Who is the Barrio Defense Committee?

The Barrio Defense Committee is a community-based organization that organizes in the Mexican community in defense of the democratic rights of la Raza (indigenous peoples of this land) and struggles for Raza self determination. We say: Tierra y Libertad! because the struggle of la Raza throughout our continents is for the struggle to reclaim our lands to be able to live free again.

The Platform of the Barrio Defense Committee states:

WHEREAS, the Barrio Defense Committee was formed to enable la Raza (Mexican and indigenous peoples of Aztlan) to defend our democratic rights claimed by the U.S. government. Since the U.S. war against the Mexican people of 1848, with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the Treaty stated that the Mexican people living in occupied land would exercise the same democratic rights as U.S. citizens. The right to speak our language, exercise our culture and traditions, to have a right to housing, education, to move freely without the fear of being harassed by the U.S. government authorities and to be treated above and beyond as first class citizens.

WHEREAS, la Raza within the borders of the U.S., have faced the most brutal attacks by the U.S. government and the white settler population since the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. La Raza have been faced with extreme exploitation and poverty which forces la Raza to live surviving in the poorest sections of cities and rural towns and constantly faced with gentrification. La Raza are forced to live in barrios infested with the U.S.-drug importation, followed with the police military forces that are at war with la Raza. Every day la Raza are killed, maimed and dragged into the U.S.-prison concentration camps by U.S. military police armies. La Raza are chased after by Migra agents which are under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Justice Dept., la Migra serves to brutalize, terrorize and expel us from our homeland. If la Raza crosses the military border, la Raza are imprisoned in the federal penitenciary prisons facing torture and death. Mexican and indigenous children suffer at the hands of school officials, administrators and teachers who impose european, history and disciplinary values causing self hatred and self killings within our children. La Raza are faced with bosses who treat and maintain la Raza as slaves paying us crumbs to survive without no benefits, nothing. The prisons are now using our labor for free and are stealing our community at the rate of 1 out of 10. Because of the extreme poverty la Raza are relegated to suffer malnutrition resulting in diabetes, heart failures, high blood pressure, stress, drug addiction, and alcoholism. Over 50% of la Raza die of diabetes. Over 50% of la Raza live in poverty. Over 50% of la Raza are in prison over drug-related and poverty-related charges. La Raza are systematically pushed out of high school and labeled as "gang members" to enable the mass imprisonment of our youth. Less than 1% graduate from colleges or universities.

Therefore, the Barrio Defense Committee organizes to exercise our rights through self defense campaigns such as the Campaign to Free Jose Luis, Now!; Campaigns in defense of Raza workers and campaigns for our right to self determination. In the struggle for self determination we have established an independent and self reliant institution like the Centro Aztlan Chicomoztoc. Centro Aztlan Chicomoztoc serves as an organizing centro and exercises educational and cultural programs to carry out our objectives.

Centro Aztlan Chicomoztoc is a community center that serves the Mexican and indigenous peoples of this land. Centro Aztlan Chicomoztoc has been successfully conducting survival English classes three nights a week to la Raza, and Spanish literacy. The English classes focus on the survival needs of la Raza, injecting the reasons why our gente are in such terrible conditions as well as teaching their rights as working people in order to defend themselves. The resources the students bring to the Centro Aztlan Chicomoztoc are invaluable. They have participated in the defense campaigns, outreach, selling raffle tickets to raise funds for the Centro, they have participated in the cultural Peñas and they have become members of the Barrio Defense Committee.

Peña Cultural de la Raza is a cultural program organized on the first Sunday of the month at the Centro Aztlan Chicomoztoc. Peñas are to infuse la Raza's national pride and identity as a people with songs, traditional food, danza, art, documentaries and history. Such as the 16th of September which was celebrated by putting up the Mexican flag on the outside of the Mexican style painted building of the Centro Aztlan Chicomoztoc. Beautiful art painted by our gente hangs inside the walls of the Centro Aztlan Chicomoztoc. The art has been donated by the members of the Barrio Defense Committee as well as supporters. Recently, we received beautiful pencil designs by Jason Treas dedicated to the struggle of the Puertorriquen Raza. Jason Treas is held hostage in the death camp Pelican Bay.

Annual Barrio Defense Committee membership fee is $10.00. Organizing meetings every Sunday at 6:00 pm

JOIN * THE BARRIO DEFENSE COMMITTEE!* P.O. Box 1523 * San Jose, CalifAztlan 95109
(408) 885-9785 * Centro Aztlan Chicomoztoc * 520 S. 2nd St.* San Jose, CalifAztlan