Sunday, June 24, 2007
SWOP homepagePeople's Freedom Caravan, Day 3
Many thanks to the Southwest Worker's Union for providing us with a truly thought provoking and inspiring day in San Antonio yesterday.
We began the day with a tour of the neighborhoods surrounding Kelly Airforce Base. The Base, closed in July 2001, became part of the Armed Forces in 1948. It's also the site of Union Pacific Railroad's railyards, where derailments frequently spill toxic chemicals into the environment. UP is not responsible to anyone in local or state government, and in 2004 five community members died as a result of a large derailment that spilled chlorine into the air.
Located near a low income, primarily Chicano/Mexicano community, residents have been struggling with the incredible contamination by the base and private corporations (Lockheed Martin, Boeing, etc.), contamination that has caused much cancer, leukemia, birth defects and muscular illnesses.
They are confronted daily by a racist government that has actually suggested their illnesses are the result of eating too many tortillas. They have been successful in getting a clinic and some cleanup in the area, but the government and military still have a long way to go in cleaning up the incredible environmental devastation they have caused in this community.
From there we moved on to an immigrant rights rally at the Alamo.
The Alamo is a highly contested symbolic space in Mexico/Texas history. The site of a famous battle in the U.S. aggression against Mexico in the early 1800's, in which the Anglos occupying the site were completely defeated by the army of General Santa Ana, it became a rallying cry for Anglo's in their quest to seize Texas from Mexico. For many Texans it represents an almost sacred place in the nation-building "manifest destiny" mythology of the United States. Manifest Destiny was the idea promoted heavily at the time that the United States had a "manifest" (as a righteous people we can only guess) destiny to inhabit the land from coast to coast. This mythology is underpinned with a deeply embedded notion of the "promised land", which in turn excludes other groupings of people by its very nature. Essentially, the idea of manifest destiny is incredibly racist. So it was fitting that we held the rally advocating for just immigration policies for workers, who are primarily from Mexico, at this place.
Then we marched to TX Senator Cornyn's office to protest his racist "enforcement only" stance when it comes to the immigration bills being debated in congress. Since Senator Cornyn wasn't there, we made sure he knew we had paid him a visit...
After the march, caravanistas enjoyed SWU hospitality at San Pedro Park (The pool at the park was widely enjoyed!), and later at Ruta Maya Cofeehouse for dinner. Dinner was made by women in Fuerza Unida, a sewing cooperative started by former Levi factory workers when the factory closed down.
Be sure to check out our Flickr photo page for more pictures!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pfc2007/
We are now setting out for Houston, TX and Lake Charles, LA joined by a full bus from San Antonio. Onward to Atlanta!
We began the day with a tour of the neighborhoods surrounding Kelly Airforce Base. The Base, closed in July 2001, became part of the Armed Forces in 1948. It's also the site of Union Pacific Railroad's railyards, where derailments frequently spill toxic chemicals into the environment. UP is not responsible to anyone in local or state government, and in 2004 five community members died as a result of a large derailment that spilled chlorine into the air.
Community members share their stories with us at their home.
They are confronted daily by a racist government that has actually suggested their illnesses are the result of eating too many tortillas. They have been successful in getting a clinic and some cleanup in the area, but the government and military still have a long way to go in cleaning up the incredible environmental devastation they have caused in this community.
From there we moved on to an immigrant rights rally at the Alamo.
The Alamo is a highly contested symbolic space in Mexico/Texas history. The site of a famous battle in the U.S. aggression against Mexico in the early 1800's, in which the Anglos occupying the site were completely defeated by the army of General Santa Ana, it became a rallying cry for Anglo's in their quest to seize Texas from Mexico. For many Texans it represents an almost sacred place in the nation-building "manifest destiny" mythology of the United States. Manifest Destiny was the idea promoted heavily at the time that the United States had a "manifest" (as a righteous people we can only guess) destiny to inhabit the land from coast to coast. This mythology is underpinned with a deeply embedded notion of the "promised land", which in turn excludes other groupings of people by its very nature. Essentially, the idea of manifest destiny is incredibly racist. So it was fitting that we held the rally advocating for just immigration policies for workers, who are primarily from Mexico, at this place.
Then we marched to TX Senator Cornyn's office to protest his racist "enforcement only" stance when it comes to the immigration bills being debated in congress. Since Senator Cornyn wasn't there, we made sure he knew we had paid him a visit...
After the march, caravanistas enjoyed SWU hospitality at San Pedro Park (The pool at the park was widely enjoyed!), and later at Ruta Maya Cofeehouse for dinner. Dinner was made by women in Fuerza Unida, a sewing cooperative started by former Levi factory workers when the factory closed down.
Be sure to check out our Flickr photo page for more pictures!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pfc2007/
We are now setting out for Houston, TX and Lake Charles, LA joined by a full bus from San Antonio. Onward to Atlanta!
Labels: People's Freedom Caravan
