Guest Column

A dissection of Carlos L’Dera’s anti-LULAC essay

By Francisco Juarez
September 28, 2005

Carlos writes:
"I was heavily involved in the civil rights movement of the 1960’s. Back in those days, you would be hard pressed to find anyone who was unfamiliar with the NAACP. The NAACP was prominent and active. Although its leadership recognized the importance of relationships with officials, they never lost sight of their mission and were always cognizant of their priorities. But who ever heard of LULAC in the 1960’s?"

People were and are different.  The abuses suffered by the African American have been highlighted over other ethnic groups because (1) of the simple contrast of black and white and (2) black slaves were bought and sold at a time when the 13 colonies were formed.  This is to say that the National Association for the Advancement of "Colored People" was aimed at pointing this out and not the genocide that Spain was creating for the few Aztecs that remained at the same time in history.  Further, the '60's was all about black and white.  Not until Chicanos in L.A. became fed up with the abuse did Latinos in the Southwest become involved.  As far as who ever heard of LULAC, there were many Latinos who had heard and joined the organization.  My parents had started a council in '64 on the west side of Los Angeles that still exists today and gives thousands in scholarships each year.  Those who wanted to find LULAC had no trouble doing so.  It just never got the notoriety that NAACP got.  Carlos makes a good try but no cigar.

"Now let’s fast forward to the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. Just about everyone is still aware of whom the NAACP is and what the organization stands for, even though their basic goal was met by the passage of the 1964 civil rights act. Conversely, ask someone who, or what, LULAC is and more often than not you will get a blank stare at best. It made sense that the NAACP was more recognized in the 1960’s, but in the 2000’s?"

Again, it depends upon who you ask.  Moreover, the charters of each of these highly respected organizations are not the same.  I'll leave Carlos to read them both.

"The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) claims to be the oldest and largest Latino organization in the United States. That may be, but it is rapidly losing its standing as a viable civil rights organization by placing higher priorities on "political correctness" and being able to hobnob with elected officials than on the tedious and hard work involved in civil rights."

The League is not losing standing as a viable civil rights organization.  It's recent stand against the Minuteman Patrols caused controversy with those who do not want to understand the plight of Mexicans but, in more scholarly circles, LULAC was respected for its stand and gained more visibility because of it.  Carlos's ragging about the League's "political correctness" masks his inability to create the bridges necessary to dialog.

"People don’t know the name of LULAC because LULAC is not’t in the forefront of the civil rights movement of today the way the NAACP was in the 1960’s."

Again, the '60's were about Rosa Parks and segregation of blacks in Alabama.  The news focused on the worthy leadership of the NAACP but what Carlos does not mention is that Latino leadership was fighting for "Juanito" and "Maria" in Brownsville, Texas, with less fan fare and, unfortunately, less outside support.

"Instead, LULAC has become an organization that jumps on the publicity bandwagon whenever an issue hits the news, but fails to either initiate or involve itself in controversial issues that don’t have media attention."

LULAC has initiated many important programs and legislative initiatives.  Those efforts may have not garnered the banner headlines that Carlos would like his efforts to attain but he will soon learn that the history of American journalism demonstrates that Latino issues are boring, or, not newsworthy.  The thousands of "Taco scholarship fund raisers" should be taken into account by Carlos and his expectations of what can actually be done should be modified.

"LULAC needs a major priority adjustment."

There is always room for major priority adjustments, even within Carlos.

"LULAC officials must first remember that LULAC is an organization of American Citizens and that its members are obligated to follow and obey the law. Recent events in which LULAC endorsed, directly and indirectly, illegal immigration, driver’s licenses for illegal aliens, etc. are in direct contrast to the Constitution and bylaws of LULAC."

This statement by Carlos tips his hand.  Carlos, myself and other Latinos fall into different categories and LULAC has all of these categories within its membership.  There is the category of the un-assimilated, the partially assimilated and the fully assimilated Latino.  It depends how far you are away from your mother country, or, if your mother country is the US, how much "familia" influenced your life as you grew up; how Americanized one has become.  Being someone who refers to myself as a Chicano, I tip my hand.  I am proud of the achievements of my Grandfather Zenon who paid one penny to cross the border in Chihuahua, Mexico, and send for his family after he found gainful employment making bricks.  The pride is extended with the efforts of my parents who established LULAC Council 2010 in Santa Monica plus all of the achievements of my immediate and extended family.  To that end, I have developed a perspective of my being based upon the contributions of the Mexican American to this country and when I find a law that is unreasonable based upon my experiences or reference to "illegal aliens" I become defensive and try to do what I can to change that law or that attitude.  There are many of us in LULAC that feel this way.

"Next, LULAC officials must remember that hobnobbing with elected officials that are acting contrary to the interests of Latino citizens, thereby ignoring the purpose of LULAC, is not only hypocritical, but detrimental to the credibility of the organization."

I agree, LULAC must remember this at every turn.

"LULAC needs to take action, not engage in posturing."

I agree, LULAC must take action and not engage in posturing.

"The most important item on the LULAC agenda in Los Angeles should be education."

When Carlos becomes President of LULAC, and I believe that he should be given the opportunity, he can pick the most important item on the agenda.  However, each administration has attempted to juggle the many pins that are represented by worker's rights, educational rights and human rights issues brought to the national doorstep.  I happen to agree with Carlos however and believe that education is a priority because it is basic to all problem solving.  To obstruct its equitable application is a major injustice.

"Angel G. Luevano, the State Director for California LULAC, has stated "Education is the major Civil Rights issue of the 21st Century for our Community. Education is the great equalizer and we can ill afford that Latino Students are being left behind".

Yes, Angel did make this statement.  That is why he is our leader.

"Article III, number 5, of the LULAC constitution calls for LULAC members "to combat with every means at our command all un-American tendencies and actions that deprive American citizens of their rights in educational institutions, in economic pursuits and in social, civil and political activities".

This, too, is accurate.  That is why LULAC is the oldest and the largest and full of pride!

"Why then is LULAC consistently ignoring problems in California education that impacts kids of all ethnicities, but especially Latinos?
For example, the Los Angeles County Office of Education may lose $210 million in federal money that is designated to provide day care for 24,000 poor children because of mismanagement (and other problems) at 28 Head Start centers. In an apparent attempt at covering up its own failure, and redirecting culpability, LACOE has threatened to shut down the only Head Start program in Los Angeles County that was given a clean bill of health by the federal government. The Latin American Civic Association runs that one agency."

LULAC is aware of this issue.  The leadership is addressing it as you read this opinion.  Carlos was instrumental in bringing this to light.  However, when Carlos "crossed the line" and started to call for the impeachment of LULAC officers because they either did not do what he wanted them to do or they did not work at his hurried pace, the leadership stopped working with Carlos.  The relationship, in my opinion, was ruined by the passion that Carlos has to fix the LAUSD...overnight.

"Another example is Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who campaigned with a promise to become involved in meaningful reform of the LAUSD. Now the mayor is refusing to back a bill by State Senator Gloria Romero that would give him authority to do so."

Now, who is hobnobbing with politicians?  If your not for one you must be for the other.  The Mayor's chosen path to make good on a campaign promise is obviously not Carlos's or Ms Romero's suggested path.

"Worse yet, Villaraigosa is deliberately blocking those victimized by LAUSD incompetence and misconduct from participating in his so-called "education committee".

I am not that familiar with who the victims and who the antagonize rs are.  I know that Carlos has expressed his "in your face" passion about LAUSD to many people who have found him and his group offensive. Carlos knows that and does not care because his aim is to "help the children".  To state that the Mayor is "deliberately blocking" is an accusation that requires more evidence than most who are not directly involved in the issues can come up with.

"Included on the committee, however, are some of the very people that have helped destroy the LAUSD. In fact, one of the Mayor’s picks participated in the cover-up of misconduct so severe that National LULAC passed a resolution condemning it."

Again, this is information that Carlos feels he can back up but his relationship with the LULAC leadership, who he wanted to involve on his side of the issues, has been ruined.

"Despite this, apparently fearful of offending the mayor, LULAC has taken no positive action to effectuate any form of correction."

I am not in a position to answer this.  LULAC has, in the past, taken unpopular positions regarding educational, human and worker's rights issues.  I believe that Carlos is baiting the LULAC leadership in this case.

"LULAC needs to take action if it wants to regain credibility."

LULAC, irregardless of how Carlos views the situation, always needs to protect the credibility it now has.  If LULAC credibility has been lost with Carlos and his affiliates, it is incumbent upon the leadership to attempt to regain its credibility, true.  Any organization that has a sense of integrity would do this.

"LULAC leadership seems to believe that public posturing on issues in the news and sucking up to political leaders, even to the point of disregarding the LULAC constitution and bylaws, will bring credibility to the organization. Those leaders are dead wrong. Credibility is not built by ignoring the very people that you claim to represent."

The politics that exists within LULAC, NAACP, CWA, TEAMSTERS and all other organizations across America creates "posturing" and "sucking up", that's the American way.  As far as taking it to the point of disregarding the LULAC constitution and bylaws, Carlos might be correct, I haven't seen it.  The individuals within the organization, all organizations, who have their own agendas are usually those guilty of that.  However, there are safeguards built into the national LULAC organization that expose these things and correct the mistakes.  LULAC is not the only organization guilty of this and it does not condone such activities.

"It’s time for LULAC to stop acting like the elitist group it has become and start acting like the civil rights organization it once was."

Wait a minute.  How can an "elitist" group be as unknown as Carlos indicated at the offset?

"It’s time that LULAC remember that it is an organization of American citizens, not illegal aliens, and start dealing with issues pertinent to Americans."

It's time that Carlos find another organization to harp on.  LULAC roots come from Texas and the pride of heritage of a Texan will not let us forget that our ancestors were Mexican.  Therefore, what has happened between then and now, the racist abuse, the Mexican American War, the exploitation of Mexican workers then and now, all of these things contribute to an attitude of fairness for, especially, undocumented workers.  Carlos, get a life.

"Most of all, it’s time for LULAC to stop playing political games with our kids, as Mayor Villaraigosa, LACOE, the LAUSD, and so many others have done and continue to do.  If LULAC wants to be recognized as a legitimate organization, it will have to act like one."

The message here is that neither the Mayor, LULAC, LACOE or LAUSD have changed because of Carlos.  He's blasting out at individuals and organizations alike and, it appears, it’s all because Carlos, as eloquent and mellifluous as he writes and as studied on the issues as he is, has failed to communicate.

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Francisco Juarez's parents are charter members of the LULAC, Venice Bay Area, Council 2010.  Francisco was involved in LULAC youth activities in the '60's and has been a card carrying member since his return from service in '69.  He is currently the President of LULAC Council 3062 in California City. Contact at: feinsm@juno.com

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