A news website in Santa Barbara posted the following list of demands by MEChA to a local community college. The website is here; but in case they have removed the offending page by the time you read this, I reproduce the content below. Note particularly the last paragraph.
New SBCC Continuing Ed Association
updated: Sep 26, 2010, 6:06 PM
By Maria Garcia
A new SBCC Continuing Education Association to focus on Latinos and the Aztla Movement has been formed.
The first SBCC Continuing Education Association to focus on Latinos and the Aztla Movement has been formed as neither the SBCC Continuing Education Division Latino Student Council (Consejo de Estudiantes para la Educacion de Adultos) or Associated Continuing Education Students (ACES) represent the interests of all students in the Continuing Education program. This new organization, which is called Movimiento Estudiantil Latino de Aztla (Latino Student Movement of Aztlan) is affiliate with MEChA which stands for Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (Chicano Student Movement of Aztlan).
Our Mission is to ensure that Latinos who attend the SBCC Continuing Education program have equal access to same classes all citizens and English speakers do, that Certificate Programs for Spanish speakers are offered, and that SBCC Continuing Education does not exploit students, immigrants, first generation college students, or workers regardless of their legal status.
Currently, only 32% of classes at SBCC Continuing Education classes cater to Latinos and it is essential that all classes offered through SBCC Continuing Education are bilingual to ensure that Latinos enjoy the same rights, education and personal enrichment opportunities that citizens and English speakers have now. We seek to ensure that all Latinos have the ability to improve their skills and increate their incomes regardless of their status or English speaking ability.
Past and present students are united in these goals and we seek to ensure that SBCC Continuing Education provides for our welfare on the basis of restitution, not handouts or beggar’s crumbs. We will demand that the SBCC Board of Trustees:
• Provide all Agendas and Board Meeting Minutes in Spanish, have Interpreters at all Board Meetings and provide isolated audio feeds to any Latino not proficient in English immediately.
• Translate the SBCC Continuing Education website and catalog into Spanish immediately.
• Increase the number of ESL and Citizenship classes offered each semester.
• Offer the following classes in Spanish: Entrepreneur Training Program, Computers: Spreadsheets & Bookkeeping, Financial Seminars, Ceramics and Art Education by Winter of 2011.
• Increase the percentage of bilingual classes for Latinos who seek to enroll in the Continuing Education Programs to 60% by Spring of 2011 and 100% by Winter of 2012.
• Provide Certificate programs in Spanish for: Home Health Aids, Personal Care Assistances, Nurse Aide Training Program, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counseling, Global Sustainability & Business Strategy, Plumbing Systems and HVAC Design & Maintenance by Winter of 2011.
Institutions in our community which do not serve Latinos have no place in the community. We will soon be the majority and we will control and we deserve full respect and education now, not later. If you or anyone you know is interested in participating in our organization please contact us for further details and updates: [email protected].
They’ve shut down comments (wonder why?) but for future reference, here is their comments policy — worth a look all by itself.






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