| ‘Don’t fall in love with great moments’ |
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I recently attended a conference at the University of Illinois at Chicago entitled, “SIGLO XXI: The State of Latino Studies,” and was treated to a wonderful experience at the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum. Munching on pan Mexicano and sipping hot chocolate on a Saturday morning were just a part of the grand occasion. According to Dr. Jesus “Chuy” Negrete a “Shy Town” resident and a first generation Mexicano, this barrio grew as displaced families from another barrio were forced to leave. The University expanded its boundaries across town under the guise of eminent domain, urban renewal, or what we refer to as urban removal. Pilsen is home to about 250,000 Chicanos/as, Latinas/os and Mexicanas/os, products of migration following the Mexican Revolution and its contiguity into the early 1950’s. Public policies have ways of shoving la pobreza from one location to another as great cities are created.
Congressman Luis Gutiérrez was invited to the podium to address the conference participants. He left the audience with one message, “don’t fall in love with great moments.” He was making reference to the Congressional appointment of Sonia Sotomayor as a Supreme Court Justice. He fervently praised her accomplishments and shared a story about his daughter’s inquisitiveness regarding this historical landmark. They can become political ploys in the theatre of politics.
Gutiérrez attended a town hall meeting in Denver over the summer to support Congressman Jared Polis’ support for humane immigration policy. This time, I had an opportunity to see him on his own turf displaying the charisma of a hometown boy. Although his background is from Puerto Rico, he has a strong relationship with the Mexicano/Chicano community in Chicago.
Moments like Sotomayor’s appointment become wonderful memories. We should never discount them. Milestones, benchmarks and historical moments are like still photographs, the images can linger on forever, unconsciously retrieved during moments of economic recession, or a catastrophe to replace sadness with joy reminding us of a meaningful time about a victory for social justice. They can fill unjust voids in our lives. They become “la consciencia del pueblo,” a reminder about what we can become when the community is organized. These precious are not only are not only engraved in our souls, they also become events etched in history.
However, we should never be bamboozled by a moment in time when political bodies use the theater of politics to win the minds and hearts of people, preying on their emptiness, filling those voids with false imagery. As politicians enter front and center stage to make a glorious announcement, keep it in context. Politicians become magicians with presto digital flexibility in an attempt to influence your vote. They filter all decisions through political eyes, performing cost benefit analysis on el voto. It may have nothing to do with the essence of the moment.
Gutiérrez has a behemoth task ahead of him as he introduces comprehensive immigration policy to Congress. At a recent rally in Washington DC, advocacy groups from every nook and cranny in America called upon Gutiérrez “to present a progressive, comprehensive immigration bill.” He has agreed to outline the fundamental principles of such legislation by October 13, followed by introduction into Congress.
In a recent statement, Rep. Gutiérrez said: "We simply cannot wait any longer for a bill that keeps our families together, protects our workers and allows a pathway to legalization for those who have earned it.” As Raza, we cannot wait for the slow wheels of justice to churn. The time for action is now; it should always be now.
Gutiérrez has a message for those willing to wait in line. “We need a bill that says if you come here to hurt our communities, we will not support you; but if you are here to work hard and to make a better life for your family, you will have the opportunity to earn your citizenship. We need a law that says it is un-American for a mother to be torn from her child, and it is unacceptable to undermine our workforce by driving the most vulnerable among us further into the shadows."
One part of the American Dream lies in the dreams of our children who anxiously wait in line with their families. Their dreams are part of the American dream. They want access to affordable education. Yet, they are turned away at the whim of insensitive federal and state policies and fiat decided upon by colleges and universities. The innocent children of undocumented workers should have access to grants, work study opportunities and in state tuition. The Dream Act should not be transformed into another nightmare. As part and parcel of a total package, it too, must become a reality for our youth.
Maybe, it is okay to fall in love with a great moment in time; but don’t let it lead you into false consciousness.
Dr. Ramón Del Castillo is an independent journalist.
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