Centro CSO
Centro CSO
53rd Chicano Moratorium
On Saturday, August 26 2923, over 300 people, mostly Chicano, gathered at Salazar Park in East Los Angeles for the 53rd Chicano Moratorium. Led by Centro CSO and other allied organizations, speakers both commemorated the 53rd anniversary of the protest that took place at the same location on August 29, 1970 and highlighted the ongoing struggle for Chicano self-determination. Demands included legalization for all of the undocumented, community control of the sheriffs, no U.S./NATO wars, and protection of public education.
Antonia Montes, co-chair of Centro CSO’s education committee, opened the Moratorium by remembering Dr. Roberto Cintli Rodriguez, who died on July 31. A victim of repression by the East LA sheriffs, Rodriguez became an author and professor who documented the killings of Chicanos and fought for Raza Studies in Arizona.
After the tribute to Dr. Rodriguez, Carlos Montes, a founder of the Brown Berets and today a leading member of Centro CSO and Freedom Road Socialist Organization, gave a kickoff speech that contextualized the Moratorium as a protest against U.S. imperialism and for Chicano self-determination. Estela Ayala of el Partido La Raza Unida then followed with a blessing and an acknowledgment of Salazar, Diaz, and Ward.
Luis Sifuentes, co-chair of Centro CSO’s Police Accountability Committee, spoke about how the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department has only grown more powerful since the killing of Salazar.
David Pulido of CSO Orange County explained how the Santa Ana Police Department has corrupted their city council, which allows the SAPD to continue “arresting, locking up and killing Chicanos.” Diana Terreros, a member of CSO OC as well as Freedom Road Socialist Organization, connected police crimes to the national oppression of Chicanos across Aztlán.
Baba Akili, a leader in Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles, highlighted the solidarity between African Americans and Chicanos in the fight against police brutality in Los Angeles.
After a danzante performance from Xipe Totec and spoken word by Matt Sedillo and Cristal Haro, Marisol Marquez, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Centro CSO, gave a speech about how she’s a member of FRSO because it takes up the question of what it means to be Chicano and how to fight for liberation. Marquez rallied the crowd by saying, “Make some noise if you think the only way to win Chicano liberation is through revolution!”
Ernesto Ayala of el Partido La Raza Unida, and Vanessa Bustamante gave empowering speeches urging all in attendance to get more involved in Chicano movements. Fernando Ledezma of Los Rucos, and retired Eastman Avenue Elementary teacher spoke about growing up Chicano and the continued struggle for Chicano rights.
Alex Orellana, a Teamster at UPS and a Marine veteran, spoke about the need for Chicanos to join unions and fight the boss at their workplaces rather than enlist in the U.S. military. Victor Rodriguez, another Teamster at UPS and a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, explained how Teamsters in Los Angeles and across the U.S. won a massive contract campaign against UPS.
Next, Chicano Secret Service, a comedy troupe which uses humor to tackle political issues that Chicanos confront, performed a series of skits. One featured Vice President Kamala Harris visiting East LA while the other starred Elias Serna as Che Castro, a Chicano revolutionary who was “conceived at the Moratorium and born on Cinco de Mayo.”
After Chicano Secret Service’s performance, Antonieta Garcia of CSO’s education committee and Lucia Garcia of Eastside Padres Contra Privatizacion spoke about how charter corporations are proliferating on LA’s Eastside and destroying public education for Chicanos. Presenting her resolution to fight charter co-locations, Rocio Rivas, the Los Angeles Unified School District board member for District 2, said, “In LA. we’re fighting privatization because we have wonderful neighborhood public schools that have been here for generations.”
Other groups represented included the Brown Beret Organization and La Mesa Nacional de Los Brown Berets called for Chicano self-determination throughout Aztlán. LA MAS and the Peace and Freedom Party called for unity in the struggle against monopoly capitalism. Eden Enamorado spoke about experiencing first-hand police brutality from police in LA and his work defending street vendors.
Jordan Pena of CSO’s Immigration Rapid Response Team closed the rally by recognizing how more than 50 years after the original Moratorium, both veteranos and youth were united to fight for Chicano liberation. He led the crowd with the chant, “Chicano power, Chicana power, que viva Aztlan!”[1]
DACA protest
Los Angeles, CA - December 2022, Over 20 people rallied in the Boyle Heights neighborhood, at Mariachi Plaza on December 8. The rallying cry was for Congress to save Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). DACA which was a 2012 executive order by then-President Barack Obama, is at risk of being overturned.
Centro CSO united forces to save it and to also demand the legalization of all of the undocumented. Present at the event were Torres High School students and residents of Boyle Heights. Some of them are DACAmented. Tomasa Martínez who is a mother to three undocumented children was also in attendance.
CSO is part of the national Legalization for All Network (L4A.)
Speakers included Aaron Reveles of the Peace and Freedom Party, as well as Jenny Bekenstein and Marisol Marquez, who are co-chairs of the CSO Immigration committee. Both are also members of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).
Bekenstein said of the current situation, “It is especially unfair because harmful U.S. foreign policy and militarization is a huge part of the reason why people are forced to leave their home countries and immigrate here.”[2]
International Women’s Day event
On March 6 2022, Centro CSO hosted its fifth annual International Women’s Day event. Hosted over Zoom for the second consecutive year, “Luchadorxs de Los Ángeles: Resisting State Sanctioned Violence during a Pandemic” highlighted the efforts of women in leading the fights against police brutality, the privatization of education as well as other struggles.
The event kicked off with a solidarity statement from Marisol Marquez, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Centro CSO’s core, immigration, and police brutality committees.
After Marquez’s speech, Cristal Haro, an artist born and raised in Boyle Heights as well as a member of Centro CSO’s police accountability committee, first read poetry before presenting a series of paintings.
Facilitated by CSO core members Isabel Gurrola and Juliana Castellon, the panel discussion included representatives from each of CSO’s three committees. Gurrola and Castellon asked panelists three questions: What made you want to become active in your community? How has gender roles and expectations sparked or fueled your activism as a femme or non-binary person? How has organizing during a pandemic impacted your life?
Julie Regalado and Antonietta Garcia, parents and veterans of the movement against charter schools in Boyle Heights and East LA, spoke on behalf of CSO’s education committee.
Hilda Pedroza, sister of David Ordaz Jr. who was killed by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department on March 14, 2021, and Em Hubbard represented CSO’s police accountability committee. Both activists attended the recent conference for the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression in Chicago and are trying to win community control of the sheriffs through a charter amendment.
Finally, Ofelia Carrillo and Jenny Bekenstein, who works at UPS and organizes against U.S. intervention in Central America, presented for CSO’s immigration committee. According to Carrillo, the experience of patriarchy within her immigrant family began her journey toward organizing. Bekenstein mentioned how observing the progress socialism has brought to women in Nicaragua helped lead her to CSO.[3]
CSO immigration rally
On April 8 2021, a press conference was held with immigrant families and Centro CSO calling on President Joe Biden to move forward with a plan to grant legal status to the over 12 million undocumented living and working in the U.S.
Undocumented residents and other members of Centro CSO were joined by Tanya Lozano from the Right to Family delegation from Chicago. She is the daughter of Emma Lozano who launched the 2006 mega marches. Also speaking at the press conference was immigrant rights activist from Chicago, Elvira Arellano. Years ago, Arellano took refuge at a Chicago church to oppose her deportation and helped start the sanctuary movement in the U.S.
Carlos Montes, a local Chicano human rights activist from Boyle Heights, spoke, calling for mass marches and unity to demand legalization for all. Montes also denounced police killings of Blacks and Chicanos, especially by the LA Sheriff's department with its deadly deputy gangs.
Marisol Marquez, another Boyle Heights resident, Centro CSO activist, and recent mother, spoke about the racist condition immigrants face in ICE detention centers. She also told of immigrants in other countries being granted citizenship for being essential workers during the pandemic. “All immigrant workers in the U.S. are essential and should be given legalization now,” Marquez said.
Luis Sifuentes of Centro CSO spoke about the abuse women and children face in the long journey to cross the border only to face abuse at the hands of ICE. “These are concentration camps where women and children get sick and die and are subjected to sexual abuses,” Sifuentes said, pointing out that last year a whistleblower revealed that ICE doctors are forcefully performing hysterectomies on women. “This is genocide! We demand these children to be reunited with their families and close the camps!”[4]
Fight Back! supporter
Fight Back! / ¡Lucha y Resiste! is a Facebook group for readers and supporters of Fight Back! / ¡Lucha y Resiste! the newspaper of Freedom Road Socialist Organization/FightBack!
As of July 5 2020 members included Centro CSO.