Are you Afraid?

It has been extremely quiet on our website after Vivi’s article on “Uncovering the Truth about the Santa Rita Center” What’s up? What’s going on? Are people having shame? Are you afraid? Well I am angry. We are getting no response from Democratic leadership. No response from Chicanos por La Causa. Vivi and I are going to take our next moves from the Zapatista playbook. Be watching for two extremely attractive women wearing brown sequined bandanas covering their faces putting up signs in your neighborhood. God forbid that you are an elected official with a big picture of Cesar Chavez covering your office walls or an agency with a mural of Cesar smiling down on you. Please respond to our request to call your US Representatives and others to complain about this. Please let us know if you get a response!

Uncovering the Truth About the Santa Rita Center

The Santa Rita Center is where Cesar Chavez did his famous 24-day fast here in Phoenix.

In my naive mind, I thought the Santa Rita Center would be a community center with lots of pictures of Cesar Chavez and the Mexican-American political movement. Instead, I found a forgotten piece of American history with holes in the roof which let the rain pour in. I found the tiny room where Cesar fasted now holding cleaning supplies and junk. What broke my heart even more was to learn that Chicanos por la Causa (CPLC) have owned the property since 2007. How can an organization which holds a huge painting of Cesar being carted out of the Santa Rita Center after his fast, not have its renovation as one of its number one priorities? And with the looks of the center, it needs to be on the fast track to funding priority. I asked for Cesar's guidance and so began our journey.

El Vuh to Perform at the Santa Rita Center May 22nd from 11-2pm

 CC photo of Cesar Chavez mural courtesy of Salina Canizales on Flickr

El Vuh is set to perform a concert in Tucson on May 22nd, but has added another stop during the day for fans here in Phoenix. The event will take place at the historically significant Santa Rita Center which is also known as Santa Rita Hall. The community center is located at 1017 E. Hadley in South Phoenix and was listed on the Phoenix Historic Property Register in 2007 because of a man by the name of Cesar Chavez who spent many days of his famous 24-day fast in a tiny room at the Santa Rita Center. We have come far from 1972 and yet we stand on the dawn of yet another movement affecting our people.