Life is Politics

"A Proud Racist" -Santa Clara Councilman

2010-03-27T01:46:00.000-07:00

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_14254846

Remembering our fallen immigrant soldiers.

2009-05-26T00:38:00.000-07:00

As we remember all the fallen soldiers on this memorial day, let us not forget all those who have died to fight for a country that has denied them citizenship and has tried to deport their families.

After September 11, 2001, President George W Bush signed a July 2002 executive order that made undocumented people join the armed forces and be eligible for expedited US citizenship. Because of this, many people enlisted. Among these include undocumented Guatemalan, Lance Corporal José Gutiérrez, who was the second solider to die in Iraq; Mexicans José Angel Garibay, a 21-year-old corporal who died in Nasiriya, and Private Francisco Martínez, who drowned when his tank fell in to the Euphrates River.

These men are a very small representation of the approximate 65,000 immigrant soldiers who have or are currently fighting in the Iraq War. (2008) Yet, our government and Americans many times forget these women and men who left everything behind to serve in the armed forces. As these men and women fight in Iraq, the government is very busy trying to deport their family members; parents, wives, grandparents, you name it. At the same time, many American xenophobes are busy trying to kick immigrants out of this country.

Here are a few words to the US government and to our xenophobic Americans:

To the government: Stop terrorizing families, particularly those who have family members serving in our armed forces. Our undocumented members of the armed forces are doing what they promised they would do. Now keep your part and grant them and their family members legalization.

To Americans: Let us not forget our immigrant personal who have fought in the war, especially those who are in place of us. While many of us sit back in our country, there are thousands of undocumented people giving their lives, serving all over the world. Stop causing havoc in our cities and trying to put fear in the lives of so many Americans. Immigrants want to be Americans, they are showing this, particularly those who are fighting in the Iraq War.

To Conclude, please watch this spoken word by Paul Flores.

Immigrant or Drunk-Driver Checkpoints?

2009-05-24T15:15:00.000-07:00

I actually have been wanting to write about this for a while, but never really found the time. But now that I sitting here in my living room...

We all have seen or been passed a "drunk-driving" checkpoint on the streets. According to the police departments, these are an "effort to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol involved crashes, DUI checkpoints are conducted to identify offenders and get them off the street, as well as educate the public on the dangers of impaired driving." But how much of this is true?

Last week in San Bernardino, I passed through a similar checkpoint. I was ok because I had not drank and I had my driver's license accounted for. But for so many people, that was not the case.

Many, coming home from a long day of work, the grocery store, or church, were asked to provide a license.

"No lo tengo señor." (I dont have it sir) This was the response of so many people. Because they did not have a license, they are ordered off the car, given a citation and impounded the car for 30 days.

For many, this was their only transportation to work. To many this was the only transportation to get to church, do errands, take their kids to school. But on this day, that changed. Not only were their car taken from them (roughly $1000 to get out of the inpound after 30days) but they have to now pay a fine for driving without a license.

Your first question might be, "Jonathan, how do you know this?" Simple, I have had this happen to close family members.

Let me start by saying, I understand what the police department is trying to do, protect our citizens from drunk driving. Against DRUNK DRIVING, not innocent people who are coming home from work.

Can we stop? Can we stop making people feel harrassed. These people are only here to make a living. All they want is to provide for their families.

On a different note, (related to driver's licenses, but not checkpoints) I know of this lady who drives an ice cream truck. Everyday, she wakes up, fills her truck with ice cream and sells to provide for her children. She is a single mother because her husband got recently deported to his home country. But one day, as she began her route, she was pulled over by police in San Bernardino. Herself, being undocumented, did not have a driver's license. THe officer confiscated the ice cream truck from her.

Why? This lady was not being a criminal? This lady was not being reckless. All she was doing was trying to provide for her children. She was not asking for charity. She was not asking for government support.

It is time that we look at our policies. We must stop making immigrants criminals. They are not criminals. they are hard working parents, students, sons and daughters. They are working people of the United States. Stop hurting people more than we already are. Lets give them the opportunity to go to work, pick up their children and support their families.

Stop harrassing and give them Driver's Licenses.

Comments on Los Aztecas post...

2009-04-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

I was reading my post when I came across the post of Los Aztecas.

What stood out to me as I reas was the following...

...there are just not enough people to start a moviemiento, a revolucion.

Well that was before I met a group of people who are in this movement, this revolucion.

This new family has given me a reason to join the revolution and that movement that I have been seekin on campus. This familia with the addition of our newly revived group LASA, the Latin American Student Association, and all the great people involved in that club, I know that this revolucion is only going to get bigger.

And as it gets bigger, I expect nothing less than success and change.

Si se puede.

Que Viva la Revolucion.

New Blog

2009-04-07T10:38:00.000-07:00

As I have been absent for a while, since election season, I would like to start blogging again, so when time permits or it becomes necessary, I will blog.

Jon

Dealing with an Illusion

2008-11-16T02:21:00.000-08:00

So Last week, a student from APU managed to get through a week with a painted on confederate flag over a swatzika. A week later, I have heard the rumor that he has been expelled from the university.

I do not know how i feel about this...

on one side, I understand that the painted symbols are symbols of hatred, symbols of oppression and symbols of supremacy. I understand that although the student claims he did not put these symbols on his truck, he did parade around the campus without thinking it was bad.

Even though it is the illusion that he KNEW that this was not wrong, it still was. I understand that many students where hurt, including me, about what this person demonstrated to the school. My initial reaction was to sentence this guy with all the mighty force I have and condemn his actions. I know that many of our students felt the same way, hoping to see this guys life ruined for being "ignorant".

So with him being expelled, does that make it right? Did we win?

As a Multi-Ethnic Leader on campus, my goal is to bring about Racial Reconciliation. As a Christian, God also commands me to bring about reconciliation. Reconciliation is defined as the act to restore to friendship or harmony.

As a student fighting injustices, I am committed to bringing reconciliation between race groups, between social classes, between the poor and the rich, between immigrants and natives, etc.

So my goal is to bring reconciliation. In bringing this to the table I want the majority culture to acknowledge that the racist past and the current systematic oppression CONTINUES TO AFFECT THE LIFES OF US MINORITIES. But I also want the racial minorities and I to practice TRUE FORGIVENESS.

Biblically, Jesus commands us to use the forgiveness of God to forgive others. (Mat. 6:14-15) Forgiveness is not based upon whether we feel like forgiving, but instead it is a basic obligation.

In forgiving we are nor forgetting. It does not mean that we cannot fight institutional racism, it does not mean that we will loose our necessary gain to make social justice a reality. IT MEANS TO FORGIVE.

We are all sinners. We all make mistake. Tell me, as a minority, how many times have we used the race card? How many times have we exploited the white guilt? How many times have we not coverred our own sins in labeling whites a certain way?

Dont get me wrong, I strongly believe that Whites have used there privilege to there advantage. THey have used it and will continue to use it. That does not make it right, does it?

I think we are both at fault. While White culture chooses to ignore the problem, it ignores the fact there there are injustices. While minorities group try to make gain in society, they use the white guilt as a way to make it up.

Going back to the situation with the student. Did we win?

What did we get out of it. He is expelled. Did he learn something? Did he learn not to mess with the minority? or did he learn what he portrayed as a prank was wrong?

Did you have a conversation about it? Does he understand why people are upset?

Although punishment should be served because he did break a code found in our student handbook, I do not believe an expulsion is necessary.

Yes he did hurt me. Yes he did hurt my friends. But again, can we forgive.

I would say, lets bring him back onto campus. Let us not forget what he had on his truck, but let us walk alongside him and teach him and let him teach us where we are coming from. We all fall short.

Who is ready to throw the first rock?

Los Aztecas

2008-10-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

I am not a Mexican... I am too American to be considered such.

I am not American... I am too Mexican to considered such.

I am not a Mexican-American... I have too many complexities to be described as such. There is no way I can put my Mexican side in front of American and I cant put my American in front of my Mexican side.

You know what I am? I am a Chicano. A Chicano! Gives me chills just writing it. The best way to describe a Chicano is by looking at me. What do I mean? Well, as many of you know and can tell by some of my post, I am very political. I like to talk about issues that affect everyone in this country and I especially like to write and think about the political atmosphere for the Hispanic/Latino/Chicano person. Well to many a Chicano is someone who is politicized Mexican-American. According to the handbook of Texas: They used Chicano to denote their rediscovered heritage, their youthful assertiveness, and their militant agenda.

I have rediscovered my heritage. I have found who I am as a person, what it means to be a foreigner in a land and what it means to live a life where you are not treated as others. I have found my youthful assertiveness, because I feel free to express my feelings, thoughts, and desires; I know my rights and I have control over my anger.

The last point is tricky. I have a militant agenda, yes I do. By I am also assertive and know my place. I know when a militant agenda should be used. Most of the time, I am able to compromise and use logic to push for something without confronting a militant agenda.

Way too much on why I am a Chicano...

So I am a Chicano.

The last two weekends I have made my way to doing a hunger strike. I fasted for 6 days (on water) and slept at the encampment at the Placita Olvera, dowtown LA. Being part of this fight for an end in the ICE raids, I began to notice something about my surroundings. APU does not give me an opportunity to express my Chicano views. And it is not like there is a gun to my head or rules that say I can't, there are just not enough people to start a moviemiento, a revolucion.

As I sat there contemplating about different things, I had the opportunity to watch a group of dancers perform. These people began by expressing reverence and prayer to the supernatural gods of the sun, earth and water. Then they created lively music with the howling of the sea conch, and with rhythms produced by drums and by dried seeds which were tied to the feet of the dancers. They expressed their anger on the ICE raids and focus on the inhumane treatment of the immigrants here in the US.

The Aztec Dance is special for many reasons. It empowers. You do
not have to believe
in the religious values of it to know that it empowers us. It
revives our people.
It is a deep expression of social, political, and cultural issues,
and it has a deep impact on a Mexican-American or Chicano's life.

After watching these dancers, It crossed my mind that at
Azusa Pacific, we needed
to stand and be revived. Yes, I know God is the ultimate
revival mechanism but
for some, there is more to that. Wouldnt it be nice to have
a group of Aztec dancers
Dancing at APU. It will honestly empower my raza to be the
awaking Giant it has been
called to be.

It is time to be empowered and rise!

Si Se Puede!... Si Se Puede!...

Que viva la revolucion!

Imagine a President...

2008-10-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

Matthew 25:35-36 ---> For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

We had the privilege of having an amazing speaker talk to us tonight about her decision to support Presidential Candidate, Senator Barack Obama and interestingly enough be pro-life.

Mara Vanderslice is the organizing force behind the Matthew 25 Network. Let me tell you, what a blessing and what a great treat it was to have her on Azusa Pacific's campus. She brought a fresh breath and a great point of view that many evangelical Christians today don't necessarily are happy to accept.

I personally support Barack Obama for President of the United States as well. I support him because of the issues that are important to me. Immigration is number 1. Although McCain was a strong support of Immigrant Reform and even co-sponsored an immigration reform act in 2006 with Senator Ted Kennedy, he has said that he would vote against his own bill. Don't believe me?

From The 2008 Republican debate at Reagan Library in Simi Valley on January 30, 2008

Q: Your 2006 immigration proposal was much broader and included a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants who were already here. At this point, if your original proposal came to a vote on the Senate floor, would you vote for it?

A: No, because we know what the situation is today. So to say that that would come to the floor of the Senate, it won't. We went through various amendments which prevented that proposal. We will secure the borders first when I am president. I know how to do that. I come from a border state, where we know about building walls, and vehicle barriers, and sensors, and all of the things necessary. I will have the border state governors certify the borders are secured. Then we will move onto the other aspects of this issue, as importantly as tamper-proof biometric documents, which then, unless an employer hires someone with those documents, that employer will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. That will cause a lot of people to leave voluntarily.

This blog is not to talk about immigration and which president is best for the job on that issue. I'll leave that conversation for another post.

After hearing and getting to know a little more about the Matthew 25 network and really focusing on the Christian perspective of the candidates, I have intertwined my top concerns such as immigration within a Christian perspective. Barack Obama really a great example of what Jesus called us to do.

When asked about how she can trust Senator Obama, assuming that there are some questionable things in his past and his lack of experience, Vanderslice answered the question with such poise and such a profound way, I swear it could had convinced even the most conservatives. (Maybe Not, but I can dream)

She said, and I am not quoting her... (I will have a copy of her discussion later to maybe post some video footage of the event)... Senator Barack Obama, having gone to Colombia University, Harvard Law School and been President of the Harvard Law Review... knowing that this man could had made a lot of money, been a very powerful man, decided to go to Chicago and help the underpriviliged.

After Colombia University, He became a community organizer with a church-based group seeking to improve living conditions in poor neighborhoods plagued with crime and high unemployment. Ring a bell? (Matthew 25)

Went back to school and graduate from Harvard Law and what did he do after? Went back to Chicago and became a CIVIL RIGHTS lawyer and a professor.

... Still Paraphrasing with what Vanderslice said...

He has been married to one wife for 16 years. Talk about Obama, look at his wife... After graduating from Harvard, Michelle worked as a corporate lawyer and she realized it was not her calling... so she left and went back to helping the community she loves. She worked for City Hall, becoming the assistant commissioner of planning and development. Then she became the founding executive director of the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program that prepares young people for public service. Today, more than 350 young leaders have graduated from Public Allies Chicago.

Barack and Michelle have an amazing family with 3 beautiful girls.

...In my house we give glory to achievement, self-respect and hard work. It’s up to us to set these high expectations. And that means meeting those expectations ourselves. That means setting examples of excellence in our own lives."
- Father’s Day Speech, Chicago, IL, June 2008

That is trust. That is why Vanderslice trust him... He is morally acting on the calling of Jesus Christ and has strong family values.

"My Bible tells me that when God sent his only Son to Earth, it was to heal the sick and comfort the weary; to feed the hungry and clothe the naked; to befriend the outcast and redeem those who strayed from righteousness.

Living His example is the hardest kind of faith - but it is surely the most rewarding. It is a way of life that can not only light our way as people of faith, but guide us to a new and better politics as Americans."
- Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA, December 2006

This is the type of president I want to have. Is he going to make mistake... of course... is he going to go against things people believe... yes... is he going to be perfect... no.

Is he going to try to live an honorary example of what our Jesus Christ called us to do, to love our neighbors as ourselves? I cannot be certain but I can trust him to work his butt off to do this everyday of his life, now, tomorrow and forever.

We all screw up... Lets keep in mind! Barack is human, a Christian, a sinner and a brother in Christ who will make mistakes... Do you?

I know I do.

Hate and Fear in America

2008-10-21T16:27:00.000-07:00

40 years after the devastating deaths of Bobby Kennedy, of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the end of the "civil rights movement", many would had thought that racial reconciliation was at the forefront and racism was disappearing. Although the issue of racism and hatred was talked about behind close doors, the current presidential election has re-surfaced the issue and put it at the forefront of our politics.

Following the September 11 attacks on our country, many Americans fear the idea that anyone associated with Muslims are terrorist. Although the attackers who where part of the attacks where Muslim, not all who proclaim the faith are terrorist.

If the election where held today, the polls would conclude that Obama would win the presidency of the United States. Interestingly enough, to many people in this country, having a black president would surely allow them to say, "there is no racism in America".

Although we have come a long way from the 1960s, there is still social injustices in our country that constitute racism. There are still people in part of the US that are showing hatred and fear for change, not the change that Obama preaches, but the psychological change that US citizens would face having an African American in the highest office.

An example of this can be seen on the Al-Jazeera English News Broadcast, which portrays the ideology of some of the anti-Obama supporters. It seems that for many, McCain is the best choice, not necessarily because of his stance on the issues, but because he is not the assumed Black muslim man with connections to terrorist.

More importantly what is interesting in this news clip is the negative slander on Obama's affiliation to terrorist, or the idea that he is a Muslim.

First of all, it is disturbing that the McCain campaign would allow such type of slander happen when it comes to his affiliation to an ex domestic terrorist. Obama was 8 years old when this man was a domestic terrorist and the only connection that we see is the partnership as members of a school reform project.

Secondly, Obama is not Muslim! But if he was, so what?! If he was a Muslim, not only would he continue to be a honest and honorable man, he would still be an American, a loyal one for that matter. Muslim is a faith practice, just like Christians and/or Jews.

Lets Assume he is a Muslim. Would that give him ties to Terrorist? No. Would that make him a terrorist? No. It is hard for me to understand why people associate Muslim with Terrorist. It shows fear through ignorance. Fact Check: Not all terrorist are Muslim. And not All Muslims are terrorist.

Have you ever watched the show 24? Well if you are a fan, you would see that the writers give a great idea that terrorist are not all from the Middle East, or Muslim for that matter. In many occasions, it is those from our own country or people from European countries.

Going back to the discussion of fear. I understand that Sept 11 has brought fear to many. But to assume that if Obama is elected president, on the false assumption that he is a Muslim, that he will promote terrorism or allow for our country to be attacked is ridiculous. I have the belief that if someone is running for office of a country, they have complete loyalty, they want to make that particular office better and run their position to the best of their ability, regardless of race, gender, faith etc.

When the Lady in the video says, "I am afraid if he wins, the black will takeover" or the lady that says, "I dont like the fact that he thinks us White people are trash, because we are not", it shows anger in these people. Obama has NEVER said Whites are trash! And to say that if he wins, the Blacks will takeover is beyond belief with no statistical evidence.

These are ignorant statements, but the dangerous part of this is not that they are ignorant, they have the illusion of knowledge. What if the blacks do take over? It would definitely bring a new perspective to the table, but Obama is clearly not about overpowering the government with blacks? He is about bringing those who are better equip to run this country. Those can be Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Men, Women, Muslims, Jews, Christians, etc.

Even though, an Obama win will bring a new idea of change, the past ideas of racism and hatred will continue to haunt our country. Similar to a situation in Senior chapel, incidents (can be good or bad) can bring out discussion about issues of racism and prejudices. An Obama administration might just do that.

Are we ready to bring it to the table?

Why do we focus on injustice halfway around the world when we can impact social injustice right in our own backyard?

2008-10-09T10:19:00.000-07:00

When people think of helping the least of these, who is the first to cross their mind? African Children, Latin American Children, Asian Children?

When people want to fight a social injustice, do they automatically assume Darfur? Or China? Maybe somewhere in Latin America?

But sometimes we tend to forget somewhere very close to home. No, not Latin America or Canada, but here. Where? Here, in your home town.

In our current social injustice issue, Immigration Customs Enforcement and the Bush administration are hunting down those who have entered this country without proper documentation and taking them back to their homelands. ICE invade our community homes, and invade the factories where men and women are working double shifts to maintain a family, to feed a family and even to save money for that dream home.

Have you seen movies like SWAT, where the police men come into a home, with automatic weapons, with ski mask and full body armor? Well imagine yourself working, finishing putting a piece of metal on the final product when the doors are slammed opened and all you see is men with automatic weapons and a full body armor? That is a scary thought.

Or imagine yourself cooking a nice home meal when the ICE agents come into your house and terrorize you and your family.

These are social injustices that are affecting everyday people living in America. Yet, we tend to think of a social injustice in terms of abroad. But why?

Here is why:
First of all, going abroad and worrying about issues out there allows us to live as far as possible from the injustices and when we are home, we are able to not think about them.
Secondly, there is no accountability because you can come home and ignore it. We go to Africa for a couple of months, send money to the missionaries and not have to worry about it in the future. The good Samaritan card played.

But why don't we worry about the issues that are being lived out domestically?
Because we know that these injustices are right in front of us and once we are witness and participants of that, we cannot ignore.
And unlike doing something abroad, the issues in our backyard are total accountable when it is happening right in front of you, so you just turn your head.

So let us, as soldiers against social injustices think about the domestic issues because they are everyday struggles that directly affect us.