FIST fights campus racism

The San Diego chapter of Fight Imperialism-Stand Together (FIST) was created and operates out of Southwestern College, the southernmost school in California. A majority of its students are of Mexican descent. Some live in Tijuana, Mexico, and must commute into the United States to attend school every day.

FIST

Many students are not "legal" U.S. citizens. As such, they often pay higher fees, do not qualify for financial aid and cannot apply for scholarships. On top of homework and tests, they have to worry about incarceration and deportation.

Recently the Southwestern College school newspaper, The Sun, ran an editorial by one of its staff writers entitled, "Illegal Immigrants Are Taxing on American Citizens." The piece was a blatant attack on immigrants. It stated, "It is time to burn the leeches off of our society and crack down on the people who flagrantly take advantage of America's wealth and prosperity."

Some students believe the article also included fictitious quotes, like this one from Marjorie De La Cruz: "The government needs to tighten if not close its southern borders to protect its citizens and legal immigrants from the inevitable poverty and diseases these people bring."

In response to this racist attack, members of FIST, MEChA and other campus organizations have formed the ERACISM coalition. The coalition launched a campaign that has collected over 700 signatures from students who feel attacked, harassed and let down by Southwestern College, The Sun newspaper and the school administration.

The administration has responded by sending campus police to harass students in an effort to prevent the distribution of flyers and collection of signatures. It has been trying to sweep the movement under the rug.

Emails mentioning FIST members by name and referring to the group as "just one or two upset students" have circulated among administrators who seem to value their positions more than their students.

On Jan. 27, representatives of the student organizations and their advisors met with the editors and professor in charge of the newspaper in an effort to put the issue to rest.

The following demands were presented to the staff of The Sun: 1) A printed apology from The Sun to the students of Southwestern College; 2) a retraction of the line that begins, "It's time to burn the leeches off of our society ..."; 3) that limitations be set on what the school newspaper can print; 4) that the student coalition's rebuttal be printed without censorship; and 5) that the school newspaper remain free of racist propaganda.

Unfortunately, the meeting ended with Nathaniel Pownell, the writer of the piece, screaming, "I am not a racist. ... I will not apologize for the article, I will never apologize for the article!"

On Jan. 31, The Sun sent a letter to the ERACISM coalition that failed to address any of its demands. Instead it offered free advertising for future events. ERACISM responded with a promise that the struggle is not over.

A campus rally is planned for Feb. 10. ERACISM has received strong support from students and members of the local labor and anti-war community.

FIST stated: "The school administration, the newspaper and the entire city need to understand that this will not be tolerated! Hopefully this action will remind those who need reminding, and teach those who have not learned, that this country was built on the backs of African slave labor and immigrants, that the land was stolen from Indigenous people who inhabited it before the immigrants arrived, and above all that THERE ARE NO BORDERS IN THE WORKERS' STRUGGLE!"

Letters supporting ERACISM's demands to The Sun newspaper and the administration will help in this struggle. Send them to [email protected] by Feb. 17.

Vela is an organizer of the San Diego FIST chapter.