1996_03 The Daily Collegian March 1996

              Page 2
OPINION
Wednesday March 20,1996
OYE COMO VA
Mexican-bashing the
"in" thing for politicians
By David John Chavez
Editor-in-Chief
The 1996 election is upon us, and
its time to start the picking. Picking
on Mexicans, African-Americans,
Asians, plus anyone else who doesn't
seem to fit into that Grand Old Party.
Oh how grand they are.
We saw so clearly that Mexican
bashing burst on the scene when
Pedro Wilson (I bet he hates that)
needed an issue to cling to. He
needed something to bring him out
of political Siberia.
And by Jorge, he got it.
"I'll stop those darn beaners from
swimming over and taking our jobs,"
Wilson probably said to himself. He
restructured his campaign, and made
one of the biggest comebacks in
political history. Californians bought
into it like buying a fresh bunch of
table grapes.
It's very cleat that a politician
won't worry too much about the
popular Mexican vote. And based
on past experiences, there is no
reason to blame them.
What issue brought out Mexican
voters? 187 didn't seem to. The
proposition won by a nearly three to
one count, with many Mexicans, such
as college-aged males, staying home.
The way to
combat racist
politicians is
simple: Vote.
Can we blame someone like
Wilson for what he did? He is a racist
politician who is trying to get elected.
He would outlaw green grass if it
would get him 90 percent of the
popular vote.
The way to combat the ignorance
of racist politicians is simple: Vote.
We need to take advantage of this
privilege that we have worked so
hard to receive. If we don't, then
nothing will ever change, and we
will be left with a whole lot of people
calling everyone a racist, and
wondering when Mexican bashing
will end.
Unless we get out and vote, it will
not change. Consider these statistics:
-In the state of California, there
are eight million latinos. Of those
eight million, four million of those
are eligible to vote. And of those four
million eligible, two million are legal
residents.
Of those two million, one million
are registered to vote. And of those
registered, 500,000 actually vote.
This leaves over 1.5 million latinos,
who do something else on election
day. 100,000 times 15. This is why we
can't move forward as people, and
this is why racist propositions are
brought forth against us.
It was very encouraging to read in
a recent copy of Vida En El Valle that
Latinos will probably send five
million voters to this years election.
It was equally discouraging that
on that same page, six people were
questioned as to who they would
vote for in this year's mayoral
election. Of the six, only one made
his decision. The others said they
had no idea. One said that they
didnt't know anything about the
mayors. Another said, "I'm not sure
I want the one who's in right now.
Isn't he under scrutiny?"
If you call misplacing $13,000 a
criteria for being under scrutiny, then
I guess he is.
We have been given a wonderful
opportunity to let our voice be heard
and show this country that we are a
strong political force who takes
advantage of the rights that our
forefathers have earned for us.
If we don't vote, then we will
continue to be a scapegoat for the
countries woesover and over again.
It's up to us. It's up to us to send a
message. That message can be on
sent via your ballot on March 26.
The'time is here.
The time is now.
La Voz de Aztlan
j -     David John Chavez — Editor in Chief
Christina Gomez - AssistantEcJitor
Staff Writers: -
\Caryn Carrasco • Lizette Jenness
Photographers
Sylvia Gonzalez • Torpmy Monreal • Angelica Velazquez
Cartoonist
Miguel Vega
La Voz de Aztlan is published by Chicano students for the Chicano community. Ideas and
Letters to the Editor can be directed to the newspaper office located in the Keats Campus
Building, Fresno California 93740-0042. Opinions published are not necessarily those of the
ASI, The Daily Collegian or the La Voz staff. Unsigned editorials represent the majority
inion of La Voz's editorial board. The editor reserves the right to edit letters for length and
La Voz de Aztlan is published by the Associated Students. *
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LAVOZDEAYER...
Valley Voter Registration
Project scheduled to begin
By Margaret Esparza
La Voz Staff Writer
Last Saturday marked the opening
of the local San Joaquin Voter
Registration Project office, located
at 430 N. Teilman, Fresno.
Elected officials and current
candidates for public office attended
the ceremonies which kicked off a
drive to register Spanish-speaking
citizens in Fresno County.
The San Joaquin Voter Registered
Project is being funded by the
Southwest Voter Registration
Educational Project headquartered
in San Antonio, Texas.
It's motto is "Su voto es su voz"
(Your vote is your voice).
Project Director Luis Ambriz said
the project is aimed at education
people on the political process and
inf orrning them on their right to vote.
"The voter registration project,"
said Ambriz, "is a step in the right
direction."
Ambriz added that for too long
Chicanos have not been active in the
political arena, either by not
registering or failing to vote, thus
canceling their registration.
He said the project will have a
significant impact on the political
profile of Fresno County.
"The reason for the impact," said
Ambriz, "is that in an of the 17 Fresno
County communities, 100 votes or
more will change the outcome of any
local election."
Ambriz said they plan to organize
community leaders to register
persons locally in their own
community, using a grass root level
approach.
"Another method of registering
the Spanish-speaking population is
through tar dead as, dances and dot-
to-door campaigns," Ambriz said.
"The project headquarters needs
persons to volunteer their time to
help organize these communities,"
he said.
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La Uoz apologizes for the
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