Si Se Puede

March 31 is a holiday in California. It's Cesar Chavez Day. And since we're about the only state that honors Cesar Chavez and his work organizing the United Farm Workers, I thought I'd share a few links that tell you more about him.

United Farm Workers site

Cesar E. Chavez Institute

And while were at it -- learning and reflecting on the issues of labor, farm workers, and rights -- check out the film, A Day Without A Mexican. It's a great film that highlights how Californians take for granted the contributions of the 14 million plus Latinos in the state.

I hear it's starting to be the same in other states that have traditionally operated on the black/white paradigm and now with influxes of brown people. They're taken for granted, being ganged up on by the traditional black/white paradigm, while just trying to make a living like everyone else. Oppression is oppression, no matter who is the recipient, no matter the longevity of that oppression. May not be the exact same situation, but it still hurts... I digress.

My prediction. Just my sociological, institutionally-educated guess. 20 years from now, Iowa will be the next brown and black enclave of the United States. Too many old people. Not enough young people to fill their places or who want to stay there. Tons of land and farms. Some factories remaining. Small towns (for those who believe in the small-town values thing). The Iowa Legislature is proposing or toying with a no-tax plan for people under 30 who live or relocate to Iowa. OK, maybe some tradional "Iowa" values and beliefs to contend with -- it is one of the whitest states currently, but I can see it 20 years from now -- a critical mass of brown and black population shifting to Iowa.

Si, se puede.
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