The Reality Dysfunction - Unscripted/Unsilenced

Do Mexicans Hate Black People?

In this freewheeling episode of The Reality Dysfunction, the dysfunctionals discuss the subject of Brown on Black prejudice.

Abolish the Police!

Abolish the police has been the battle cry across the country for the past couple of weeks. This abolitionist movement is not new and has been working for decades to achieve this goal. This week, our gang of dysfunctionals talks about their own hopes around abolishing the police. 

We are joined again by Dr. Cirien Saadeh of Minneapolis who is talking about some of the push back by the non profit sector to stop the total disbanding of the police. 

Rioters, Looters? How about Freedom Fighters? Black Lives Matter!

Today we are talking about the recent rebellions taking place across this country as reactions to the deaths of Geroge Floyd, Breona Taylor and Auhmad Arbery. Black men and women visciously murdered by the police all within the past month. 

Our dysfunctional crew of experts takes on the topic and how it applies to the Xicano/Latino community and what we need to be doing in our own communities to support and validate Black lives while preparing politically to end the mass incarceration of children on the border, men and women in prison, and the disregard the colonial system has for Black and Brown lives. This episode was recorded on June 3, 2020.

In this episode we mention a few different links. You can find them below. 

Sign the petition to reinstate the Raza Unida Party Facebook page. https://www.change.org/REINSTATERAZAUNIDA

Also, if you get a chance check out my latest blog post You Say You Want a Revolution? 

On the ground in Minneapolis

This episode of The Reality Dysfunction has us talking to Dr. Cirien Saadeh and Cruz Rodriguez, both of them are organizer/activists in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This conversation was recorded on Friday May 28, the day after the Minneapolis Third Police Precinct building was torched by protesters demanding justice on behalf of the murdered George Floyd. 

Floyd was choked to death by Derek Chauvin a Minneapolis police officer with a history of violent behavior toward people of color. In the last few days spontaneous uprisings have occurred in cities across the United States all demanding justice and an end to the murder of black and brown people by the police. 

Below you will find links to a number of organizations that are doing important work on the ground in Minneapolis. Donate if you can. 

 

*note* do not include “BLM” in your payment note, some are getting blocked. Also many orgs listed below are in immediate need as well, please check out that section.

Immediate Need (updated 5/30 6:00pm) :

• WFPC Direct Action and Rapid Response Spreadsheet (consistently updated, supply drop offs, sign ups, donations, etc.) centralized frontlines fund: https://secure.everyaction.com/fxrNs65SYEiFw59Zegwcnw2?fbclid=IwAR0PYYLjqSscr1uK6dbru074-Tih8tsMlbsKEGDqLJ0A49Cl7oI7BaAlcUQ

• @melly3141 on venmo (on the ground, food and supplies)

• $Isakdouah on cashapp (buying gas masks for protestors) 

• zelle number: 6125989366, $yhaante on cashapp (on the ground, supplies/first aid)

• @cypress-kenney on venmo (warm meals for organizers and frontliners)

 

Listed on 5/29 (have not been updated of status but most likely still accepting funds)

• @gabisoglam on venmo, $sapphireluxxe on cashapp (Black trans woman in need of funds for medical attention w/out insurance coverage and funds to support a care team sending out supplies and care)

• $notmuna on cashapp, https://www.paypal.me/munaahmed (Black woman protester in need of funds)

Listed on 5/28 (have not been updated of status but most likely still accepting funds)

• $voxpayne on cashapp (on the ground, supplies and hospital bail fund)

• @femmeempowermentproject on venmo (on the ground, supplies/herbal medicine care)

• @cassidyminarik on venmo (on the ground, supplies)

• @miasolange on venmo (on the ground, supplies)

• $CarmenMeans on cashapp (donations for local food bank, also accepting items for donation: https://twitter.com/prozacandblunts/status/1266068258572111876)

• @sonianeculescu (on the ground, funds for unhoused folks) 

Organizations and Groups (consider making monthly donations!!):

• Minnesota Freedom Fund (bail funds): UPDATE 5/29 2:49pm, MFF asking for donations to also be directed to other orgs listed below!! They have received a flood of support, please share the wealth!!! Keep donating here as well!!!

• Reclaim the Block (organizing)

• Black Visions Collective (organizing and mutual aid)

• Northstar Health Collective (medical donation): 

• MN Healing Justice Network / Spiral Collective (long haul care, ongoing trauma response, immediate funds to healers on site at Cup Foods and Moon Palace Medic Relief)

• Unicorn Riot (on the ground independent media)

• Lake St Council (help clean and rebuild lake st. businesses): 

• Women for Political Change Mutual Aid Fund (mutual aid and resource coordination) 

• Women for Political Change Frontline Fund (protestor supplies and redistributed funds to direct protestors) 

• Divine Natural Ancestry (free food for the people, local farm led by Black womxn) 

• Minnesota Youth Collective (organizing and space) 

• Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en La Lucha, CTUL_TC (organizing and space) 

• Twin Cities Recovery Project (Grief and trauma support, long haul care, ongoing trauma response, immediate funds to healers on site at Cup Foods and Moon Palace Medic Relief)

• Twin Cities DSA (groceries for meals for community members) 

Individual Funds: 

• @gabisoglam on venmo, $sapphireluxxe on cashapp (Black trans woman in need of funds for medical attention w/out insurance coverage and funds to support a care team sending out supplies and care)

• $notmuna on cashapp, https://www.paypal.me/munaahmed (Black woman protester in need of funds)

Lawyers:

 

• BEST # FOR PROTESTORS TO WRITE ON THEIR BODY: 612-444-2654 National Lawyers Guild MN Chapter: https://nlgmn.org/, https://www.facebook.com/nlgminnesota, contact is Michelle Gross  nlgminn@gmail.com 

• Noah M. Johnson “I am willing to give free legal advice to anyone associated with tonight’s protests”: noah@uptownlawyer.com , 612-827-6781 (office), 763-213-9068 (cell) 

• T. Zathras “If anyone is in need of legal representation due to their participation in tonight’s protests, DM me. I may not have criminal law experience but I will represent you for free”.: https://twitter.com/TZath/status/1265488843534467080?s=20 

• Criminal and Juvenile Defense Clinic at University of St. Thomas is offering free legal representation, probably will have to leave message but team will respond quickly: 651-962-4960

• Legal Rights Center: 612-337-0030, AFTER HOURS: 612-444-2654 (Nat’l Lawyers Guild)

• Rachel Crane “IMMIGRATION SPECIFIC - Not an attorney, but work with many immigration attorneys. I can put people in touch with attorneys who will do pro bono immigration work for those whose participation in these protests has an impact on immigration status”: 805-815-6209 or rachelleahcrane@gmail.com 

• Martine Law “If any peaceful protestors were wrongfully arrested and need pro bono representation please invite them to call” 612-208-8076

George Floyd Family/Memorial Fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd

NATIONAL LIST:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CjZMORRVuv-I-qo4B0YfmOTqIOa3GUS207t5iuLZmyA/edit

 

The Raza Unida Party: It's history and what the 21st century holds in terms of political power

This special episode of The Reality Dysfunction was recorded April 23, 2020, in a Zoom/Facebook live webinar hosted by Mexicanos 2070 an organization I have been working with for close to a year now. 

In this presentation the moderator is myself Dr. Ernesto and the panelists are all current members of the Raza Unida Party located in the Pacoima/San Fernando area. Our speakers are Ernesto Ayala, Jenaro Ayala, Estela Ayala, and Amado Guzman. This is a dynamic conversation about the current state of Xicano/a politics and the necessity of building organization in our communities.

Gentrification

In the episode of The Reality Dysfunction: X/L Edition our panel of dysfunctional experts on the Xicano Lation community take on the issues of gentrification. As the children of white flighters find their way back into the inner city Xicanos/Latinos find themselves faced once again with physical, emotional and economic displacement from neighborhoods that have generational significance. 

Perhaps a part of the solution to gentrification can be found in the development of political, economic and educational strucutures that push the Xicano/Latino community beyond our colonized relationship with the United States.

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@ernestomireles

@alexandralozada

 

 

A conversation with the Brown Berets

This special episode of The Reality Dysfunction is a recording made May 14, 2020 in a Zoom/Facebook live webinar hosted by Mexicanos 2070 an organization I have been working with for close to a year now. 

The moderators on behalf of Mexicanos 2070 are Daniel Osuna and Ernesto Ayala. The three Brown Berets present are Connie Gonzalez of San Bernardino, Sergio Lujan of El Paso, Tx, and Argelio Grion of Northern Califas. They are speaking on behalf of their own chapters and La Mesa a national organizing structure for Brown Beret chapters all over the country.

This is a fascinating discussion,  especially for anyone wanting to know more about the current state of the Xicano movement.

We ain't fake news

In this episode of The Reality Dysfunction: X/L edition the crew takes on where we get our news and how important it is to maintain those open lines of communications in our respective communities. One way to combat misinformation is to double check your facts. Social media gives a whole new perspective on the practice of chisme so we have to ask ourselves, how can we use the advances of modern technology to push a social, political and economic agenda forward for our community? We talk about this and more. 

 

Justice for All Tucson Style - making sure immigrants are legally represented

In this episode of The Reality Dysfunction we have the very real pleasure of talking with Margo Cowan, Lupe Castillo and Gage Stewart. Margo and Lupe are organizers of many decades who have taken on the US immigration system over and over with surprising success. Their secret is building community power through community mobilization. We talked about their ongoing campaign - Justice for All - which takes as one of its central tenets that the right to legal counsel should not depend on charity. It is a brilliant campaign that Castillo and Cowan are heading up through their grassroots “fighting machine” Keep Tucson Together.  These veteranas are on point.

Lupe Castilla is arrested at Tucson MAS protest

Here is the link to the campaign website:

https://sites.google.com/view/justiceforallinpimacounty

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Follow me on Twitter @ernestomireles

Or my blog at waroftheflea.org/laxicanadx

 

Can Obama sway Xicano/Latinos for Biden?

This episode of The Reality Dysfunction is a wide ranging conversation on the relationship between the Xicano/Latino community and Biden, Obama and Trump. The question is are we even a consideration anymore in this presidential contest? Or, even more importantly, have we ever been a consideration to any party for any presidential election? In one corner we have the incumbent republicans and in the other is the challenging democrats. Are Latinos once again standing in limbo having to choose between the lesser of two evils? 

Come listen to our expert panel of Rainer Delgado, Alexandra Lozada, Francisco Lopez, Magda Sanchez and myself Ernesto Mireles. If anyone out there has ideas for podcast subjects or wants to be a part of that discussion hit us up at fightforxicanostudies@gmail.com or DM me on Twitter @ernestomireles. 

Dr. Jerry Garcia - Preserving Xicano History in the Pacific Northwest

This episode we are talking with Dr. Jerry Garcia vice president of Education Services, Sea Mar Museum, and Sea Mar Housing is talking with us about his passion for Xicano history, his work creating a Xicano history museum in the Pacific Northwest and how happy he is to be back in his home state of Washington.

Xicanos and Latinos are the Essential Workers

Today our panel of experts on the Xicano/Latino community who will be hashing it up about the role of essential workers and how these men and women, a vast majority of them Xicano/Latino, have gone in the short span of two months from being ignored, and considered unskilled low paid disposable labor to essential.

In the crucible of the covid 19 crisis the very definition of essential and non essential is being debated, and discussed as wage lines are being redrawn. What this means for the future also becomes important as there is little evidence of a quick vaccine and repeated warnings of the virus resurging at regular intervals. Because of these two facts, the term “essential worker” takes on a much wider scope in terms of the demand for worker safety, collective bargaining and the respect due to our community members who continue to work and keep the rest of us safe.

#essentialworker

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On the Front line: managing community center response to pandemics

In this episode of The Reality Dysfunction I am talking with Daniel Soza III, a dear comrade from my MEXA/Brown Beret days who now lives in his hometown of Saginaw, MI., where he runs a community center that is still open and provides essential services to the people in the neighborhood surrounding the center. 

Danny comes from a long line of Midwest Xicano activists, his father Daniel Soza II was a long time city councilman in Saginaw and member of the Brown Berets in Saginaw during the 1960s. In the 1990s when me and Danny were at Michigan State University fighting for a Xicano Studies program Danny was one of six students that undertook what turned out to be a six day hunger strike to force the University to honor the united farm workers grape boycott.

Xicanx sheroes and heroes building the resistance narrative

One of the main topics that constantly come up in discussion like the one we are having is how our community has very little sense of history. We are very clear about the historical myths that found the United States. These myths are taught to us from the moment we walk into school as babies (literally) and are then relentlessly pounded into our heads for the next 12 years. For many of us our first contact with Xicano/Mexicano/Indigenous history of any kind does not happen until we get to college. Therein lies the rub – most of us never make it to college.

We have our Sheroes/Heroes, martyrs, and minstrels/jokers. The epic figures that stand above all as beacons of resistance to Anglo oppression and we fixate on them as we have been taught to do. The truth is every one of us has benefited from the love and mentorship of someone from our community both in and out of our families.

Let’s talk about those people. Let’s talk about the example they have set and how our forgotten ancestors have dragged the very notion of being Mexican, Puerto Rican, Colombian, Xicano into the present/future. The more we name our Sheroes/Heroes, martyrs, and minstrels/jokers the more we can put to rest the idea we are disorganized, and the movement is dead. Because clearly it is not. 

Escaping Rikers Island in the time of Covid19

On April 4, 2020 Jose Diaz a masters student in NYU’s social and cultural analysis program and student services coordinator for the NYU prison education program was released from Rikers Island after being put there on a technicality. It was through an epic effort lead by the director of NYU’s prison education program Dr. Kaitlin Noss worked to bring together a number of organizations who joined in the effort to get Jose Diaz released. 

Jose was incarcerated at Rikers on the same day NYC’s Mayor De Blasio publicly stated there would be no more people sent to Rikers. Rikers Island has long been under scrutiny and calls from the public for its shuttering. Rikers is also infamous for being a warehouse for black and brown folk who are there in one of the US’s most notorious prisons because they are unable to pay their bond.

Join myself, Drs. Kaitlin Noss and Zoe Hammer, along with Jose Diaz for a far ranging conversation about the conditions inside Rikers Island, the far reaching implications of quarantine for Black and Brown communities and what Latino Studies brings the table in terms of understanding and making sense of the era of Covid19.

 

For another excellent discussion from Jose Diaz check out this podcast by the Beyond-Prisons.com crew.

https://www.beyond-prisons.com/home/released-from-rikers-island-nyu-student-speaks-out-about-covid-19

Bad Ass Latinas on The Reality Dysfunction

Bad Ass Latinas are in full effect on The Reality Dysfunction in this episode. We are talking to NYC education activists Lilah Mejia, Naomi Pena and Los Angeles area teacher activist Consuelo Frausto, about the complexities of navigating the public education system as women of color and outspoken advocates for their children and children in general. These women are destroying through their organizing and advocacy work the long held stereotypes of the submissive, compliant Latina. Although as many of us already know that stereotype is one dramatically out of touch within the reality of the Latinidad.   

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Follow on Twitter:

Naomi Pena - @naomi325

Lilah Mejia - @motherLeeEarth7 

Alex Lozada - @alexandralozada

Ernesto Mireles - @ErnestoMireles

Marc Pinate: Creative Place Making and Xicano Theatre

Greetings Dysfunctionals, we're back again with another episode of The Reality Dysfunction. This time I am talking with a dear friend Marc Pinate. Marc is the director of the Borderlands Theatre Company in Tucson, AZ. I met Marc years ago when he was touring with his band Grito Serpentino. He is, and has been a Xicano rock star, guerilla theatre actor, and national slam poet champion. He is a father and husband. Currently, Marc is creating large-scale “creative place” projects in Tucson and Nogales. He talks about place making what it means in the Xicano context and his current book project.

Check out Borderlands Theatre Company.

 

Follow me on Twitter: @ernestomireles

Xicano/Latino representation: Reclaiming our narrative

Another episode of The Reality Dysfunction’s CoronaVirus WTF! Series. Join our cast of experts as we discuss Xicano Latino image and representation in education, media and literature. The recent American Dirt kerfuffle is just one recent example of how we as a community continue to be defined by the ideologies of settler colonialism and proxy narratives. A conversation about what we might be able to do as a community to take back our image and power.

Biden and Bernie : what's the deal for the Xicano/Latino community?

Biden or Bernie? What does our panel of Xicano/Latino experts say on the matter? Only one way to find out! Listen now!

CoronaVirus WTF

First in a series of conversations bringing different voices from the Latino community around the in to talk about daily life in a pandemic. Our goal is to publish daily.