Aztlan Rising's Anti-HR 4437 Movement in Modesto

<b>Anti-HR 4437 Movement in Modesto</b>

On May 1, 2006, the day of the nationwide boycott against HR 4437, over 10,000 people took to the streets of Modesto in a march that will be etched in Modesto history books and engraved in our hearts and minds for years to come. Although 10,000 may not seem like an astonishing amount in comparison to the 400,000 marchers in L.A., for a city with a population of just over 200,000 and a metropolitan area in the 300,000’s, it is just that – astonishing!

What was so beautiful about the march is that it was completely spontaneous. The Modesto Bee mistakenly advertised an 8:00 AM march put on by Aztlan Rising and the Mexica Council for Community and Solidarity rather than the educational protest that was planned. People showed up to march, and that is exactly what they did.

They advanced south on Crows Landing Road to Whitmore Avenue, where they turned back and walked north towards Hatch Road. When law enforcement officials asked them to return they would not obey. This day was our day, and the only voice we were going to listen to was our own. They continued the march, passing Highway 99, over the 7th Street (Lion’s) bridge and into downtown Modesto where they made a brief stop at city hall before returning back to Crows Landing Road.

Onlookers were left in awe as a wave 10,000 people advanced upon them, flooding the streets of downtown Modesto.

Aztlan Rising got the word out, but it was the people who ultimately determined what they would do that day. It was a wonderful sight, thousands upon thousands walking in solidarity, chanting phrases like “Si se puede” and “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!” They hoisted their picket signs high in the air with slogans that read, “We want human rights, not civil rights” and “Stolen lands: From Alaska to Argentina.” There were also protestors with t-shirts made from modified Aztlan Rising art.

People of all ages and backgrounds demonstrated: citizens and the undocumented, brown and white, children and adults. This was not an ‘immigrant’ or ‘illegal alien’ protest as most media would lead you to believe. It was a march by the people and for the people.

Thousands of adults missed work. Many students skipped school. Approximately 1/3 of all students in the Ceres Unified School District did not attend classes on May 1. In Modesto roughly 20% of students missed class, with individual schools having absentee rates as high as 67%.

On Sunday, April 30, stores in Modesto were jam-packed with those making last-minute purchases in preparation for the general boycott. On May 1 parking lots were empty. Over 40 stores on Crows Landing Road, in the predominantly Mexican South Modesto area, closed for the day.


It seems, at least for now, that the May 1 boycott was a success. But the battle doesn’t end here. It has only just begun. They are already distributing money to anti-immigrant sectors of the government, and they will continue to do so as long as we allow it. The Senate hopes to reach an agreement at the end of May. The House and Senate anticipate a compromise bill by the end of August. Between now and then they will do everything in their power to conceal the actions they are taking against us. We must keep them under close scrutiny, observing all that they do and say.

This is why we thought it so important to educate the people on this day. Although we supported their decision to march, we all missed out on an opportunity to learn more about what we were protesting against and what more we can do to make sure that our demands are met. Aztlan Rising had several speakers who would be discussing the issues and rapper Victor-E from El Vuh was ready to perform at any time.

Despite the change of plans, he was still able to take the stage at an after-school protest organized by MJC MEChA. Victor-E made it clear to the people that we are not immigrants on this land. We are indigenous, the original and true protectors of Ixachilan. By forcing the Hispanic and Latino labels on us they are stripping us of our identity as indigenous people. If we believe we are the conquering Hispanics and not the Native American, then they have won most of the battle. As Europeans we have as much of a claim to this land as the English colonizers. But as indigenous people we have an inborn right to live on the land that our ancestors have inhabited for over 50,000 years. This includes all land in Ixachilan, but in this case, we can be precise. The ancient homeland of the Aztecs, our ancient homeland, is located in the four-corner region of the U.S. Southwest. We are not migrating to a new land. We are returning home.

If the American people have a problem with us returning back to our ancestral homeland, then I am challenging all of them to demand that the U.S. government discontinue its worldwide terrorist attacks against poor nations of and people of ‘color.’ Tell the government to stop funding and arming fascist dictators and death squads and really start spreading democracy. Petition for the government to pay reparations to the nations it has kept in states of severe poverty, at the border of starvation, to keep their overhead costs low. Unfortunately, in this case, the overhead costs happen to be human beings, or as Somoza of Nicaragua, a U.S. supported tyrant would put it, “uneducated oxen.” They are able to keep us in a state of fear through the utilization of systematic and widespread terror.

They still do so to this day. I will never forget 9/11 -- not because of the thousands of lives that were needlessly ended, or because of the complete destruction of the World Trade Centers. No. Although the loss of life was tragic and the people did not deserve this fate, it will not stand out in my mind as much as what came from it. I will remember it because it ushered in a new era for America -- an era like all others, but different. It was unchanged in that people’s fear and compassion was exploited by those who are sworn to protect us. As it has always been, movements by and for the people are still being squashed by government agencies. But now, with the creation of the U.S. Patriot Act, they have a new power to openly oppress all those living within its borders. What they once executed covertly to avoid negative publicity they can now make public. It is in direct violation of the inalienable rights granted us by the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, and even more importantly, of our rights as human beings.

The civil liberties we were given by the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, and 14th amendments have now been stripped from us. We no longer have freedom of speech, religion, or assembly. We are no longer protected from unreasonable searches and seizures. Due process has been thrown out the window. We have no right to a speedy trial or impartial jury -- we can be incarcerated with no trial. We are no longer protected from excessive bail or cruel and unusual punishment. And yet, many people still believe the government is in Iraq and Afghanistan fighting for our freedom. The battle for our freedom begins and ends at home.

The U.S. Patriot Act was written by none other than James Sensenbrenner, author of H.R. 4437. Under the guise of an anti-terrorism bill (H.R. 4437), he has successfully drawn up legislation that will create an environment similar to the one in Nazi Germany. All that was left out of the Patriot Act – concentration camps, immigration police, and criminalization of the innocent – was drafted into H.R. 4437. The police state is coming, fascism is already here. We have the power to make a change.

On May 1, we, the indigenous people of Ixachilan and supporters of human rights stood in solidarity against Western oppression. We are demanding that our rights as human beings and people indigenous to this land be acknowledged and respected. We have achieved critical mass. The time has come to employ this power to make the changes that will shape the future of our people. The actions we take during the next few months will determine whether we will endure another holocaust in the 21st century or stand united against colonial terrorism and persecution.

<p align="center">“It is better to die on your feet than live a lifetime on your knees.”
~Emiliano Zapata~</p>

Xiuhcoatl is an independent writer from South Modesto, CA. You can learn more about H.R. 4437 at Aztlan Rising.