ALTA CALIFORNIA:
The Coming Latino Educational Crisis

Report on the "Latino Leadership Summit on Higher Education"
on February 19th, 2000

by
Hector Carreon
La Voz de Aztlan

It seems that the California educational system is running on borrowed time. Two realities, like two trains on the same track, are about to crash and this will cause an educational crisis of major proportions. The first reality is the burgeoning Latino student population in the k -12 levels and the second is a dysfunctional and racist higher education system.

At a time when the total state Latino student population in the k-12 public schools is rapidly approaching the majority, the number of undergraduate Latino students in the nine University of California campuses has dropped to only 13% for Latinos as a whole, to 10% for Chicanas and to only 8% for Chicanos. The percentage of Latino students in graduate and professional schools is even bleaker. This is a formula for social, economic and political disaster for, not only Latinos but for, the State of California as a whole.

In large part, this shutting of the doors to higher education to Latinos, is a left over policy of the bigoted ex-governor Pete Wilson and the actions of his appointee, the Uncle Tom UC Regent Ward Connerly. The blame should however also extend to our elected state Latino politicians who have done little to keep the doors open to the universities. The Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante who was the former Speaker of the Assembly and the present Speaker Antonio "Tony" Villargairosa, both ex officio members of the UC Regents, have been remiss in addressing this pressing problem for our community. Speaker Villaraigosa, for example, has instead rewarded Ron Unz, the author of the successful anti-bilingual education initiative with an appointment to an Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission.

This past February 19th, Dr. Armando Navarro, Chairman of Ethnic Studies at UC Riverside called for a "Latino Leadership Summit on Higher Education" to define the problem and discuss solutions. In a packed school auditorium in Riverside, hundreds of Latino educators and activists warned that unless we organize and mobilize, our school children will be relegated to a bleak future in a society where the majority Latinos will be the "have-nots" governed by the white "haves" in a situation similar to the South African Apartheid.

Dr. Navarro has called for La Raza to "Re-commit," "Re-organize," and "Re-mobilize." In a fiery speech, he outlined the necessity to formulate a "Plan of Action" and to form a confederation of Latino organizations in order to effectively execute both conventional and unconventional protest strategies. Dr. Navarro called for massive Latino civil disobedience if this should become necessary.

Among unconventional strategies discussed by community and student activists were large scale protests at the upcoming National Democratic Convention in Los Angeles and the undertaking of a takeover of one UC campus by striking students. UCLA was discussed as a good campus to target and takeover because of its institutional corruption and because it is situated in a sea of Mexicans and, in addition, because of the potential support from other students at nearby high schools and state and community colleges.

Another strategy discussed was the undertaking of boycotts. As purchasers of goods and services, we have tremendous power we have not learned to utilize. The last effective boycott was the "Boycott Grapes" campaign led by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. Powerful effective boycotts could be undertaken with the help of the Internet and a well organized Latino network.

Other activists expressed disillusionment at our elected "politicos." The political system as it exists today is not working for our people. The Democratic Party is now a sham and activists expressed the need to form a new political party. "Since La Raza Unida Party, there are now more of us and we are more wiser" said one activist from San Diego.

Among one of the resolutions passed by the democratically convened summit was a call for "The Resignation of UC Regent Ward Connerly" and his replacement by a Latino. It was also resolved to meet again for a two day conference to formulate the "Plan of Action" and to form the confederation of Latino organizations. The conference has been scheduled for May 19th and 20th, 2000 in Southern California.

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