[Ppnews] Violence between Raza and African Prisoners at CA State Prison

[Political Prisoner News]

http://uniondelbarrio.org/laverdad/

Statement From The Chicano Mexicano Prison Project
August 10, 2009

VIOLENCE BETWEEN RAZA AND AFRICAN PRISONERS AT CALIFORNIA STATE PRISON

Note: The Chicano Mexicano Prison Project (CMPP) 
was established in 1993 by Unión del Barrio. For 
close to 20 years the CMPP has been the most 
active and consistent Mexican-Raza organization 
doing work around the question of prisons and 
their role in the oppression of poor and working 
class communities. On June 28th of this year 
(2009), the CMPP held its annual conference in 
East Los Angeles. where one of the issues 
discussed was the ongoing war between Mexican-Raza and African prisoners.

Once again, major violence between Raza and 
African prisoners has erupted within the United 
States Concentration Camp (Prison) System, this 
time at Chino California State Prison. Beginning 
at 8:20 PM, on Saturday evening (Aug. 8, 2009), 
African and Raza (Latino) prisoners, in the most 
brutal fashion, slashing, cutting, hitting each 
other with anything that could get their hands 
on, battled against each other for more than 11 
hours. Over 200 hundred were hurt, several were 
critically injured with severe head injuries or 
stab wounds. Blood was spilled everyone. Many of 
those involved will be scared and maimed for 
life, both physically and mentally.

But this latest violence is nothing new. Nor was 
it the worst. For years, not only in California, 
but also throughout the United States, Raza and 
African prisoners have been at each other 
throats. Those of us who should know better –the 
social activists and so-called educated– should 
be clear about the root causes of this horrific 
violence that continues, unabated, decade after 
decade, and how it only serves to keep both 
nations oppressed and colonized; and most 
importantly, what we must do about it.

While some refused to see or accept the truth, 
the reality is that the prison wars between Raza 
and Africans are nothing but the old strategy of 
divide and conquer, which the European (white) 
colonialist-capitalist system has successfully 
used against our people for more than 500 years. 
The “hand of white supremacy” behind the recent 
hostilities should be obvious to everyone.

It is no coincidence that so few white prisoners 
were involved or hurt. Or, that not “one guard” 
suffered even a scratch. That fact is, that the 
racist prison system, which is responsible for 
the torturous and inhumane treatment of Raza and 
African prisoners was not the object of the 
prisoners’ anger. As racist as some of the white 
prisoners are (many belonging to groups such as 
the Aryan Brotherhood, Hells Angels, Skin Heads 
and Minutemen), they also were not the target of 
the riot. In fact, our carnales and brothers (and 
carnalas and sisters) in the prisons are so 
confused and disoriented by the divide and 
conquer tactics of the capitalists (from which 
white power comes from), that they don’t even see 
the prison system as their main enemy.

The constant blaming of Mexicans/Latinos for all 
the problems facing the United States, branding 
us “illegal aliens”, and the fact that even as 
the “riot” at Chino was taking place, prison 
officials and politicians were already blaming 
“Latinos” as the cause of the violence, all form 
part of the trickery called “divide and conquer”.

What we, Raza and Africans, and all oppressed 
people (including poor whites) must understand, 
it is that the “divide and conquer” strategy is 
the foundation upon which colonialism-capitalism 
rests. And, if we are serious about ending the 
vicious violence among colonized and oppressed 
(poor and working class) people, colonialism-capitalism must be destroyed.

It is in the question of the “destruction of 
capitalism” in which we find so many otherwise 
“educated” people acting dumb and stupid. It is 
here where we find some people to be “utterly 
lost” as to what causes violence and what is the 
solution –as the answer is found with them 
deciding on whether they want to keep their nice 
cars, cushy jobs, vacations, and nice homes, 
which capitalism provides, or do they destroy the 
foundations of capitalism (racism, colonialism, 
oppression, and destruction of our planet) and 
thus risk losing the materialistic lifestyle that they enjoy so much.

All of us, living inside and outside the U.S. 
Concentration Camp (Prison) System must realize 
that the violence between colonized people 
affects all of us, as prison wars spill out into 
the streets, communities, and the schools. “Race” 
violence occurs everyday within the United 
States. Most of the victims are innocent, and 
most are young people. Therefore, if we care 
about our youth, and about peace and justice, 
then we have to get involved in the struggle to end prison violence.

The CMPP calls on all of us to unite against 
colonialism-capitalism and all its 
manifestations. We must struggle for a 
revolutionary change in society. If the CMPP has 
learned anything during the last 20 years, is 
that prisoners respect revolution. Only this type 
of struggle can unite Africans and Mexicans-Raza, 
and put an end to the antagonistic confrontations between our peoples.

El Pueblo Unido, Jamas Sera Vencido!
The People United, Will Never Be Defeated!
Hasta La Victoria –Venceremos!




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