MECHA DE STANFORD ALUMNI NEWSLETTER Issue 2 2

MEChA de Stanford

Alumni Newsletter

IN THIS ISSUE

New Year, New MEChistas!

Fall 2014

After welcoming the class of 2018 to the Farm this September, we began a push for recruitment of new members at numerous activities fairs across campus and within our residence halls. The freshmen class proved to be full of eager energy to get involved on campus and make a difference in the broader community.

With a full schedule lined up for fall quarter, including our (Re)Serving Judgment week, involvement with the Stanford Out of Occupied Palestine Divestment Coalition, and partnerships with other great organizations on and off campus, we were beyond grateful to have so many

Fall Quarter Retreat………..…….2

(Re)Serving Judgment Week…..3

We Stand for Ayotzinapa……..…5

ESTÁNFOR Shirts………………….5

Raza Day 2015 Preview…………..6

Stanford Out of Occupied Palestine Coalition………………..6

MEChista Spotlights…………….7

awesome new members from the class of 2018.

However, amidst all of the hard work that we were doing we took some time to have a day retreat to get to know each other better and to plan for the quarter ahead. We also bonded over conversations and hang outs at El Centro’s weekly Study Nights and Cafecitos, as well as over meals in the dining halls and downtime in the dorms.

With winter quarter upon us and plenty of Raza Day preparations to carry out we are excited to have our new members backing us up and are looking forward to a great 2015!

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Fall Quarter Retreat MEChA de Stanford kicked off the fall quarter with a day retreat. The retreat is more than an opportunity for MEChA members to get out of the so-called ‘Stanford bubble.’ Our retreat gives prospective members the opportunity to know core members better, allows for collaboration on a values contract, and time to begin working toward our campus programming.

We started off the morning with rollouts and a light breakfast at Lake Lag before heading off to Santa Cruz. A nature walk at Henry Cowell Redwood State Park gave us time for core member spotlights, where we shared with new members why we joined MEChA and what MEChA means for us.

Some core members shared their alienating experiences in high school, being the only student of color in academically rigorous tracks, and the way that MEChA has transformed their experience at Stanford. For former co-chair Kelly Hernandez, “MEChA means acknowledging what generations before us have done for us, and what we can do for generations to come by bringing light to social injustices and enacting change.” Sharing with

each other openly established our norm of providing a safe space, and an accepting community.

We established other organization norms by collaborating on a values contract. New and core members suggested and agreed upon values like empathy, humility, and solidarity.

Our hike lead us to a beautiful area where we sat down for boxed lunch and got to know each other

better. Keeping our retreat productive and enjoyable, core members elaborated on MEChA flagship events throughout the year and began brainstorming ideas for fall quarter programming (Re)Serving Judgment Week at the Santa Cruz Harvey West Park. Our last stop was Panther Beach, where MEChistas had fun exploring the cliffs, bonding over tacos and s'mores, and getting excited for MEChA’s year to come.

MEChistas eating lunch and

teambuilding at Henry Cowell

Redwood State Park.

MEChistas bonding while the sun sets on Panther Beach.

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(Re)Serving Judgment Week

The action takes less than a few seconds. In this time you feel perceiving eyes jumping across you, analyzing, deconstructing. You know where this is headed. A few feet away, gears are turning in the mind of the person you’ve just met. A moment ago you were just a representation of yourself; now you’re an example of an idea or notion. This person has created a new identity for you, and all that you can feel is the powerlessness of having your true self thrown away. All before you’ve had the opportunity to speak! What a tragedy it is to be misjudged!

Few outlets exist to right this wrong. Therefore we at MEChA decided to take an active stance and focus a weeklong series of programming on telling the story that most don’t see: (RE)Serving Judgment week. Monday kicked things off with an open mic, our chalkboard wall serving as a backdrop. People came up slowly

to share. For many it was difficult to overcome the shock of their experience. It took courage to pull those feelings out from within, to not be afraid of being vulnerable. Applauds and snaps made it known that what a person had experienced had also resounded in another’s heart. Though we could only hear one voice, many more souls were shouting.

Later that afternoon the second event took place with a series of panelists from within the Greek community speaking out. A series of negative op-eds had just been published in The Stanford Daily, creating tension that we could all feel. The prejudice by which they had been attacked was not justified, they argued. In fact, these supposedly useless organizations had given them comradery, opportunities, and love that they hadn’t found elsewhere. People were quick to

criticize, but not as willing to seek clarification.

The next two events tackled the influence of race in education and in interactions with police. Panelists conducting research on the negative impacts of race proudly championed justice for students of color. Unlike their peers, students of color had the weight of their race to continually confront. They could not expect a bad grade to solely reflect on them as their failure would surely be interpreted as evidence of their race’s inability or inferiority. That pressure to be perfect, so difficult to shake, combined with existing stereotypes were the reasons for the sinking of otherwise talented individuals. For the evening, a few deputies joined a panel to answer questions on diversity and ethics in their profession. Though they did answer in the standard way they had answered similar questions before, their responses were still valuable. They offered glimpses into the training that an officer would receive, and gave us the opportunity to see where our current problems with police brutality might be stemming from.

Finally, three events closed off the last two days with more personal stories. (continued on page 4)

Chalkboard wall that stood in White Plaza throughout the week. Students and community members were encouraged to share how they have been labelled unjustly.

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(Re)Serving Judgment Week (continued from page 3) Students that did not fit expected gender or sexual identities spoke out on how people typically viewed them. The reactions they received ranged from condescension to crass requests for sex. No, they were not sexual objects nor confused kids going through a phase—they were who they said they were! They only asked that no one doubt that. Following that another event allowed mixed race students an opportunity to share their own struggles. Here those who felt they straddled the border between two cultures spoke of the shunning they sometimes felt from both. Legitimacy, they explained, was hard to obtain but crucial for the acceptance they desired. Also here interesting stories of being mistaken for an insider came up. Sometimes strangers would speak to them negatively of certain races or peoples, not knowing by first appearance that half of this

person’s family belonged to those being degraded. Would the stranger have spoken up if he had known? How much do people actually believe but do not openly express!

The closing event was also an open mic type of event, similar to the opening ceremony in many ways. Here the blackboard was again present, but was now full. Throughout the week it had stood in White Plaza, inviting members of the community to put down the ways people had mistakenly seen them or misjudged them. On the reverse they were able to celebrate who

they really were. The community could publicly share in the pain, but also rejoice. The speakers that stood up to the mic had this to support them as they let loose what had been locked up too long. If a tear was shed, there was a brother to it in his neighbor’s eye. No one was lonely here, because no one had ever been alone. One rupture in the silence, so sincere in its conception, shattered the walls that had been erected. We no longer needed that stone or mortise; we were stronger free. That was (RE)Serving Judgment Week.

Top: Education researchers and MEChistas take part in a panel discussion about how stereotypes impact learning and the education system.

Left: Members of the Stanford Sheriff’s Department and Palo Alto Police Department take part in a panel discussion about how stereotypes effect policing and the law enforcement system.

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We Stand for Ayotzinapa

Stanford MEChistas, along with many students from other organizations on campus, stood in solidarity with the missing Ayotzinapa students, their families, and with all those around the globe demanding the cease of state violence, police brutality, and corruption. In order to raise awareness around the circumstances of the Ayotzinapa incident and about the larger human rights crisis that Mexico has been enduring throughout the past decades, students took over White Plaza, handing out informational flyers and leading passer-byes to the display of 43 empty chairs displaying the

photo and biography of each of the missing students.

Throughout the day, teach-ins, sign-making, and chanting took place. In addition, signatures for a statement of solidarity on behalf of the Stanford community were collected.

One of the main goals of the event was to connect this tragic but not isolated event with the wider Stanford community and with the U.S. as a whole. The uncle of one of the missing students, a friend of some of the students who led the awareness event, currently works on

campus and has been raising awareness in the San Jose area about the case of the missing students.

During the course of the event, the U.S.’s responsibility for a large part of the violence in its Southern neighbor was highlighted. For instance, the U.S. has sent about 3 billion dollars to the Mexican government (mainly though the Merida Initiative) to train and equip Mexican State forces, and 70-90 percent of all weapons used by drug cartels originated in the U.S. Thus, the U.S. has played a large role in the recent violence in Mexico that has resulted in almost 100 thousand deaths and over 20 thousand kidnappings since 2008.

In holding this event, it was our hope that we were able to educate the Stanford community about these injustices and urge this community to continuously recognize the injustices that continue to prevail in the social and political landscape of Mexico.

Shirts! Shirts! Shirts!

Ayotzinapa demonstration in White Plaza, with 43 chairs set up for each of the 43 students that went missing.

Last quarter we sold out of all of our shirts! We planned for a large interest, but we found that there was a HUGE interest in our ESTÁNFOR shirts. We are in the process of receiving our second order and will be selling them again soon! If you would like a MEChA de Stanford exclusive ESTÁNFOR shirt please contact Kevin Martinez at kevinm95@stanford.edu.

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Coming Soon: Raza Day 2015

Stanford Out Of Occupied Palestine Coalition

Students from schools from all over the Bay Area come together for the annual Raza Day Youth Conference put on by MEChA de Stanford at the University's Cubberley Auditorium. This year's Raza Day will be on April 11th, 2015.

The purpose of the event is to inspire youth to take pride in their cultural roots and to empower them to pursue higher education. MEChA hopes to accomplish this through workshops, a keynote address,

and connecting the high school students with Stanford's own students. In the past, we have included renowned activists such as Favianna Rodriguez, César Cruz, and Ernie G. We also organized a collaborative mural workshop last year, where students got the opportunity to paint a mural.

This year, the theme of the conference is Somos Semillas. The theme references the Mexican proverb: quisieron enterrarnos, pero se les olvido

que somos semillas, they wanted to bury us, but they didn’t know that we were seeds. The theme references persevering in the face of oppression, just as so many Chican@/Latin@ high school students must do to flourish.

All high school students are welcomed to attend the conference. If you know or have a group of students interested in attending please contact Raza Day co-chairs, Karina (kluna18@stanford.edu) or Oscar (Carvente@stanford.edu).

This fall MEChA was approached by Students for Justice in Palestine to join a coalition of student groups leading a campaign for Stanford to divest from companies that are perpetuating human rights violations in Palestine.

Not only has National MEChA been signed on to this divestment campaign since 2012, but MEChistas here at Stanford have been continuously involved in learning and fighting this incident of immense human suffering. Noting the parallels between the US/Mexico border conflicts and the conflicts surrounding the separation wall

in the West Bank, and the mirrors between the discrimination and stigmatization that the Palestinian people face and that which our own Chican@/Latin@ brothers and sisters, we as MEChistas were honored to join this coalition.

While the coalition formed this fall, there was still much planning to be done before we kicked off our divestment campaign. The campaign will formally kick off this winter with a resolution for divestment being brought to the ASSU undergraduate senate in the latter half of winter quarter. In the first weeks of winter quarter we will also be

canvassing across campus to encourage students and community members to sign our petition for divestment.

If you are interested in getting involved you can sign our petition as an alumni and/or donate to our GoFundMe page that goes to support the purchasing of the various canvassing materials that we will need to lead a strong divestment campaign in winter quarter. You can find the petition here: http://soopalestine.org/105-2/, and the GoFundMe page here: http://www.gofundme.com/soopalestine.

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MEChista Spotlight

Ireri Hernandez

Ireri Hernandez is a senior majoring in Economics. She was born in Morelia, Mexico and moved to Texas when she was 9 years old. She really enjoys being a part of MEChA because it gives her a space to learn about and discuss social issues affecting the Chican@/Latin@ community with other amazing MEChistas. She enjoys traveling, eating, watching movies, and jogging.

Stephanie Navarro

Stephanie Navarro is a senior majoring in Human Biology with an area of concentration in Community Health and Health Care. Stephanie was born and raised in San Diego, CA, a place that she will always call home. While Stephanie is also a tutor and coordinator for Barrio Assistance and Co-Chair of El Centro Chicano y Latino’s Guiding Concilio, her home at Stanford will always be within MEChA and her MEChista family. She enjoys MEChA because it gives her the skills and experience necessary to make a difference in the world and has given her several opportunities to already begin to make this change through advocacy work, community service, and simply being able to brighten people’s days. In her spare time Stephanie enjoys watching movies, eating yummy food, and reading about how to overthrow capitalism.