Story Archives 2011

p (Editor#39;s note: This article was written in mid 2010.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;We now share it as part of Revolutionary Worker Scholar#39;s collection of essays)/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p iItrsquo;s got our beautiful children /i/p p iLiving in all kinds of hell/i/p p iCoping to survive and/i/p p ispan class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Makin’" data-scaytid="1"Makinrsquo;/span it well/i/p p iSwinging together in/i/p p iMisty darkness with all/i/p p iTheir love to share/i/p p iSmiling their Christ-like /i/p p iForgiveness that only a/i/p p iGhetto cross could bear/i/p p i--Poet span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Piri" data-scaytid="3"Piri/span Thomas /i/p p 　/p p I recently started a new job with a new security guard company after a year and a half of service with XYZ Security Company. The new company is quite large, with offices all over the globe. I sat through training with 4 other guard prospectsmdash;young men of color looking quite hungry for employmentmdash;if not the dinner plate. I was the middle-aged guy whorsquo;d seen these young men beforemdash;in one incarnation or anothermdash;in security company training past. We sat through films about sexual harassment, workplace safety, domestic terrorism etc.nbsp; I looked around the office as the training was administered--i saw all the requisite symbols of patriotism: the flag, the memorials to 911, a picture of some long dead European explorer etc.nbsp; And to my amazement, i found out that one ofnbsp;my fellownbsp;guard trainees was a young man named emMao X. Che/em.nbsp; The office air became thick with irony./p p The classroom discussions were facilitated by a nice man whom many of the guards referred to as Ancient Age. Age was a portly man with short-cropped gray hair. He recalled his experiences as a guardmdash;how he foiled a bank robbery attempt and de-escalated any number of potentially dangerous situations. I looked at the manrsquo;s rotund physique. The bank incident surely happened long ago, when he was thinner and able to run (IE: haul ass) a block or two./p p He had a fatherly way of speakingmdash;the kind yoursquo;d expect in a counselor or minister. I sat wondering why he was in security and why people called him Ancient Age. He wasnrsquo;t that old. Turns out hersquo;d been in security for nearly 30 years after serving in the military. I felt ashamed for thinking that the reason he was called Ancient Age was because he drank it (see: http://span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="en.wikipedia.org" data-scaytid="5"en.wikipedia.org/span/wiki/Ancient_Age). At the end of the classroom training and testingmdash;which I passed with 100% in all categories (thank God for open book tests), I followed Ancient Age to the fitting room where I was issued my new uniform./p p I put on my new security guard uniform. Therersquo;s a new car smell quality that comes with a new uniform--as if the poor worker at the uniform factory stuffed a cardboard air freshener into every pocket. I took a deep breath. The company is very strict about appearance and is steadfast about clean uniforms. I was given an assignment. I walked out the door feeling like a new man./p p I was sent to a Public Housing Complex to meet the Security Site Supervisor who I will refer to as B. B was a somewhat muscular man who looked like he may have played high school football in his glory years (I too was on a high school football team, my only glory: The uncanny ability to pluck splinters from my ass--supplied by the copious benches I rode). He led me into an office where he informed me that there was a lot of violence at the complex and that many black people lived there. He indicated that there was loitering, gangs, domestic violence, graffiti, and a recent fight on the property that involved 40 people, some of whom had baseball bats./p p He spoke eloquently. I indicated that I was familiar with black people, having seen them on span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="buses" data-scaytid="7"buses/span and music videos. I looked at his dark knit sport shirt with some kind of logo stitched into it. These types of guys always seem to wear shirts like that for some reason. He told me of the high turnover rate of guards at the site. He asked me if I was interested. I needed the work, the hours. I said yes. Come back in two hours, he said./p p I returned to the complex and entered the security office. I met 2 young men in dark, SWAT-like uniforms minus semi-automatic weapons. On a desk was a row of books. I scanned the titles for poetry or novels or books by POOR Press authors but all I saw was science fiction and titles pertaining to criminal justice. Next to the books was a framed tribute to American patriotsmdash;including the firemen who died during the 911 attacks. Next to that was a computer monitor flickering with images relayed by cameras that were strategically placed all over the property. I was briefed by the guards who told me what the site-supervisor had told me: the complex is dangerous--gangs and loitering, people who do not value life etc. I was given paperwork to fill out indicating the beginning of my shift./p p I walked alongside my fellow guard, a young guy in his late 20rsquo;s, past the units and parked cars. There were many children. Some looked at me and asked, Is that the new guard? The kids had wide eyes filled with possibilities. I looked and saw future astronomers, poets, artists, teachers, philosophers, writers, organizers--elders. Yes, Irsquo;m the new guard I answered. The kids searched my face and ran off. We kept walking. We saw a group of young people gathered on the property, just standing and talking. I was told that this was loitering (which the guard pronounced ispan class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="lootering" data-scaytid="9"lootering/span/i) and that I should indicate in my officerrsquo;s report that I observed gang members congregated on the property. How do you know they are gang members? I asked. The guard indicated that the young people were not residents and that they stand around intimidating residents with their unruly behavior. But I didnrsquo;t see the young men behaving in a threatening or unruly way. We walked by them and proceeded on our patrol./p p I was told of the many house rules, which, if broken, can result in a write up that could be cause for eviction. You could be written up for loitering, excessive noise, parking in an unauthorized spot among other things. As I listened, it seemed there was a house rule for everything. I began to feel like this was a controlled environment, a place of confinement rather than a place of residence. I recalled the words of Henry David Thoreau:/p p nbsp;/p p emAny fool can make a rule and any fool will mind it/em/p p nbsp;/p p We continued our patrol and came upon an area of the property that is named in honor of civil rights figure Rosa Parks. My fellow guard informed me that we were at the "Rosa Parks section of our patrol". Rosa Parks I said. Whorsquo;s that? The guard told me he didnrsquo;t know. Itrsquo;s just the name, he said. I asked another guard the same question during the next patrol. Rosa Parks I said, That must be the person who conceived the idea of building this housing complex, right? The guard looked at me and said, Yeshellip;she is the one who thought of it. I took a nice deep breath of air. Neither of the guards knew who Rosa Parks was./p p But what we did know--thanks to the core of the non-profit industrial complex and racist police mentality that is held in such span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="salvific" data-scaytid="11"salvific/span esteem in span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Amerikkk--was" data-scaytid="13"Amerikkk--was/span that this housing complex has lots of black people who loiter, deal drugs, involve themselves in gangs and have no value for human life. I looked at my fellow guard, an immigrantmdash;very personable--a nice guy, as well as the other guard, an immigrant as well. Itrsquo;s a shame their energies are focused on this type of workmdash;anchored by ideas fueled by the span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="PO’Lice" data-scaytid="15"POrsquo;Lice/span, the prison and non-profit industrial complexes./p p Would they see things differently if they knew who Rosa Parks was? Would it make a difference? We continued our walk towards the security office. We walked past people, not just black, but brown and yellow too. I looked at the kids on the sidewalks and driveways. I looked at their eyes and I again saw future astronomers, poets, artists, teachers, philosophers, writers, organizers, elders. They looked at my fellow security officer. They looked at me. What did they see?/p p 　/p p 　/p p copy; 2010 Revolutionary Worker Scholar/p p font size="2"　/font/p dl dt 　/dt /dl p font size="2"　/font/p p font size="2"　/font/p p font size="2"　/font/p p font size="2"　/font/p p 　/p p 　/p p 　/p p 　/p p 　/p p 　/p p 　/p p 　/p p 　/p p 　/p p 　/p p 　/p

p Editor#39;s note: This review is of the 4th Annual Filipino American Jazz Festival that took place Sunday October 9th at span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Yoshi's" data-scaytid="5"Yoshi#39;s/span San Francisco)/p p nbsp;/p p emspan _fck_bookmark="1" style="display: none"object width=560 height=315span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="param" data-scaytid="7"param/span name=movie value=a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/TfjgRKkorzQ?version=3amp;hl=en_US/cke:paramcke:param"http://span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="www.youtube.com" data-scaytid="1"www.youtube.com/span/v/span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="TfjgRKkorzQ" data-scaytid="19"TfjgRKkorzQ/span?version=3amp;hl=en_US/span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="param" data-scaytid="9"param/spanspan class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="param" data-scaytid="11"param/span/a name=span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="allowFullScreen" data-scaytid="23"allowFullScreen/span value=true/span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="param" data-scaytid="13"param/spanspan class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="param" data-scaytid="15"param/span name=span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="allowscriptaccess" data-scaytid="25"allowscriptaccess/span value=always/span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="param" data-scaytid="17"param/spanembed span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="src" data-scaytid="29"src/span=a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/TfjgRKkorzQ?version=3amp;hl=en_US"http://span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="www.youtube.com" data-scaytid="3"www.youtube.com/span/v/span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="TfjgRKkorzQ" data-scaytid="21"TfjgRKkorzQ/span?version=3amp;hl=en_US/a type=application/x-shockwave-flash width=560 height=315 span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="allowscriptaccess" data-scaytid="27"allowscriptaccess/span=always span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="allowfullscreen" data-scaytid="31"allowfullscreen/span=true/embed/objectnbsp;/span/ememspan class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Dahil" data-scaytid="33"Dahil/span Sa span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Iyo" data-scaytid="37"Iyo/span/emmdash;Lena Sundayrsquo;s voice weaved through the syllablesmdash;unfamiliar vowels and consonantsmdash;slowly becoming familiar and vibrant like the sweet fragrance of span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Sampaguita" data-scaytid="41"Sampaguita/spanmdash;blooming into the centerpiece of the 4supth/supannual San Francisco Filipino American Jazz Festival at span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Yoshi’s" data-scaytid="43"Yoshirsquo;s/span, located in San Franciscorsquo;s historic Fillmore District.nbsp; Sunday, a gifted singer and daughter of a span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Filipina" data-scaytid="51"Filipina/span mother and African American father, shared with the audience that she did not learn Tagalog growing up, that her Filipino identity was something she was still embracing and claiming as her own.nbsp; Lena Sundayrsquo;s rendition of the classic Filipino love song span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Dahil" data-scaytid="35"Dahil/span Sa span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Iyo" data-scaytid="39"Iyo/span, dedicated to her mother, was one of many heartfelt moments for jazz span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="kababayans" data-scaytid="53"kababayans/span and community members to listen to, remember and celebrate in the month of Octobermdash;Filipino American History Monthmdash;highlighting the Fillmorersquo;s Filipino roots, Filipino Jazz performers and their contributions to the African American gift which is jazz.nbsp;/p p The San Francisco Filipino American Jazz Festival is in its 4supth/supyear celebrating and showcasing outstanding and world class Filipino jazz artists from both the US and the Philippines. The festival has featured artists including Mon David, Primo Kim, John Calloway, span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Tateng" data-scaytid="57"Tateng/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Katindig" data-scaytid="59"Katindig/span, Sandra span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Viray" data-scaytid="61"Viray/span and Jo span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Canion" data-scaytid="63"Canion/span. The founders and organizers of the festival are Carlos and Myrna span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Zialcita" data-scaytid="65"Zialcita/spanmdash;2 musicians whose marriage reflects their love of sharing music and culturemdash;a love that gave birth to the festival. Being immersed in the music business they saw many talented Filipino jazz musicians whose gifts were not being exposedmdash;span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="underappreciated" data-scaytid="75"underappreciated/span in roles as side musicians, not being afforded opportunities to shine as headliners.nbsp; The festival is their effortmdash;in tandem with community educators, activistsmdash;to showcase these talented Filipino jazz musicians and vocalists to a wider audience.nbsp;/p p The journey to span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Yoshi’s" data-scaytid="45"Yoshirsquo;s/spanmdash;a major jazz venue on the West Coastmdash;followed a year of events featuring Filipino jazz performers including a concert commemorating Jazz Appreciation Month, The Asian Heritage Street Celebration, the ldquo;People in the Plaza Concert Seriesrdquo; and various events throughout the Bay Area.nbsp; ldquo;It took a year for us to get the festival tonbsp;nbsp;nbsp;span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Yoshi’s" data-scaytid="55"Yoshirsquo;s/spanrdquo; said Myrna span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Zialcita" data-scaytid="67"Zialcita/span.nbsp; ldquo;There are so many Filipino musicians that are world classmdash;musicians that need to be heardrdquo;.nbsp;/p p It is befitting that the festival be hosted in San Franciscorsquo;s Fillmore District, home of many Filipino families that settled in the neighborhood in the span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="1920s" data-scaytid="77"1920s/span.nbsp; Among those families were the Robles and span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Sorro" data-scaytid="79"Sorro/span familiesmdash;large families whose lives were inspired by the sounds of jazz coming from clubs like span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Jimbo’s" data-scaytid="83"Jimborsquo;s/span Bop City and the Blackhawk.nbsp; Poet Al Roblesmdash;widely regarded as the Poet Laureate of San Franciscorsquo;s span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Manilatown" data-scaytid="85"Manilatown/span and who was honored by the Festival in 2009mdash;paid homage tonbsp;nbsp;span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Pinoy" data-scaytid="87"Pinoy/span jazzmen Charlie span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Abing" data-scaytid="91"Abing/span and Flip Nunez in poems such as Jazz of My Youthmdash;two musicians with deep ties to the Filipino community pavingnbsp;the way for Filipino musicians to follow.nbsp;/p p Bill span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Sorro" data-scaytid="81"Sorro/span, activist and community leader who would later be a central figure in the struggle to fight the eviction of Filipino elders from the International Hotel, was inspired by jazz in his physical beingmdash;becoming a dancermdash;with a goal of joining the Alvin span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Ailey" data-scaytid="93"Ailey/span Dance Company. nbsp;nbsp;The Fillmore was home to African American families, Filipino families, mixed families that were both Filipino and black, as well as Japanese American and other multiracial families.nbsp; One legendary performer who grew up in the Fillmore to Black and Filipino parents was Sugar Pie span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="DeSanto" data-scaytid="95"DeSanto/spanmdash;who Carlos span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Zialcita" data-scaytid="69"Zialcita/span has performed and toured with and has lobbied for induction into the Rock nrsquo; Roll Hall of Fame.nbsp; So inspired was Al Robles by this African American art form, this language that touched his life that he wrote:/p p emSometimes my heart is Filipino/em/p p emSometimes my heart is black/em/p p emAnd sometimes my heart is Filipino and black/em/p p emAt the same time/em/p p The language of jazz is the language of heartbreak, struggle, survival and resistance.nbsp; The Fillmore was a neighborhood under attack in the span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="50s" data-scaytid="97"50s/span and span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="60s" data-scaytid="99"60s/span.nbsp; Slowly the neighborhood was demolished to make way for redevelopmentmdash;the idea being that the neighborhood was blighted and needed to be cleaned up.nbsp; Many families were forced outmdash;mostly low income families of color.nbsp; Beautiful Victorian houses were demolished.nbsp; The antique dealers with their affluent clientele from Marin County converged on those abandoned housesmdash;taking door knobs, banisters, and fixturesmdash;anything that could be sold.nbsp; The landscape was bulldozed and scarred but the sound of jazz remainedmdash;nothing could erase its memory deep in the soil and in the concrete canvasses where songs and scores were yet to be composed.nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;/p p The event was a homecoming, anchored by the music of the span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Pinoy" data-scaytid="89"Pinoy/span Jazz Quartetmdash;whose passionate playing and relaxed presence showed deference and respect to the audiencemdash;a multicultural gumbo of jazz lovers, friends, elders, youthmdash;a multiethnic Bay Area audience who came out en masse to support the gifts of our community within the spacious yet intimate setting of span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Yoshi’s" data-scaytid="49"Yoshirsquo;s/span.nbsp; The quartet included long time musicians Ben Luis on bass, Rey Cristobal on piano, span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Melecio" data-scaytid="121"Melecio/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Magdaluyo" data-scaytid="123"Magdaluyo/span on sax and flute and Richard span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Aguon" data-scaytid="125"Aguon/span on drums. Their range was impressive, expertly handling standards from the great American songbook, as well as classics and fusion.nbsp;/p p San Francisco born vocalist Lena Sunday wowed the audience with her vocal prowess on songs such as ldquo;Centerpiecerdquo; and ldquo;Throw it awayrdquo;mdash;showing why she was the featured singer in Lou Rawls#39; band for 4 years, as well as a session singer/songwriter for artists such as Stevie Wonder and Nancy Wilson.nbsp; Her self-effacing presence was engaging and refreshing in a world of self-absorbed lesser performers who are too often given the label of span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="“diva.”" data-scaytid="101"ldquo;diva.rdquo;/span/p p span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Millbrae" data-scaytid="103"Millbrae/span based, world class vocalist Ann Marie Santos revved up the audience with classics such as ldquo;Love for Salerdquo; and ldquo;It donrsquo;t mean a thing (If it ainrsquo;t got that swing)rdquo;.nbsp; Santos, who started singing at the age of 6 and has toured and performed all over Asia, is a returning performer to the Festival, having appeared in 2009, performing a duet with Mon David, bringing down the house in the eventrsquo;s finale. Her passionate performance prompted host Carlos span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Zialcita" data-scaytid="71"Zialcita/span to declare, ldquo;Somebody call the fire department lsquo;cause itrsquo;s getting real hot in hererdquo;.nbsp; Her rendition of ldquo;What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Liferdquo; got me teary eyed (but Irsquo;m sure I wasnrsquo;t the only one)./p p Pianist Winston span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Raval" data-scaytid="113"Raval/span shared his giftsmdash;which include being a pioneer in the area of jazz fusion as well as a band leader and musical director.nbsp; His playing struck an emotional chord that somehow connects jazz with our indigenous past.nbsp; span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Raval" data-scaytid="115"Raval/span is a pioneer in connecting jazz with indigenous Filipino instruments bringing aboutmdash;what Myrna span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Zialcita" data-scaytid="73"Zialcita/span describes as ldquo;A redefinition of what jazz means.nbsp; You canrsquo;t keep peoplersquo;s influence from coming into the genre.nbsp; When you bring your culture into jazz, you add it to that span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="gumbo.”" data-scaytid="105"gumbo.rdquo;/spannbsp; Winston span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Raval" data-scaytid="117"Raval/span is an extremely accomplished musician, having written the scores to 23 films in the Philippines.nbsp; During the evening, he was presented with a lifetime achievement award on behalf of the Festival.nbsp; His humor was not lost on the honormdash;in introducing the song ldquo;Who Can I turn To (When nobody needs me)rdquo;mdash;he changed the title to ldquo;Who can I turn to when your GPS is driving you span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="crazy.”" data-scaytid="107"crazy.rdquo;/span/p p Annie Brazil showed why she is called ldquo;Asiarsquo;s Queen of span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Jazz.”" data-scaytid="109"Jazz.rdquo;/spannbsp; Her style and repertoire is classic and classymdash;her songs coming from the Great American songbook.nbsp; Singing since the age of nbsp;6, she grew up in the district of San Miguel near span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Malacanang" data-scaytid="137"Malacanang/span Palace and has performed all over the world.nbsp; She performed with bands led by span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Iggy" data-scaytid="139"Iggy/span De Guzman, span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Pepe" data-scaytid="141"Pepe/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Merto" data-scaytid="143"Merto/span, Cesar span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Velasco" data-scaytid="145"Velasco/span and Ding span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Yalung" data-scaytid="147"Yalung/span.nbsp; Brazil ran clubs and booked acts which brought her into contact with American jazz performers. She jammed with Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, James Moody, Ellis span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Marsalis" data-scaytid="149"Marsalis/span and Sarah Vaughn.nbsp; When asked about Billy span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Eckstine" data-scaytid="151"Eckstine/span, she once said, ldquo;I bow to Billy span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Eckstine.”" data-scaytid="111"Eckstine.rdquo;/spannbsp;nbsp;Her unique voice nailed timeless songs such as ldquo;Satin Doll,rdquo; nbsp;ldquo;Smile,rdquo; and a medley of Tagalog songs.nbsp; The 78 year old Brazil recently released an album of classic songs with new arrangements, produced by her son, vocalist Richard Merck.nbsp; Currently based in New York, she continues to perform regularly./p p The festival honored Annie Brazil, Winston span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Raval" data-scaytid="119"Raval/span and Bob span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Parlocha" data-scaytid="129"Parlocha/span with lifetime achievement awards.nbsp; span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Parlocha" data-scaytid="131"Parlocha/span, a native of Vallejo and son of a Filipino father and Afro Filipino mother, is a musician and was music director for legendary radio station span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="KJAZ" data-scaytid="135"KJAZ/span, was affectionately spoken of for his radio programming and knowledge of jazzmdash;a genre that he celebrated on his syndicated program ldquo;Jazz with Bob span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Parlocha" data-scaytid="133"Parlocha/spanrdquo;mdash;a program that is aired in both the US and Canada.nbsp;/p p The close of the show featured the three vocalists on stage together, singing in the scatting style that is beyond words but is all feeling.nbsp; And the feeling was that we were at homemdash;in the Fillmore, in the heart of jazz, in the heart of our story that is in a big pot of gumbo and rice and span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="adobo--that" data-scaytid="153"adobo--that/span pot of jazz in which Filipino musicians have added their own flavor to the many flavors that it is.nbsp; For more information on the festival, go to span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="www.sfpinoyjazzfest.com" data-scaytid="127"www.sfpinoyjazzfest.com/span./p p nbsp;/p p copy; 2011 Tony Robles/p p nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;/p

p emspan class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Dahil" data-scaytid="1"Dahil/span Sa span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Iyo" data-scaytid="3"Iyo/span/emmdash;Lena Sundayrsquo;s voice weaved through the syllablesmdash;unfamiliar vowels and consonantsmdash;slowly becoming familiar and vibrant like the sweet fragrance of span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Sampaguita" data-scaytid="5"Sampaguita/spanmdash;blooming into the centerpiece of the 4supth/supannual San Francisco Filipino American Jazz Festival at span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Yoshi’s" data-scaytid="7"Yoshirsquo;s/span, located in San Franciscorsquo;s historic Fillmore District.nbsp; Sunday, a gifted singer and daughter of a span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Filipina" data-scaytid="9"Filipina/span mother and African American father shared with the audience that she did not learn Tagalog growing up, that her Filipino identity was something she was still embracing and claiming as her own.nbsp; Lena Sundayrsquo;s rendition of the classic Filipino love song, dedicated to her mother, was one of many heartfelt moments for jazz span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="kababayans" data-scaytid="11"kababayans/span and community members to listen to, remember and celebrate in the month of Octobermdash;Filipino American History Monthmdash;highlighting the Fillmorersquo;s Filipino roots, Filipino Jazz performers and their contributions to the African American gift which is jazz.nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p The San Francisco Filipino American Jazz Festival is in its 4supth/supyear celebrating and showcasing outstanding and world class Filipino jazz artists from both the US and the Philippines. The festival has featured artists including Mon David, Primo Kim, John Calloway, span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Tateng" data-scaytid="13"Tateng/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Katindig" data-scaytid="15"Katindig/span, Sandra span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Viray" data-scaytid="17"Viray/span and Jo span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Canion" data-scaytid="19"Canion/span. The founders and organizers of the festival are Carlos and Myrna span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Zialcita" data-scaytid="21"Zialcita/spanmdash;2 musicians whose marriage reflects their love of sharing music and culturemdash;a love that gave birth to the festival. Being immersed in the music business they saw many talented Filipino jazz musicians whose gifts were not being exposedmdash;span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="underappreciated" data-scaytid="23"underappreciated/span in roles as side musicians, not being afforded opportunities to shine as headliners.nbsp; The festival is their effortmdash;in tandem with community educators, activistsmdash;to showcase these talented Filipino jazz musicians and vocalists to a wider audience.nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p The journey to span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Yoshi’s" data-scaytid="25"Yoshirsquo;s/spanmdash;a major jazz venue on the West Coastmdash;followed a year of events featuring Filipino jazz performers including a concert commemorating Jazz Appreciation Month, The Asian Heritage Street Celebration, the ldquo;People in the Plaza Concert Seriesrdquo; and various events throughout the Bay Area.nbsp; ldquo;It took a year for us to get the festival to span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Yoshi’s" data-scaytid="31"Yoshirsquo;s/spanrdquo; said Myrna span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Zialcita" data-scaytid="29"Zialcita/span.nbsp; ldquo;There are so many Filipino musicians that are world classmdash;musicians that need to be heardrdquo;.nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p It is befitting that the festival be hosted in San Franciscorsquo;s Fillmore District, home of many Filipino families that settled in the neighborhood in the span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="1920s" data-scaytid="35"1920s/span.nbsp; Among those families were the Robles and span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Sorro" data-scaytid="37"Sorro/span familiesmdash;large families whose lives were inspired by the sounds of jazz coming from clubs like span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Jimbo’s" data-scaytid="39"Jimborsquo;s/span Bop City and the Blackhawk.nbsp; Poet Al Roblesmdash;widely regarded as the Poet Laureate of San Franciscorsquo;s span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Manilatown" data-scaytid="41"Manilatown/span and who was honored by the Festival in 2009mdash;paid homage tonbsp;nbsp;span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Pinoy" data-scaytid="43"Pinoy/span jazzmen Charlie span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Abing" data-scaytid="45"Abing/span and Flip Nunezmdash;two musicians with deep ties to the Filipino community and who paved the way for Filipino musicians to follow.nbsp;/p p Bill span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Sorro" data-scaytid="47"Sorro/span, activist and community leader who would later be a central figure in the struggle to fight the eviction of Filipino elders from the International Hotel, was inspired by jazz in his physical beingmdash;becoming a dancermdash;with a goal of joining the Alvin span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Ailey" data-scaytid="49"Ailey/span Dance Company. nbsp;nbsp;The Fillmore was home to African American families, Filipino families, mixed families that were both Filipino and black, as well as Japanese American and other multiracial families.nbsp; One legendary performer who grew up in the Fillmore to Black and Filipino parents was Sugar Pie span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="DeSanto" data-scaytid="51"DeSanto/spanmdash;who Carlos span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Zialcita" data-scaytid="33"Zialcita/span has performed and toured with and has lobbied for induction into the Rock nrsquo; Roll Hall of Fame.nbsp; So inspired was Al Robles by this African American art form, this language that touched his life that he wrote:/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Sometimes my heart is Filipino/p p nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Sometimes my heart is black/p p nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; And sometimes my heart is Filipino and black/p p nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; At the same time/p p nbsp;/p p The language of jazz is the language of heartbreak, struggle, survival and resistance.nbsp; The Fillmore was a neighborhood under attack in the span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="50s" data-scaytid="53"50s/span and span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="60s" data-scaytid="55"60s/span.nbsp; Slowly the neighborhood was demolished to make way for redevelopmentmdash;the idea being that the neighborhood was blighted and needed to be cleaned up.nbsp; Many families were forced outmdash;mostly low income families of color.nbsp; Beautiful Victorian houses were demolished.nbsp; The antique dealers with their affluent clientele from Marin County converged on those abandoned housesmdash;taking door knobs, banisters, and fixturesmdash;anything that could be sold.nbsp; The landscape was bulldozed and scarred but the sound of jazz remainedmdash;nothing could erase its memory deep in the soil and in the concrete canvasses where songs and scores were yet to be composed.nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p The event was a homecoming, anchored by the music of the span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Pinoy" data-scaytid="57"Pinoy/span Jazz Quartetmdash;whose passionate playing and relaxed presence showed deference and respect to the audiencemdash;a multicultural gumbo of jazz lovers, friends, elders, youthmdash;a multiethnic Bay Area audience who came out en masse to support the gifts of our community within the spacious yet intimate setting of span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Yoshi’s" data-scaytid="59"Yoshirsquo;s/span.nbsp; The quartet included long time musicians Ben Luis on bass, Rey Cristobal on piano, Melecio Magdaluyo on sax and flute and Richard Aguon on drums. Their range was impressive, expertly handling standards from the great American songbook, as well as classics and fusion.nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p San Francisco born vocalist Lena Sunday wowed the audience with her vocal prowess on songs such as ldquo;Centerpiecerdquo; and ldquo;Throw it awayrdquo;mdash;showing why she was the featured singer in Lou Rawlrsquo;s band for 4 years, as well as a session singer/songwriter for artists such as Stevie Wonder and Nancy Wilson.nbsp; Her self-effacing presence was engaging and refreshing in a world of self-absorbed lesser performers who are too often given the label of ldquo;diva.rdquo;/p p nbsp;/p p Millbrae based, world class vocalist Ann Marie Santos revved up the audience with classics such as ldquo;Love for Salerdquo; and ldquo;It donrsquo;t mean a thing (If it ainrsquo;t got that swing)rdquo;.nbsp; Santos, who started singing at the age of 6 and has toured and performed all over Asia, is a returning performer to the Festival, having appeared in 2009, performing a duet with Mon David, bringing down the house in the eventrsquo;s finale. Her passionate performance prompted host Carlos Zialcita to declare, ldquo;Somebody call the fire department lsquo;cause itrsquo;s getting real hot in hererdquo;.nbsp; Her rendition of ldquo;What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Liferdquo; got me teary eyed (but Irsquo;m sure I wasnrsquo;t the only one)./p p nbsp;/p p Pianist Winston Raval shared his giftsmdash;which include being a pioneer in the area of jazz fusion as well as a band leader and musical director.nbsp; His playing struck an emotional chord that somehow connects jazz with our indigenous past.nbsp; Raval is a pioneer in connecting jazz with indigenous Filipino instruments bringing aboutmdash;what Myrna Zialcita describes as ldquo;A redefinition of what jazz means.nbsp; You canrsquo;t keep peoplersquo;s influence from coming into the genre.nbsp; When you bring your culture into jazz, you add it to that gumbo.rdquo;nbsp; Winston Raval is an extremely accomplished musician, having written the scores to 23 films in the Philippines.nbsp; During the evening, he was presented with a lifetime achievement award on behalf of the Festival.nbsp; His humor was not lost on the honormdash;in introducing the song ldquo;Who Can I turn To (When nobody needs me)rdquo;mdash;he changed the title to ldquo;Who can I turn to when your GPS is driving you crazy.rdquo;/p p nbsp;/p p Annie Brazil showed why she is called ldquo;Asiarsquo;s Queen of Jazz.rdquo;nbsp; Her style and repertoire is classic and classymdash;her songs coming from the Great American songbook.nbsp; Singing since the age of nbsp;6, she grew up in the district of San Miguel near Malacanang Palace and has performed all over the world.nbsp; She performed with bands led by Iggy De Guzman, Pepe Merto, Cesar Velasco and Ding Yalung.nbsp; Brazil ran clubs and booked acts which brought her into contact with American jazz performers. She jammed with Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, James Moody, Ellis Marsalis and Sarah Vaughn.nbsp; When asked about Billy Eckstine, she once said, ldquo;I bow to Billy Eckstine.rdquo; nbsp;Her unique voice nailed timeless songs such as ldquo;Satin Doll,rdquo; nbsp;ldquo;Smile,rdquo; and a medley of Tagalog songs.nbsp; The 78 year old Brazil recently released an album of classic songs with new arrangements, produced by her son, vocalist Richard Merck.nbsp; Currently based in New York, she continues to perform regularly./p p nbsp;/p p The festival honored Annie Brazil, Winston Raval and Bob Parlocha with lifetime achievement awards.nbsp; Parlocha, a native of Vallejo and son of a Filipino father and Afro Filipino mother, is a musician and was music director for legendary radio station KJAZ, was affectionately spoken of for his radio programming and knowledge of jazzmdash;a genre that he celebrated on his syndicated program ldquo;Jazz with Bob Parlochardquo;mdash;a program that is aired in both the US and Canada.nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p The close of the show featured the three vocalists on stage together, singing in the scatting style that is beyond words but is all feeling.nbsp; And the feeling was that we were at homemdash;in the Fillmore, in the heart of jazz, in the heart of our story that is in a big pot of gumbo and rice and adobo--that pot of jazz in which Filipino musicians have added their own flavor to the many flavors that it is.nbsp;/p

p (photo: POOR Magazine family of span data-scayt_word="skolaz" data-scaytid="1"skolaz/span with span data-scayt_word="dignidadrebelde" data-scaytid="2"dignidadrebelde/span span data-scayt_word="artistas" data-scaytid="1520"artistas/span Melanie Cervantes and Jesus span data-scayt_word="Barraza" data-scaytid="4"Barraza/span and their revolutionary work in the background)/p p I used to be able to sleep there,nbsp; One of my street-residing poverty scholar of color brothers, Larry W.nbsp; looked up at me with confused eyes pointing across the street to the span data-scayt_word="Decolonize" data-scaytid="5"Decolonize/span (Occupy) Oakland site. In between talking to me he was talking to and with several hundred voices in his beautiful, traumatized mind. From a western psychiatric diagnostic perspective, he was a paranoid schizophrenic. From many different indigenous deep structure perspectives that i was raised with and actively follow, he was a listener and dreamer living with several forms of post-traumatic slave syndrome, racism and classism in span data-scayt_word="Amerikkka" data-scaytid="7"Amerikkka/span and we had been comrades since when me and mama were living on the span data-scayt_word="calles" data-scaytid="8"calles/span next to him./p p I cried with him, we talked about his mama and mine- and how they were both having some kind of time together and definitely would have some strong opinions about all the Occupations. And then I suggested that we talk with some folks across the street ( at the Occupation site) to get him one of the warm tents so he could sleep elsewhere in it. He vehemently refused, saying, I don#39;t trust those people, last week their help led to me getting arrested,/p p After a while Larry thanked me for listening and walked down the street away from Oscar Grant Plaza( formerly Frank Ogawa Plaza) shaking his head from side to side./p p I went to the Occupy Oakland/span data-scayt_word="Decolonize" data-scaytid="6"Decolonize/span Oakland with POOR Magazine family and saw many beautiful and transformative things such as food sharing, libraries and art-making bynbsp; Melanie Cervantes and Jesus span data-scayt_word="Barraza" data-scaytid="1050"Barraza/span from span data-scayt_word="Dignidad" data-scaytid="1115"Dignidad/span span data-scayt_word="Rebelde" data-scaytid="1339"Rebelde/span and others. We also had a very strange and disturbing series of encounters, where our family of poverty scholars ended up protecting/defending/ supporting the only elder of color who I saw that night from a physical and verbal attack on her person by several 20-something white span data-scayt_word="folx" data-scaytid="9"folx/span, because she had apparently said something insulting in a verbal altercation earlier that day in the camp. This was just one of many encounters we had that night rife with more span data-scayt_word="isms" data-scaytid="10"isms/span than i would like to mention.br / nbsp;/p p After still processing the experience with an unhealthy dose ofnbsp; my own Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD), and hearing similar stories from the people of color caucuses that have been meeting at the span data-scayt_word="Decolonization" data-scaytid="11"Decolonization/span site in Oakland, i was filled with emotion and deep sorrow but i held back from writing anything about the situation because i was trying to honor the movement of peoples against the capitalist machine and i wanted to support the organic-ness of it all and not work to splinter or add stress to the fledgling movement. And then all of a sudden i realized that something else was happening. I was doing what people have historically done with and for people with race, class, gender or ability privilege, make excuses, not hold them accountable for their actions and by default, allow some very abusive actions to go un-checked, un-seen, and un-noticed. And by doing this, enable the abuse to continue, like me and so many of my sisters and brothers who have been abused by these kinds of violence for so long often do./p p Sadly , the actions of the majority of the white occupiers are to be expected ( not excused) as they are peoples born and bred on racist, span data-scayt_word="classist" data-scaytid="12"classist/span US media and values that teach the cult of span data-scayt_word="agism" data-scaytid="14"agism/span, separation, white supremacy,nbsp; angst and overall lack of respect for anyone who doesn#39;t look, act, move and talk like you./p p My brother span data-scayt_word="Muteado" data-scaytid="15"Muteado/span span data-scayt_word="Silencio" data-scaytid="16"Silencio/span, span data-scayt_word="PNN" data-scaytid="17"PNN/span reporter, poverty and migrant span data-scayt_word="skolar" data-scaytid="18"skolar/span spoke on a similar encounter the other night in Occupy span data-scayt_word="Sf" data-scaytid="20"Sf/span, where a span data-scayt_word="houseless" data-scaytid="22"houseless/span person who had normally been sleeping where the occupiers were now staying, had self-marginalized himself to the actual street where cars were span data-scayt_word="wizzing" data-scaytid="26"wizzing/span by. When one of the well-meaning occupiers tried to move the guy, he resisted their attempts, which then led to a span data-scayt_word="po'lice" data-scaytid="27"po#39;lice/span encounter and the span data-scayt_word="houseless" data-scaytid="23"houseless/span guy ended up getting arrested and span data-scayt_word="po'lice" data-scaytid="28"po#39;lice/span abused./p p I know its all very complicated because there are some span data-scayt_word="houseless" data-scaytid="24"houseless/span folks involved in the occupations, but there are span data-scayt_word="alot" data-scaytid="30"alot/span of peoples who are not. Who have never experienced any forms of racism, classism or span data-scayt_word="ablism" data-scaytid="31"ablism/span. Whose consciousness#39; are just being awakened and desperately neednbsp; scholarship on racism, classism, span data-scayt_word="eldership" data-scaytid="32"eldership/span, care-giving, and humility./p p And are we, the ones who can barely keep roofs over ournbsp; babies heads and suffer serious acts of span data-scayt_word="po'lice" data-scaytid="29"po#39;lice/span brutality, racism,wage theft, border fascism and span data-scayt_word="criminalization" data-scaytid="33"criminalization/span every day the ones to bring this to them./p p Our family and extended family of poverty and indigenous scholars at POOR held a discussion at our indigenous news-making circle last night. Some folks were very much about the Occupy movements. One of our newest span data-scayt_word="skolars" data-scaytid="35"skolars/span and reporters, span data-scayt_word="Ayat" data-scaytid="36"Ayat/span, remains one of the twonbsp; span data-scayt_word="African-descedent" data-scaytid="37"African-descedent/span members of Occupy span data-scayt_word="Sf" data-scaytid="21"Sf/span - believing that this is a very important movement and we as poor peoples need to be at the head of it./p p Another POOR span data-scayt_word="skolar" data-scaytid="19"skolar/span believes like many of us, that we as poor peoples of color in struggle have been fighting this revolution for a minute and we span data-scayt_word="dont" data-scaytid="38"dont/span need to get in front of any other peoples movement to become legitimate./p p I#39;m not sure if i believe any other thing or the other. What i know is, this movement is growing, and new in it or not, the folks caught up in the occupations are not getting any more passes or unbridled praise from me for continuing to act in racist, span data-scayt_word="classist" data-scaytid="13"classist/span, span data-scayt_word="ableist" data-scaytid="39"ableist/span, or span data-scayt_word="ageist" data-scaytid="40"ageist/span ways. For continuing to perpetrate an odd form of gentrification, if you will, of activism, of organizing, of resistance./p p The occupiersnbsp; default gentrification isn#39;t just of land from us already span data-scayt_word="houseless" data-scaytid="25"houseless/span occupied peoples on the streets, it is of media, space and resources. So many struggles continue to rage on around and in the streets and barrios where peoples have suddenly setup camps, acting like their set-ups are somehow different and inherently more important than anything before or after, histories and span data-scayt_word="herstories" data-scaytid="41"herstories/span of struggle and resistance movements seem to melt away like butter in a skillet, barely informing the current occupations, making them somehow ahistorical/p p Bob from the Coalition on Homelessness who has worked tirelessly for years trying to fight ongoing span data-scayt_word="criminalization" data-scaytid="34"criminalization/span and incarceration of poor peoples in SF was vexed by some of the special privileges given to the SF Occupiersnbsp; when he noticed special treatment being given to span data-scayt_word="OCcupy" data-scaytid="42"OCcupy/span SF from Ed Lee#39;s office while Ed Lee#39;s office refuses to budge on the Sit-lie law which incarcerates and criminalizes poor peoples for the sole act of sitting or standing while poor in SF. The long-time organizers at Coalition on Homelessness resolved the odd disconnect by creating a flyer that they will be distributing at the Occupy SF site to members that talks about the other fights waging for years in SF against poor peoples movements./p p POOR Magazine, which has been creating poor people-led,indigenous people-led media, education and art with a mandate of no span data-scayt_word="po'Lice" data-scaytid="43"po#39;Lice/span calls ever is in the progress of creating a hand-book b span data-scayt_word="Decolonizers" data-scaytid="44"Decolonizers/span Guide to a Humble Revolution/b which we hope folks in Occupations can use as guide to learn about working with all peoples, each other and all the other movements in need of their support and resources .br / nbsp;br / Finally, at least in the case of the Oakland site, the Oscar Grant plaza (formerly Frank Ogawa plaza) is named after a young African descendent father killed by span data-scayt_word="Po'Lice" data-scaytid="45"Po#39;Lice/span in span data-scayt_word="Amerikkkka" data-scaytid="46"Amerikkkka/span at the span data-scayt_word="Fruitvale" data-scaytid="47"Fruitvale/span BART station. And was launched with a prayer from span data-scayt_word="Ohlone" data-scaytid="48"Ohlone/span 1st nation peoples through powerful span data-scayt_word="wobyn" data-scaytid="49"wobyn/span warrior span data-scayt_word="Corina" data-scaytid="50"Corina/span Gould. This is sacred land and it is sacrilege if elders and children and indigenous and disabled and peoples of all colors are not respected, cared for or thought aboutnbsp; . And sadly, we as poor peoples and peoples of color must be the ones to check it when it doesn#39;t happen. Or, i fear, it will, like this movement, grow and increase and become solidified as ok./p

p I was on the #5 Fulton bus yesterday, taking in the nuances of my race (span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="ie" data-scaytid="1"ie/span: the emhuman /emrace): the gratuitous and over modulated cell phone conversations, texting, bad perfumes/colognes and the incessant foot tapping of a guy a few feet away, occupied by music piped into his ears via a pair of white plastic headphones.nbsp; I looked at my fellow passengers.nbsp; How many were unemployed, looking for work, looking for something?nbsp; How many were barely surviving?nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p Some folks entered via the rear of the bus with clipper cards while others entered with or without proof of payment.nbsp; Many of these folks are newcomers to the city (How can I tell? Irsquo;m a native with 47 years in).nbsp; They get on the bus with the air that the bus never existed until they arrivedmdash;and they connect, somehow, with others like themselves, creating a nice warm, insulated sense of community or community as they see it (in their own minds)mdash;at least for the duration of the bus ride./p p nbsp;/p p In many ways the city bus is a metaphor for the state of humanity.nbsp; Many have been standing a long time while others, just getting on, manage to get an instant seat.nbsp; Who gets to sit and who is willing to sacrifice their seat is the question that settles and crystallizes in the consciousness as glints of sun pass through the window.nbsp; Then the realization sets in:nbsp; I am sitting with the 99%/p p nbsp;/p p I began thinking about the Occupy San Francisco Protests, and other occupy mobilizations that have taken hold across the country.nbsp; The occupy protestors call themselves the 99%, as opposed to the 1% who control most, if not all the wealth in this country.nbsp; I watched footage of the protests on the news and took part in the Occupy March that converged on the headquarters of Wells Fargo Bank last week./p p nbsp;/p p As I marched I thought about the protests that took place nearby on span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Kearny" data-scaytid="3"Kearny/span Street 30 years ago, when elderly Filipino and other elders fought eviction from the International Hotel.nbsp; The fight was against the destruction of span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Manilatown" data-scaytid="7"Manilatown/spanmdash;which had fallen victim to unbridled capitalism, carving away at the Filipino community on span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Kearny" data-scaytid="5"Kearny/span Street until all that was left was the International Hotelmdash;which the owners wanted to demolish in favor of a parking lot.nbsp; And even before that, the Filipino elders, when they were young, organized actions and strikes such as the Delano Grape Strike and strikes against plantation owners in Hawaii./p p nbsp;/p p Itrsquo;s good that the Occupy SF movementmdash;part of the Occupy Wall Street Movement, the 99%-- are jumping on board and realizing what our elders realized long ago, that the economic system wersquo;re beholden to is unjust and out of control.nbsp; But, as in the case of the span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Muni" data-scaytid="9"Muni/span busmdash;just because yoursquo;re on board doesnrsquo;t mean that no one else has been on board before you arrived.nbsp; And why werenrsquo;t you on board sooner?nbsp; Could it be it was because you were occupied?nbsp; With cell phone, span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="ipad" data-scaytid="11"ipad/span, span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="ipod" data-scaytid="13"ipod/span, email, span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="cellphone" data-scaytid="15"cellphone/span, job?nbsp; Yoursquo;re not getting what yoursquo;re worth, you feel span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="gipped" data-scaytid="17"gipped/span out of that chunk of apple pie or piece of the stolen American rock that was on the horizon.nbsp; All this begs the question: What are you worth and who defines it?/p p nbsp;/p p Back to the #5 Fulton bus.nbsp; An elder in an electric mobility chair was on board with his 3 grandchildren and their mother.nbsp; It was a packed bus and the elder began the process of exiting, which was somewhat arduous because people on span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Muni" data-scaytid="19"Muni/span are reluctant to move, and, if they emare/em apt to move, find there is no where to move emto.nbsp; /emJust as the elder approached the exit door, his chair malfunctioned.nbsp; The elder started pushing buttons to no availmdash;the chair would not move.nbsp; The bus was immobile and the passengers sat, some snickering, impatient at the delay./p p nbsp;/p p As we tried to figure out the workings of the chair, all the people on the busmdash;at least 99%--got off through the back door and boarded another bus approaching from the rear.nbsp; There we were, an elder in a chair that wouldnrsquo;t move, his 3 grandkids, their mother and the bus driver and me.nbsp; 99% of the passengers emptied itself from the bus like proverbial rats from the sinking ship.nbsp; ldquo;Stoprdquo; I said, ldquo;Wersquo;re part of the 99% toordquo;.nbsp; But nobody heard, they were on the bus that was moving./p p nbsp;/p p Finally, after tapping, turning and twisting this lever and that, we got the chair to move manually.nbsp; With a few pushes we got it off the bus.nbsp; While on the sidewalk, we struggled with the chair.nbsp; We finally called the fire dept., which was, ironically, 2 blocks away.nbsp; The elder was an immigrant, likely from Eritrea.nbsp; His grandkids were beautiful, so was their mother.nbsp; We waited for the Fire Department to come as the bus pulled away.nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p It was amazing how quickly 99% of the passengers got off the bus.nbsp; Maybe it was because they were occupied./p p nbsp;/p

p nbsp;/p p strongldquo;They say the devil doesn#39;t sleep, neither ICE nor the span data-scayt_word="Po’Lice”" data-scaytid="1"Porsquo;Licerdquo;/spannbsp;/strong/p p It was 4 in the morning when I thought I heard one of my family members on her cell phone. nbsp;She said, ldquo;What? He didn#39;t make home last night. Oh my god something must have happened!rdquo; nbsp;At first I thought it was one of those nightmares that torments migrant families, the nightmare where ICE shows up and deports all of your family. nbsp;Unfortunately this time it was not a nightmare, it was a reality....This family member was talking about someone from our family who was detained./p p The fear and anger would not let me go back to sleep. We waited until span data-scayt_word="8am" data-scaytid="2"8am/span for the offices of the empire to open their telephone lines to ask the whereabouts of my family member. We soon found out that my family member was in the belly of the beast, aka ICE.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;/p p They took a son, brother, father, partnerhellip;a human beinghellip;a member of our community./p p A person I remember from when I was 14 years old. I was part of the Oakland Soccer Saints, a group of teenagers whose parents were migrants. nbsp;Many of them had two jobs to have enough to pay the bills and register their kids for a soccer team, to keep them away from the violent streets of East Oaklandhellip;.Parents who never had time to see their kids playhellip;.My family membernbsp;made sure he supported the team by donating his time, and being a good role model for the kids./p p nbsp;A criminal in the eyes of ICE./p p strongldquo;Rats and Criminalsrdquo;/strong/p p My family member tells us this is what they were called by the private security guards that take care of the prisoners in the detention centers in Arizonahellip;Also that in these facilities therersquo;s only two to three ICE agents, that their job is to register the new people who are being brought into the facility. nbsp;This is probably because is cheaper to hire private security companies./p p Another hypocrisy of the United Snakes of span data-scayt_word="Amerikkka" data-scaytid="3"Amerikkka/span is that supposedly migrant people are here working illegally, yet you can work in these detention centers for crumbs while you await deportation./p p ICE has more than 20,000 employees in 50 different states and 47 outside the United Snakes of span data-scayt_word="Amerikkka" data-scaytid="4"Amerikkka/span./p p While I was researching the ICE web page, a href="http://www.ice.gov/about/overview/" title="http://www.ice.gov/about/overview/"http://www.ice.gov/about/overview//a, I stumbled on information about the more than 85 detention centers in different parts of the U.S.A, which are all privately owned by corporationsnbsp;like Wells Fargo and GEO Group Inc., who are funding and making money off of incarcerating our people./p p GEO Group Inc., specializes in the management of detention centers in North span data-scayt_word="Amerikkka" data-scaytid="7"Amerikkka/span, Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom./p p GEO Group Inc. has beennbsp;sued bynbsp;family members who lost loved ones in the hands of the detention centers they operate, for not providing proper healthcare. GEO Group Inc. employees have engaged in sex with some of the detainees, and in the contraband of illegal drugs. There have also been incidents were people disappeared, and the families or employees would not know the whereabouts of the detainee./p p These corporations and the people who own and run them are using our span data-scayt_word="migrante" data-scaytid="9"migrante/span people as a business. We the span data-scayt_word="migrante" data-scaytid="10"migrante/span are becoming the new slaves of the span data-scayt_word="21st" data-scaytid="11"21supst/sup/span century, where we getnbsp; persecuted and used to fill these new concentrations camps./p p It#39;s time to wake the sleeping giant and tell rsquo;em that the Amerikkan Dream is a Nightmarehellip;.nbsp;/p

p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p strongspan class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="“Dicen" data-scaytid="3"ldquo;Dicen/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="5"que/span el Diablo no span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Duerme..tampoco" data-scaytid="1"Duerme..tampoco/span el ICE o la span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Policia…”" data-scaytid="53"Policiahellip;rdquo;/span/strong/p p nbsp;nbsp;span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Heran" data-scaytid="65"Heran/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="las" data-scaytid="67"las/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="4am" data-scaytid="77"4am/span de la span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="mañana" data-scaytid="79"mantilde;ana/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="cuando" data-scaytid="81"cuando/span en span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="mis" data-scaytid="89"mis/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="sueños" data-scaytid="91"suentilde;os/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="pense" data-scaytid="95"pense/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="oir" data-scaytid="97"oir/span el cellular de mi span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="familiar…cuando" data-scaytid="99"familiarhellip;cuando/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="ella" data-scaytid="101"ella/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="repetia" data-scaytid="103"repetia/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="QUE”" data-scaytid="105"QUErdquo;/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="7"que/span no span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="llego" data-scaytid="107"llego/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="anoche”….Ay" data-scaytid="55"anocherdquo;hellip;.Ay/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="dios" data-scaytid="109"dios/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Mio…algo" data-scaytid="111"Miohellip;algo/span le span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="tubo" data-scaytid="113"tubo/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="9"que/span aver span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="pasado….Pense" data-scaytid="57"pasadohellip;.Pense/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="11"que/span se span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="trataba" data-scaytid="115"trataba/span de span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="esos" data-scaytid="117"esos/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="sueños" data-scaytid="93"suentilde;os/span o span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="peasadillas" data-scaytid="119"peasadillas/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="13"que/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="siempre" data-scaytid="181"siempre/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="tormentan" data-scaytid="183"tormentan/span a span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="nosotros" data-scaytid="185"nosotros/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="15"que/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="tenemos" data-scaytid="187"tenemos/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="familiares" data-scaytid="189"familiares/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="migrantes…" data-scaytid="193"migranteshellip;/span el span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="pinche" data-scaytid="195"pinche/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="sueño" data-scaytid="197"suentilde;o/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="donde" data-scaytid="203"donde/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="llega" data-scaytid="209"llega/span la span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="migra" data-scaytid="211"migra/span y se span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="lleva" data-scaytid="213"lleva/span a span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="toda" data-scaytid="215"toda/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="tu" data-scaytid="217"tu/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="familia…" data-scaytid="219"familiahellip;/span. span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Desgraciadamente" data-scaytid="221"Desgraciadamente/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="esta" data-scaytid="223"esta/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="vez" data-scaytid="229"vez/span no span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="hera" data-scaytid="231"hera/span un span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="sueño" data-scaytid="199"suentilde;o/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="si" data-scaytid="157"si/span no span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="una" data-scaytid="121"una/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="realidad…..Mi" data-scaytid="59"realidadhellip;..Mi/span familiar span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="hablaba" data-scaytid="233"hablaba/span de span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="unos" data-scaytid="235"unos/span de span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="nuestros" data-scaytid="237"nuestros/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="familiares..por" data-scaytid="61"familiares..por/span mi span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="mente" data-scaytid="239"mente/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="pasaban" data-scaytid="241"pasaban/span mil de span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="cosas" data-scaytid="243"cosas/span el span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="miedo" data-scaytid="245"miedo/span y span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="coraje" data-scaytid="247"coraje/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="ya" data-scaytid="249"ya/span no me span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="dejaron" data-scaytid="251"dejaron/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="dormir….esperamos" data-scaytid="63"dormirhellip;.esperamos/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="hasta" data-scaytid="253"hasta/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="las" data-scaytid="69"las/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="8am" data-scaytid="255"8am/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="17"que/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="las" data-scaytid="71"las/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="oficinas" data-scaytid="257"oficinas/span del span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="imperio" data-scaytid="259"imperio/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="abrieran" data-scaytid="261"abrieran/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="sus" data-scaytid="143"sus/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="puertas" data-scaytid="263"puertas/span y span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="lineas" data-scaytid="265"lineas/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="telefonicas" data-scaytid="267"telefonicas/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="para" data-scaytid="129"para/span preguntar span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="por" data-scaytid="161"por/span mi familiar y span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="su" data-scaytid="173"su/span localizacionhellip;enseguida se nos informo span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="19"que/span la MIgra span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="tenia" data-scaytid="269"tenia/span a nuestro familiar en span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="sus" data-scaytid="145"sus/span garrashellip;./p p En span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="sus" data-scaytid="147"sus/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="garras" data-scaytid="275"garras/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="tenia" data-scaytid="271"tenia/span a un span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Hijo" data-scaytid="277"Hijo/span,span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Hermano" data-scaytid="279"Hermano/span, Padre, span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Pareja" data-scaytid="281"Pareja/span a un span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Humano…a" data-scaytid="283"Humanohellip;a/span un span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="miembro" data-scaytid="285"miembro/span de span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="nuestra" data-scaytid="287"nuestra/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="comunidad…" data-scaytid="291"comunidadhellip;/span/p p nbsp;A span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="una" data-scaytid="123"una/span persona span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="21"que/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="recuerdo" data-scaytid="293"recuerdo/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="cuando" data-scaytid="85"cuando/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="heramos" data-scaytid="295"heramos/span los Oakland span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="Futbol" data-scaytid="297"Futbol/span Saintshellip;un span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="grupo" data-scaytid="299"grupo/span de span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="niños" data-scaytid="301"nintilde;os/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="cuales" data-scaytid="303"cuales/span padres span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="heran" data-scaytid="309"heran/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="migrantes" data-scaytid="311"migrantes/span, span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="cuales" data-scaytid="305"cuales/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="tenian" data-scaytid="321"tenian/span dos span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="trabajos" data-scaytid="323"trabajos/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="para" data-scaytid="131"para/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="pagar" data-scaytid="325"pagar/span los span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="viles" data-scaytid="327"viles/span y span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="para" data-scaytid="133"para/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="tener" data-scaytid="329"tener/span un span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="poco" data-scaytid="331"poco/span de span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="dinero" data-scaytid="333"dinero/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="para" data-scaytid="135"para/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="23"que/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="sus" data-scaytid="149"sus/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="hijos" data-scaytid="337"hijos/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="jugaran" data-scaytid="341"jugaran/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="futbol" data-scaytid="343"futbol/span y no se span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="pasaran" data-scaytid="345"pasaran/span en la span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="calles" data-scaytid="347"calles/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="violentas" data-scaytid="349"violentas/span de East Oaklandhellip;Padres span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="25"que/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="nunca" data-scaytid="351"nunca/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="tuvieron" data-scaytid="353"tuvieron/span el span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="tiempo" data-scaytid="355"tiempo/span par aver a span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="sus" data-scaytid="151"sus/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="hijos" data-scaytid="339"hijos/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="jugar..no" data-scaytid="155"jugar..no/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="porque" data-scaytid="359"porque/span no span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="querian…" data-scaytid="363"querianhellip;/span. span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="si" data-scaytid="159"si/span no span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="porque" data-scaytid="361"porque/span no span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="podian" data-scaytid="365"podian/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="por" data-scaytid="163"por/span el span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="trabajo…" data-scaytid="367"trabajohellip;/span. mi familiar span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="apoyaba" data-scaytid="369"apoyaba/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="donando" data-scaytid="371"donando/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="su" data-scaytid="175"su/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="tiempo..para" data-scaytid="179"tiempo..span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="para" data-scaytid="137"para/span/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="ayudar" data-scaytid="373"ayudar/span al span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="equipo" data-scaytid="375"equipo/span./p p Un Criminal en los ojos del ICEhellip;../p p ldquo;Una ratardquo; ldquo; Un criminalrdquo;/p p Me cuenta mi familiar span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="27"que/span asi les llamaban la Seguridad Privada encargados de cuidar los centro de detenciones nbsp;de migrates en Arizonahellip;me comenta span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="29"que/span en estos centros de detencion solo hay como cuatro agentes del ICE span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="cuales" data-scaytid="307"cuales/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="su" data-scaytid="177"su/span trabajo depende de registrar y meter a la base de informacion a los span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="migrantes" data-scaytid="313"migrantes/span nuevos span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="31"que/span van llegandohellip;.El tambien piensanbsp;nbsp;span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="33"que/span les sale mas barato alos duentilde;os de es estos/p p centros agarrar a seguridad privadahellip;. span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="35"que/span al ICE span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="37"que/span cobran nbsp;masnbsp;nbsp;span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="por" data-scaytid="165"por/span la horahellip;/p p Otra Hipocrecia de Los Estados Unidos de amerikkka es de span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="39"que/span supuestamente mucho de span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="nuestra" data-scaytid="289"nuestra/span raza span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="esta" data-scaytid="225"esta/span aqui en los Estados Unidos De Amerikkka trabajando ldquo;ilegalrdquo; pero en estos centro de detenciones..Migrante raza puede trabajar adentro span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="por" data-scaytid="167"por/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="una" data-scaytid="125"una/span meseria, mientras esperan saber span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="cuando" data-scaytid="87"cuando/span seran deportadoshellip;/p p ICE tiene mas de 20,000 empleados en 50 diferentes estados y 47 en el extranjeron./p p Mientras investigaba la pagina de web del ICE a href="http://www.ice.gov/about/overview/"http://www.ice.gov/about/overview//a/p p nbsp;Me trompeze con la informacion de los mas de 85 centros de detencion en diferentes partes de la union Amerikkkana, lo cual son careceles privadas, Unas de span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="las" data-scaytid="73"las/span corporations span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="41"que/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="esta" data-scaytid="227"esta/span apoyando economicamente es el Banco de Wells Fargo, y GEO Group Inc./p p GEO Group Inc. se especializa en el manejo de Centro de Detenciones en Norte America, Australia, Sur Africa y Inglaterra./p p GEO Group Inc. en el pasado hacido demandado span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="por" data-scaytid="169"por/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="familiares" data-scaytid="191"familiares/span de span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="migrantes" data-scaytid="315"migrantes/spannbsp;nbsp;span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="43"que/span han perdido familires en manos de centro de detencion span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="45"que/span operaban GEO Group Inc, span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="por" data-scaytid="171"por/span no darle asistencia medica, y tambien span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="sus" data-scaytid="153"sus/span empleados se han involucrado en relaciones sexuales con reclusos y el contrabando de drogas./p p Tambien habisto casos span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="donde" data-scaytid="205"donde/span estos centro de detenciones desaparecen a gente span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="para" data-scaytid="139"para/span mantenerlos mas span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="tiempo" data-scaytid="357"tiempo/span encarcelados y cobrar y hacer mas span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="dinero" data-scaytid="335"dinero/span de los span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="migrantes" data-scaytid="317"migrantes/span./p p ./p p Estas Corporaciones y individuos span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="47"que/span span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="las" data-scaytid="75"las/span operan, los centro de detenciones estan convirtiendo en un negocio, y los span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="migrantes" data-scaytid="319"migrantes/span se han vuelto en el Nuevo exclavo del siglo 2000, span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="donde" data-scaytid="207"donde/span son perseguidos y usados span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="para" data-scaytid="141"para/span llenar estas carceles mientras los duenos se enriquesen./p p El gigante tiene span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="49"que/span despertar y darse cuenta span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="51"que/span el span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="sueño" data-scaytid="201"suentilde;o/span Amerikkkano es span class="scayt-misspell" data-scayt_word="una" data-scaytid="127"una/span Pesadilla../p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;nbsp;/p

p emEditors Note:/em/p p emJeff span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="114"Adachi/span, a mayoral candidate in San Francisco visited POOR Magazine#39;s Indigenous News-making Circle- Community Newsroom./em/p p emCommunity Newsroom at POOR Magazine is open to ALL candidates who would like to speak to the youth, adults and elders in poverty who are part of our family. POOR Magazine doesn#39;t endorse ANY candidate running for office in span data-scayt_word="Amerikkka" data-scaytid="148"Amerikkka/span/em/p p nbsp;/p p ldquo;If yoursquo;re for the status quo, then yoursquo;re probably not going to vote for Jeff Adachihellip;Irsquo;m someone whorsquo;s going to go in and shake it uprdquo;.nbsp; Moments before San Francisco Mayoral candidate Jeff span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="1"Adachi/span uttered those words to POOR Magazinersquo;s Indigenous news-making circle, the sharp pangs of an earthquake sent tremors through its office and throughout the city.nbsp; For POOR Magazinersquo;s indigenous and poverty scholars, having the foundations shake from underneath them is something that is experienced on the daily in the form of span data-scayt_word="houselessness" data-scaytid="3"houselessness/span, sit/lie laws, gentrification, removal and police terror in poor communities and communities of color.nbsp; Jeff span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="2"Adachi/span, smartly dressedmdash;sporting a campaign button on his lapelmdash;accompanied by his aide who was keenly aware of the clockmdash;spoke to our poverty scholars about how he was going to shake things up at City Hall if elected mayor./p p nbsp;/p p emPublic Defender/em/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;ldquo;People who have stolen a loaf of bread, harassed because they were gay or homelessmdash;I have defended themrdquo; said Jeff span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="4"Adachi/span in regards to his work as Public Defender, adding,nbsp;ldquo;As a Public Defender you understand how a person gets to a certain placerdquo;. span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="5"Adachi/span has served in the Public Defenderrsquo;s office for over two decadesmdash;9 years as elected Public Defender (Elected in 2002, reelected in 2006 and 2010).nbsp; In a society in which the machinery of justice is dysfunctional, span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="6"Adachi/span has dedicated his career to the aim of social justice, working with poor communities to improve education and to give those with limited opportunities a chance to start over and reenter the workforce.nbsp; His Clean Slate Program has become a model program for helping people with criminal recordsmdash;roughly 2000 a yearmdash;turn their lives around and find employment and educational opportunities.nbsp; He started the span data-scayt_word="BMAGIC" data-scaytid="9"BMAGIC/span Program in span data-scayt_word="Bayview" data-scaytid="10"Bayview/span Hunters Point mdash;providing backpacks, literacy programs and school supplies for children most in need of them.nbsp; The programrsquo;s success has been duplicated in the Western Addition with the span data-scayt_word="“Mo’magic" data-scaytid="11"ldquo;Morsquo;magic/span program.nbsp; ldquo;My whole career has been dedicated to achieving social justice said span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="7"Adachi/span, citing that his office has helped 25,000 in his tenure.nbsp; span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="8"Adachi/span attributes much of his officersquo;s success to what he terms, ldquo;Participatory Leadershiprdquo;, which lets people most invested in the community help decide policy issues that affect the outcomes.nbsp; An example of this was the SF Retry Councilmdash;which he formedmdash; insuring there were formerly incarcerated people running the panel.nbsp; ldquo;We donrsquo;t do enough of this in governmentmdash;give people most affected by policies and programs the power to legislate policyrdquo;.nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;emA new crop lost/em/p p nbsp;/p p Jeff span data-scayt_word="Adachi’s" data-scaytid="14"Adachirsquo;s/span grandparents came to San Francisco from Hawaii in 1890, settling in span data-scayt_word="Bernal" data-scaytid="16"Bernal/span Heights, surviving the rsquo;06 Earthquake before moving to Stockton where they farmed the land.nbsp; World War II shook the span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="12"Adachi/span familyrsquo;s foundation when they were given 48 hours to get rid of everythingmdash;bringing only what they could carrymdash;as they were ordered to relocation centers where they were then sent to interment campsmdash;span data-scayt_word="Adachi’s" data-scaytid="15"Adachirsquo;s/span mother to Gila River in Arizona and his father to span data-scayt_word="Rohwer" data-scaytid="17"Rohwer/span in Arkansas.nbsp; ldquo;They had a new crop that they lostrdquo; said span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="13"Adachi/span, remembering the stories related by his parents.nbsp; ldquo;My parents taught me that anybody at any time can lose everythingmdash;thatrsquo;s reality, it happens all the time nowrdquo;.nbsp; The experience of his parents and grandparents served as a catalyst in his struggle for social justice.nbsp; ldquo;They taught me not to be bitter about what had happened to them, to get an education and stand up for what you believe inrdquo;.nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p emThe best thing was the worst thing/em/p p nbsp;/p p I asked Mr. span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="18"Adachi/span, ldquo;What was the best thing you ever did, professionally or personally?rdquo;nbsp; He became introspective. Slowly he wasnrsquo;t the guy with the suit and the campaign badge and campaign talking points--none of that--but a human being who had connected deeply with another. nbsp;nbsp;ldquo;The best thing was the worst thingrdquo; he answered, looking down as if trying to visualize the moment and the emotions stirring through him at the time.nbsp; He recalled his first murder case, a case he lost in which an 18 year old African Descended man was sentenced to life in prison.nbsp; He recalled John span data-scayt_word="Tennison" data-scaytid="26"Tennison/span crying, declaring that he was innocent, that he was nowhere near the scene of the killing.nbsp; ldquo;I could always feel his (span data-scayt_word="Tennison’s" data-scaytid="28"Tennisonrsquo;s/span) presencerdquo; said span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="19"Adachi/span, who stayed with the case for nearly two decades, exhausting appealsmdash;putting up money along with span data-scayt_word="Tennison’s" data-scaytid="29"Tennisonrsquo;s/span mothermdash;which was used to file a petition in pro per (span data-scayt_word="ie" data-scaytid="30"ie/span: on his own behalf).nbsp; The result: The verdict was overturnedmdash;the judge issuing a 100 page decision finding that the prosecution and the homicide inspector--who later went on to become San Franciscorsquo;s chief of police--suppressed evidence.nbsp; After a settlement was reached with the city, span data-scayt_word="Tennison" data-scaytid="27"Tennison/span went to work in span data-scayt_word="Adachi’s" data-scaytid="25"Adachirsquo;s/span office as a clerk.nbsp; ldquo;The day he got out was one of the happiest days of my liferdquo; says span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="20"Adachi/span. As Public Defender, span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="21"Adachi/span has stood up to the police. Earlier this year he launched an investigation of illegal searches by police in SRO Hotels, finding that police had illegally entered single occupancy hotels by intimidating hotel managers and clerks to obtain master keys and falsifying sworn police statements. Said one Mission SRO resident who asked not to be identified, span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="22"Adachi/span is like Roberto Duran, he ain#39;t got no fear. nbsp; The experience of his family and their loss has given span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="23"Adachi/span insight and empathy when dealing with the fragile nature of human interaction and circumstances.nbsp; ldquo;If yoursquo;re not connected and you donrsquo;t feel the suffering and you donrsquo;t connect with it, then itrsquo;s not your sufferingrdquo; observes span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="24"Adachi/span.nbsp; ldquo;Thatrsquo;s what we do in society, we see a homeless person, and to us that person is invading our space.nbsp; Or we see a person without a home or a family without a home and we think, well, they should be out there working.nbsp; We impose our belief system on othersrdquo;.nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p emWersquo;re losing the heart and soul of the city/em/p p nbsp;/p p ldquo;We#39;re losing black families, Latino Families, Asian span data-scayt_word="familes…we’re" data-scaytid="48"famileshellip;wersquo;re/span losing the heart and soul of the cityrdquo; says Jeff span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="31"Adachi/span on the subject of gentrification.nbsp; Citing the fact that 12% of the cityrsquo;s residentsmdash;the same percent applying to childrenmdash;live in poverty, span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="32"Adachi/span recognizes the effect the bad economy has had on families.nbsp; Joblessness, lack of affordable housing for working class people and seniors and limited support for small businesses are issues that span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="33"Adachi/span plans to tackle if elected mayor.nbsp; He pledges that an span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="34"Adachi/span administration would take 40 million dollars from the general fund to invest in small businesses for women and people of colormdash;all San Franciscans who want to start or expand a business.nbsp; According span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="35"Adachi/span, small businesses are suffering and the city is notnbsp;doing enough to support them.nbsp; He gives an example of a woman who wanted to start a bowling alley who was assessed a $44,000 fee.nbsp; span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="36"Adachi/span says he would have deferred the fee.nbsp; In regards to housing, span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="37"Adachi/span says he would try to create 10,000 units of supportive housingmdash;utilizing buildings that are not being used--in a public/private partnership between apartment owners and program providers that render services.nbsp; He expresses his support for the Occupy movements in San Francisco and throughout the country.nbsp; ldquo;Banks have done nothing to alleviate the distress that homeowners have experiencedmdash;losing their homes.nbsp; I do support a tax on banks that choose to foreclose properties in San Francisco.nbsp; They should have to pay a fee a fine before foreclosingrdquo;.nbsp; One hot issue that span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="38"Adachi/span took on was the issue of pensions for city workers.nbsp; span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="39"Adachi/span and his supporters gathered 50,000 signatures to place proposition D on the ballot.nbsp; Prop D is in favor of what span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="40"Adachi/span calls, ldquo;reasonablerdquo; pensions that wonrsquo;t bankrupt the city.nbsp; According to span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="41"Adachi/span, pension costs have risen from 200 million dollars 4 years ago to 473 million dollars.nbsp; The costs are projected to rise to 829 million in 4 years.nbsp; span data-scayt_word="Adachi’s" data-scaytid="47"Adachirsquo;s/span plan would have city employees contribute to their pension costs.nbsp; span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="42"Adachi/span sees the issue as one of fairness, citing a police officer who earned more than the president of the United Statesmdash;516,000 a year and retired at the age of 56 with a $240,000 a year pension.nbsp; span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="43"Adachi/span says that this is not reflective of all city employees but says that when one looks at the rolls of the fire and police department, the top 100 employees of each of those professions earn $240,000.nbsp; span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="44"Adachi/span says that the issue has caused him vilificationmdash;being asked to leave a firefighterrsquo;s funeral.nbsp; Why?nbsp; ldquo;Because I had the audacity to suggest that higher paid city employees contribute towards their pensionsrdquo;.nbsp; span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="45"Adachi/span says that Prop D is a fair plan--it exempts lower paid employees, has a graduated percentage that people would pay; it doesnrsquo;t, says span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="46"Adachi/span, take anyonersquo;s pension away, or attack anyonersquo;s collective bargaining rights.nbsp; ldquo;Itrsquo;s just about making sure wersquo;re all contributing when these pension costs are going uprdquo;. nbsp;nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p emYou Donrsquo;t know Jack/em/p p nbsp;/p p We also discussed his documentary on Jack span data-scayt_word="Soo" data-scaytid="49"Soo/spanmdash;Asian American singer, comedianmdash;who played Detective span data-scayt_word="Yamana" data-scaytid="52"Yamana/span on the sitcom Barney Miller.nbsp; He was fascinated by Jack span data-scayt_word="Soo" data-scaytid="50"Soo/span by the fact that span data-scayt_word="Soo" data-scaytid="51"Soo/span did not let his ethnicity limit his professional success.nbsp; The documentary ldquo;You Donrsquo;t Know Jackrdquo; tells span data-scayt_word="Soo’s" data-scaytid="53"Soorsquo;s/span story, bringing to light the fact that he was the first non-black artist signed to Motown.nbsp; I then asked him if he had a favorite quote.nbsp; ldquo;By any means necessaryrdquo; he said, ldquo;By Malcolm X, one of my heroesrdquo;./p

p nbsp;/p p/p p class="MsoNormal" ldquo;Who are you going to vote for tiny?rdquo; Friends and span data-scayt_word="FAFFs" data-scaytid="16"FAFFs/span (span data-scayt_word="fake-azz" data-scaytid="17"fake-azz/span span data-scayt_word="facecrak" data-scaytid="18"facecrak/span friends) alike continue to inquire as to who am I voting for in the upcoming mayoral candidate race in San Francisco. At each inquiry I wince internally, wanting to tell the truth, the whole span data-scayt_word="truf" data-scaytid="19"truf/span and nothing but the span data-scayt_word="truf" data-scaytid="20"truf/span, but with only enough time for a simple answer, I usually reply, ldquo;Irsquo;m not span data-scayt_word="sure.”" data-scaytid="1"sure.rdquo;/span/p p class="MsoNormal" nbsp;/p p class="MsoNormal" The span data-scayt_word="truf" data-scaytid="21"truf/span is, I am in conflict. span data-scayt_word="Politricks" data-scaytid="23"Politricks/span and all of its insidious wrong-ness has struck again. The 2011 San Francisco Mayoral Campaign is a user-friendly, progressive, non-sexist, non-gender span data-scayt_word="conformative" data-scaytid="24"conformative/span pissing match. Its 2008 all over. In 2008 when brother in the struggle and span data-scayt_word="compa" data-scaytid="25"compa/span Eric span data-scayt_word="Quezada" data-scaytid="27"Quezada/span ran for the district 10 board of supervisors race up against brother in the struggle and span data-scayt_word="compa" data-scaytid="26"compa/span David Campos it was the same thing, and I was endlessly conflicted. How does one decide against two people so similar in values, actions and beliefs? This is no Rick Perry versus Paul span data-scayt_word="Wellstone" data-scaytid="40"Wellstone/span or Sarah Palin span data-scayt_word="verus" data-scaytid="41"verus/span Barbara Lee. For the record, I donrsquo;t believe in any national span data-scayt_word="politricks" data-scaytid="42"politricks/span between span data-scayt_word="demicans" data-scaytid="45"demicans/span and span data-scayt_word="republicrats" data-scaytid="46"republicrats/span, cause it NEVER includes poor peoples of color in struggle and we rarely if ever benefit, but rather play a dangerous game of voting for the candidate who wonrsquo;t hurt us as much as the other candidate./p p class="MsoNormal" nbsp;/p p class="MsoNormal" But local span data-scayt_word="politricks" data-scaytid="43"politricks/span are decidedly different. If John span data-scayt_word="Avalos" data-scaytid="49"Avalos/span, Jeff span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="84"Adachi/span, Terry Baum orspan style=""nbsp; /spanLeland Yee were to win the mayoral race, I believe there might be a few tiny flickers of hope for poor span data-scayt_word="mamaz" data-scaytid="52"mamaz/span, poor peoples of color in this increasingly rich and white city. Or maybe not?/p p class="MsoNormal" nbsp;/p p class="MsoNormal" I have witnessed both Jeff span data-scayt_word="Adachi" data-scaytid="48"Adachi/span and John span data-scayt_word="Avalos" data-scaytid="50"Avalos/span throw down for poor peoples and communities of color multiple times. Jeff as the public defender went up against a corrupt span data-scayt_word="po’lice" data-scaytid="53"porsquo;lice/span force when about their profiling and wrongly accusing of poor peoples of color who live in Single Room Occupancy hotels as well as multiple times supporting poor peoples in struggle, young men of color caught in the system, the issue of race and disability which was championed by POOR Magazinersquo;s own Leroy Moorespan style=""nbsp; /spanand endlessly through innovative programming in the work of his position as public defender.. I have witnessed John span data-scayt_word="Avalos" data-scaytid="51"Avalos/span stand up to the Twitter-sell-out when almost everyone else took the ldquo;dimerdquo; and stand up against the endless attempts by this city to criminalize public space and people for just being poor through the sit-lie lie and other deeply problematic span data-scayt_word="legislations" data-scaytid="90"legislations/span. I have witnessed Leland Yee stand up for poor women and children and I have seen Terry Joan Baum be on the front-line of as many protests as she could handle./p p class="MsoNormal" nbsp;/p p class="MsoNormal" But in the end, like so many seemingly conscious candidates before them (Jean span data-scayt_word="Quan" data-scaytid="59"Quan/span and Ron span data-scayt_word="Dellums" data-scaytid="61"Dellums/span, both mayors of Oakland) I fear that once swallowed into the machine that is span data-scayt_word="politricks" data-scaytid="44"politricks/span, they would concede to span data-scayt_word="po’lice" data-scaytid="54"porsquo;lice/span force, eviction, span data-scayt_word="re-devil-opment" data-scaytid="62"re-devil-opment/span and other forms of corporate capitalistic government systems and criminalizing span data-scayt_word="legislations" data-scaytid="57"legislations/span which ultimately rule in span data-scayt_word="Amerikkkka" data-scaytid="63"Amerikkkka/span, such as the gang Injunctions and insane use of force used against the span data-scayt_word="Decolonize" data-scaytid="64"Decolonize/span Oakland camp under Mayor Jean span data-scayt_word="Quan" data-scaytid="60"Quan/span./p p class="MsoNormal" nbsp;/p p class="MsoNormal" The one candidate I am intrigued by is comrade in the struggle for poor peoples, Cheri span data-scayt_word="Honkala" data-scaytid="65"Honkala/span from Mama Deersquo;s city of origin, Philadelphia, who is running for sheriff. She is running specifically as sheriff to stop the evictions by sheriffrsquo;s of thousands of poor families impacted by the foreclosure scams and span data-scayt_word="gentrifying" data-scaytid="66"gentrifying/span landlords. In other words she is using the office itself as a space of revolution./p p class="MsoNormal" nbsp;/p p class="MsoNormal" span style=""nbsp;/spanI know we live in a capitalistic society that functions on a simulated democracy, I know this is our reality, so I will vote./p p class="MsoNormal" nbsp;/p p class="MsoNormal" But I also have a challenge, instead of these really creative and clear-thinking folks running against each other in this post-colonial pissing match, why donrsquo;t they actually practice what is so often preached in every rally across Turtle Island, ldquo;Letrsquo;s come span data-scayt_word="together….”" data-scaytid="2"togetherhellip;.rdquo;/span And through the coming together reconfigure a different horizontal movement that gives reparations to stolen peoples and span data-scayt_word="pachamama" data-scaytid="68"pachamama/span and 1supspan data-scayt_word="st" data-scaytid="69"st/span/sup nation peoples, changes the use of public space into truly public and un-raced and un-classed, criminalized space, takes away these ldquo;occupying armiesrdquo; called span data-scayt_word="po’lice" data-scaytid="55"porsquo;lice/span, halts Gentrifying span data-scayt_word="legislations" data-scaytid="58"legislations/span and re-devil-opement and displacement of peoples,span style=""nbsp; /spanbrings art and spirit back to communities and so much morehellip; Then through all of this coming together, thinking together and being together of like-minded companeros, a new kind of post-political movement could be created which re-defines the tired and lying notion of US democracy into something like peoplopacy./p