The Varsity News

Issue date: 4/1/09 Section: Features

Jose Antonio Orosco suggested that we should take Cesar Chavez as seriously as Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, even though he may not have a degree or title in his name. He stated that Chavez, only a product of an eighth grade education, taught himself different subjects. Living in the struggle of his own community allowed Chavez to stand up and protest against it. Instead of seeing American culture as the pinnacle of hard work and education and Mexican culture as the essence of laziness, drug cartels and violence, Orosco stated that Mexican culture was a resource for changing American society. He claimed that Chavez wanted the nonexistent American melting pot of people to be "juntos pero no revueltos": together but not blended. There is a difference between ethnic culture and political culture, and that exclusion policies on political participation should be removed if they are based on race.
Chavez wanted more people to participate in the democratic process, since this will provide an infusion of new blood where the political culture can become enriched by different ethnicities. He supports inter-culturalism and urged minority groups to challenge politics and claim their place as rightful citizens and human beings. He says that we should use Latino culture, in his case Mexican culture, so often viewed negatively as a way to transform economic institutions from a standpoint other than the Anglo-Saxon view point or the white man's way. Orosco said that Chavez saw great value in "La Causa" which means "The Cause," which was the movement of mistreated farm laborers who rose against their employers in a passive form of protest. This raised awareness in the Latino community and made them realize that though poor, if they had pride, they could not be humiliated and their social awareness could not be taken back.
Chavez wanted to cultivate a culture of peace, rejecting violence and solving problems though negotiation. This farm worker movement showed that peace could be a counter-influence for the militarism and greed of the United States. He believed that democratic values were violated by America, which claimed to be a country of equal opportunity and participation. The US government actively took part in taking away the rights of these workers, exploiting immigrants and making them work under the threat of deportation, incarceration and inhumane working conditions (The Brazero Program). This was a new breed of slave workers, most of them living at the work site and dispatched upon completion of their work. They were not allowed to join society and the actions of the government were completely incompatible with the idea of equality and participation.
Orosco's speech on "Refusing to be un Macho," placed me back in my home country, where traditional women immediately fall over themselves to place the shoes on their husband's feet, feed them a three course meal and attend to their every whim, trembling in fear if the he ever became displeased. That Cesar Chavez refused to be "un macho" made me think that he was an advocate for the gentle treatment of women, but I also noticed that it went further than that. Orosco again advocated Chavez's ideal culture of peace and the greatness that could come out of it. He claimed that conflicts can be solved through finding the middle ground. He acknowledges that there is a misconception of Mexican culture, the suggested model Mexican man has a violent streak, and that the definition of a man in Mexico is to be tough, unbendable and unwilling to do someone's bidding, and standing up with violence if contradicted. Chavez turns against that, refusing the whole concept of stereotyped machismo and urging for its reform.
What defines a "macho"? In other words what defines a real man? Is it brute strength and a desire to respond with a fight if challenged? Chavez says that this is not so. That a real man can put down his physical arms and wage war with his mind and intelligence, it can be a peaceful struggle that won't harm either side. I agree with him, I believe that a male is not defined by the greatness of his muscles and how he uses them, and that the negative light cast on Mexicans is unjust and incorrect. Orosco again states that Chavez is an advocate of the culture of peace. Chavez implies that the US can actually learn from Mexican culture and turn away from aggressive forms of resolving issues to instead use a nonviolent manner.
The stereotyped Mexican leaves much to be desired, but I have to come face to face with many intelligent and ambitious Mexicans that tear the stereotype to shreds. A lot of the laborers brought from Mexico were not very aware of how truly underpaid and exploited they were. The American twisted machismo rose to its name, by treating these workers terribly and taking advantage of these people's dreams of a better life to improve the economy without regard of human rights. This country, that takes so much pride in equal opportunity given to all, has failed miserably in its Constitution. At the same time, a "thinking" Mexican was never accounted for, and like a great leader that rises out of the suffering and hopes of the people, Cesar Chavez came forward and voiced the desires of Mexican workers with a peaceful but firm voice and actions. Chavez lies still in the hearts of his people and serves as a reminder that barriers can be broken and that pride and enlightenment cannot be forcibly removed once they are deeply instilled.

NOTE: Prof. Orosco's talks were part of a celebration of Cesar Chavez Day. The celebration included food provided by Lambda Theta Phi Fraternity, and a play on the life of Cesar Chavez organized by Bec Young and the Matrix Theatre from Southwest Detroit. The event was organized and sponsored by the Carney Latin American Solidarity Archive (CLASA). Other important co-sponsors of the event were the Hispanic American Student Association (HASA), Student Programming Board, Women's and Gender Studies, the Catholic Studies Program, and the Jesuit Community at UDM. Thanks also to Dr. M.L. Liebler's Creative Writing class for help with the play.

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