By
the mid-1960s, there was a growing sense of Chicano self-identity. Political movements were not far behind. The First Chicano
National Conference, held in Denver in 1969, produced "El Plan de
Aztlan, a call for political action and
race pride.
EL
PLAN ESPIRITUAL DE AZTLAN
In the spirit of a new people that is conscious not only of its proud historical heritage but also of the brutal "gringo" invasion of our territories, we, the Chicano inhabitants and civilizers of the northern land of Aztlan from whence came our forefathers, reclaiming the land of their birth and consecrating the determination of our people of the sun, declare that the call of our blood is our power, our responsibility, and our inevitable destiny.
We are free and sovereign to determine
those tasks which are justly called for by our house, our land, the sweat of
our brows, and by our hearts. Aztlan belongs to those who plant the seeds,
water the fields, and gather the crops and not to the foreign Europeans. We do
not recognize capricious frontiers on the bronze continent.
Brotherhood unites us, and love for
our brothers makes us a people whose time has come and who struggle against the
foreigner "gabacho" who exploits our riches and destroys our culture.
With our heart in our hands and our hands in the soil, we declare the independence
of our mestizo nation. We are a bronze people with a bronze culture. Before the
world, before all of North America, before all our brothers in the bronze
continent, we are a nation, we are a union of free pueblos, we are Aztlan.
Por
La Raza todo. Fuera de La Raza nada.
El
Plan Espiritual de Aztlan sets the theme that the Chicanos (La Raza de Bronze)
must use their nationalism as the key or common denominator for mass
mobilization and organization. Once we are committed to the idea and philosophy
of El Plan de Aztlan, we can only conclude that social, economic, cultural, and
political independence is the only road to total liberation from oppression,
exploitation, and racism. Our struggle then must be for the control of our
barrios, campos, pueblos, lands, our economy, our culture, and our political
life. El Plan commits all levels of Chicano society-the barrio, the campo, the
ranchero, the writer, the teacher, the worker, the professional-to La Causa.
Nationalisrn
Nationalism as the key to organization transcends
all religious, political, class, and economic factions or boundaries.
Nationalism is the common denominator that all members of La Raza can agree
upon.
Organizational
Goals
1. UNITY in the thinking of our people concerning the barrios, the pueblo, the campo, the land, the poor, the middle class, the professional-all committed to the liberation of La Raza.
2.
ECONOMY.
Economic control of our lives and our communities can only come about by
driving the exploiter out of our communities, our pueblos, and our lands and by
controlling and developing our own talents, sweat, and resources....
3.
EDUCATION must be relative to our people, i.e., history, culture, bilingual
education, contributions, etc. Community control of our schools, our teachers,
our administrators, our counselors, and our programs.
4.
INSTITUTIONS
shall serve our people by providing the service necessary for a full life and
their welfare on the basis of restitution, not handouts or beggar's crumbs.
Restitution for past economic slavery, political exploitation, ethnic and
cultural psychological destruction and denial of civil and human rights.
Institutions in our community which do not serve the people have no place in
the community. The institutions belong to the people.
5.
SELF-DEFENSE of the community must rely on the combined strength of the people.
The front line defense will come from the barrios, the campos, the pueblos, and
the ranchitos. Their involvement as protectors of their people will be given
respect and dignity. They in turn offer their responsibility and their lives
for their people. Those who place themselves in the front ranks for their
people do so out of love and carnalismo....
6.
CULTURAL
values of our people strengthen our identity and the moral backbone of the
movement. Our culture unites and educates the family of La Raza towards
liberation with one heart and one mind. We must insure that our writers, poets,
musicians, and artists produce literature and art that is appealing to our
people and relates to our revolutionary culture. Our cultural values of life,
family, and home will serve as a powerful weapon to defeat the gringo dollar
value system and encourage the process of love and brotherhood.
7. POLITICAL LIBERATION can only come through indepen-
dent action on our part, since the two-party system is the same animal with two
heads that feed from the same trough. Where we are a majority, we will control;
where we are a minority, we will represent a pressure grou ; nationally, we
will represent one party: La Familia de La Raza!
Action
1. Awareness and distribution of El Plan EsP'ritual
de Aztlan. Presented at every meeting, demonstration, confrontation,
courthouse, institution, administration, church, school, tree, building, car,
and every place of human existence.
2.
September 16, on the birthdate of Mexican Independence, a national walk-out by
all Chicanos of all colleges and schools to be sustained until the complete
revision of the educational system: its policy makers, administration, its
curriculum, and its personnel to meet the needs of our community.
3.
Self-defense against the occupying forces of the oppressors at every school,
every available man, woman, and child.
4.
Community nationalization and organization of all Chicanos: El Plan
Espiritual de Aztlan.
5.
Economic program to drive the exploiters out of our community and a welding together of
our people's combined resources to control their own production through
cooperative effort.
6.
Creation of an independent local, regional, and national political party.
A nation autonomous and free-culturally, socially,
economically, and politically--will make its own decisions on the usage of our
lands, the taxation of our goods, the utilization of our bodies for war, the
determination ofjustice (reward and punishment), and the profit of our sweat.
El
Plan de Aztlan is the plan of liberation!