OT and violence on “Ilegal crime (perpetrated implanted into the by minorities) mindset that has been of white Californians. “[Pete] Wilson used 187 as a surrogate candidate.” Explanations for the extreme backlash against minorities symbolized by Proposition 187 abound, but were best summarized by seasoned activist David Hayes-Bautista, of the UCLA Research Institute. “187 is not about a backlash against immigrants. It is about racism towards Latinos.” Hayes-Bautista points out that there were no news reports about California's fast growing populations of Russian and Chinese immigrants. He points out that Latino immigrants only constitute approximately 50 percent of California's immigrant population, (the remainder being Russian, Chinese, Irish, Korean and Canadian). “Not all immigrants are undocumented, and not all undocumented are Latinos,” mused Hayes-Bautista. “Only about seven percent of Latinos in California are undocumented. I'm sure that many white Californians, especially older persons, are angry, and feel that they are losing control of “their” communities. When they walk down the streets, they are seeing Latinos and Chinese and they're scared. That's why we have 187.” Indeed, much of the controversy surrounding the 187 debate revolved around attempts to quantify the size Of the Latino community and the actual number of Latinos that are presently undocumented. Morgan Appel, Senior Researcher for the Tomás Rivera Center (TRC, an organization dedicated to demographic studies of the Latino community) summarized the current research on the Latino population, and presented the results at an after-hours seminar to conference goers. The statistical survey was created by the TRC in response to the inflated statistics of pro-187 groups like the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). As reported in last Fall's edition of VENCEREMOS, Conference goers were awestruck Dy the impassioned address of Jose Angel Gutierrez, whose lyrical presentation reminded audience lis- teners of the triumphs of Chicano leaders like Cesar FAIR (long rumored to be affiliated Chavez. with the Klu Klux Klan) came under fire from California medical professionals when it was revealed that FAIR was funded in part by generous grants from the Pioneer Fund. The Pioneer Fund is an organization supportive of numerous EE" looting MMT blaming Mexicans.” Fernando Guerra, chairman of Chicano studies at Loyola Marymount, addressed this irrational fear of overtly racist projects, most notably the research of the latter-day eugenicist William R. Shockley (who sought to prove the genet- 1c superiority of whites to minorities). The results of the TRC's statistical survey found that pro-187 supporters assertions that as many as 10 million “illegal aliens” reside in the United States and 25 percent of Californians are illegal aliens are exaggerated to the point of intentional fabrication. “If that were true, the United States would be a Country of 600 million and California would have over onehundred million people.” Appel's results included a survey of California public school administrators, 80 percent of which told the 'TRC that they believed 187 would adversely affect education for all Californians because of skyrocketing administrative costs associated with complying with the new law (mostly the costs associated with verifying immigration status, a more complex matter than 187 supporters want to believe). The same 80 percent believed the law would result in frequent misidentification of students as undocumented. Seventy five percent of administrators surveyed said that gang activity and crime would increase as a result of 187. Latino students have the highest dropout rate of any group, and == ] administrators firmly believed that 187 would discourage attendance even further, perhaps leading to a permanent underclass of Latino youth. A whopping two-thirds of administrators surveyed blamed pre-existing overcrowding, not “illegal aliens,” for the current increases in costs felt in most California school districts. : - Educators Blast Racist Law Included in Proposition 187's definition of state employees that must enforce immigration laws are school teachers and administrators at public schools and colleges. Many school teachers and administrators have taken issue with this stipulation, and have boldly refused to enforce the requirement (even before the new law took affect). : : According to the California Office of Public Finance, Chicanos and Latinos make up 39 percent of students enrolled in California public schools, and reliable statistics suggest that the number will mushroom to over 50 percent by the year 2010. Louise Perez, President of the Boards California and. School Teachers Association has taken a prominent stance, suing the state to prevent enforcement of the law. “187 targets women and children. As an elected official, I have an obligation to protect the children who have been entrusted to us.” Silas Abrego, Director of Student Academic Services at Cal. State University, Bakersfield, is concerned because “Proposition 187 will lower the quality of higher education for all Californians because the documentation process will increase costs at a time when educational funding in California is already suffering.” Abrego also criticized the law's language, pointing . out that the law was developed in sections by a committee. : Vowing not to be taken by surprise again, Chicano leaders centered a great deal of discussion on the socalled Civil Rights Initiative (CRI). | Backed by many of the same people who organized Proposition 187, the CRI would outlaw all affirmative-action programs at any state funded office or See “war council” on pg. twelve ESA Help support the indigenous communities in Chiapas and voice your protest against the genocidal practices of the U.S. and Mexican goverments. The Comite de Solidaridad Con Chiapas meets the first Thursday of each month at the Centro Civico Mexicano at 7.00 p.m. We will be showing the video “Corridos Sin Rostro” in spanish on June 22 at Centro Civico Mexicano. Weekly protests for Chiapas are held each Friday from 5 to 6 p.m. in front of the Salt Lake Federal Building. In Ogden the protest from 5.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. most Mondays at the Ogden Federal Building. Call 621-6509 in Ogden or in Salt Lake call 535-1852. Zapata Vive! Food Not Bombs serves free hot vegetarian meals every Friday at 3:00 in Pioneer park and every Wednesday at 4.00 at the city and county building. Everyone welcome. Volunteers needed. For more info call 535-1852 | | Write for VENCEREMOS Applications always taken. stop dy 240 Union J by Venceremos page eleven IT Winter/Spring 1995