Story Archives 2008

by Tony Robles

Our poetry is the

Best part of our

Struggle

And the best

Part of our struggle

Is our poetry

---Al Robles

There has been no bigger influence on my life as a writer and activist than the poet Al Robles, my uncle. Uncle Al carries a sack of water buffalo tales as he walks the streets of the city. His eyes have seen the manongs--Pilipino old timers who first came to America in the 20's. His ears have heard their songs, their cries and their laughter. His hands have eaten fish and rice with the manongs in small rooms of the International Hotel. The poetry of Al Robles is the struggle of the Manongs and the Issei and the Chicanos and the black folks of the Fillmore. The poetry of Al Robles is in the struggle of our people.

Uncle Al has been a huge influence to an entire generation of Pilipino-American writers and activists. He is what we at POOR Magazine call an "Organic Intellectual"-- not indoctrinated with the impersonal underpinnings of the academic institutions but firmly rooted in the community. My own children's books, "Lakas and the Manilatown Fish" and "Lakas and the Makibaka Hotel" would not have been possible without his presence and influence in my life.

Uncle Al was born in the Fillmore District of San Francisco to a Pilipino family of 10. His ears tasted the thick melodies of jazz swirling through the air of clubs Such as Jack's and Jimbo's bop City. In the jazz of his youth he felt the sadness and love and beauty in singers such as Billie Holiday. He saw Pilipino jazz musicians such as Flip Nunez whose fingers passed over the keys, "black over white". He and other Filipinos like Bill Sorro ran the streets of the Fillmore seeing the Isseis, the elderly, smelling the smells of gumbo and barbeque and tomato beef chow mein. He saw all the beauty moving all around him--the music, the people, the sorrow. He asked himself, "What is moving?"

When I was a kid I used to see him on Clement Street. I would be riding my bike or coming out of King Norman's Toy Store. I'd see him carrying a heavy backpack. He'd take out a brown paper bag and open it. "What is it?" I'd ask. I'd look inside. It was a tape recorder. He'd hit the play button and I'd hear the voices of elderly Pilipinos. They spoke in a thick accent that sounded like my grandmother's. I'd have a hard time understanding what they said. Uncle Al understood. 30 years later I'm starting to understand.

Uncle Al is a collector of stories. He has collected the stories of the manongs--our grandfathers and grandmothers who came to America. They endured the racism and classism and police brutality of Amerikkka and in the process gave birth to a generation born in this country. Uncle Al is part of that generation. His poetry and stories tell of the manong generation working as laborers under big agribusiness--workers who organized and fought and formed what eventually became the United Farm Workers Union (UFW).

But there was love and beauty in the struggle. His poems talk about the taxi hall dances, where Filipinos paid their meager earnings to dance with a blondie, a dance that would end as quickly as it began. In his poetry the dance lasts a lifetime. At the end of a manong's lifetime, Uncle Al asks:

If it takes
All season for
The grapes to
Ripen

Why shouldn't the
Manong take
All season

To make love?

To a generation of activists and Pilipino-Americans seeking their identity, their roots, he asks:

Who's to say
The roots are
Not the weeds

And the weeds
Are not the
Roots?

The influence of my Uncle Al on Pilipino-American poetry is akin to Chuck Berry's influence on Rock & Roll, it is far reaching and ever growing, from established writers to the hip hop generation; his words have touched their hearts and inspired them to get involved in serving our community.

But it's not all work. Uncle Al loves to play the piano. Sometimes he'll slip into a cafe with an available piano, playing by ear. In the music you'll hear the voices of the manongs, the elderly Japanese, the Chicanos and the black elders. It'll move you and you'll get up and dance that dance that's a part of all of us; the dance that leads us back to ourselves. That's the real poetry.

August 4th Marks the 31st anniversary of the eviction of tenants of the International Hotel. Come and honor the struggle in a candlelight vigil at the Manilatown Center, 868 Kearny Street, August 4th at 7pm. And celebrate the poetry and laughter of Al Robles at the Manilatown Center August 9th, 7pm at the world premier of the Film, 'Manilatown is in the Heart". Filmmaker Curtis Choy (www.chonkmoonhunter.com), director of "Fall of the I-Hotel", takes us on a trip through the past and present in the world of Al Robles, a world filled with farm laborers, factory workers, Zen monks, pool hustlers, cooks, children, lovers, gamblers,
preachers, warriors, pimps, prostitutes, young bloods, musicians, tricksters, barbers, stray Buddhas, and goddesses. For more information, go to www.manilatown.org

by Anderson Franco/RPMJ intern at POOR Magazine

They clutched their piece of brown cardboards that read "Bajen los Precios!" Lower the Prices! Accompanied by a flock of fellow high school and college students, they marched towards El Salvador's National University. Their weary eyes and nervous bodies paced through the fading San Salvador streets and apprehensively approached the university. Upon entering the campus they witnessed a scene that compared to that of a military barrack preparing for warfare. Stern black-suited men patrolled the exterior with threatening glances, another arsenal of policeman brandished their military weapons as they paced throughout the university, and snipers lay on rooftops, vigilantly watching the protestors like vultures anxious to ravage its victims.

Soon after announcing their presence with signs and chants of protest, the law enforcement officers decorated the university with tear gas, rubber bullets, and authoritative shouts. The protesters scattered throughout the university, seeking shelter in any tree, shrub or building. They realized that their hope for social change had been silenced by the law enforcement officers.

That was the scene on July 5, 2006.

Although this incident occurred two years ago, excessive police force, particularly against social movements, continues to be a problem in El Salvador. Alexis Stoumbalis, the Bay Area coordinator for the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador's (CISPES) notes that "most of the complaints that the Office of Human Rights in El Salvador receives are complaints about the police." Many Salvadoran citizens have become victims of unnecessary policing tactics; police violence has escalated in the last two years.

CISPES collaborated with Prisoners of Conscience Committee (P.O.C.C) to hold a film screening and panel discussion to critique the recent police violence in El Salvador. The event discussed the reappearance of death squads in El Salvador, and the United States financial support of the Salvadoran police through the Merida Initiative, and International Law Enforcement Academies (ILEA).

The July 5th police brutality was not an isolated event. The protestors were terrorized and hushed by the black uniformed men one month after ILEA's inaugural class graduated. Stoumbalis believes that the officers involved in the catastrophe were recent alums from the United States funded military academy. Nevertheless, whether this is true or not remains a mystery because the academy refuses to release identifying information about its students or alum.

Stoumbalis compares El Salvador's militaristic police officers to the "LAPD that raided LA Central gangs by roaming down the streets with machine guns" and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) recent immigrant raids. These parallels not only indicate the violent police tactics, but the violation of human rights.

P.O.C.C.'s JR Minister of Information and Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. have embarked on a CISPES fact finding delegation in El Salvador. They hope to understand the reappearance of the death squad activity, and to pressure the Salvadoran government to take action because the United States citizens are aware of the political assassinations and police brutality.

"Bajen los precios!" I hope to hear these chants in the future. CISPES and P.O.C.C. hope to ensure that these voices will not be silenced, and future social movements will not be threatened by police officials. "Bajen los precios!"

by Bruce Allison/PNN correspondent

In recent years, I have become very familiar with the word passthrough. A Passthrough represents more than an insignificant or minor rent increase. To very low income residential tenants, such as me, passthroughs are drastic rent increases that further aggravate our bare wallets and money purses. Passthroughs are largely responsible for increasing my rent by more than fifty dollars in the previous several years; and a recently proposed passthrough will once again increase my rent in the near future. I, a native San Franciscan, poverty scholar and very-low income resident, may face another passthrough that will affect my living situation.

In July of 2002, San Francisco's Land Use Committee of the Department of Public Works, better known as the water department, promoted water conservation by increasing charges for water and sewer services. Now, Supervisors Michela Alioto-Pier and Carmen Chu wish to allow landlords to charge their tenants fifty percent of the water rate increase. On average, this passthrough will increase San Francisco rent rates by eight dollars a month.

As a San Francisco resident who earns $775 a month and pays $568 for rent, this passthrough will significantly impact my financial status. Presently, I exercise many money-saving techniques to lower my financial burdens, however, if the passthrough is authorized, I will have to use new economic strategies to earn more money. I am not alone.

A member of the senior action network, who lives in the Gold Gateway apartments, publicly stated that the proposed passthrough will be "a very difficult hardship" that may compel her to vacate her apartment of 30 years.

A Public Utility Commission representative of the water department said that "this is a way to stop tenants from over using water by charging them money for using the water," The representative, however, fails to realize that most of the landlords will charge tenants fifty percent of the water rate regardless of the condition of water pipes of faucets. Tenants who live in homes with poorly maintained water pipes and equipment will have to help landlords pay for their negligence.

The proposal passed during Monday's committee meeting on July 21.

If this passthrough is implemented, several seniors and disabled residents will be unable to pay their rent, which will force them into homelessness. How many more passthroughs will San Francisco renters have to face?

by Tiny

The building and the street around The California Hotel in Oakland was full of shadows. Shadows that whispered stories of past lives, glamour and tragedy from its ancient brick walls. The first time I saw The California Hotel was many years ago and I was both scared and comforted by its vast-ness that seemed to envelope San Pablo avenue from all directions. Scared because of its sheer enormity and comforted because it was the first chance for inside-ness for me and my poor mama after a long stretch of being vehicularily housed, police-harassed and outside.

Since the recent struggle of California Hotel residents to stay housed and now the triumph of their self-management launch, I thought back on my first day at the California and how nice it was to have a roof, albeit roach-filled and rodent infested.

In 1991 while my mama and I were still dealing with homelessness we watched as the California Hotel was closed for a $9 million dollar renovation and then re-opened as a Single Room Occupancy Hotel - with on-site supportive services managed by Oakland Community Housing, Inc.,(OCHI) a non-profit housing developer. The windows were new and shiny and the paint was fresh.

It seemed like a dream come true for many of the very poor elders who we re re-housed there after the renovation. Safety, cleanliness, and overall management had been ongoing problems before the renovation which were now supposedly all dealt with.

That said, my mother and I felt an uneasy-ness in our gut. Renovation, renewal, redevelopment, these "re" words were never safe for poor folks and more often than not they were extremely dangerous. HUD's HOPE VI project was fond of using the "re" words when they demolished over 90% of their housing only to replace them with mixed income housing units that only housed certain people- most of whom didnt live there before it was "re'd" including our friend that had housed us for a minute, because he hadn't "complied" with his case managers many requests for documents.

Renewal, redevelopment and one for one replacement are almost always myths for poor people of color and like the ongoing redevelopment efforts of West Oakland and The Bayview - we never seem to last into the next "re".

As the recent mismanagement scandal with OCHI resulting in eviction notices being served on the all 72 of the disabled and elder residents of the Hotel and subsequent terrifying raids by the Oakland Police Department, I could only imagine my poor mama Dee (she passed in March of 2006) shaking her head in that "I told you so" way she always did.

But then I found out about the resistance of the tenants,and how they launched an effort to do what all poor people of color are completely capable of doing, but rarely given the opportunity to realize, a chance to self-manage our living spaces. A dream that POOR has been struggling to realize for over 10 years in our HOMEFULNESS Project, but still hasn't raised funding for.

As poor folks we are constantly told we need someone else to manage our housing, manage our books, manage our little bits of money and manage our lives, because it is assumed, we can't be trusted to do it for ourselves. I find this ironic, not only in light of the California Hotel mismanagement by oh so many so-called experts, and the tenants recent successful self-management but also because as poor folks, people of color, indigenous folks, we have been successful stewards of land and property and community for hundreds of years.

On July 30th the California Hotel tenants and their advocates at Just Cause Oakland won a victory when Alameda County Superior Court Judge Keller granted them another 30 days before ruling on whether or not they may continue to reside in their housing.

Perhaps if the tenants were given a portion of the financial support that corporations like John Stewart and OCHI received to manage properties like the California Hotel, the tenants could handle their own management just fine.

Drop by the California Hotel and support the residents with your donations of supplies and dollars!

by Marlon Crump/PoorNewsNetwork

"I've been working on the Eastern Neighborhood's plans for 7 1/2 years. I'm also a resident of SOMA. (South of Market Area), they've really butchered the community input and translated it into the developer's language" , testified Jazzie Collins, staff member and resident advocate for South of Market Community Action Network, (SOMCAN) during the People's Rally on July 10th, 2008 at San Francisco City Hall.

Brief testimony by Residents, community organizers, activists, and POOR Magazine rallied against the zoning proposals, and plans for numerous neighborhoods by outside developers, the San Francisco Planning Department, and the San Francisco Planning Commission.

These words from Jazzie also presented a haunting picture of what this "plan" may really mean for those who are of low-income working class and poor families living in affordable housing, (including yours truly) within certain neighborhoods of San Francisco, CA targeted for zoning/owning!

I attended the June 12th hearing of the zoning proposals presented by the Eastern Neighborhoods Program, to the San Francisco Planning Commission. Many San Franciscans from the Mission District, South of Market, Potrero Hill, and Chinatown were rallying on July 10th with verbal resistance against these "plans" by land developers to the San Francisco Planning Commission.

I took my place alongside my mentor and POOR Magazine co-founder Lisa Gray-Garcia (AKA Tiny), and fellow POOR comrades Bruce Allison, and Jennifer Fogg. Carrying my black leather satchel briefcase on one arm, and the POOR banner on the other, we resisted the growing wind and the grey clouds that met us, as we approached S.F City Hall to represent our resistance of gentrification for the People's Rally.

We were all here in our total opposition against the City of San Francisco's zoning plans for the Mission District, South of Market, Potrero Hill, and Chinatown Districts from outside developers hell-bent into systematically condominium- colonizing affordable housing.

"The Mission has a lot going on. What's been happening over the past 10-20 years is that people and offices are moving in. We proposed two kinds of zoning: P.D.R (Production Distribution Repair) and U.M.U (Urban Mixed Use)."

Eastern Neighborhoods Program Senior Planner, of the San Francisco Planning Department, Ken Rich briefly stated this to me, during a brief interview on a June 12th zoning proposal hearing, before the San Francisco Planning Commission, at San Francisco City Hall.

The department had submitted a highly anticipated area plan of zoning proposals to the Planning Commission for approvals of this project.

History was somewhat repeating its course. About eight years ago on Thursday July 13, 2000, in the Dot.Com Boom era, an estimated 500 people, many who were Mission District residents, activists, and POOR Magazine staff, stormed the steps of S.F City Hall to lash out at the entire Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission. At the time, the City of San Francisco was held strictly accountable by the residents, for their role in giving approvals to develop in the Mission District, knowing the devastating displacement effect it would have on an entire community of small businesses, artists and residents. Old habits still die hard.

Among those present for the protest, were numerous residents, and community organizations from various San Francisco neighborhoods, the Council of Community Housing Organizations, St. Peter's Housing Committee, Mission Anti-Displacement Coalition (MAC) South of Market Community Action Network (SOMCAN) Healthcare Action Team, Youth Making a Change (YMAC) and POOR Magazine.

"First off, I think that its dis-empowering that they are not including the community's ideas. I feel that the city really needs to listen and include the community's ideas to make sure that they won't get displaced!" exclaimed Angelica Cabande of South of Market Community Action Network.

Eric Quezada, a longtime community and housing activist in the Mission and Bernal Heights, District 9 Supervisor Candidate for the upcoming election, and Co-Founder of the Mission Anti-Displacement Coalition; was also on hand to support those that objected the city's plans for the targeted neighborhoods in its zoning proposals influenced by outside developers.

"We won't let them make our neighborhoods into a Corporate America!" yelled a speaker on S.F City Hall Steps, as I continued to re-port for my comrades of POOR, and su-pport those fighting for the cause by the residents, community members, and activists of San Francisco, at the July 10th People's Rally.

"I'm just a concerned citizen that here will be more displacement." said Peter Neils Sherburnzimmer, a resident of San Francisco. "I went down there to Hunter's Point and talked with the people. They were concerned that they would get more promises, and not housing!"

South of Market has been a San Francisco neighborhood, for the low-income, and immigrant families, since the 1840's. In an effort to compromise and combat possible gentrification techniques of the city, a "People's Plan" has been drafted from the people, themselves. One of these proposals that stood out to me, (after viewing the map myself of the People's Plan) was a people's proposal to raise the inclusionary housing bar to provide 30% moderate-income units, in every market-rate development, throughout all re-zoned areas of the Mission District. In addition, S.R.O (Single Room Occupancy) Units would be allowed only for 100% affordable developments.

The Mission Anti-Displacement Coalition (MAC) disagrees with the Planning Department's affordable housing incentives in UMU zones. (Urban Mixed Use) MAC also viewed the Planning Department's own map of "affordable housing tiers" has very few plans of including affordable housing in the Mission District.

" This should benefit the people that are already living in our neighborhood." said Nick Pagoulatos, Director of Community Planning and Development, coordinator of Mission Anti-Displacement Coalition. "What we see instead is that the plan is geared toward creating new housing that serves people with money!"

"I feel really strong about this, they have no right to kick people out from their own communities", said Salah Alnaif, a youth from Youth Making a Change (YMAC).

"They need to prioritize families, seniors, and people with disabilities. There is a long history of working class resistance in SOMA. The San Francisco Planning Commission needs to recognize that!" James Chiosini, a fellow comrade of mine during our years as volunteers for the San Francisco Coalition on Homelessness.

The only prioritization that seems to be zoning towards owning people's lands and livelihoods. The right to not be deprived of life and liberty, no longer exists. As far as the interest of the community is concerned, none of it seems to matter.......except in the eyes of "corporate interest" by the City of San Francisco.

by RAM and Theodora Mays/NPRRR

"I was a formerly homeless mother who once lived in an abandoned building". This was my introduction to Cheri Honkala, Executive Director of the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC), a coalition of organizations from across the country united in the mission to "Abolish poverty everywhere and forever".

As Cheri's words came through the phone I felt an instant connection to her. Having grown up with a Mother battling addiction -- evictions, hunger and instability were my constant companions.

Cheri and the PPEHRC foster that same connection in poor people across color lines and across the country. She has been organizing with other poor folks for the last twenty-five years, and on September 2nd, the second day of the Republican National Convention (RNC) in St. Paul Minnesota, over a year of Cheri's full time efforts will come to fruition as the PPEHRC embarks on "The March For Our Lives", one of the largest poor people's marches to ever take place.

PPEHRC describes the march as, " A powerful, peaceful demonstration for the right to healthcare, housing, and all economic human rights. We will march because as poverty, hunger, unemployment, and homelessness grow throughout this country, political leaders from both major parties have abandoned us. We cannot afford to be silent. We cannot afford to be disappeared from the public eye and the political debate as our families suffer".

And our families do suffer - I can attest to that - with each member of my family effected by the insidious ramifications of poverty, barely surviving the daily fight for a bed, a meal, a little peace; and my Father not surviving at all - sent to an all too early grave before he had the chance to learn what I've learned", that like Cheri says "We cannot afford to be silent". I found my voice at POOR Magazine, sharing my experiences, my story--making it heard, finding the power that comes when voices combine together and fight as one.

But that fight doesn't come easy. Having lived through many police raids on my home as a child, it is no surprise to me that according to Cheri, "There are expected to be as many police officers as protesters at the march". Where ever there are poor people gathered there will undoubtedly be police. Cheri and the PPEHRC have already had to face the "cow-boy mentality" of the St. Paul police department. On July 3rd Cheri was even contacted by the Federal Justice Department regarding their concern for violence towards Cheri and other marchers. They claim to want to offer protection to the marchers. The PPEHRC declined the offer.

As with the PPEHRC's other marches, their experience with the media, even the so-called progressive media has been that of a complete "white-out" of what is really happening leading up to the march, a setting up of it as a violent event, and then having them get it wrong in the end.

Like POOR Magazine PPEHRC is very clear that we as poor folks must tell our own story. Thanks to the hard work of PPEHRC folks and Cheri – there will be thousands of poor folks truly being heard at Minneapolis this year.

For more information on getting involved with the march go on-line to http://www.economichumanrights.org/index.shtml

by Jack Hirschman

Double the pesos of the thousands
of teachers of the children of Oaxaca,
and for URO a one-way ticket
out of the State
with his bags stuffed
with corruption, repression and blood.

The Mexico that’s arriving,
that’s knocking

on the door of tomorrow,
whose Viva! Has been appearing
once more on the lips
of peoples the world over---

this Mexico, of Oaxacan defiance
and Chiapas poetry armed
with justice and dignity
worthy of those who seed
the future in the minds and hearts
of Mexico’s kids,

is the lava of molten hope
flowing to all who are

corporately imprisoned,
is the red paint of resistance
flung at the felonious
masters of greed.

by Jack Hirschman

Peace you want? Then go to war for the rest of your days. Not to the wars of
the killers of life, those who are bombing and godding, godding and bombing
in interchangeable attacks of mortal lies. Stand for once at the precipice of your-
self and leap into the new class war. They’ve tried killing that child of the poor,
the homeless and oppressed; they’ve tried erasing class war from the blackboard
of the mind. To no avail. It is invincibly alive. Sentence yourself to it, O prisoner
of cybernetic banalities, self-delusional hedonisms of futile ruts, and the surplus
of dead bread they’ve thrown to you in your atomized cell. The only way out of
the prison of their making is the new class war, the struggle for the dignity of all
human and animal natures against their death-rattling fascisms that are poisoning
the earth with desolation’s power. The only way to peace is in the struggle where
feelings and ideas transfigure themselves and organize the tomorrow that belongs
to all good men, women and children as the inextinguishable radiance of the peace

that puts death’s wars away forever.

by David Bacon

POSTVILLE, IOWA - 18JULY08

Maria Rosala Mejia Marroquin and Anacleta Tajtaj, Guatemalan immigrants, were arrested in an immigration raid at the Agriprocessors meatpacking plant in Postville on May 12. The raid was the largest workplace raid in a single worksite in recent history. Both were released to care for their children, but now have to wear ankle bracelets to monitor their movements. They and 46 other women cannot work or travel, and have been waiting for weeks for a hearing which would result in her deportation. Most have husbands or brothers now in Federal prison, forced to plead guilty to misusing a Social Security number, as a result of the raid. Luz Maria Hernandez works in St. Bridget's Catholic Church, trying to help the families of those arrested. The Agriprocessors meatpacking plant sits on the outskirts of Postville, a tiny town of 2000 inhabitants. New Latino businesses have taken over storefronts in Postville, but as a result of the raid, most stores and restaurants are empty now.

For more information and photographs go to www.dbacon.igc.org

by Jack Hirschman

THE EVICTION

At their whim
whomever
they want to evict
whenever they
want to evict
they can
because they’re
lords of the land
they’re the landlords.

They’ve got Pee Pee
on their side, that’s
Private Property
and they don’t care
that we’re Poor
or Poor Magazine;
if we protest they
call in the other Pee,
the Pee that ends in lice

or lease to make damned

sure no Poor protest is

gonna get in the way of
the biggest Pee, which is
their Profits. And now
that you know why we
all are here and what we
all are and have been up

against these many years

as victims of their whims

and greedy-evil pockets,

let’s resolve to bring the

whole house down, yes,
once and this time for all,
(the house that the Death

that is Private Property

has built), with organized

performances of such
Justice,

we poor will wear “our
courage,

sorrow and innocence”
vividly

as our burning rage, until

Private Property bombs on
the stage where for much
too
long it’s been pissing on
the

people, and then at last
human

space truly will belong to
all.

They own the space

And when they want
You out of it