WE GOT
ON TO INTERSTATE 5, TO HEAD BACK TO SAN DIEGO, THAT I LOOKED BACK AND SAW
THAT EAST LOS ANGELES WAS BURNING.

WE ARRIVED IN SAN DIEGO AT APPROXIMATELY 9:30 P.M. SHORTLY AFTER, I RECEIVED
A PHONE CALL FROM A LOCAL TV STATION (CHANNEL 10), ASKING IF I COULD COME
DOWN TO THE STATION TO DO AN INTERVIEW, AS TO WHAT HAPPENED IN LOS ANGELES.
ON TELEVISION I DENOUNCED THE ATTACK OF THE MARCHERS BY THE POLICE, LABELING
IT A "POLICE RIOT," AND CALLED FOR AN END TO THE WAR IN VIETNAM.

I REMEMBER THAT AFTER THE AUGUST 29, 1970, "POLICE RIOT," THINGS WERE NEVER
THE SAME FOR CHICANO MOVEMENT ACTIVIST. MANY INDIVIDUALS FEARFUL OF POLICE
VIOLENCE AND GOVERNMENT'S SURVEILLANCE LEFT THE MOVEMENT, AND NEVER RETURNED.
A LARGE NUMBER, SIMPLY BUCKLED DOWN (TODAY'S HISPANIC MOVEMENT) AND STARTED
TO "WORK WITHIN THE SYSTEM." WHILE OTHER'S, WHO WITNESSED THE EVENTS OF THAT
DAY, BECAME ANGRIER, LOST THEIR FEAR, AND HAD THEIR POLITICAL RESOLVE,
STRENGTHEN, AND CONTINUED THE STRUGGLE.

AS FOR MYSELF, I CONTINUED WITH ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS LA RAZA UNIDA, CASA,
COMMITTEE ON CHICANO RIGHTS, THAT DEALT WITH THE AGE OLD ISSUES OF POLITICS,
IMMIGRATION, POLICE BRUTALITY, ETC. TODAY I AM STILL A PRINTER, MARRIED AND
STILL RESIDE IN NATIONAL CITY, CALIFORNIA. ALONG WITH A FEW OTHERS, WE
CONTINUE (IN A DIFFERENT WAY) TO FIGHT THE SAME POLITICAL STRUGGLES WE HAVE
FOUGHT FOR THE LAST 35 YEARS.

32 LONG YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE THE AUGUST 29, 1970 MORTATORIUM. FOR OTHER'S,
AND MYSELF THE POLITICAL QUESTION REMAINS, HAS ANYTHING CHANGED? OBVIOUSLY,
SOMETHINGS HAVE CHANGED. WE ARE NO LONGER THE "SLEEPING GIANT," OR A
"FORGOTTEN, INVISIBLE, OR SILENT," MINORITY. IN FACT, IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE
WE WILL BE THE LARGEST ETHNIC GROUP IN THE U.S. ALSO, IN 2002 WE HAVE MORE
"HISPANIC" INDIVIDUALS IN "SYSTEM" POSITIONS, SUCH AS POLITICANS, PROFESSORS,
PRICIPALS, COUNSELORS, PHD'S, STUDENTS, ETC., THAN EVER BEFORE.

AND YET FOR ALL THE "COSMETIC" CHANGES, THINGS TODAY FOR THE MAJORITY OF
PERSONS OF MEXICAN ANCESTRY ARE WORST THAN IN 1970. THE THOUSAND'S OF
"HISPANIC" POLITCANS ARE NO BETTER THAN MEXICO'S "PRI" POLITICANS. WE ARE THE
POOREST ETHNIC GROUP IN THE U.S. OUR YOUTH ARE STILL FORCED OUT OF SCHOOLS AT
A 50% DROP OUT RATE, AND OUR MEDIUM EDUCATION IS EIGHTH YEARS. IN FACT, WE
HAVE MORE OF OUR YOUTH IN PRISONS THAN IN COLLEGES. THE AGE OLD PROBLEMS OF
UNACCOUNTABLE POLITICANS, POLICE BRUTALITY, HIGH UNEMPLOYEMENT, YOUTH,
SENIORS, HOUSING, LACK OF MEDICAL CARE, DEATH AT THE U.S./MEXICO BORDER AND
GROSS VIOLATIONS OF OUR RIGHTS CONTINUE TO PLAGUE US.

TO ME, AS I LOOK BACK AT THE AUGUST 29, 1970 MORTATRIUM WAS BOTH A HISTORICAL
AND DEFINING EVENT IN MY POLITICAL AND PERSONAL LIFE. THE DEMOSTRATION WAS
ALSO A POLITICAL LESSON OF OUR PEOPLE CONFRONTING A PROBLEM (THE WAR), WITH
THE SPIRIT OF SELF-DETERMINATION. FOR THE CHICANO MOVEMENT IT WAS, AS
ACTVIST/AUTHOR ERNESTO VIGIL STATED, "THE MORAL HIGH GROUND."

TODAY, AS CHICANOS PREPARE TO COMMEMORATE THE MORTATIUM, I FEEL IT IS
INCUMBENT UPON THOSE OF US WHO MARCHED TO REMIND TODAY'S GENERATION… THAT IF
CHANGE IS GOING TO BE MADE FOR OUR PEOPLE, IT WILL REQUIRE THE TYPE OF
SPIRIT, SACRFICE AND STRUGGLE THAT WAS PRESENT 32 YEARS AGO ON AUGUST 29,
1970, IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA!

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