First Published: Unity, Vol. 7, No. 3, February 24-March 8, 1984.
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Paul Saba
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The League of Revolutionary Struggle (Marxist-Leninist) is a multinational communist organization which upholds and fights for the right of self-determination for the Chicano Nation as a key component of its program for Chicano liberation.
The League puts forward its program to help advance the struggle for Chicano liberation, to build unity between the struggle of the Chicano people and all the oppressed and exploited in the U. S., and to build the movement against monopoly capitalism and for socialism.
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1. The right of self-determination for the Chicano Nation.
This is our basic demand in the Chicano Nation, which we raise in order to realize the full revolutionary potential of the Chicano national movement. This demand is also made to help forge the unity of the multinational proletariat on the basis of national equality.
The right of self-determination means the right of Chicano people, in their areas of concentration in the Southwest – their historic homeland, which was annexed by the United States – to determine their own political future, up to and including the right to secede. This demand means that the Chicano people should have the right to exercise full political control over their territory.
2. Local or administrative autonomy for Chicanos outside of the Chicano Nation, in those areas where they form large concentrations.
Chicanos in those areas suffer oppression similar to their brothers and sisters in the Southwest. They are forced to live in overcrowded and poverty-stricken barrios, have no political or language rights, and are victims of constant police repression and attacks by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. We demand equal status – political, social and economic equality for all Chicanos.
3. Return of the lands guaranteed protection under the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo to the Chicano people.
We also demand that all federal and state lands within the Chicano Nation (except those to which the American Indian peoples are entitled) be transferred to the Chicano people.
4. Full equality of the Spanish language.
We oppose the U.S. bourgeoisie’s imposition of English as an official language. We demand that all levels of schools in the Chicano Nation be taught in the Spanish language. All legislative, judicial and other governmental organs in the Chicano Nation must be able to serve the Chicano people in their own language, including all health, social and welfare institutions. Chicanos must be allowed to speak their own language on the job and to use Spanish without any restrictions in daily life.
All other nationalities in the Chicano Nation must have the right to use the language of their nationality.
5. End all discrimination against Chicanos in hiring, on the job, in the schools and in their communities.
This includes an end to the forcible segregation of the Chicano people. At the same time we demand that the Chicano communities be protected from destruction and dispersal. The Chicano people have been forced to endure years of inferior and racist schooling. They must be able to have control of the schools which teach their children. This includes the development of curricula that teach respect and pride in Chicano identity as well as provide fundamental skills which all children require.
6. End police repression.
The Chicano people have been the constant victims of police abuse and discrimination by the legal system. We oppose all harassment and support the establishment of community review boards composed of the working class and oppressed nationalities. These boards must have the power to reprimand and terminate police officers found guilty of harassment and discrimination.
7. Full equality for Chicanas.
We are opposed to women’s oppression in any form and see the full participation of Chicanas as an essential part of the struggle for the self-determination of the Chicano Nation. The Chicana is triply oppressed – as a woman, as a member of an oppressed nationality, and, for most Chicanas, as workers. We are opposed to all forms of discrimination against women that restrict their ability to participate fully in society as equals to men.
8. End all forcible repatriations (deportations) of Chicanos and Mexicanos.
We demand equal status for the Mexican national minority within the Chicano Nation and outside of it. We demand the abolition of all laws infringing on the democratic rights of Mexicano immigrants and that they must be given the same rights as U.S. citizens. All Mexicano immigrants in the U.S. must have the right to voluntarily obtain U.S. citizenship or to retain their own citizenship without any restrictions of their full democratic rights.
9. End the imposition of U.S. imperialist culture on the Chicano people.
We stand for the complete development of all the progressive and revolutionary aspects of the Chicano national culture. The rich cultural traditions of the Chicano people face the threat of extinction by the U. S. bourgeoisie. We uphold the right of the Chicano people to full development of their cultural traditions.
10. All treaties between the U.S. government and the American Indian peoples in the Southwest be upheld.
All land, water, timber, grazing and fishing rights of the Indian peoples must be respected. The American Indian peoples of the Southwest must have the right to exercise full political power in their areas of concentration in the Southwest.
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Obviously, this program is partial and only reflects some of the main interests of the Chicano people. But we feel that it is fundamental that all progressive and revolutionary people support the right of the Chicano people to these basic rights. The struggle to win these rights will help to organize the Chicano people and aid in the struggle not only for self-determination, but also for an end to imperialism which has caused the oppression and misery of the Chicano people.