Local youth march to drum up support for 'new civil rights movement'


Jesica Balderas, a sophmore at Escondido High School, carries a sign as she walks with a group on San Marcos Boulevard on Friday on their way to the civic center.


By: BRENDA DURAN - Staff Writer

SAN MARCOS ---- A year after thousands of students walked out of class to protest proposed immigration laws, 30 students left schools in San Marcos and Escondido to march Friday for what they called the "new civil rights movement."

The group, composed of Latino students from Escondido, San Marcos and Mission Hills high schools, spent the entire day marching around the San Marcos area with three organizers from the Los Angeles-based coalition called By All Means Necessary, which describes itself in pamphlets as focused on affirmative action, integration and immigrant rights.

Organizer Hoku Jeffrey, from Los Angeles, said the North County students contacted the organization via the social networking site MySpace.com.

Jeffrey said organizers came to North County to kick off a statewide movement that will include a two-day conference on March 31 entitled "Organizing the Mass Power of the New Civil Rights Movement" at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

On the group's MySpace account, it calls for all schools, workplaces and government offices to be shut down March 30 in honor of the birthday of Cesar Chavez, the Mexican-American labor activist who fought for the rights of farmworkers for more than a decade.

It also calls for "full and equal rights for all immigrants," and demands "integrated equal quality schools for all."

"We are fighting for the Chavez holiday and we are starting a new civil rights movement to end the racist mistreatment of Latinos in the United States," said Jeffrey. "We will no longer stand for any of it."

News of the new youth effort and planned marches have been spreading quickly at Escondido, San Marcos and Mission Hills high schools via MySpace and printed fliers, said Blanca Rangel of Escondido High, who was marching in San Marcos Friday.

"Everyone wants to bring attention to this cause because it seemed to die down after last year's rallies," said Blanca, who walked more than five hours with the group.

Mission Hills High Principal Brad Lichtman said he saw a group of 15 students from his school meet with the organizers before school started but they did not disclose their reasons for marching off.

"When I asked them why they were doing it, they were not responsive" said Lichtman.

During their trek around the city, some of the students wrapped the Mexican flag around their necks and waists. Many of them said they took part in the protests last year against proposed immigration reform.

Others, like Jessica Baldera from Escondido High, carried a large poster that read "No More Separate and Unequal Educational Opportunities" and "Stop The Raids," which referred to recent reports that the Department of Homeland Security was serving warrants on residents in Escondido.

"Everywhere me and my family go, they are on our backs," said Jessica, while marching with her poster. "They think we are all illegal and they treat us bad just because we're Latinos."

As the students culminated their march at the steps of the San Marcos Civic Center about 2:30 p.m., organizer Luke Massie, who traveled from Michigan to help the coalition rally local youth and help plan the future marches, urged them to use their "power" to effect change.

Massie also signed up every marcher for the organization's conference at the end of the month.

Daisy, a San Marcos High junior who did not want to disclose her last name, said officials at her school told her and other students who are thinking of joining protests they would face suspension and expulsion if they plan on marching during school hours.

Contact staff writer Brenda Duran at (760) 761-4408 or bduran@nctimes.com.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/03 ... _64_12.txt

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