Los Angeles, CA – Celebrating and parading through the streets of East Los Angeles (ELA), Sept. 13, community members gathered along the route to watch the annual Mexican Independence Day parade. Participants included many local Mexican clubs, leaders and business owners, both Chicano and Mexican, traveling on adorned cars and floats, playing mariachi music and waving at viewers. This year the teachers’ union, United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA), and Centro CSO marched in unity.
Los Angeles, CA – Marching and chanting, “Vecinos unidos, jamas seran vencidos!” (Neighbors, united, will never be defeated), over 50 community members, families and activists gathered outside of five Boyle Heights homes, Sept. 9, to fight back against displacement and gentrification. Boyle Heights families have been suffering displacement and evictions for many years. The community is also surrounded by freeways, rail yards and factories which cause pollution.
Los Angeles, CA – On the morning of Sept. 7, Labor Day, hundreds of union members and families joined together, in LA’s Wilmington Community, to celebrate unions and the working class. Many members from a host of trade unions talked about past victories in contracts and recent organizing drives.
Los Angeles, CA – Nearly 100 community members, along with various organizations in the Chicano Moratorium Committee, celebrated the 45th anniversary of the historic Chicano Moratorium.
Los Angeles, CA – In a two to one decision, The federal Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that President Obama’s Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Legal Permanent Residents (DAPA) and the extension of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) will be delayed while an anti-immigrant challenge from Texas state government and others continues to move thorough the court system. These measures would have provided some relief to about 5 million (of the 11 million) undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
Los Angeles, CA – Undocumented Chicano and Central American students from Roosevelt High School led a militant May 1 march of about 400 people here on International Workers’ Day. The march included members of MEChA, and families, parents, and teachers in Boyle Heights. Viewed by thousands of spectators, youth supported by neighborhood families chanted, “Students support education and immigrant rights.”
Los Angeles, CA – Boyle Heights residents and local groups are organizing a march and rally this May 1. Marchers will assemble at Soto and 1st Streets at 4:00 p.m. and march to Mariachi Plaza at 1st and Boyle Streets.
Los Angeles, CA – Carlos Montes formally announced his intention to run for the District 14 seat in Los Angeles City Council at a campaign kickoff event held at his campaign office on Nov. 8. Surrounded by family, friends and supporters, Montes spoke to the need for progressive activism in City Hall to address the many issues facing the people of Los Angeles. Montes’ announcement was met with cheers of “Sí, se puede!” from members of the crowd, which included teachers, labor leaders and students.
Los Angeles, CA –More than 30 people gathered at the Salesian Family and Youth Center, located inthe Boyle Heights neighborhood in the heart of East Los Angeles, Aug. 23, to discuss the battle for the Legalization for All campaign and to help build for the 44-year anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium.
Los Angeles, CA – The El Sereno community in East Los Angeles came out to protest another police checkpoint May 24. Mexican, Chicano and Central American residents, most of whom are immigrants, challenged the second LAPD checkpoint in the area this month. Residents felt targeted by the LAPD Traffic Division as this checkpoint was on Huntington Drive, located in the heart of the community, near a major market.
Los Angeles, CA – The Community Service Organization (CSO) and supporters held a protest Friday night, May 2, at a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) license/sobriety checkpoint located at a major intersection in the immigrant Mexican-American community of El Sereno.
Los Angeles, CA – On the afternoon of May 1, a powerful May Day march, organized by the Southern California Immigration Coalition (SCIC), took place in the heart of downtown as many garment workers were leaving work. The highly spirited 1000-plus crowd was made up mainly of working class Latinos, union members from Roofers Union Local 36 and United Teachers L.A., street vendors, daily laborers, families and high school students. Also joining the march and helping to carry the lead banner were the women and men of the homeless shelter Projecto Pastoral in Boyle Heights.
Los Angeles, CA – An important mobilization for immigrant rights is happening here, as activists build for a rally and march on May 1. Organized by the South California Immigration Coalition, the protest will demand “Stop the Deportations Now” and “Legalization for All.” The demonstration will start at Olympic and Broadway, at 4 p.m.
Los Angeles, CA – On April 8, the Los Angeles Unified School District Board (LAUSD) passed a unanimous resolution calling on President Obama to use federal administrative action to suspend any further deportations. The resolution, introduced by LAUSD board member Bennett Kayser, is part of the growing Protect Our Families Campaign that has already gotten several resolutions passed by the city councils in Los Angeles, Carson, Santa Ana and Cudahy. Similar resolutions have also been approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the City Council of Berkeley and in Chicago, Illinois.
Los Angeles, CA – The movie Cesar Chavez by Mexican actor/producer Diego Luna again puts the public eye on the injustices and harsh working conditions of the mostly Mexicano farm workers in the U.S. It also covers the early history of the United Farm Workers Union (UFW) and its first strike and the successful grape boycott against the growers. The movie was funded by mostly Mexican investors and shot entirely in Sonora, Mexico, as it was not a priority for U.S. film makers.
Los Angeles, CA – A mural commemorating the historic 1968 East LA Chicano high school walkouts was dedicated here, at Lincoln High School, March 25. The mural was created by Lincoln High School students who are part of the Behind the Heights Art Team.
Los Angeles, CA – Several hundred students and community members held a protest march and rally on the campus of Cal State University of Los Angeles (CSULA), Feb. 4. The protest was in response to the Academic Senate voting down, by 20 to 29, a proposal made the previous week by the Pan-African Studies Department to incorporate ‘Ethnic Studies’ as part of the General Education requirements, starting in Fall 2016.
Los Angeles, CA – After years of community mobilization and pressure put on state politicians, California Governor Jerry Brown signed AB60, into law in October of 2013. AB60 will allow undocumented immigrants to get drivers licenses, but not until January 1, 2015. That means that for the rest of 2014, California police will continue to seize the cars of undocumented drivers. These cars are impounded, many for 30 days, forcing the undocumented to pay hundreds and even thousands of dollars to get their cars back.
Los Angeles, CA – Over 100 students, community activists, faculty, staff and others jammed the Cal State University of Los Angeles (CSULA) faculty Academic Senate, Jan. 28, to demonstrate support for Ethnic Studies – Chicana/o Studies, Pan-African Studies and Asian American Studies – becoming part of the General Education program.
Los Angeles, CA – Carlos Montes, a nationally respected leader in the Chicano, immigrant rights and anti-war movements, donated his archive collection to California State University, Los Angeles, Jan. 16.
