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April 22, 2008

A Chicana Outlook on Ruben Salazar

I discussed Ruben Salazar a few years ago while contributing to blogging.la. I was inspired by César/EMC’s post in which he summarized Salazar’s life.

The post and César’s blog no longer exist, but if I remember correctly César — an awesome writer himself — felt cheated as he watched a documentary on Salazar. César felt cheated, as I’m sure many of have, when we learn of people and events like Salazar and the Chicano Moratorium in 1970. We wonder, why are we just learning about this now, more than 12 years in to our education?

Ruben Salazar, circa 1970
Ruben Salazar, circa 1970

You learn Salazar was born in Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua, (where your grandfather was born), and he and his family grew up in El Paso where he also got his B.A. in Journalism from UTEP and became one of the very first Mexican-American investigative reporters at the El Paso Herald Post, where he worked hard writing about the police mistreatment of Mexicanos and the racist brutality that many Chicanos faced in Texas prisons. (César)

Ruben Salazar interviews civilians in Vietnam
Ruben Salazar interviews civilians in Vietnam, 1965

You learn the man later moved to Santa Rosa, California where he worked for the San Francisco News and later became a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, where he persuaded his editors to allow him to write a column that gave a voice to eastside Chicanos and the same campesinos that Cesar Chavez fought hard to support. He wrote an award-winning series of articles on the L.A. Latino community that gained him the respect and love of the Mexican-American people as well as Chavez himself. (César)

Chicano Moratorium against the Vietnam War
Chicano Moratorium against the Vietnam War, August 30, 1970

You learn that at the time that Salazar was writing these columns and helping his community, he was the first Mexican-American writer to hold a staff position at a major American publication. What Salazar did was utilize his love for writing and his career for a social cause. He worked for his gente.

Chicano Moratorium
Chicano Moratorium

Then you watch in disbelief as your told by the narrator that on August 29, 1970, during a Mexican-American moratorium against the use of Mexican-Americans in Vietnam, Ruben Salazar was unjustly murdered by a Los Angeles County Deputy Tom Wilson. (César)


LA County Sheriff points gun in to the Silver Dollar Café, August 29, 1970

Silver Dollar Cafe, where Ruben Salazar was shot and killed by an LA County Sheriff
Silver Dollar Cafe, where Ruben Salazar was shot and killed

Wilson shot a 10-inch projectile at Salazar’s head as he sat at the Silver Dollar café having lunch. Wilson was never charged although a coroner’s panel ruled Salazar’s death a homicide. (César)

Ruben Salazar Funeral
Mourners pay respects to Ruben Salazar, August 2, 1970

This Chicana, “a Mexican-American with a non-Anglo image of [her]self,” is still mourning and paying her respects.

Credits:
All words in blockquotes (shaded blue) by César “EMC” Diaz

Photos from the UCLA Library Digital Photo Archive, used under Creative Commons License. Los Angeles Times photographic archive, UCLA Library. Copyright Regents of the University of California, UCLA Library

Post inspired by: Ed who suggested the bloggers present at yesterday’s meetup post about Ruben Salazar and the postage stamp issued today in his honor.

More on Salazar:

Filed under: Cultura, Los Angeles | POSTED BY cindylu AT 3:38 pm | 7 Comments

7 Responses to “A Chicana Outlook on Ruben Salazar”

  1. Alan Says:
    April 22nd, 2008 at 3:48 pm

    great post, wonderful person, sad the way he had to go out, my first drink tonight will be in his honor. thanks for making this post.

  2. -K Says:
    April 22nd, 2008 at 10:58 pm

    Excellent post Cindy!!!!

  3. Elaine Says:
    April 23rd, 2008 at 6:30 am

    These words and images have the feel of watching the JFK assassination reels in slow motion. Wish I’d heard this affecting story long ago, in grade school… but I’m glad I’m reading it now. Thank you and well done, Cindy and César.

  4. Taco Sam Says:
    April 23rd, 2008 at 10:00 pm

    Great post. Salazar’s murder still makes me angry, especially the fact that no one was brought to justice. No one paid for this crime, except for us Chicanos who lost a voice, lost a trailblazer.

  5. la rebelde Says:
    April 24th, 2008 at 1:54 pm

    Thanks for this post, Cindy.

  6. tin Says:
    April 25th, 2008 at 8:53 pm

    Hi Cindylu, it’s been a while since i dropped by your site (shame on me). but i’m glad i stopped today, great post on Salazar, I had been wanting to write about him for a while. I think we Chicanas/os and Mexicanos/as have a long history of committed journalist and social agitator who make use of la palabra. From revolutionaries like Ricardo Flores Magon and his paper Regeneracion (which was actually published in the US for a good while), to Ruben Salazar, and now people like Roberto Rodriguez and Patricia Gonzales of Column of the Americas (online). And I guess people like Chicana/o bloggers too.

    Ruben Salazar Vive! La Lucha Sigue!

  7. Ruben Says:
    June 1st, 2008 at 1:41 am

    Cindy,

    Wow. I know I am late to read this post. You see, many years ago my mother first gave me the gift of my name. Then when I was old enough to understand, the story of my namesake, and now, the link to this post. Great pics. I didn’t even know about the stamp. I’m gonna get a whole bunch on Monday.

    I’m gonna be a more loyal reader, I promise! Hope you are well, Ms. Lu. I miss you!

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