Dear Dr. Natalicio,
As proud Mexican American and Chican@ students we are concerned about the Faculty Senate's decision to not observe César Chávez Day. UTEP stands not only in a unique geographical and cultural location, but also as the university proudly proclaims—UTEP stands as a model for other universities to follow. Therefore, we students, faculty, and administration, should support this model by celebrating and promoting cultural awareness, and more importantly, multiculturalism, through remembrance of César Chávez Day.
Although, the Chicano Studies Program is sponsoring several noteworthy events, such occasions are not wholly satisfactory when encompassing what César Chávez Day represents to our community and people of color, particularly when taking to account our university’s demographics and the active Farm Workers Center only a few blocks away from campus.
In taking away this holiday, the Faculty Senate has robbed students and community members of part of our hard fought history—be it Mexican American, Chicano@, farm worker, or human rights history—and of our social progress. Furthermore, in seeing the movement against Mexican-origin people from Arizona to Washington D.C., we are afraid this xenophobic and unfounded hysteria is reaching our university.
We demand that the University not follow such racist and inhumane examples. Therefore, we demand the following:
-We demand that the Faculty Senate’s minutes be posted online
-We demand every holiday be re-evaluated not only César Chávez Day
-We demand the university not commit to such votes in secret from the student population
-We demand a one-on-one meeting with the Faculty Senate
-We demand a one-on-one meeting with you
-We demand a say in our university’s decisions which directly affect the students
-We demand extensions in Ethnic Studies—be it African American, Chican@,
Native American, Asian American, or White Studies
-We demand that both the African American and Chicano Studies Programs become a Departments
-We demand UTEP refute institutionalized racism by reinstating César Chávez Day
The attempt to cancel a holiday that is central to the Mexican American and Chican@ community and El Paso as a whole, leads us to believe that we are neither respected nor wanted in this institution. If our demands are not met, further actions will be taken.
Sincerely,
Sincerely,
UTEP M.E.Ch.A
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