Blog

By Jose Angel Gutierrez

Originally published en espanol in La Estrella newspaper of Fort Worth, reprinted by permission of author.

No this is not a match between two boxers or wrestlers; it is a debate at the University of Texas-Arlington campus on April 28, 2006 at 1pm at the Student Center, Rosebud Theatre. It is free and open to all the public.

I am debating Jared Taylor, a racist in a suit. Look at his writings for the past 14 years under http://www.amren.com He believes that the first white persons that came to North America were “pioneers” and “nation builders,” not illegal aliens.
I say the first illegal aliens in the US were the pilgrims, his forefathers. I believe that the first illegal aliens in Texas were Davy Crockett, Sam Houston, Jim Bowie, and thousands of other criminals. He believes that they were freedom fighters and heroes.

Taylor also has racist views about certain people. White people are good and intelligent by nature. Blacks and browns (Latinos) are criminal by nature. Mexicans and other Latinos are invading the US and destroying the white way of life, he writes, says, and believes.

Come hear him. To him and his supporters, the US has been a white country, still is a white country, and should remain a white country. I believe this is a nation of immigrants and we should all accommodate each other and live peacefully as human beings not racial groups.

Mexico lost these lands we now call Texas and the Southwest in wars of aggression fought by the US in the early to mid-1800s. Political control over these lands transferred over to the US and our problems began. Overnight we were made illegal and unwanted in our own homelands. That is still the case today.

The Taylor’s of this country believe we should not come into the US unless we become like them. In the case of African Americans who were brought here in chains and into slavery, the Taylor’s of this country believe they are inferior and cannot become like them. In our case the Taylor’s believe we are not only different in our culture but deficient because we are not white.

I realize you probably do not believe such people exist today but they do and I am having this debate in public to expose this racist in a suit on April 28th at 1pm. If you cannot come, go read his material. Taylor and others are daily on the air on radio and television talking bad about Mexicans, immigrants and me in particular. I think we need to answer them back in public.

THE ORIGINS OF THE “ELIMINATE THE GRINGO” QUOTE

By Jose Angel Gutierrez

Originally published en espanol in La Estrella newspaper of Fort Worth, reprinted by permission of author.

I was the head of the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO) in Texas in 1969 having just return from military duty during the Vietnam War. I held a press conference in San Antonio, Texas on April 11, 1969 to announce our organizational plans.

This is what I said:

“MAYO had found that both federal and religious programs aimed at social change do not meet the needs of the Mexicanos of this state.

“Further, we find that the vicious cultural genocide being inflicted upon La Raza by gringos and their institutions not only severely damage our human dignity but also make it impossible for La Raza to develop its right of self-determination.

“For these reasons, top priority is given to identifying and exposing the gringo. We also promote the social welfare of Mexicanos through education designed to enlarge the capabilities of indigenous leaders.

“We hope to secure our human and civil rights, to eliminate bigotry and racism, to lessen the tensions in our barrios and combat the deterioration of our communities.

“Our organization, largely comprised of youth, is committed to effecting meaningful social change. Social change that will enable La Raza to become masters of their destiny, owners of their resources, both human and natural, and a culturally and spiritually separate people from the gringo.

“Only through this program, we of MAYO, see the possibility of surviving this century as a free and complete family of Mexicanos. We will not try to assimilate into this gringo society in Texas, nor will we encourage anybody else to do so.

“Rather, MAYO once again asks of friends here and across the nation to assist us in our efforts. We intend to become free as a people in order to enjoy the abundance of our country and share it with those less fortunate.

“MAYO will not engage in controversy with fellow Mexicanos regardless of how unfounded and vindictive their accusations may be. We realize that the effects of cultural genocide takes many forms—some Mexicanos will become psychologically castrated, others will become demagogues and gringos as well and others will come together, resist and eliminate the gringo. We will be the latter.”

Questions followed the press statement, particularly from Kemper Diehl, a reporter with the San Antonio Express News. He wrote an article on the press conference and printed his version of an exchange:

Q: What do you mean by ‘eliminate the gringo?’

A: “You can eliminate an individual in various ways. You can certainly kill him but that is not our intent at this moment. You can remove the base of support that he operates from be it economic, political, social. That is what we intend to do.”

Kemper Diehl wrote more: “Gutierrez was again pressed as to intentions of killing gringos ‘if worst comes to worst.’ He replied ‘If worst comes to worst and we have to resort to that means, it would be self-defense.’ ” Gutierrez went on to be quoted as detailing attempts on his life and property just a few years before.

For the record, this was a press conference 38 years ago! It was not a press conference held yesterday much less statements made by me in my class room at the university. Since immigration and anti-Mexican attitudes are now the talk of the day particularly on national radio and television I have been resurrected.

Lastly, about 2 years ago Alan Wall that works and lives in Mexico put together words as if they were mine and posted them on VDARE.com claiming they were mine. Soon these quotes appeared in many extreme right wing websites. Two months ago David Horowitz included me in a list of the 101 Most Dangerous Professors in the United States and cited these Allan Wall quotes as his evidence. Reporters today are now citing them over and over again today.

Because of this the FBI came to see me and warn me that some people want to kill me. I cannot stop crazies from believing these lies. This will pass. In the meantime realize that the white hate aimed against me now is really the same white hate aimed at all of us of Mexican ancestry residing in the US.

Jose Angel Gutierrez is a home-grown civil rights hero of Texas history. We are honored to have his permission to post these selected writings. Special thanks to Roberto Calderon for forwarding these works.–gm

Oh, and while we have the attention of our Nazi readers, don’t forget to vote in our school funding poll. We like to keep track of how many you are.

Dynamic Growth in the Rio Grande Valley
By José Joaquín López
Dallas Fed

Texas Manufacturing employmentIts proximity to Mexico and fast-growing, binational job market are major factors in the Rio Grande Valley’s economy. They’re a large part of the reason employment has increased at a faster, steadier pace in the Valley than in the United States, Mexico or Texas as a whole. Despite rapid job creation, the Valley remains relatively poor. The McAllen–Edinburg–Mission metropolitan statistical area ranks last among the nation’s 361 MSAs, with a per capita income of $15,184 a year, less than half the national average of $31,472. The Brownsville–Harlingen MSA comes in next to last at $16,308.

The combination of rapid job growth and low income is unusual. In a study covering 1967 to 1997, Dallas Fed economist Keith Phillips found weak employment gains in other states’ low-income counties—annual averages of 2 percent in Kentucky, 0.4 percent in West Virginia and 0.3 percent in Mississippi. Valley employment, by contrast, rose 3.4 percent a year over the three decades.

Southwest Economy

Issue 2, March/April 2006
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

http://www.dallasfed.org/research/swe/2006/swe0602c.html

Overall, NAFTA had an export-weighted average effect of 28 percent on Texas exports to Mexico. Adjusted for inflation, the trade deal accounted for roughly a quarter of Texas’ 111 percent increase in exports to Mexico between 1993 and 2000.

During the same period, Texas’ NAFTA-related exports to Canada rose 47 percent, or about a third of the state’s 131 percent gain in that market. Texas sells quite a bit more to Mexico than to Canada. Even if the percentage effect is smaller, the NAFTA-led increases in exports to Mexico are larger in dollar terms. Industries with statistically significant gains in exports to Mexico as a result of NAFTA were rubber and miscellaneous plastic products (79 percent), printing and publishing (78 percent), textile mill products (75 percent), petroleum and coal products (69 percent), leather and leather products (71 percent) and electronic equipment (49 percent). Significant declines were found in lumber and wood products (89 percent) and furniture and fixtures (75 percent).

The statistically significant NAFTA winners in terms of exports to Canada were oil and gas exploration equipment (286 percent), furniture and fixtures (75 percent), industrial machinery including computers (70 percent), apparel (66 percent), instruments and related products (58 percent) and rubber and miscellaneous plastic products (54 percent). The only significant decline was in metal mining (88 percent).

The diversity in gains and losses of exports among industries suggests trade deals affect economic sectors differently. Lower tariffs no doubt gave some Texas industries an advantage over Mexican and Canadian companies. Export declines might signal an inability to compete, although they could simply reflect some firms’ decisions to shift economic activity to other states. Because Texas had more winners than losers, though, we can conclude that NAFTA in general made Texas industries more competitive.

Southwest Economy

Issue 2, March/April 2006
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

Did NAFTA Spur Texas Exports?
By Anil Kumar

http://www.dallasfed.org/research/swe/2006/swe0602b.html