Student group brings back a taste of Chicanismo to the TJ community.
Club's inaugural meeting will take place on Thursday, September 4th in room 233. graphic by Mia Nogueira
For the past few years, the TJ community has not had a Latino association or group to represent the growing number of the Latino population. This year, Edward Salazar, the Hispanic Studies and U.S History teacher, is bringing back M.E.Ch.A (El Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan) to help improve the sense of Chicanismo and Latin pride at TJ.
“M.E.Ch.A is the official voice of Chicano and Latin students. The main objective is to connect with the students and get them involved,” said Salazar. M.E.Ch.A stresses the importance of student unity and high school outreach for many of its participants. “This is a club that will help our young Chicanos feel less isolated in our school,” Salazar added.
The idea for a Chicano and Latino support group began in the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1969 when a group of college students held a nationwide conference inspired by the Chicano Movement that was taking place at the time. Their conference was an extension of the Corky Gonzales movement happening here, in Denver. The first M.E.Ch.A chapters began on college campuses around Santa Barbara and quickly expanded to other major cities in the U.S. Soon it became one of the leading Mexican-American organizations and was widely recognized for its pro-Latino events and educational programs.
“At one point there where twelve M.E.Ch.A organizations in the Denver Metro area and DPS system,” said Salazar. The first M.E.Ch.A began at North High School and was well recognized for its music festival, student events and the academic support and success it inspired in the high school students in the area.
“The program helped many of our students make it through high school and college. They always had something to connect them to their school, and knew that they were in similar situations,” said Frank Garcia, the Latino recruiter and director of the M.E.Ch.A program at the University of Northern Colorado, and Coordinator of the Latino Association at North High School, who hopes to be involved with the Latino students here at TJ, as well.
“There aren’t any M.E.Ch.A programs currently active in the DPS system; everything seemed to fade away,” said Salazar, remembering the happy times as the North High School M.E.Ch.A faculty sponsor. He has many plans for this year’s group, and hopes that many students show up to the upcoming meeting.
All students are welcome to join. The first meeting will take place on Thursday, September 4th in room 233. Students are encouraged to bring their lunch and be ready to discuss the structure of the club and the way it will be conducted. “I encourage students from different backgrounds to join M.E.Ch.A. You don’t necessarily need to be Latino to be part of the organization,” said Salazar.
“I’m really glad we finally get to have a Latino group at TJ,” said Sara Hernandez, a sophomore in Salazar’s Chicano Studies class. “I think this will have a big impact on the Latino students here because it will give us a place to all meet and coexist together,” added Hernandez.
Students are all excited to know that such a great organization will be helping them succeed. “My students will have pride in who they are,” Salazar said enthusiastically.
