Addressing the needs of the youth and planting the seeds of revolution
Issue # 12, Volume 2 - Summer 2007 Issue
Download Summer Newsletter as Adobe PDF
Part of our Youth Group at the Summer Intern Appreciation Luncheon
*(Disclaimer: People’s opinions are very important to us and highly welcomed. However, Articles submitted into El Cilantro
are not entirely reflective of the ideas and beliefs of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization).
Newsletter Quote of the Month
Artwork donated by: Tone
Cutting
Book Review: cut
Super Facts & Random Thoughts
Extra tomatoes on your Big n Tasty?
Healthy Latino Schools
Hypocrisy on war on drugs reflects greater evil
Little Mary's Adventures
Opinions by Francisco Loyola : Immigrants
The Pink Line: Pop Quiz and A Closer Look
¡Preguntas que el Militar No Quiere que Preguntes!
What Now?
Soil, Nothing But Soil
The Knights of Templar
Simulating Immigration
Silver Needles
El Cilantro & The Crew
Youth United For Democracy Dignity & Justice (YUDDJ)
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Newsletter Quote of the Month:
“Reality is wrong, dreams are for real.”
- Tupac Shakur
By: Rafael Hurtado, Curie Metro High/ LVEJO Intern
- An apple, onion, and potato all have the same taste. The differences in flavor are caused by their smell. To prove this - pinch your nose and take a bite from each. They will all taste sweet.
- There is a nickel welded on top of the Empire State Building.
- In 1634 Tulips were a form of currency in Holland.
- The water sheds that supply NYC with water is the size of Delaware.
- An eel lets out an electric shock strong enough to start 50 cars.
- To prevent evil spirits from entering the bodies of their male children, parents dressed them in blue. Blue was chosen because it's the color of the sky and was therefore associated with heavenly spirits.
- In Idaho a citizen is forbidden by law to give another citizen a box of candy that weighs more than 50 pounds.
- In Riverside, California, there is an old law on the city's books which makes it illegal to kiss unless both people wipe their lips with rose water.
- The Bible is the number one shoplifted book in America.
Extra tomatoes on your Big n Tasty?
Maybe you should think twice before asking for extra tomatoes at McDonalds. McDonalds, along with several other fast food chains purchase the majority of their tomatoes from Florida-based farms.
- -Pickers for Florida-based tomato companies earn 40-45 cents for every 32-lb. bucket of tomatoes that they pick.
- -McDonald’s charges 20 cents for an additional slice of tomato
- -A farm worker must pick 2 tons of tomatoes to earn just $50 in one day.
- - The average grocery store charges 69 cents per pound of tomatoes
- -Farm workers often work 10-12 hour days with no overtime pay, no benefits, no right to organize and no sick days.
A sample workday for a Florida tomato picker
- 4:30 AM: Wake up. Prepare lunch in your trailer.
- 5:00 AM: Walk to the parking lot or pick-up site to begin looking for work.
- 6:30 AM: With luck, a contractor will choose you to work for him for the day. The job may be
- 10 miles to 100 miles away. Board the contractor’s old bus to go to the fields.
- 7:30 AM: Arrive at fields and begin weeding or waiting while the dew evaporates from the Tomatoes. You are usually not paid for this time.
- 9:00 AM: Begin picking tomatoes - filling buckets, hoisting them on your shoulder, running
- Them 100 feet or more to the truck and throwing the bucket up into the truck- all for a token
- Worth 40-50 cents. Work fast because you must pick 2 TONS of tomatoes in order to earn $50
- Today. This may or may not be possible depending on the time of year and quantity of
- Tomatoes on the plants.
- 12:00: Eat lunch as fast as you can, often with your hands soaked in pesticides. Return to
- Working under the smoldering Florida sun.
- 5:00 PM (sometimes much later, depending on the season): Board bus to return to
- Immokalee.
- Between 5:30 and 8:00 PM: Arrive in Immokalee and walk home.
For more info visit: CIW.org
YOUTH UNITED FOR DEMOCRACY DIGNITY & JUSTICE (YUDDJ)
LITTLE VILLAGE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATION
Looking for individuals willing to volunteer their time to forge economic, environmental and social justice, in order to unite our communities talents, and power to build a society that treats all of us equally: no matter what race, culture, age, or gender we are.
WHAT WE DO :
- OUR MISSION IS TO WORK WITH OUR FAMILIES AND NEIGHBORS TO IMPROVE LIFE IN LITTLE VILLAGE AND C HICAGO THROUGH DEMOCRACY IN ACTION
WHAT ’S IN IT FOR YOU?
- GAIN LEADERSHIP SKILLS BE AN ACTIVIST
- FULFILL SERVICE LEARNING REQUIREMENTS
- LEARN ABOUT EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES TO GET INVOLVED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- BECOME ELIGLBLE FOR SUMMER INTERNSHIPS
- MEET COOL PROGRESSIVE PEOPLE
- ONE - ON - ONE HELP WITH COLLEGE APPLICATIONS & SCHOLARSHIPS
WANT TO JOIN OR KNOW MORE INFO ?
- STOP BY OUR OFFICE , GIVE US A CALL SHOOT US AN EMAIL
WHERE WE ARE :
- 2856 S. MILLARD AVE. - CHICAGO , IL 60623-4550
CONTACT US :
- PHONE : 773-762-6991
- E MAIL : LVEJOYOUTH @SBCGLOBAL .NET
- FAX : 773-762-6993
Jóvenes Unidos Por
Democracia, Dignidad, y justicia (YUDDJ)
¿Que Hacemos?
Nos juntamos una vez a la semana para luchar para que el aire que respiramos y los lugares que jugamos sean limpios y sanos. Luchamos por una variedad de cosas como más parques hasta derechos de inmigrantes. También hacemos cosas divertidas: jugamos boliche, pintamos murales y hasta tenemos nuestro propio periódico, El Cilantro
¿Que Beneficios hay para TI?
- Desarrollas tu liderazgo
- Puedes ser un activista
- Recibes credito para tus horas de servicio communitario
- Aprende sobre opportunidades exitantes para participar con tu comunidad
- Puedes ser elegible para un trabajo de Verano
- Conoce gente interesante y progresiva
- Ayuda individual para applicaciones de colegio y becas.
¿Quieres particpar o saber MÁS informacion?
Visita nuestra | officina Llámanos | Mándanos un correo electronico
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Hypocrisy on war on drugs reflects greater evil How much can you really trust the government? |
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-These days, not much. With all the conspiracies people hear about, you don’t really know what’s true and what a lie is anymore. Who can you trust about these issues? No one really. Few people in the world can answer these questions. But with recent focus solely on the war on terror, many people have been forgetting another important issue. Does anyone remember the war on drugs?
Oh, that’s right! The government has also promised for many years that they will fight a war to keep drugs off of our streets. But are they really fighting drugs, or are they actually bringing them into our country? It would seem illogical for our own government to spend money smuggling drugs into our country. Yet on one hand we hear that the American government is spending millions of dollars to eliminate the flow of drugs onto our streets. At the same time, we are doing business with the very same government that is flooding our streets with cocaine.
It’s a cornucopia of disturbing concepts, and you might not want to believe it. You can’t say for sure, can you fully trust our government? As they do their business acquiring this cocaine from Peru, what can we really say is true anymore? Food for thought.
For more information go to:
http://www.narconews.com/darkalliance/drugs/pipeline/seven.htm
By Quest
So this section of El Cilantro is so that you can get to know our staff. We want you to get a chance to know us even though you haven’t met us. So check it out! In each edition there will be a new profile on one of our EL CILANTRO YOUTH for you to check out!
Name: Lilian Molina a.k.a. LIL’ MOL
Originally from: Honduras
Occupation: LVEJO youth coordinator, student of life, parent literature book club at Morton East HS.
Marital status: Single and allegedly ready to mingle
Ride: Very dirty Nissan Sentra
Where you stay at?: 14th and Harlem, Berwyn
Idol: My abuelita, she an O.G.
What goals would you like to accomplish before you die?: Live in a jungle with gorillas and work toward assuring that young people of color have the tools they need to become self-actualized community members. Chisel away at the regimes that keep our communities oppressed in environmental degradation, and economical deprivation. Ensure that the grandchildren of my grandchildren’s, grandchildren will have clean/safe air, water, food and have the opportunity to play in clean/safe soil.
Craziest thing you have ever done?: Went on night missions to decorate/vandalize the city of Philadelphia during the 2000 Republican National Convention when Pres. Bush was first nominated.
Most famous person you have ever met?: Ana Castillo and Common
Favorite comedian? George Lopez
Farthest ever been from home? Monaco
Do you believe in magic? Yes
Have you ever done witchcraft? No (research has indicated otherwise)
Are you religious? No, I’m spiritual
Favorite cancer to try to prevent? Leukemia
Favorite way to pollute the earth? Driving, I feel like an asshole while I’m driving
Favorite way to exploit immigrants? No answer
What event in history would you change if you had a bad ass time machine that let you go back in time and make changes? Colonization and Imperialism
The knights of templar were the legendary knights that were said to be the sole protectors of the Holy Grail. Whether the Holy Grail was the challis that was used at the last supper, or the direct bloodline of Jesus Christ, they were said to have it concealed in their castle.
According to templarhistory.com, the knights offered themselves to the Patriarch of Jerusalem as a military force. For the first nine years of their existence, the order consisted of nine knights. Speculations of treasure hunting aside, one of the reasons for the limited number of members may have been the reluctance to take Templar vows. Celibacy, poverty and obedience were hardly a lifestyle greatly sought after.
In 1127 Bernard of Clairvaux wrote a rule of order for the Templars that was based on his own Cistercian order's rule of conduct. This letter swept throughout Christendom with the result being that many men, of noble birth, joined the ranks of the Templar Order. Those who were unable to join often gifted the Templars with land and other valuables. While it is true that the Templars were not permitted, by their rule, to ownmuch of anything personally, there was no such restriction on the order as a whole. As such the gifts of land were accepted and put to immediate use by the order.
In the process, the order became wealthy. Aside form the gifts showered upon them, they were experts in commerce and free from the taxation and tithes imposed on other orders.However, in less than two centuries, the Templars would meet their demise perhaps because of their wealth or fear of their seemingly limitless powers.
It is generally agreed that Philip IV was envious of the Templar's wealth and sought to secure it for himself. Regardless of the motivation, the order was taken down at the hands of Pope Clement V and the King of France in 1307.
On October 13, 1307 Philip had the Templars arrested on grounds of heresy; since this was the only charge that would allow the seizing of their money and assets. The Templars were tortured and confessions were given. These confessions included: Trampling and spitting on the cross, homosexuality and sodomy worshipping of an idol named Baphomet Philip was successful in ridding the Templars of their power and wealth and urged all fellow Christian leaders to do the same thing.
On March 19th, 1314 the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, Jacques de Molay, was urned at the stake. De Molay is said to have cursed King Philip and Pope Clement as he burned, asking both men to join him in death within a year.
Pope Clement V died only one month later and Philip IV seven months after that.
| Cutting |  |
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First word that comes to mind is ‘emo’. But the reality of the situation is far more dangerous than a stupid label. Cutting is the act of damaging the skin without the intention of committing suicide. Cutting can be done with any abrasive object, thought the most commonly used is a blade. Other items may include scissors, pins, nails, broken cds, shards of glass, etc. I used to cut myself, and even today I struggle to keep the urge in check before it goes too far. The main reason so many of us turn to cutting is because we’re trying to escape feelings of pain that we find to be unmanageable. There comes a point where the pain we feel, that we can’t express, gets so great that we explode, and we need to do something to feel relief, even if it’s just for that moment. Often people don’t realize the risks they are taking while they cut, the most important being that the same way you can get addicted to weed, you can get addicted to cutting. Another obvious one is cutting too deep, or getting an infection. Even if you sterilize the object you use with alcohol, you can still get a virus, especially when using metal, because microscopic bacteria can be in rust that you may miss. The first thing that many people say is “Why don’t you just stop.” For those people all I can say is “Are you kidding me?” If people who cut themselves knew there was an alternative that could help them ease their pain don’t you think they would use it? When I was cutting, I didn’t know of any, and since many people struggle with depression as well as cutting, changing, or even doing something good for yourself is a HUGE challenge. Another reaction people have is disgust or fear. These feelings are understandable, but if someone you know is cutting themselves, these feelings will not help them at all. A great site you can check out for more information is www.psyke.org. If you’re a closed-minded idiot, don’t bother sending an email, but if you need help, or want to talk about something, feel free to write to me.
-Stagg- mcrvampyra@yahoo.com
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Cut is about a teenage fifteen year old girl named Callie. Callie has serious problems. She cuts herself. She is taken to a rehabilitee center for self injury called Sea Pines. There other teens call it “Sick Minds”. Her school doesn’t want her to go back to school until she has gotten better from her self injury problems. There at Sea Pines she meets other people with issues who are there to get better. Callie does not seem to find herself in Sea Pines. She refuses to express herself and get better which won’t get her out of that place fast. To get out of Sea Pines they have to get better. At times she felt like she was trapped in that place. Callie would get depressed and find something sharp to cut herself. Cutting herself mad her feel better. This book makes you feel like you are in their shoes. In my opinion I think that cutting yourself isn’t the solution to problems. We don’t really know what leads people to do such a thing but people have different perspectives over this. I think it is an incredibly good book to read.
By: B² |
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By Jose Rivas
The Chicago Bears are trying to regroup after their Super Bowl loss to the Indianapolis Colts. It has been only a little over a month and already there have been major changes to the roster as well as the coaching staff.
The changes started when Ron Rivera, the Bears’ defensive coordinator, interviewed with a number of teams for a head coaching job. He was turned down in Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, Arizona, and finally San Diego, where he was eventually hired as their linebackers’ coach, a significant downgrade from his Bears’ job. To replace Rivera the Bears didn’t look outside the organization, they simply promoted their own linebackers’ coach, Bob Babich to the defensive coordinator position.
The second major change was the trade that sent Thomas Jones, Bears’ feature running back and leading rusher for the past 3 seasons to the New York Jets in exchange for a second-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft. The move was made partly because Jones said he was not happy with his situation in Chicago and partly because Cedric Benson the 24 year old running back on which the bears used their 2005 1st round pick, showed promise late into last season, showing he could start and be as productive as Jones, if not more.
There have been many rumors surrounding Bears’ All-Pro outside linebacker Lance Briggs. His contract expired at the end of last season and has openly said he does not want to be a part of the Chicago Bears organization. The Bears however control Briggs situation because they have placed the “franchise tag” on him. The franchise tag guarantees Briggs $7.2 million in salary next season, if he plays with the Bears and does not allow him to sign with any other teams. He either has to take the one-year deal or sit out the entire 2007 season. There are possibilities that the Bears trade him to another team but GM Jerry Angelo has made it clear they want to keep him. Only time will tell how this all works out .
In Hidalgo Mexico, there is a place which some people are calling a theme park. This park is nothing like Disney World or Great America. More like a mockery of what people are going through to live a better life in a different country. The Hñahñu tribe in Mexico set up a border crossing simulation. The trail is about 700 miles long. Each
simulation is about 18 dollars American, and is five hours long. The simulation contains many obstacles such as getting chased by a fake border patrol. Hiking through large hills, and walking threw the hot desert.
There are many people criticizing this imitation of what immigrants go through everyday. Some say it is turning it into something fun that the whole family can enjoy. But the tribe that found the park says it is nothing like what people are saying. They have thousands of people a month experiencing some of the stuff people go through when
actually crossing the border.
Another point of view is that it is training people who want to cross the border. But that is what the weakest point of view of them all. The simulated hike is nothing compared to the actual run for “freedom”. The tour guides who are retired coyotes tell the people that the simulation is not even one third of what actual people go through.
Who is going to step up to actually inform the people of what really is going to happened to the park.
¡Preguntas que el Militar No Quiere que Preguntes!
¡Los Reclutadores Militares están aquí para glorificar la guerra y después vender te la. Como compañías de cigarrillos, los reclutadores te dirán lo que sea para tenerte en sus manos!
¿Habilidades de Trabajo? Los veteranos ganan menos que los no-veteranos similares. Veteranos son encarcelados mas seguido. Porque 1/3 de todos sin hogar son veteranos? Las habilidades que aprendes en la militar te entrenan para trabajos en la militar y NO en careras civiles. Cuando salgas, muchos empleadores te dirán que regreses a estudiar.
¿Dinero para la Universidad? Porque 65% de los reclutas son requeridos a pagar $1200 al Montgomery GI nunca reciben algo en regreso? Cuál es la razón porqual las fuerzas armadas tomaron 720 millones mas de GI’s en depósitos no-refundidles que pagaron en beneficios de colegiatura entre 1986 y 1993? Solamente 15% de los aplicantes se graduaron con bachillerato? Porque un adicional de 20% de los aplícantes son excluidos?
¿Disciplina? Como le ayuda a obtener auto-disciplina cuando alguien le grita y lo ordena? Es un crimen en las fuerzas armadas discutir con las autoridades militares, negarse a cumplir con órdenes ilegales tal como la tortura. Porque los términos de tu enlistamiento son sujetos a cambiar sin tu consentimiento o notificación? Porque soldados en el procesó de jubilar están siendo forzados a desplegar para Irak y Afganistán?
¿Mujeres en el militar? Últimamente la Administración de veteranos a reportado que el 90% de las veteranos jóvenes han sido acusados de cometer abusos sexuales. 200 mujeres soldadas han hecho cargos de asaltos sexuales contra sus compañeros en Irak y Afganistán este Febrero del 2004
¿Discriminación? La gente de color asen el 35% de los enlistados en la militar PERO solamente12% de ellos son oficiales. En la Guerra del Golfo, 50% de los soldados en la línea frente eran de color. Porque personas de color son disciplinados y despedidos bajo condiciones no honorables mas que la gente blanca. Ay más crimines contra la comunidad Gay en la militar que en nuestra vida civil.
¿Aventura? ¿Es divertido matar hombres, mujeres y niños inocentes? Quieres matar y morir por el petróleo? Como te gusta la idea de torturar, violar, y abusar los prisioneros en las cárceles come en el caso de Guantánamo Bay? Te gustaría que te llamen para invadir y “liberar” aun país y después que te pongan a ocupar y vigilarlo? Te gustaría regresar con una enfermedad que el gobierno niega su existencia y tratamiento, como en el caso del Síndrome de la Guerra del Golfo.
Antes de enlistar, Busca la Verdad! Para más información:
Llámenos, La Organización de Justicia Ambiental (LVEJO) 773-762-6991
Navegan estos sitios en la Internet: http://awol.objector.org/ www.warresisters.org www.comdsd.org www.nisbco.org www.objector.org www.projectyano.org http://www.afsc.org/youthmil/jrotc/msitps | http://www.afsc.org/pacificsw/counter-recruitmnet.htm
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Healthy Latino |
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(This essay is adapted from a piece recorded by oral historian Eve Tulbert and originally published
in the Journal of Ordinary Thought, Spring 2006. www.jot.org )
When I first arrived in Chicago, I was impressed. I remember seeing the stores and huge buildings. I thought, “Wow, it’s so advanced! It must be wonderful to live here.” But little by little, I started to notice that there were problems too. I noticed a lot of dying plants and trees. There was garbage on the sidewalk and oil on the streets. I wondered, “Who’s responsible for this neighborhood?”
When I grew up in …Aguascalientes, Mexico… people used to wake up at six in the morning to sweep the street and spray it with water to keep the dust down. The mothers organized the children to clean the street and to take care of the plants. We had big pots filled with plants. We grew our own corn, chili, and tomatoes. We had a big yard with chickens and a goat and a pig. Families took care of the gardens and each other—it was a tradition.
Here in Little Village, I noticed that there are tiny dark particles blowing in the air. You breathe them in, and they cover your lungs. You can see them in the afternoon or early in the morning, or when it is very hot. When you look towards the power plant you see a dark fog in the air. I heard my neighbors say, “I clean my window sills every day, and they’re still never clean!” Or when you hang your clothes outside, they turn a little grey and they smell like something burning.
I needed to do something. I came to this country to live better, and I wanted to live better. So I signed up for leadership classes with the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization. When I started to go door to door to talk to my neighbors, I was surprised because I didn’t realize how many people had the same health problems—asthma and cancer. A lot of people don’t realize that what they think is just dust is coming from the Com Ed plant.
Sometimes I go to talk with a classroom in one of our elementary schools. Usually I find that one of every two kids has asthma. When the teacher calls role and says, “Why isn’t Federico here?” another kid will say, “Oh, he went to the hospital because he couldn’t breathe.” You have to say, this is a big problem.
Once I knocked on a door, and a young woman answered. I asked her if she wanted to participate in our clean air campaign. She said that she didn’t really have any problems with the power plant. She talked about how ComEd gives people scholarships and supports community programs. I asked her if she’d like to help with other projects. She said she couldn’t because her three little girls all have severe asthma, that she was sick too, and she had to go to the doctor so often she couldn’t come to meetings. I said “Do you know that the dark particles in the air—the ones from the power plant—affect the lungs and can cause asthma attacks?” She said, “Well, I think that asthma is just a fact of life.”
Many people who are affected are immigrants--some of them illegal. They say, “Hey, ComEd has a lot of money. They should do something. They should buy better filters or improve the machines.” But ComEd chooses money over people’s health. They can do that because they are not living here. They are not suffering what we are suffering.
We’ve organized meetings with the people from the power plant. These people look very nice. They talk a lot of talk about “We’re doing all these good things for the community.” Then they say that they have the right numbers and are within the guidelines. So how do we convince the government to change those numbers?
I’d like you to see the little garden we planted. If I could change this neighborhood, everyone would have a yard with trees and vegetables. We would walk and ride bicycles like we used to. We would have more oxygen if they cleaned up the power plant.
You know the speech they say every day in school? “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America…” And I wonder; do our neighborhoods look like they fit that speech? Like “liberty and justice for all”—do they really exist in our neighborhood?
The Pink Line: Pop Quiz and A Closer Look
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Youth Newsletter "El Cilantro": el_cilantro@lvejo.org For general information please email us here . |
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~~~~~~~~~~ Other important topics ~~~~~~~~~~
(Download as Adobe pdf):
Environmental Research Foundation / Rachel's News Archive now housed with LVEJO (En Español)
Healthy Schools In Latino Communities flyer
"Tips on Base Building" from LVEJO Board Member Carlos Fernandez
Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) |
La Organización de Justicia Ambiental de la Villita
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