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Librotrafcante Caravan

Smuggling books back in to Tucson United School District & developing

Underground Libraries and relationships all through the Southwest.

Houston, TX San Antonio, TX El Paso, TXMesilla, NMAlbuquerque, NMTucson, AZ

Spring Break 2012

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Goal: The Librotracantes intend to collect 1

complete set of the books banned by the Tucson

Unied School District for each of these librar-

ies. The Librotracante Caravan created part-

nerships with nonprot organizations to help re-

ceive, catalogue, distribute and provide an openenvironment for students and communities to

access books.

Why: In response to Arizona House Bill 2281

the unconstitutional law prohibiting K-12 Ethnic Studies programs in the

Tucson Unied School District. All books that were associated with a par-

ticular ethic studies curriculums such as Mexican American Studies or So-

cial Justice have been prohibited to teach. More than 70 books written byChicano/a writers were boxed up and thrown in a closet. Students, writers,

teachers, activists and their madres hopped on the caravan to smuggle books

y su cultura back into Tucson.

Who: Participating in Banned Book

Bashes and Cultural Caucuses along the

route were teachers, students, workers,children, elected ofcials and banned

writers and poets such as Sandra Cis-

neros, Dagoberto Gilb, Rudolfo Anaya,

Denise Chavez, Lorna Dee Cervantes,

Carmen Tafolla, Rene Alegria, founder

of Boxing Badger Media and www.ma-

miverse.com. Other speakers along the

route included Xavier Garza, John Phillip Santos, Viktoria Valenzuela, Ben-jamin Alire Senz, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Levi Romero, Margaret Randall

Andrea J. Serrano, Mary Oishi, Tanaya Winder, Hakim Bellamy, Richard

Vargas, Gary L. Brower, E. A. Tony Mares, PhD, Cathy Arellano, Bill

Nevins, Manuel Muoz, Roberto Rodriguez, Christine Granados, Diane Lo-

pez, Elena Daz Bjorkquist, Matt Mendez.

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Our literature and our history must never

be at the mercy of political whim ever again.

We ask supporters to donate copies of the

banned books . . . to preserve freedom of

speech, so that all of us can tell our stories,

said Tony Diaz, El Librotracante.

During spring break 2012, over 1,000 books were donated and more than 20k worth

o knowledge was distributed to the our Librotrafcante Underground Libraries:

HOUSTON,TX - Multicultural Education & Counseling Through the Arts (MECA)

1900 Kane Street, Houston, TX 77007

- Alice Valdez, Founder/Director

SAN ANTONIO,TX - Southwest Workers

Union, 1414 E. Commerce, San Antonio,

TX 78205 - Genaro Rendon, Director

ALBUQUERQUE,NM - Los Jardines Insti-

tute, 803 La Vega Dr. SW, Albuquerque,

NM 87105 - Sofa Martinez, Program

Coordinator

TUCSON, AZ - John Valenzuela Youth Center, 1550 S 6th Ave., South Tucson,

AZ 85713 - Gloria Hamelitz, Director

Quien Somos?Librotraficantes!

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If state government wants to make edu-cational reform, its missing the mark; lets

make sure literature stays in the classroomevery book in every students hand, saidTony Diaz, founder of Nuestra Palabra: Lati-no Writers Having Their Say, the non-prof-it organization behind the LibrotracanteCaravan, Thank you everyone for helpingus smuggle a payload of $20,000 worth ofbooks to our young heroes in Tucson. Thestudents were ecstatic and grateful. Theght is not over.

You can bet Ill be donating mybooks to the Librotracante Un-

derground Libraries, said SandraCisneros, author of HOUSE ONMANGO STREET, now banned inTucson United School District.

I got inspired to go on the caravan be-cause of the Teach In happening in SanAntonio on Tuesday, March 13th. I de-cided I wanted to be part of the caravanand take books to the students in Ari-zona. said Dennis Castillo, a senior atEdison HS and a member of SouthwestWorkers Unions Youth Program.

The energy on the caravan was really powerful. Wewere all ghting for the right to teach our culture andhistory with in our school systems. Rudolfo Anaya evenfed us in his house. It is really inspiring for big time au-thors to support us and donate their books, said DianaLopez, an organizer with Southwest Workers Union.

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Phase II in San Anto, TejasThe Underground Library is located in SWUs Movement Gallery

Space, a former barbershop and long-standing community space, whichwill provide an open environment for students and community members to

access books and share ideas.The goal for the library is to educate and promote our cultura. We are

currently looking for volunteers to lead this project throughout the city tocreate a wider network of erce leaders.

We are hoping to partner up with writers, businesses, educational cen-ters and chicano/a activists to hold banned book readings and poetry slamswith the intention of creating a strong base of gente that begins to close the

gap between arts y cultura, social justice and the educational system.

Report Compilied by

Southwest Workers Union

PO BOX 830706

San Antonio, TX 78283

210.299.2999 - swunion.orgD

EMA N DA M

O

S

J U S T I C I A

Southwest Workers Union

For more information about librotracante cara-

van or nuestra palabra contact Nuestra Palabra,

which is a 501c3 notforprot organization.For Donations please mail to:

Nuestra Palabra: Latino Writers Having Their

Say- P.O. Box 540181-Houston, TX 77254-0181

Looking for something to do this sum-mer? SWU Underground Library hasinternship opportunities for you.

orAre you a Business, Organization orEducational Institute who wants tohouse the mobile library for a poetry

slam or reading?

Please contact:laura@swunion.org or

dianalopez@swunion.org

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