LA VOZ DE AZTLAN
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NEWS | FEATURE Vol. 7 No. 45 July 12 - 18, 2002
La Voz de Pendejos: An anti-Semitic websiteÕs year-long Jew-baiting of Orange County Latinos
by Gustavo Arellano
Hermandad's Lopez Photo by Mark Savage
The president of the League of United Latin American CitizensÕ (LULAC) Santa Ana chapter has been the target of a smear campaign by a fanatically anti-Semitic Chicano website based in Whittier, the Weekly has learned.
Zeke Hern‡ndez, president of the Santa Ana LULAC chapter, sent the Weekly an e-mail that shows him to be the latest victim of La Voz de Aztl‡nÕs yearlong efforts to sully the reputations of prominent OC Latinos.
Over the span of a week in early November 2001, Hern‡ndez and La Voz engaged in a one-sided Net flame war. Hern‡ndez sent 11 requests via e-mail asking that Santa Ana LULAC be taken off La VozÕs mailing list, but La Voz webmaster Roberto Cruz refused. Cruz accused the Santa Ana chapter president of trying to censor La VozÕs content and claimed that Hern‡ndez had no authority to remove LULAC from La VozÕs list despite the fact that Hern‡ndez moderates Santa Ana LULACÕs website.
It got uglier: in his final e-mail to Hern‡ndez, dated Nov. 11, 2001, Cruz accused Hern‡ndez of being a Jew four times within the same message. "Are you a Hispanic judio, too?" the e-mail concludes. "We mean to [sic] offense in asking this question."
Ten days later, all was seemingly forgiven. La Voz published an article on its site (www.aztlan.net) titled "LULAC Questions ZionistÕs Attack on La Raza" that congratulated LULAC for criticizing Proposition 227 author Ron Unz (whom La Voz refers to as a "Jewish Mogul and Zionist") after Unz wrote a National Review piece comparing bilingual-education activists to terrorists.
But LULAC wasnÕt happy with La VozÕs pat on the back. Four days later, Hern‡ndez took the extraordinary measure of issuing a national press release condemning La Voz for its commendation of LULAC.
"LULAC finds the commentary of La Voz de Aztlˆn repugnant," read the statement, "and disassociates itself from the inappropriate and racist commentary made using the LULAC press statement."
Seven months later, La Voz still has not forgiven Hern‡ndez for his stand. In a June 10 e-mail that Hern‡ndez provided to the Weekly, La VozÕs editor, Ernesto Cienfuegos, tells Jeffrey H. Brody, an associate professor of communications at Cal State Fullerton, that Hern‡ndez had written "objectionable e-mails" concerning La VozÕs Unz/LULAC article.
"Mr. HernandezÕs views on freedom of speech and of the press, I am happy to report, are not shared by the general LULAC membership," Cienfuegos wrote, vowing to expose Latinos like Hern‡ndez that seek a huesitoÑa selling out of their community.
Such is the way of La Voz, whose editorial philosophy is a fascinating combination of rabid Chicano nationalism, blatant homophobia, and a perverted Catholicism that considers Judaism the root of all evil. Most disturbing to them, though, are Latinos who they suspect have fallen under the influence of los jud’osÑthe Jews.
The Hern‡ndez incident wasnÕt the first time La Voz Jew-baited local Latinos. In a letter dated Aug. 8, 2001, La Voz publisher HŽctor Carre—n accused Santa Ana-based immigrant-rights group Hermandad Mexicana Nacional of falling under the influence of Jews in using taxpayer money to promote "the deviant, perverted, sinful and decadent homosexual lifestyle."
The catalyst for this allegation was a letter written on Hermandad stationary by HermandadÕs public relations director, Katy PŽrez, to La Voz criticizing the websiteÕs homophobic editorializing (which blames homosexuality on Jews). Commending Hermandad for "the courage that you have demonstrated in the past in standing up against the bigots at the Anaheim Police Department," Carre—n nevertheless felt that "it [PŽrezÕs letter] is a highly improper way to use the name, legacy and time of Hermandad."
Furthermore, according to Carre—n, Jews and jotos (Spanish for "fags") caused HermandadÕs apparent deviation from its mission of immigrant rights. "We know that Bert Corona [HermandadÕs founder] was married to a Judia [Jew], and we are now wondering how much this has to do with Hermandad also pushing the [homosexual] issue," the letter states.
Carre—n demanded an apology for PŽrezÕs letter. But what the letter actually said remains a mystery. PŽrez refused to fax over a copy or reveal its content at the time of its release, saying that Hermandad national co-director Nativo L—pez was "not interested. We are going to respond to La VozÕs letter, and you are welcome to read it on their website," PŽrez said in a voice mail. Nothing ever came of it, as La Voz never posted a letter by Hermandad and L—pez refused to comment on what course Hermandad took.
La Voz has not been content with merely harassing OC Latino leaders, though. In addition to their blackballing of L—pez and Hern‡ndez, La Voz nearly got an Orange County social worker fired from his job last year for writing an e-mail on company time. The man (whose job entails tracking hate groups) wrote an e-mail asking La Voz to tone down its rhetoric after Cienfuegos, writing via e-mail, blamed the 2001 Central American earthquakes on homosexuality. La Voz responded to the manÕs complaint by employing a tactic it has successfully used before to silence other critics: they called the manÕs employer and demanded his termination for "creating hate crimes."
"La Voz got in contact with my boss and questioned his sexuality because he wouldnÕt fire me," said the worker, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal by both La Voz and his employer. After that, La Voz went to that manÕs supervisor, who was not as caring. The man was severely reprimanded but was able to keep his job.
Carre—n, who graduated from Long Beach State with a degree in civil engineering and worked during the 1970s for the city of Buena Park, offered little explanation for his siteÕs persecution of OC Latinos. Instead, he responded to my repeated offers of an interview by calling me and Hern‡ndez a mam—n (homosexual), saying IÕm a candidate for their "Little Judas Award" (he did not specify what the qualifications are) and accusing me of being bought by Jews for a few "shekels."
"You have been totally ÔjudaizedÕ!" Carre—nÕs final e-mail excitedly claimed. "You continue to contact us for interviews even though we have told you time and again to fuck off. You are acting like [sic] scorned bitch."
La VozÕs rants would be a sick pleasure and dismissed by all but the ADL if not for todayÕs postmodern publishing world, where anyone with a modem and an issue can publish their opinions in mere seconds to a worldwide audience. Since its first issue in January 2000, La Voz has been cited by papers such as the Houston Chronicle, the Jerusalem Post, and the online World Net Daily as proof of the inherent intolerance of Chicanos. And this power to influence unwitting minds is what frightens those that have been targeted by La Voz the most.
"You get people who want to learn about Chicanismo and type in ÔAztlˆn,Õ and they find this," the anonymous worker said. "The reader is immediately going to think all Chicanos think like that, ruining it for the rest of us. WhatÕs most frightening is the realization that if La Voz, like Hitler, actually got the power they seek, their site is a good indication of what they would do with it."
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NEWS | FEATURE Vol. 8 No. 04 September 27 - October 3, 2002
Heebie Jeebies: Lopez plagued by Jew-hating kibbitzer
by Gustavo Arellano
Photo by OCW staff
When Nativo Lopez recently announced that he was seeking assistance to fend off a political attack, the Latino activist received support from an unlikely backer: a website that had previously Jew-baited the non-Jewish Lopez.
Lopez is facing a recall campaign as member of the Santa Ana Unified School District Board. The recall requires 8,600 signatures to force a special election early next year and was launched by residents who claim LopezÕs policies hurt schoolchildren.
The recall has been marked by angry charges and countercharges of fraud. Lopez opponents have villified their target as a lawless Mexican nationalist. At a Sept. 24 board meeting, LopezÕs allies fired back. They asked the board (and the DA) to investigate allegations that recall leaders have violated election laws, spread lies and even improperly used a photo of Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez posing with anti-Lopez campaigners.
Lopez, who was targeted by Republicans for unproven voter-fraud allegations in 1996, believes he is under siege.
"I have been targeted by the most extremist conservative wing of the Republican Party in Orange County," Lopez wrote in a July 23 letter to supporters under the title of his PAC "Kids and Parents for Nativo Lopez." "I want to tell you that we refuse to be intimidated, cowed or bullied by the well-financed EXTREMISTS."
Quick to pledge support was Hector Carre—n, the paranoid anti-Semitic, anti-homosexual, anti-logic Whittier resident who runs La Voz de Aztl‡n (www.aztlan.net), an ostensibly Chicano website notorious for intimidation. Carre—n said he believed Lopez didnÕt realize the power of those opposing him. "I am writing to express my opinion," Carre—n wrote in his Sept. 4 letter to Lopez, "that your analysis did not go far enough to pinpoint the political forces that are actually behind the effort to oust you and others like you who are fighting for the educational rights of Mexican immigrant children."
Carre—nÕs theory? ItÕs the Jews. "There is more to why we are in the state we are in than meets the eye!" Carre—n excitedly trumpeted in his letter. He then tied together Proposition 227Õs Ron Unz; Gloria Matta Tuchman; Michael Eisner-owned radio stations; two unnamed individuals that "you (Lopez) may consider friends"; the Weekly; the former director of national affairs for the American Jewish Committee; the Democratic, Republican and MexicoÕs ruling PAN parties; me; talk-show host Dennis Prager; anti-immigrant loudmouth Glenn Spencer; and the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles as all being part of a Jewish conspiracy against Lopez and other Latino officials. "I hope that you are starting to get the picture," Carre—n advises to Lopez. "Need I say more?"
Carre—nÕs attempt to assist Lopez represents a change in philosophy for La Voz. In an Aug. 8, 2001, letter, Carre—n accused LopezÕs Hermandad Mexicana Nacional of kowtowing to Jewish influences and "defending the deviant, perverted, sinful and decadent homosexual lifestyle" that La Voz claims comes from Jews. The same letter also pointed out that Hermandad founder Bert Corona was married to a Judia (female Jew) and that Carre—n was now wondering "how much this has to do with Hermandad also pushing the [homosexual] issue." Lopez never bothered to dignify Carre—nÕs accusations.
In an e-mail to me, Carre—n denied Jew-baiting Lopez in the past, innocuously replying that he was merely trying to enlighten Lopez to the Zionist scheme for world domination. He then called me stupid and a faggot.
"We assumed that he may not be aware that Ron Unz is a Jew and that his lackey Gloria Matta Tuchman is married to one," Carre—n wrote to the Weekly. "Listen, pendejo . . . donÕt you have better things to write about than La Voz de Aztl‡n?"
http://www.ocweekly.com/ink/03/27/lowballasschatter.php
LOWBALLASSCHATTER Vol. 8 No. 27 March 7 - 13, 2003
Could It Be . . . Satan?!?
Leave it to the Chicano fascists at the anti-Semitic, gay-hating, Whittier-based La Voz de Aztl‡n website (www.aztlan.net) to use the Great White concert tragedy as an opportunity to link rock shows to satanic retribution. Writer Ernesto Cienfuegos assured readers in a Feb. 22 article titled "96 Burn at Drugs-Sex-Rock Concert From Hell" that Satan caused the carnage in retaliation for the United StatesÕ "immorality and its inequities." Just what are AmericaÕs sins? La Voz doesnÕt specify, but judging from such previous articles as "Lesbians Insult la Virgen de Guadalupe" and "Zionists Threaten Freedom of the Press," this web journal probably thought too many kikes and fags were at the show. Trumping even Tipper Gore for sonic sanctimony, Cienfuegos goes on to sputter that metal concerts "are nothing more than Satanic rituals. The audiences, in most cases, are exhorted to rape and murder in the name of Satan." As proof of devilish infiltration of the Great White gig, La Voz included three pictures taken from footage of the event that they claim show a demon appearing within the inferno, a floating skull with the lower half of its jaw missing, and a "ghostly arm" reaching for Great White singer Jack Russell. One problem with La VozÕs paranormal powers: a close examination shows the "demon" is little more than the out-of-control fire; the "skull" is a manÕs poorly dyed hair; and the "ghostly arm" belongs to a fan, not a phantom. Hey, you La Voz pendejos: Hitler calledÑhe wants his irrational paranoia back in the hands of whitey. (Gustavo Arellano)
http://www.ocweekly.com/ink/04/06/news-arellano.php
NEWS Vol. 9 No. 06 October 10 - 16, 2003
Who Is Alex Gomez? And whatÕs so funny about Latinos who hate Latinos?
by Gustavo Arellano
Brother Cruz Photo by Jack Gould
In a clash of the titans, the Jew-hating, fag-fearing Chicanismo website La Voz de Aztl‡n (www.aztlan.org) has accused the Barcalounging, lock-the-doors-and-bolt-the-windows immigrant-bashers at The Orange County Register of committing Jayson Blair-big journalistic fraud for running an opinion piece featuring a Latino bashing Latinos.
The Sept. 21 column by self-proclaimed "fairly recent Mexican immigrant" Alex Gomez of San Juan Capistrano railed against Latinos agitating for immigrant rights.
"If the radicals were thinking of our best interest, they would be for controlling our borders to keep the hordes out who are destroying our schools and keeping wages down for us," seethed the 29-year-old Gomez. "They would be denouncing Mexican gangs, a plague that I, as a Mexican-American, am truly ashamed of. They would be encouraging the kids not to have kids they cannot afford. They would be putting down welfare, not demanding more of it. Welfare is for losers."
But according to La Voz, Alex Gomez doesnÕt exist.
"Our friends at U.S. Immigration could not find any records of such a person immigrating to the U.S. from Mexico that fits Alex GomezÕs age," wrote La Voz writer Ernesto Cienfuegos in a Sept. 22 article.
Cienfuegos said none of his San Juan Capistrano "contacts" know "anyone with the name of Alex, Alexander or Alejandro Gomez" living in the city. Cienfuegos followed the article with a Sept. 29 open letter to Register vice president Cathy Taylor demanding that Orange CountyÕs largest daily prove the existence of Alex Gomez of San Juan Capistrano. Taylor has yet to answer La Voz.
ItÕs easy to sympathize with the RegisterÑand not just because itÕs easy to see Cienfuegos as a card-carrying nut. Newspapers receive hundreds of letters daily, and letters editorsÑwhile always requiring that a name, address and phone number be provided with each submissionÑcan assure the veracity of the author only up to stepping up to someoneÕs door and buzzing.
But thereÕs a bigger problem here: the Register and La Voz are both trapped in a stereotype as outdated as spats and monocles.
Like so many minority leftists, La Voz cannot accept that members of a minority group might practice intra-group racismÑthat Mexicans might actually hate other Mexicans. TheyÕre seemingly deaf to the colorful argot of street of Mexican-American malinchismo (thatÕs self-hatred); my favorites include pocho (a whitewashed Latino), chœntaro (the Mexican variant of "hillbilly") and naco (a slum-dweller).
Such malinchismo is so common you can find it in the Reg all day. Turn to the Letters section, and check out the cornucopia of Hispanic surnames behind the Latino-bashing. One of the RegisterÕs most prolific letter writers is Haydee Pavia of Laguna Woods, a Peruvian-by-birth (she says) familiar to most local anti-immigrant activists. Her letters portraying Mexican immigration as the death of America garner ink everywhere from The New York Times to the Atlanta Journal and Constitution. "Illegal aliens are treated much more benevolently than American citizens," she wrote the Idaho Statesman on July 28Ñand then concluded, "By the way, I am Hispanic. I can tell the truth without being called a racist." GomezÕs observationsÑsuch as "I have seen where both [political] parties ever-increasingly pander to what I call the great loudmouth Hispanic minority, i.e., the idiot subversives who want to Ôtake back the Southwest for MexicoÕ"Ñare relatively tame by comparison.
The RegisterÕs problem is similar. Like many daily papers, the Reg continues to treat dissension within the Latino community as a stop-the-presses exclusive. In 2001, the Register breathlessly reported tensions among Central American and Mexican immigrants in Orange County. In addition to the prominent Gomez letter, the Reg devoted its Oct. 3 "Orange Grove" commentary section to an essay titled "A Latino Democrat Breaks Ranks." That one, by La Habra attorney Chuck Cardenas, was a forgive-me-father confession that trumpeted his political independence as Big News: "I am disloyal for not wanting Gray [Davis] to keep his job and disrespectful to a ÔbrotherÕ for not supporting Cruz Bustamante."
It ainÕt just the Reg. A 2,284-word front-page story in the Oct. 1 Los Angeles Times titled "Latino Voters CanÕt be Treated as a Bloc" marveled that Latinos trash other Latinos and donÕt necessarily vote Democrat. Imagine! The piece included such insights as this gem: "The Latino population itself is highly diverse and is in flux. There are foreign-born Latinos who arrived in the last decade, and those whose great-grandparents were born here." And this one: "Their U.S. experiences, rather than their [Latin American] roots, seem to define how [Latinos] vote, or whether they vote at all."
News flash to the Register, Times, La Voz and the entire fucking world: Latinos hate Latinos just like everyone else. Maybe more. The mixing and murder of the races is the modus operandi of Latin America, with lighter-skinned folks viciously subjugating their darker, indigenous compatriots from the time of CortŽs. Most Latinos take this mindset with them to the United StatesÑand then adopt with glee that hallowed American tradition of ridiculing their more-recently arrived countrymen and battling with other immigrant groups for precious government services.
Latinos hating other Latinos? ItÕs everywhere. Even La VozÑthat purported champion of the Mexican-American communityÑhates other Latinos. In a Sept. 25 column, editor HŽctor Carre—n attacked the Spanish-language newspaper La Opini—n after one of its editors told the Washington Post on Sept. 23 that La Voz exhibits a "Nazi character."
"It is difficult to admit," Carre—n wrote, "but it looks like La Opini—n has been turned . . . into a mere tool of the very enemies that the founder struggled against."
The Jews.
http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/searchview.php?id=7090
A Link to Hatred
Web site spreads anti-Semitism through L.A.Õs Latino community.
By Gustavo Arellano
www.aztlan.net
At first glance, La Voz de Aztl‡n (The Voice of Aztl‡n, www.aztlan.net ), a Chicano Web site based in Los Angeles, seems like any other minority-geared, politically progressive Web site. The site posts editorials and news reports on events relevant to the Los Angeles Chicano population. Recently, though, La Voz has published scathing anti-Semitic remarks that have as its targets the L.A. Jewish community.
La VozÕs turn to anti-Semitism began during the 2000 elections, when it blamed the Westside Jewish community for corrupting democracy and Ñ more onerously Ñ creating "Judenrat" Latino politicians who are supposedly owned by Jewish interests. Since then, La Voz has constantly mentioned the concept "Jew" in articles attacking individuals. It referred to Michael Eisner as "the super Jewish mogul" and hinted that prominent Latinas had attained their status because they were married to Jewish men.
In March, La Voz turned its bile specifically toward the Southern California Jewish community with an article titled "La Raza and Jews on Collision Course in Alta California." La Voz used recent political issues, such as so-called "wealthy Jew" Ron UnzÕs passing of Proposition 227 in 1998 as proof that Jews are conspiring to subjugate emerging Latino political power. Regarding the Jewish community, the editorial states, "The sectors that they cannot control directly, they will do it indirectly through the purchase of influence as well as the cunning manipulation of ethnic and other minorities."
The editorial sparked controversy in the Latino community and brought about letters from Raœl Yzaguirre, president of National Council on La Raza (NCLR), and Frank Quevedo, the vice president of Southern California Edison, demanding a retraction. Thomas Saenz, vice president of litigation for Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), also wrote a letter independent of MALDEF. "When I read the Web site, it was late Friday, and I was unable to alert MALDEF about it, so I wrote a letter on my own behalf demanding that La Voz de Aztlan apologize," Saenz said. "I also requested that I be taken off La VozÕs e-mail list until the Web site apologized for its anti-Semitic remarks."
Rather than apologize, La Voz noted in "Apologize to the Jewish Community or Else!" (posted April 2) that "sending ÔvendidoÕ [sell-outs] Hispanics to do their dirty work is a favorite ploy of Jews in Los Angeles."
Its most recent anti-Semitic attacks centered on defeated L.A. mayoral candidate Antonio Villaraigosa. When Villaraigosa lost, La Voz published an article entitled "Why Tony Lost" with a picture of Villaraigosa superimposed with a yarmulke and an excerpt from him boasting of his commitment to diversity by helping the Museum of Tolerance. The article explains VillaraigosaÕs loss by noting, "Villaraigosa was perceived as a candidate being shoved down our throats by principally Jewish interests from the Westside of Los Angeles."
"The Web site is venomous," said Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. "It touched on all the points that it could [amongst other things, posting the ÔProtocols of the Learned Elders of ZionÕ and a graphic of the Star of David superimposed with a swastika]. The site will certainly make it into ÔDigital HateÕ and will definitely go into our museum as an example of intolerance."
Although tensions and political battles have occurred between the L.A. Latino and Jewish communities before, both Saenz and Cooper note that prior incidents have been free of slanderous attacks and, in fact, were positive. "Past tensions between the Latino and Jewish communities did not devolve into racist and anti-Semitic generalizations and innuendo," Saenz said. "Rather, they have sparked dialogue between the two communities that strengthened the ties between us.
"After the initial horror and slander of this Web site, people must take a half-step back and think about the evolving nature of Latino-Jewish relations," Cooper noted. "Relations do not [happen] by osmosis. There will be incompatibilities, but that is the nature of coalitions. Rather than let them divide us, our communities have always rallied around shared issues." Cooper stressed that incidents like this should be treated as isolated rather than widespread. "The important thing to remember is that there will always be bigots that try to undermine any coalition-building."
Both Saenz and Cooper feel La VozÕs comments will not hurt overall Latino-Jewish relations but point out the harm inflicted on everyone. "I think the site does serious harm that goes beyond Latino-Jewish relations," Saenz said. "It diminishes all of us with its hate. We all have a responsibility to denounce sites like these."
"Web sites like these try to tap into the disappointment and anger over political losses or perceived shortcomings within a community," Cooper said. "The hope is that they can reap a backlash by playing the anti-Semitism card. This site is taking its template directly from the Nation of Islam."
Asked about the significance of the site to Latino-Jewish relations, Cooper added, "I wonÕt even give it the dignity of labeling it a wake-up call. If any conflicts are present in the Latino-Jewish community, they will be dealt with in the manner they always have: dialogue and strengthening the ties between both communities. I hope sites like these are a reminder to priests, rabbis, and everyone that hate is never far."
http://www.adl.org/learn/Aztlan/atzlan_printable.html
Backgrounder: Nation of Aztlan
The Nation of Aztlan (NOA), first organized in the early 1990s, is a California-based Hispanic nationalist organization that claims to represent the desires and aspirations of the Hispanic community. The organization calls for the United States to return "Aztlan" territory - Aztlan being the mythic homeland of the Mexican people, or Aztecs, which according to legend is found in the American Southwest or Northern Mexico. The group's nationalist message is blurred by frequent appeals anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism, homophobia and other expressions of hatred.
Anti-Semitism, Anti-Zionism
The NOA has posted numerous anti-Semitic articles and editorials on its Web site, La Voz de Aztlan. Many of these articles allege Jewish control of the U.S. government (one described the Monica Lewinsky affair as a plot involving the Mossad and, by extention, Israel.) The NOA has exploited the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to further extend its anti-Semitic and anti-Israel conspiracy theories.
On September 13, 2001, Hector Carreon, NOA founder and editor of La Voz de Aztlan, which the NOA describes as an online news service, wrote: "There is no doubt that our foreign policy in the Middle East has contributed to the attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. Is not our support of Zionism too high a price to pay? Why are we supporting an Israeli apartheid policy that has made all of Islam our mortal enemy?"
Carreon published an essay on Oct. 9, 2001 titled "Anthrax Terrorists May Be Zionists," in which he claimed that the anthrax outbreak in Florida may have been the work of Jews. Carreon claimed that in July 2001 he received an anonymous letter containing a "small amount of a yellowish white substance" and text claiming that "Jews had an illustrious history in biological research." Carreon claimed he developed "flu like symptoms" after receiving that letter. This made him suspicious of the Boca Raton anthrax case; Carreon claims that "the laboratory engineered Anthrax spores came in the mail in an envelope that included a 'Star of David' charm." Carreon wrote, "We believe that the terrorists are actually Zionists." Everyone assumes that "the dangers we face" come from Islamic terrorists, stated Carreon, "but our experience has been different. We fear Zionist terrorists more. They have been trying to take away our constitutional right of freedom of political expression through acts of terrorism."
The Syria Times Daily Politic News Online (Oct. 16, 2001) reprinted the article under its original headline, "Anthrax Terrorists May Be Zionists."
Another essay in La Voz de Aztlan titled "Anthrax Letter Messages Seem Contrived" suggested that anthrax-laced letters addressed to NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw and U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle were possibly sent by "Zionists." According to the essay, "Zionists have been worried because they perceive that the American public is wavering in their support of Zionist racist polices against the Palestinians. They are desperate and will do anything to manipulate U.S. public opinion. This is one of their favorite tactics."
Ernesto Cienfuegos, La Voz de Aztlan staff writer, suggested that Zionists were responsible for the October 2001 assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi, claiming that Israelis were attempting to "frame" the terrorist group that immediately accepted responsibility for the killing, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. According to Cienfuegos, "The Zionists needed to create a situation in order to relieve the great pressure and to find a new excuse to attack the Palestinians. This has now happened."
The NOA is sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, often likening the PalestiniansÕ goals with their own: "La Raza's struggle for the land and for political and economic self-determination is not different from the struggle of the Palestinian people in Zionist Israel. We live in Aztlan under Anglo domination as the Palestinians live under Jewish domination."
"La Raza," meaning "the nation" or "the race," is a term used by some mainstream Hispanic organizations like the National Council of La Raza, which the NOA is not affiliated with and does not represent.
Current Leadership
Hector Carreon is the head of the NOA and founder/editor of La Voz de Aztlan ("The Voice of Aztlan"), an Internet "news service" which debuted in January 2000. According to the La Voz de Aztlan, "Hector is a graduate in Civil Engineering from California State University at Long Beach where he was a founding member of the Society of Mexican-American Engineers and Scientists (MAES). He served honorably for two year [sic] as a Vietnam-era soldier in the U.S Army's 2nd Armored Division and is a graduate of the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund's Advanced Leadership Program."
Carreon may have been introduced to Hispanic nationalism during his time with the Brown Berets, a group that came into existence in 1967 in Los Angeles soon after the Black Panther Party was founded in Oakland, California. Similar to the Panthers in organization and ideology, the Brown Berets focused on the mobilization and unification of "Chicanos for Self Defense" against police brutality, with a strong emphasis on youth in the "Barrios" and on education.
La Voz de Aztlan and the groupÕs e-mail service are published from Los Angeles; staff writers include Miroslava Flores and Ernesto Cienfuegos. In fall 2001, the group described plans to improve its Web site: "Shortly we will be implementing more advanced Internet technologies that will enable us to reach more people in a more efficient way. We also plan to add more sophisticated audio and video capabilities to the website." In addition to the anti-Semitic nature of NOA, the group has posted several virulently homophobic articles editorials and articles on its Web site.
Recent Activity and Background
Prior to the September 11 attacks, the NOA announced that it created a "La Raza Education Project on Palestine" and that it was forming an alliance with the "international community that is seeking peace and justice in Palestine." Despite such pronouncements, the level of the NOAÕs non-Internet based activity remains unclear.
In 1998, a group of ten people wearing masks, including Juan "Ralphy" Avitia, a spokesman for the Nation of Aztlan at the time, burned a U.S. flag in front of city hall in Fresno, California. In 1999 CarreonÕs Imapcto2000, which calls itself "a web site dedicated to the political and economic empowerment of La Raza through the effective use of the World Wide Web," sent an anti-Semitic e-mail to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
Hispanic rights activists revived the story of Aztlan in the 1960s. Beyond a mere physical site, Aztlan has become a metaphor for the geographic, historical and spiritual home of many indigenous people in the Southwest. The NOA seeks to create a separate nation in the area now "occupied" roughly by California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
Common Ground With Extremists
Some white supremacist movements have provided a degree of aid and comfort to the NOA by endorsing its material and publishing statements seemingly sympathetic to its positions. Several white supremacist Web sites include links to the NOA.
White Aryan Resistance (WAR), led by white supremacist Tom Metzger, posted articles by the NOA on its e-mail list service. The anti-Semitic and racist hate group World Church of the Creator has showcased NOA anti-Jewish articles on Chandra Levy and the Mossad on its e-mail list. The neo-Nazi National Alliance says that the NOA "publish a lot of truth about our common E. [enemy]." Another National Alliance message says, "Everyone should check out this site. There are several articles which speak truthfully about the Jews. Yes, Aztlan would kill or deport all Europeans, but they would kill or deport all Jews, too." The white supremacist site vanguardnewsnetwork and the Nation of Islam Student Association feature links to the NOA Web site.
Meanwhile, anti-immigration groups such as American Patrol have pilloried the NOA with equally charged rhetoric, claiming the group is part of a Hispanic plot to "invade" or "conquer" the Southwestern U.S.
The Nation of Aztlan: In Their Own Words
* November 7, 2001 Ð "It is very sad that the American public continues to be deceived by Zionists. The sophisticated and powerful Zionist machine is not only sucking billions per year in military aid to Israel, but is also sucking millions through deception and chicanery." [Article by Hector Carreon]
* October 23, 2001 Ð "Don't allow Zionist to place a Ôguilt tripÕ on you because of the holocaust. This has been a principal tactic that Zionists have used to manipulate American public opinion. Also, do not be concerned about being called anti-semitic when you start questioning the use of your tax monies to support racist Israeli policies. The Zionists have loaded the anti-semitic label with the guilt feelings and pity normal people feel through the images in our memories of the pictures of gas chambers, piles of corpses, and concentration camps that we have been shown through the efforts of Jewish institutions such as the Museum of Tolerance and through countless books and films on the subject."
[Article by Ernesto Cienfuegos]
* July 24, 2001 Ð "Powerful Jewish interests in Hollywood, television and other media promote the idea that it is Ôpolitically correctÕ to accept the gay lifestyleÉ"
[Letter by Hector Carreon]
* July 15, 2001 Ð "La Voz de Aztlan has just received a report that missing Washington D.C. intern Chandra Levy was seen yesterday afternoon entering an Israeli government building in Tel Aviv which reliable sources believe houses the ÔInstitution for Intelligence and Special AssignmentsÕ. The ÔInstitutionÕ is the official ÔspyÕ agency for the Israeli government and is more commonly known as the MossadÉ. The Israeli Mossad's primary Ômodus operandiÕ is to work through high level appointed and elected American Jews in the U.S. government. They also work through the ÔU.S.A. Government Internship ProgramÕ to place personnel in key positions. Young bright and well educated American Jews are first indoctrinated, trained and then placed in key U.S. government agencies in order to carry out specific intelligence operations."
[Article by Miroslava Flores]
* July 12, 2001 Ð "We have here two young pretty Jewesses with access to high level Democratic elected officials in the U.S. Government. Monica Lewinsky ended up in the Pentagon with the highest type of secret government clearance. Who knows what government military secrets she was able to obtain and for whom. If Bill Clinton would have predicted the trouble Monica Lewinsky would cost him, she may have disappeared too. Like Monica Lewinsky, perhaps Chandra Levy was playing the same game with Congressman Condit but in her case she met a different fate. Two Jewess interns in national sexual scandals in the highest levels of government calls for a lot of speculation. There seems to be some kind of pattern here. These two incidents and many other makes this Mexican think that Ôsomething is definitely rotten in the state of Denmark.Õ"
[Article by Ernesto Cienfuegos]
* June 20, 2001 Ð "For many years, extremely wealthy and powerful Jewish interests have been investing in the development of a cadre of ÔpuppetÕ Chicano political leaders and in the formation of Chicano ÔfrontÕ organizations."
[Article by Hector Carreon]
* June 6, 2001 Ð "A growing number of us are fed up with the rigged political system and the corrupt candidates the Jewish dominated Democratic Party choose for usÉ. La Raza will eventually takeover [sic] the government of the City of Los Angeles. It is just a matter of timeÉ. We need a candidate that is going to tell it like it is and not pussyfoot around town ÔromancingÕ all the other ethnic and racial groups. With 315,000+ registered voters in the city, we don't need the Jews nor the Whites to win. We need a real leader, a fearless leader with courage and conviction that can unite all of La Raza of Los Angeles."
[Commentary]
* May 25, 2001 Ð "Just a few hours ago something extraordinary occurred in Jerusalem that makes one wonder if God is again punishing the Jews as in ancient timesÉ. The Lord has punished the Jews throughout history when they have drifted into sinful lives. This has been documented in the Torah or the first five chapters of the Old Testament. There are now large number of Jews in Israel as well as all over the world that live by exploiting other people. Many have also lost their religion and have become perverted."
[Email]
* May 5, 2001 Ð "Most U.S. based Raza are not aware that ÔCinco de MayoÕ is not celebrated in Mexico as it is in Aztlan. Why and how did this day become so celebrated in the southwestern part of the United States? There are many reasons, but one of the principal ones is its ÔmarketingÕ by the mostly Jewish owned alcohol industry. Take for example the multi-billion dollar Jewish brewery by the name of Anheuser-Busch. The corporation which is, presently controlled by August Busch IV, learned that marketing Budweiser beer and other alcohol products to both the Black and Mexican communities could be highly profitableÉ. The devastation to both communities, has in many cases, been worse than the crack-cocaineepidemic."
[Editorial]
* April 16, 2001 Ð "After the downfall of Nazi Germany, the German people Ôwashed their handsÕ of any complicity in the Jewish extermination camps by pleading ignoranceÉ. Today, in the Holy Land, the Zionist Jews, with the support of the majority of Israel's population are themselves perpetuating a holocaust against the Palestinian people. After the bodies are counted and the atrocities documented, how will the Jews excuse themselves for committing these crimes against humanity?"
"It is incredible that some Jews are now doing worse things to the Palestinians than the Nazis ever did to them. If there are any good Jews left in the world, they should speak out loudly against these atrocities."
"Jews have the diamond industry cornered. They control the diamond mines in Africa and the diamond merchants in Amsterdam and pretty much everywhere elseÉ. La Raza buys diamonds principally on wedding rings. We have been brainwashed to believe that diamonds have intrinsic value. The slogan Ôdiamonds are a girl's best friendÕ was invented by Jews. There are other beautiful gem stones that we could learn to cherish, for example emeralds and rubys. This would entail minimal cultural re-orientation as Chicanos and Mexicanos but perhaps we may lead a world movement to de-value diamonds for the cause of saving the Palestinians. As the world Jewry starts losing more and more money as diamond sales decrease, they would be pressured to agree on an equitable peace with the Palestinians. Don't buy Jewish diamonds!-Justice for the Palestinians."
[Editorial]
* April 11, 2001 Ð "Éwe are publishing the controversial ÔProtocols of the Learned Elders of ZionÕ for your review and analysis. We ask that you read the ÔProtocolsÕ and determine for yourself whether they are legitimate. We ask that you study them carefully in order to be educated and informed. Do political and economic events around the world conform to what the ÔProtocolsÕ set out to do? You judge for yourselves."
[Letter]
* March 2001 Ð "The Jews of California, about 3% of the state's population, have an overwhelming and disproportionate share of the state's wealth which they utilize effectively to wield immense influence on the state's political apparatus principally through dominance of the Democratic Party. Both U.S Senators of the state are ladies of Jewish descent and there is no sector of California society, either private or public, in which Jews are not significant policy makers. The sectors that they can not control directly, they will do it indirectly through the purchase of influence as well as the cunning manipulation of ethnic and other minorities."
[Editorial]
* October 18, 2000 Ð "La Raza's struggle for the land and for political and economic self-determination is not different from the struggle of the Palestinian people in Zionist Israel. We live in Aztlan under Anglo domination as the Palestinians live under Jewish dominationÉ. La Raza is a victim of the same political and economic forces that are oppressing the Palestinian people and other people of color around the world. We must awaken to this fact and understand the hidden strategies and tactics being utilized to subjugate our people in order to devise effective counter-measures to neutralize them."
[Article]
* August 21, 1998 Ð "National Magazine [sic] and Newspapers are owned or controlled by American Jews. There are American Zionists now in control of many agencies in the U.S. Government. The U.S. State Department is in complete control by the American Jewry. This takeover began with Henry Kissinger and is now in the hands of Jewess Madeleine Albright."
[Press Release]
© 2001 Anti-Defamation League