Hey gente! Espero que estén bien. Its been a week, so let's do this thang. Much to review, both sad and new.

#AyotzinapaNoSeOlvida (An update)

If you didn't get a chance to read up on last week's blog post, take a moment to do so, I will wait.

. . .

Ok, so here is the update. Officially as has finally hit the international news outlets - there has been a discovery - the bodies of over 40 individuals in two separate pits have been discovered by the authorities right outside the city of Iguala, Guerrero. Though no official word has been given, and the tests are still being run, there is heavy speculation that the bodies that have been found are the missing students from Escuela Normal Ayotzinapa.

What's just as interesting is that 22 police officers from Iguala have been questioned in regards to the shootings from that Sept. 27th night. In addition - apparently the mayor of Iguala has also gone missing.

In response to the missing number of students (officially 43 in total), the remaining students of Ayotzinapa have now blocked one of the main road ways - Autopista del Sol, in order to bring attention to the situation and to call for the government to act- a prosecution of those guilty must be enacted. Here is audio recording, calling for action from the community.

So far and according to several news outlets - an arrest warrant has been issued on 22 police officers (who are still detained), and they are joined by another 8 gang members in connection to the shooting on Sept. 27th. One last arrest warrant has been issued - to the Mayor, but, since he is missing (conveniently) then, it can not be served.

Tomorrow then, in a show of solidarity, a demonstration is in order -

And just to you get a sense of how far reaching this news is (remember, if this found to be true, that the 43 missing students are found to be in the pits outside of Iguala, then it would be the one of the worst slaughters in Mexican history) tomorrow, becomes an international day of action - so far, here are the places around the globe where people are rallying to the issue -

1.- BERLÍN, Alemania, MANIFESTACIÓN FRENTE A LA EMBAJADA MEXICANA 8 de octubre 2014 / 19.00
2.- BUENOS AIRES, Argentina concentración frente a la embajada de México en Argentina (Arcos 1650, Belgrano, Buenos Aires) 8 de octubre, 11am
3.- CHILPANCINGO, 10 am MPG concentración en el monumento a Nicolás bravo (el caballito), cnte-Ceteg marcha plantón.
4.- CHIHUAHUA, 8 oct, 10 am, Facultad de Derecho, UACH
5.- LÁZARO CÁRDENAS, MICHOACÁN toma del puerto de Lazaro Cardenas.
6.- GUADALAJARA, 6 pm afuera de la normal básica y rumbo a palacio de gobierno
7.- SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, 4:30 pm Plazuela de San Diego Marcha mitin
8.- GUADALAJARA, Sede de la PGR en Jalisco (Av. 16 de septiembre No. 591, casi esq. con La Paz) 16:00
GUADALAJARA , 2a convocatoria Concentración, 16:00 PGR en Jalisco (Av. 16 de septiembre No. 591, casi esq. con La Paz)
9.- MÉRIDA, 6 pm Mérida, frente al Palacio de Gobierno (misma plaza, otra cara calle).
2a convocatoria MËRIDA, 7 pm Remate de Paseo de Monejo
11.- QUERÉTARO, 17 hrs. Rectoria UAQ
12.- CIUDAD JUÁREZ, miércoles, 8 de octubre a la(s) 19:00 en MDT
Parque Borunda
13.- DF, miércoles, 16 hrs, Ángel-Zócalo
14.- ZACATECAS, concentración Mítin en Plaza de Armas. 17:00 hrs
15.- TLAXCALA, Plaza de la Constitución, 8, 5 pm
16.- OAXACA, Oax / 5 pm / Parque el Llano
17.- PLAYA DEL CARMEN , 18:00 en Plaza 28 de Julio
18.- TUXTLA GUTIÉRREZ, 16:00 hrs, 3 SALIDAS: 5 de mayo, Lado poniente, y Parque de la Juventud
19.- ORIZABA, 4 pm PUNTO DE REUNIÓN EN LOS ARCOS DE SAN MIGUEL O LA ASEGURADA
20.- TIJUANA, glorieta Cuauhtémoc a las 6:00 pm.
21.- MONTERREY: Palacio de gobierno de Monterrey, 5 PM
-2a convocatoria MONTERREY Paza de los Desaparecidos, 6 PM Calles Washington y Zaragoza
-3A convocatoria MONTERREY, 7 PM Plaza Colegio Civil
22.- CUERNAVACA, 17 hrs afuera de la Secundaria 4, Chipitlán al Zócalo
23.- SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, 8 oct. 17 hrs Frente a Soriana
24.- LEÓN, Gto , 6 pm Arco de la Calzada
25.- SAN FRANCISCO, CA, 11: 00 am en el consulado
26.- GUANAJUATO capital, Escalinatas de la Universidad, 5 pm. Llevar velas blancas.
GUANAJUATO 2a convocatoria 5 pm Congreso local
27.- BARCELONA, plaza Sant Jaume a las 19:00 hrs
28.- VILLAHERMOSA, Tabasco 16:00 Plaza De Armas
29.- SALINA CRUZ, MOVILIZACION REGIONAL MASIVA, 8:00 AM A 18:00 HRS. Refinería de Salina Cruz.
30.- AGUASCALIENTES, 5pm. Normalistas de Caniada Honda de la Centro comercial Altaria , hacia el Centro de Ags
31.- XALAPA, Ver. 16 hrs. Escuela Normal Veracruzana "Enrique C. Rébsamen"
32.- MORELIA, Michoacán, a las 4 pm saliendo de Xangari, salida patzcuaro
33.- VALLADOLID, Yucatán 6 pm, Parque Candelaria, del teatro Estelar la aurora al palacio municipal
34.- TORREÓN, Coahuila. Miércoles 8 de octubre. 5 pm Plaza de Armas
35.- TECPAN DE GALEANA, Guerrero 19:00, del panteon al zocalo hay que ir vestidos de negro.
36.- TUXPAN, Veracruz Miércoles, 6 pm. del Monumento a los niños héroes Se portará moño negro y una veladora.
37.- CANCÚN, 16 hrs, Kiosco del Crucero
38.- PUEBLA, 10:00 A. M. Ciudad niversitaria
-Puebla, 2:30pm Gallito
-PUEBLA 11 am Parque Juárez
39.- MAZATLÁN, 7 pm, Plazuela República
40.- CHICAGO miércoles, 8 de oct,16:30 Mexican Consulate in Chicago, 204 S Ashland Ave.
41.- MADRID.- 18 hrs, Callao a Puerta del Sol
42.- DURANGO, Plaza de Armas, 18 hrs
43.- SAN LUIS POTOSÍ, Plaza de Armas 18:30 hrs
44.- TOLUCA, JARDÍN ZARAGOZA (FRENTE AL MUSEO MODELO)UBICADO EN LA CD. DE TOLUCA .LA CITA SERÁ A LAS 4:00 PM.
45.- LONDRES, 5:3 hrs0 Embajada de México
46.- PACHUCA, 16:30, De Plaza Juárez a Reloj Monumental
47.- CHIHUAHUA, 07:00 pm Marcha del silencio, Normal Saucillo
48.- HERMOSILLO, Sonora, 17 hrs. Plaza Zulbeldía
49.- TEHUACÁN, Puebla 18 hrs. de Aurrerá al Parque Juárez
50.- CULIACÁN 4:30 pm La Lomita
51.- NUEVA YORK, de 17:00 a 19:00 Consulado Mexicano. 39th St. New York, NY. (Entre Madison y Park Avenue)
52.- IRAPUATO, Fuanajuato, 7 pm Jardin Principal
53.- POZA RICA, Veracruz, 16hrs parque Benito Juárez García
54.- CHETUMAL 18 horas, punto de reunion museo de la cultura maya
55.- ACAPULCO, 18 hrs. Diana Cazadora
56.- LA PAZ, Baja California Sur, Parque Morelos, en 5 de febrero y Forjadores a las 5:30 pm el miércoles 8 de octubre
57.- TEPIC 17:00 Plaza Principal Tepic
57.- LOS ANGELES, CA 11 am Consulado de México
58.- MONTREAL, CANADÁ: 17hrs Consulado mexicano, 2055 Rue Peel
59.- SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, 17 hrs:
EZLN, MARCHA SILENCIOS
60. comité ejecutivo estudiantil y el Sindicato de académicos de chapingo marchamos,
salimos a las dos pm para el ángel.

From here in Houston, I haven't heard anything set for tomorrow - so during the day, expect me to do a little something - out of a show of solidarity. I won't be able to attend a rally at the Mexican Consulate (I would have liked to help organize that, but I just found out about this, this morning), but I will enact something symbolic. If you can, so the same - light a candle, say a prayer, send a message. Be heard. #Ayotzin43 #AyotzinapaNoSeOlvida

#UPDATE!!! From a FACEBOOK post, today at 11 am this morning!

Monica Villarreal posted :

The local branch of Yo Soy 132 are calling to show your support with the students of Ayotzinaoa, Guerrero in Mexico. Sam Houston Statue in Montrose and Main, 6:00 PM tonight."

Yo Soy 132 - Media Houston has also posted:

"Mañana Octubre 8, estaremos en la glorieta de Sam Houston en Montrose y Main, para solidarizarnos con la marcha nacional por los mártires de Ayotzinapa. Vamos a tomar fotografías para mostrar que los mexicanos en Houston estamos del lado de los estudiantes. Los esperamos a las 6:00 pm Gracias #Yosoy132-Houston"

Join them if you can!!

Here are the faces and identities of the missing students, with a little detail about each one.

Iguala: 43 desaparecidos, 43 historias (primera parte)

Iguala: 43 desaparecidos, 43 historias (segunda parte)

A QUICK REVIEW on "PALABRA"

So last week - I was able to catch an amazing show - directed and produced by an amazing friend of mine - the astounding TAMMY GOMEZ. The show itself? PALABRA: THE WRITTEN WORD SPOKEN. Believe the hype. It is an splendid amalgam of music and visual art, poetry and stage production and it is deeply literary. It is a journey through the ins and outs of Latinidad and Latino Poetics and it is historical.

The poets/actors/performers/dancers - take several poets and their work and breathe brimstone and ember into their work. Poets (some of my favorites, actually) like Roque Dalton (El Salvador), Mario Benedetti (Uruguay), Otto Rene Castillo, Miguel Piñero, Blanca Varela, etc., they are well represented - as the artists render the poems in new ways - they take them from page turners to memory burners. They have done a blessing of a job to the work.

A Q & A after the show, this past week at HCC Southeast Campus!

This amazing show was here in Houston for one night only - and the cast did amazingly. If you are ever in the Dallas, Arlington, Fort Worth area, I suggest you look this show up. It pulls at all the strings that make you love art and music, poetry and soul. The show was part of HCC Southeast's (way to go Stalina!!) Hispanic Heritage Month celebration in conjunction with the school's Mexican American Studies Program.

STRIKE WHILE ITS HOT

So for this week, I will give you a tidbit of what I am working on this semester -

As Tim Z. Hernandez, author of “Mañana Means Tomorrow” states – Anthropoesia or Anthropoetry, is “a poetry which utilizes the tools and techniques of the ethnographer as a means of generating a ‘poetry that is centrally about the human condition.’ Just as documentary poetics is a research-based approach to poetry, which relies heavily on the gathering of external information, Antropoesia hones in on a field of study related to a specific community or ethnic group.”

I am working in terms of "Poet as researcher" - namely working with an important chapter in Mexican American history from here in Houston - the rise of the "Huelga Schools". The Huelga Schools movement was a direct response to Houston Independent School District's crazy attempt to "integrate" public schools in the late 1960's. In truth the plan didn't actually go into effect until the 1970 - 71 school year. The districts goal - to integrate brown and black schools - pairing up the schools and zoning brown students (who the district labeled as white) to predominately black schools. In some cases - the district didn't provide students with adequate transportation to get to their new schools - which might be 5 or more miles away from their homes (when they could previously attend a school a block away from their homes) and place them in schools where the district didn't provide additional materials to teach the new populations in the predominately black schools. So, the Mexican American community decided that enough was enough - they would take the educating of their children into their own hands - and the Huelga Schools were born.

Tons of research has already been done - especially by Dr. Guadalupe (my tocayo!!) San Miguel jr., history professor at the University of Houston. He published a book entitled "Brown, Not White" (click on the book title to see the link) which breaks apart the entire history of the building of the Huelga Schools, the laws that proved later to be unconstitutional, who were the key players that make this work, etc,.

My goal for this project is to be able to create a series of poems based on my research and oral history interviews about the day to day lives of the teachers, the organizers and the students who took part in such an important part in Houston Chicano History.

Here are some small parts to what I have been able to get a hold of thus far.

1) An interview with several teachers and one principal from two different Huelga Schools - the Denver Harbor Huelga School and the St. Steven's Huelga School.

2) Photographs from original content (class rosters, class photos, news clippings) from some of the participants of the Huelga Schools

3) Archival collections (thanks HMRC and Mika!!) and copies of reports and data from HISD about population breakdown and estimated/actual numbers of students in attendance at schools (per ethnic listing).

I would go into more, but it would give away my research!! Stay tuned!

So, for now, hope you had a good read and i will see you guys next week. I leave you with . . .

The TEASE: