In a country that has always denied its actual origins, it is not surprising that conversations – including soul-searching – about race in this country, generally rely on a black-white binary. The Trayvon Martin–George Zimmerman case perfectly illustrates the nation’s inability to see beyond black and white… despite the fact that we live on Indian land.
It’s akin to how some describe history: It’s what we choose to remember and what we choose to forget.

By acknowledging that we live on Turtle Island or Pacha Mama, the automatic impulse is to avoid that inconvenient fact; to acknowledge that reality would lead to questions of genocide and land theft, and worse, we might actually have to speak to live indigenous peoples, but we don't want to go there, right?

We might even have to acknowledge that the nation's draconian immigration policies are, in effect, modern day Indian removal. But again, we don't really want to talk about that either, right?

For the rest of the column, go to:

http://truth-out.org/speakout/item/17957-soul-searching-the-president-made-me-do-it

Obama Is Complicit in Nation's Violent, Discriminatory Behavior, Laws

The president and the attorney general of the United States want to re-examine the nation's "stand your ground" laws. That should have been last year's news. As a result of the George Zimmerman verdict, the president also wants all of us to have a conversation, not necessarily a national conversation but conversations within our own families and churches and, most especially, with ourselves about our own biases.

We should all be able all do that, but not at the expense of a national conversation that leads to a change in - not simply in attitudes or biases - but in discriminatory laws, particularly laws that promote and permit the use of violence...

For rest of column, go to:

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/17772-beyond-being-followed-around-and-beyond-soul-searching

History of Red-Brown Journalism

In the fall, I will teach a class at the University of Arizona on the History of Red-Brown Journalism and Communications. As a result of teaching it in the past, the UA Main Library created a special collections titled: Historic Mexican & Mexican American Press. It is an [evolving] website open and available to the public: http://www.library.arizona.edu/contentdm/mmap/index.html If you have questions or suggestions, after going to the special collections, please feel free to contact me at: XColumn@gmail.com

Raza Studies Now Conference at Santa Monica College July 13

To stay updated on the work of Raza Studies Now, go to: razastudiesnow.com

For More Info Contact:
Tere Gomez 310-614-6194; Natalie Toscano 678-726-9390 ; Elias Serna 323-350-3548

Smiling Brown: People the Color of the Earth

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This is a special essay on color consciousness. It kicks off a project that will become a book, play and videologues. This essay shares vignettes from about 30 people from across the country regarding the color brown. It is lengthy. Please take the time to read it and feel free to contribute. Looking for vignettes regarding earliest memories re skin color (though not limited to earliest memories). If you are interested, please write me at: XColumn@gmail.com 

For the essay, go to: http://www.truth-out.org/speakout/item/17461-smiling-brown-people-the-color-of-the-earth

What is Raza Studies and What is it Good For?

TRUTHOUT SPECIAL

http://www.truth-out.org/speakout/item/17198-what-is-raza-studies-and-what-is-it-good-for

Tuesday, 25 June 2013 10:16 By Roberto Cintli Rodriguez, SpeakOut | News Analysis

A few days ago, the media reported that a mother was found dead in the hot, scorching desert, purportedly while attempting to cross into the United States. Underneath her was her dead infant.

 

The complaints were onerous: A series of questions this month on a social media site asked a variant of: Why should Mexican Americans care about immigration issues? The complainer, with disdain, asserted that focusing on immigration issues takes the focus away from the needs of Mexican Americans, whose needs continue to be unmet and neglected.  

 

That the social, educational and political needs of Mexican Americans continue to be unmet and neglected by society is certainly correct, however, the other part of his formulation and his other complaints and questions were bizarre, to say the least. The complainer asserted that Mexicans don't know Chicano culture and are not familiar with Chicanos themselves and with a tone of arrogance, posited that they are different peoples. Then, to add insult to injury, he complained about Mexicans taking over the jobs in Chicano Studies.

 

For the rest  of the essay, go to:

http://www.truth-out.org/speakout/item/17198-what-is-raza-studies-and-what-is-it-good-for

Rios Montt and Arpaio: Where Impunity Reigns

photo: noblewomensinitiative.com

by Roberto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez

In Guatemala, former dictator Rios Montt was first found guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity, and then the Supreme Court overturned the verdict. His 80-year sentence was also vacated. A few days later, Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County in Arizona, was slapped down by US District Court Judge Murray Snow. The federal judge ordered him to halt his racial profiling practices, particularly his immigration sweeps that target people of "apparent Mexican ancestry."

Sometimes there are news items that go together - even when they are apparently unrelated.  With Rios Montt, we have one of the biggest human rights violators in the history of humanity, who used the cover of religion to unleash the military against his own people.

photo: thinkprogress.com

Arpaio's face connotes something similar; the unbridled and unapologetic flaunting of raw (state) power and the wanton use of police powers to racially profile and destroy families, with the full backing of an electorate that continues to cheer him on.

For the full column, go to: http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/16970-rios-montt-and-arpaio-where-impunity-reigns

Rodriguez can be reached at: XColumn@gmail.com