November 3,
2014
Herb Wesson,
Jr. Jose Huizar, and Mitch O’Farrell
City Council
Members
City of Los
Angeles
To Whom It
May Concern:
I am the
Head of School of the City of Los Angeles’ only Indigenous Peoples public
school and the City’s first International Baccalaureate World School,
Anahuacalmecac International University Preparatory. Our school’s mission and
curriculum includes among other things Indigenous content, pedagogy and
language, particularly, Nahuatl language instruction (a mother tongue of the
Uto-Azteca heritage native to the Los Angeles basin). I am writing to you now to
advise you of a concern I have to address with the City of Los Angeles and the
Los Angeles Police Department.
In
particular, the concern is regarding the negative impact of a city and county
sanctioned event held to celebrate the Days of the Dead (known in our language
and culture as Miccailhuitl – the commemoration of death) in El Sereno on
November 1, 2014. As you may know, these are indigenous ceremonies, native in
particular to our Azteca community, but common throughout Indigenous Peoples of
Mexico and Central America. Local event coordinators asked our school’s
traditional dance circle to "bless" the main altar with opening
ceremonial protocols. What organizers referred to as a "blessing" involves cultural protocols our children/students offer through traditional Nahuatl songs and Aztec dances. We subsequently learned
that one private sponsor of the event in particular, a bar/eatery named Hecho
en Mexico, would seek out the erection of a "beer and wine garden"
immediately adjacent to our kindergarten. As you may know, this is entirely
offensive to our native protocols, to our children and also contributes to a
degradation of the safe school environment we should be able to expect around
our schools at all times. We communicated our concerns to both Council District
14 and LAPD immediately. Unfortunately,
our concerns were ignored by local elected officials, the LAPD and by the local
office of the California Department of Alcoholic Beverages Control. The event
was held, our objections ignored and consequently our children were excluded
from participating in the event, and our families and community of Azteca, Zapoteca and
other indigenous peoples were precluded from participating in honoring
our ceremonial protocols on our elementary school campuses through a de facto
imposition of a City sponsored beer and wine garden. The entire main
thoroughfare was closed, the beer and wine garden was erected immediately
adjacent to our kindergarten and our children were left to wonder why alcohol
trumped culture and community for children.
Our parent
community is disconcerted. We are bewildered about how and why elected officials,
police and event coordinators would collude to exclude our community as
Indigenous Peoples, preventing us from safely practicing our cultural customs in
an alcohol and abuse free environment. I write to you now, to ask for
your intervention and support in this matter. Native American Heritage month in
Los Angeles should not have begun for our community with an insulting display
of a degradation of ancestral traditions and a reckless prioritization of
alcohol consumption in a community suffering the effects or alcoholism, drug
abuse and family dissolution. The City and County agencies that supported this
event should have the obligation to honor Native American traditions and
spiritual/cultural practices - especially in Native American Heritage Month.
What should we expect next, a beer tent at powwows?
Simply put
it is wrong and ought to be illegal to sell alcohol near a school, church
or nonprofit youth center - yet because of the alleged financial interest of a
few, in this and other purported vices, El Sereno's Day of the Dead
event was dominated by a sponsored corruption of community values
privileging intoxication over remembrance.
I call upon
your office to investigate the issuance of street closure permits to allow for
the licensing of beer gardens immediately adjacent to our school without our
consent or even consideration. I call upon your office to investigate the
offensive treatment of such a sanctimonious ceremony and tradition of our
Native American community. I call upon your office to investigate the lack of
enforcement of the intent and law regarding the issuance of beer garden
licenses and the lack of transparency exercised in this case. I call for your
office to support Native American Heritage Month by ensuring that public tax dollars
and public authority is not abused nor exercised in any way which degrades,
defiles of offends Native American indigenous community, ceremony, customs and
practices.
Sincerely,
Marcos
Aguilar,
Head of
School – Tlayecantzi
Anahuacalmecac
International University Preparatory
Semillas
Sociedad Civil
4970 &
4990 Huntington Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032
BACKGROUND
On October
14, 2014 Semillas received an invitation from a self-identified member of the local coordinating committee responsible for the 2014 Day of the Dead event planned
for November 1, 2014. Specifically, our schools were asked to lead the
“highlight of the evening, the Blessing of the Altars” through our cultural
spiritual protocols including danza Azteca, Nahuatl oral tradition and songs in
Nahuatl. Although not addressed in the letter inviting Semillas to participate,
we also learned of a possible "beer and wine garden" actively being
pushed allegedly by Hecho en Mexico, the local bar/eatery. On October 14,
2014 I wrote to City Councilman Jose Huizar’s Chief of Staff as well as copying
local Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control via email expressing my direct
concerns and opposition to any such beer and wine garden near our elementary
school campuses. The email was addressed to Paul Habib, Zenay Loera of the CD14
office and Will Salao of ABC stated:
“I just learned that there may be plans permit a
"beer and wine garden" as a part of the annual Dia de
los Muertos events scheduled for El Sereno. I want to be sure and record our
school community's adamant opposition to any such thing anywhere within 500
feet of any school, including our own. During the community festivities, our
school will be in active operation with child centered activities on all
campuses. We do not want our children and parents endangered by any adults with
any level of intoxication.
The Dia de los Muertos event is both cultural and
family-centered. There is no need to increase the levels of insecurity already
present in the streets of our community by adding to the crowds countless
intoxicated adults. Already this year our students have been chased out of
their campus by a local intoxicated male who scaled the fence and began calling
out at the children. This individual was arrested and released almost
immediately. As you may know, another intoxicated woman assaulted an elderly
Semillas teacher and one of the CD14 staff members two weeks ago in the
so-called 'parklett' in front of Food for Less. We have yet to hear from a detective
on this matter. Regardless of the banter and slander the restaurant owners
may be engaging in against Jose, this matter is one of public safety and
community health. There will be staunch opposition to any sale
of beer, wine or liquor anywhere on public property during this
event. I call upon your office to monitor this issue and inform us in
advance if there are to be any public hearings on the matter. If any permits
require your office's approval we call upon you to deny any such permits anywhere
within 500 feet of any school, church, library or child care center in El
Sereno.”
The
organizers and all elected officials we contacted evaded our direct inquiries
regarding the beer garden and ignored our clear and documented opposition to
any such activity near our schools or as a part of such a sacred ceremony. In
conversations with event coordinators and CD14 representatives, on Friday,
October 31, 2014, we learned that the organizers had capitulated to the
bar/eatery stand because they allegedly sponsored of the street closure and
paid for the city permits. Additionally, we were told by both the organizers
and the CD14 staff contacts that the beer garden would be located on private
property IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO OUR KINDERGARTEN. This is unconscionable,
reckless and irresponsible.
Due to the
priority given to the sale of alcohol in this year's El Sereno "Dia de los
Muertos"® and the lack of any community participation or public process,
we could not in good conscience encourage our children and families to
participate in the event under these conditions. We will not initiate the
ceremony under such indignant and disrespectful terms. We will not contribute
to the confusion of our children, nor the lack of safety in our community. This
was not the El Sereno organizers' original intent and it should not
have been hijacked by a private interest and business elites trying to pad
their wallets with undue influence of elected officials.
Hecho en
Mexico's alleged insistence in strong-arming the organizers to allow a
beer and wine garden, yards away from their own bar, surrounding our
kindergarten campus precluding Semillas Community Schools students from
participating in the event or even safely occupying our own campuses. We know
that thirteen years ago when Semillas first opened, ours was the only free,
public community recognition of Dia de los Muertos in El Sereno. Today, as we
look around the city, art fairs, vendor booths, beer gardens and concert
promoters are capitalizing on the ancient Mexican Azteca ceremony of
Miccailhuitl to turn it into a circus, freak show, vaudevillian modern
alternative for the entrepreneurial vendor, restaurateur or salesman.
This is not our way as Indigenous Peoples during this ceremony, nor does it
honor the dozens of teens around El Sereno's streets that have been murdered
within the last two years. We know that abstinence from alcohol during ceremony
is a basic requirement to establish community respect. We also know that
flauntingly promoting a culture of debauchery embeds a negative mindset
and encourages social, emotional and physical violence against women, children
and families. We know that the City of Los Angeles zealously guards Safe School
Zones in other communities, WHY NOT IN OURS? Put simply, more alcohol equals more
abuse.
LACK OF TRANSPARENCY
In a
conversation I had with a CD14 rep on October 31, 2014, wherein I tried to
understand why this beer garden permit was kept from us, what could be done and
how if any way we could responsibly continue our involvement, I was told that
because HEM had paid for the permits and the the street closure and that the
beer garden would be on allegedly "private" property - there was
nothing that could be done. Alcohol would be sold next to our kindergarten
surrounding us with a vice that often rips our families and community apart. An
event coordinator informed me that alcohol would not be sold for one
hour while our children would be present. However, we intended to be present
from 3pm to 10pm on our own campus adding to the spirit with our own altar,
booths and informational exhibits for children. A one hour window was neither
asked for by us, nor is it reasonable to assure our children and parents would
have no interaction with the alcohol sale and intoxicated persons. No one
ever reached out to ask us - neither as participants nor as tenants of
Huntington Drive- if we supported the closure of a public street to include a
beer and wine garden.
I do not
understand how the city and county can within legal bounds approve closure of
the street -without property owner consent- with the intent to erect a private
beer garden next to a kindergarten. Nor do I understand why anyone concerned
with building community and strengthening our indigenous culture during Native
American Heritage Month in Los Angeles would acquiesce to the sale of alcohol
at such a momentous ceremony.
It is a sad
state. Mexico is a graveyard because vice controls government and officials
thrive on vice. This year especially with mass graves uncovered practically
daily in our home state of Guerrero, Mexico, a somber, respectful and positive
remembrance should have been the tone set by all who would hope to honor our
dead. Our children and dead deserve no less.
In the
meantime, we will continue to raise 400 children in a wholesome,
healthy and abuse-free culturally rich community. Shame on the elected
officials and public authorities if they turn a blind eye to this
degradation of our community, ceremonies, traditions, children and our
dead.
RULE OF LAW?
There are
current regulations which require that schools and churches be respected as
safe zones for kids and families. Allowing inebriated adults to mingle with
kindergarteners - IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT to our kindergarten school campus
is reckless and negligent.
Current ABC
guidance states:
"Q. 18. How many feet
must licensed premises be from a church, a school, or residences?
In an email
from Will Salao of ABC to me time stamped at 2:37pm on 10/31/2014, he indicated
that ABC staff had verified that no permit was on file for the address at which
the beer garden was erected. On November 1, 2014, several inquiries into the
matter with city, county and police office including LAPD Vice Sergeant
Siguenas, affirmed that in fact the property and event did hold a
permit/license to operate a beer and wine garden at 4992 Huntington Dr S,
immediately adjacent to our kindergarten. City and police personnel all seemed
evasive regarding this matter, at one point even alleging the permit was up to
State representative Jimmy Gomez' office. Today, we spoke to the property
tenant, Leo of Nungaray Tires, who stated the "City " had made all
arrangements.
Please
clarify for us what limitations such a beer and wine garden, if permitted, must
comply with.
For example,
must the area be screened from the public? The beer garden was in full open
view from the sidewalk in fact reveling in its location with musicians playing
full blast and provocatively dressed beer models soliciting clients.
Can children
be allowed physically within the Beer and Wine Garden area? We
witnessed at least one child within the beer garden apparently in view of at
least one city official.
The attached
photos are of the beer and wine garden. Ultimately, the beer and wine garden
forced us to cancel our school's operations for the day.
Our children
were prohibited by the beer and wine garden from participating in the event as
planned due to the obvious negative impact on the school's safe zone and the
moral integrity of such a special community ceremony.
I call upon
your office to investigate the issuance of street closure permits to allow for
the licensing of beer gardens immediately adjacent to our school without our
consent or even consideration. I call upon your office to investigate the
offensive treatment of such a sanctimonious ceremony and tradition of our
Native American community. I call upon your office to investigate the lack of
enforcement of the intent and law regarding the issuance of beer garden
licenses and the lack of transparency exercised in this case. I call for your
office to support Native American Heritage Month by ensuring that public tax
dollars and public authority is not abused nor exercised in any way which
degrades, defiles of offends Native American indigenous community, ceremony,
customs and practices.
ON MICAILHUITL
Micailhuitl
is the name for our traditional honoring of the passing of life from physical
to essence. In our ancestral traditions, we do not only honor people who have
passed away, but all natural life that makes up the great mystery of the world
and universe. This is a cultural ceremony that helps teach our children about
the natural laws of life as understood by our ancestors.
In Mexico,
we call these days Micailhuitl - los Dias de Los Muertos. Our families
commemorate these days in several ways and through different traditions in the
various regions and cultures of Mexico. Our families continue to honor these
days through personal customs and community events. We want to honor these
traditions and open a space for us to remember our family, our ancestors and
our ways – together.
Micailhuitl
can be a very powerful healing ceremony as it can help us remember that we are
not alone when we grieve. Year after year our schools honor youth and young
adults who have passed away unexpectedly through war, violence or other
non-natural causes.
The students
and families of Semillas Community Schools, are the community we call on to
commemorate the Micailhuitl. Our ceremony is a cultural gathering of community
to honor those who have died and to teach our children how to learn from death.
This is a space and time for parents to tell our children stories about a
family member, a special hero or heroine or just about nature and life.
The
Micailhuitl is a time for parents to learn from other parents and share customs
and traditions your family practiced or still practice. This is a time to
listen to the elders in your family, and to help them remember what they did
when they were little so that our traditions remain strong in the next
generation. This way our children will be better prepared to deal with the
difficulties of life and the realities we share with all of humanity.
To honor the
youth and others who have died as a result of genocide, fratricide our schools
have honored each known site of a homicide along or near the Huntington Drive
corridor for the past several years. While our youth are divided in life, we
are all united in death. Our offerings and blessings call on our barrios to
unite for the love of our next generation through community, consciousness, and
culture.
PHOTOS:
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