To the Chicano Mexicano Latino community:

To all progressive activists and artists:

To all people throughout the world struggling for dignity:

And to all those trying to take it away:

In these times of preemptive wars by pseudo-elected presidents we find a need to speak out as a unified voice for peace.

In these times of the USA PATRIOT Act, the modern day COINTELPRO, we find it necessary to defend our civil rights.

In these times where at the ballot box we are either forced to choose between the lesser of two evils (Democratas or Republiklans) or against particular propositions that attack our community, we choose to acknowledge the undemocratic nature of the electoral process.

In these times when lawmakers contemplate whether or not human beings deserve the right to live, learn, heal, and survive, we oppose the idea that particular groups of people are being branded as "illegals" and as "aliens."

In these times of Operation Gatekeeper, where more than 3500 people have lost their lives at the border, we find it necessary to bring an end to such inhumane tactics.

In these times of rampant police brutality, where officers are rarely prosecuted, we find a need for community elected citizen's review boards with full subpoena power.

In these times of the 3 Strikes laws, mandatory minimum sentencing, the war on drugs, and the wholesale incarceration of nonwhite youth, we find it necessary to reevaluate the criminal justice system and its purpose.

In these times where corporate interests are placed above the interests of working families we find a need for more corporate regulation, taxation, and a livable wage for all.

In these times of tax cuts for the rich, we find it necessary to increase the amount of funds used for arts and social service programs.

In these times of gentrification and rising housing costs in impoverished communities we find a need for more affordable housing, rent control, and an end to land speculation in the barrio.

In these times of inflated health care costs and sub par medical services, with good health being essential we feel that all people deserve quality affordable health care.

In these times of massive education cuts, the "pushing out" of Raza youth from schools, the attacks on bilingual education and affirmative action we find a need to fight for the right to a relevant and meaningful education for all students.

In these times when former grassroots cultural centers have decided to evade the community in order to serve corporate interests, we embrace those artists and activists who have been exiled and their ongoing commitment to the community.

In these times of media misrepresentation and stereotype, where Ricky, J-Lo, and Shakira are masqueraded as representatives of Latin culture, we find a need to promote art that truly depicts the realities of our community.

And at this time, we, as activists, writers, artists, educators, students, and publishers have come together as the Red CalacArts Collective, a project of Calaca Press. The Red CalacArts Collective is a not for profit multidisciplinary activist arts organization that will focus on creating, publishing, producing, and presenting Chicano, Latin American and indigenous related art focusing on issues dealing with human rights and social justice.

We, as activists first and artists second, reject the idea of historical revisionism or the need for alternative paradigms. Our paradigm continues that which was put in place by those that struggled before us. A paradigm based on the needs of the community, of social and political consciousness not of self interest or corporate greed.

We are a product of the Chicano Movement of the 1960's and 70's and have come to recognize that those few gains, achieved by countless individuals who struggled during that period, have been taken away (such as affirmative action and bilingual education). In order to retain those gains and to seek much more for the Chicano community we have banded together as an activist arts organization to help raise the social and political consciousness of our community through the use of the various arts mediums.

We look forward to providing a progressive alternative viewpoint to help raise the consciousness of the Chicano Mexicano Latino community in particular and all oppressed communities in general and we extend a hand of solidarity to all honest groups and individuals working on issues of human rights and social justice.

Red CalacArts Collective
10/06/03