My mother crossed the border, sin papeles. I'm writing a novela about why she came to el norte and her journey here and my journey back.
My story is a common one. On one side: a father whose family has been here since before the Texas Revolution - in other words, I'm qualified to be one of those "Daughters of the Alamo." But who wants that? On the other side: a Mexican family left behind, a rancho, ancestors, religion, memorias.
We latinos are the memory made flesh that this country wants to forget. The tragic past and the inevitable future at the same time. The leaders of this country are afraid of both. I'm marching on Monday because it's what my mother, Marina Hernandez Renaud, now passed, would have done. She's the one who taught me Spanish, told me stories about her Mexico every single day, and most of all, showed me, from the way she cooked her beans to the way she shared her food to the braceros working in the fields where my father was a foreman - what it means to be mexicana.
Despite all the overt, subtle, and sophisticated discrimination I've experienced in my life, my mother, all five feet of her, would stand up straight and tall while she was making tortillas, listening to Selena or her favorite conjunto, while I told her stories about my own struggles, and she would say:
They are afraid of us. Are you?
IMMIGRANT RIGHTSMy story is a common one. On one side: a father whose family has been here since before the Texas Revolution - in other words, I'm qualified to be one of those "Daughters of the Alamo." But who wants that? On the other side: a Mexican family left behind, a rancho, ancestors, religion, memorias.
We latinos are the memory made flesh that this country wants to forget. The tragic past and the inevitable future at the same time. The leaders of this country are afraid of both. I'm marching on Monday because it's what my mother, Marina Hernandez Renaud, now passed, would have done. She's the one who taught me Spanish, told me stories about her Mexico every single day, and most of all, showed me, from the way she cooked her beans to the way she shared her food to the braceros working in the fields where my father was a foreman - what it means to be mexicana.
Despite all the overt, subtle, and sophisticated discrimination I've experienced in my life, my mother, all five feet of her, would stand up straight and tall while she was making tortillas, listening to Selena or her favorite conjunto, while I told her stories about my own struggles, and she would say:
They are afraid of us. Are you?
MARCH for
monday april 10 2006
5:oo pm Start at Milam Park
(in front of Santa Rosa Hospital @ Santa Rosa St & Commerce)
March to Federal Building
(E. Durango street) where we continue with a rally
5:oo pm Start at Milam Park
(in front of Santa Rosa Hospital @ Santa Rosa St & Commerce)
March to Federal Building
(E. Durango street) where we continue with a rally
Stop H.R. 4437, a dangerous bill that criminalizes immigrants.
For information: esperanza peace & justice center: 210.228.0201 ·
fuerza unida: 210.927.2294 · www.myspace.com/sanantomexa
Supported by:
ACLU · ACORN · AFSCME ·
Benedictine Sisters · Council
on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR) · Catholic
Charities · Centro Cultural
Aztlán · César Chávez
March for Justice · Club de
Estados de Mexico · Comité
en Solidaridad con el Pueblo
de México · Coordinadores
96/2000 · Esperanza Peace
and Justice Center · Food
Not Bombs · Fuerza Unida ·
G.I. Forum · Green Party ·
Inner City Advocates · IUE ·
LCLAA · LULAC · MALDEF ·
Mestizos en Marcha ·
MEXA San Anto · Mexican
American Cultural Center ·
Missionary Catechists of
Divine Providence
Congregation · Mujeres
Activas en Letras y Cambio
Social (MALCS) · NAACP,
San Antonio · NAPE ·
National Council of La Raza
· Neighborhoods First
Alliance · NLAC · Pax Christi
· P.I.T.C.H. I.N. (Fox Tech
H.S.) · p e a c e C E N T E R
· Progressive Students
Organization · RAICES · San
Anto Cultural Arts ·
Santuario Sisterfarm · SEIU ·
Siempre United · Soulforce
San Antonio · Southwest
Voter Registration &
Education Project ·
Stonewall Democrats ·
Southwest Workers' Union ·
Texas Fair Trade Coalition ·
Texas Media Empowerment
Project · United Students
Against Sweatshops · United
Students for Fair Trade ·
University Leadership
Initiative · William C.
Velásquez Institute · The
World Can't Wait - Drive out
The Bush Regime!
Comments