LA MESA POET SEEKS BLANKETS FOR MIXTEC INDIAN FAMILIES IN TIJUANA

December 30, 2012 (La Mesa) – Poet Jim Hornsby Morena, owner of the Spacebar Internet Café in La Mesa, is asking for donations of blankets to help the Mixtec Indians in Tijuana during this winter season.  Below is his message, along with a link to a video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YnjEEP5Vck

“It's very cold here and also in Tijuana.  The coldness of poverty  is freezing our indigenous brothers & sisters in Tijuana as well.  I received the below communication from my activist network today.  If you can donate any blankets to help these beautiful people please do.  The Mixtec walked 2100 miles here from Chiapas, Guerrero, and Oaxaca to sell gum in the streets because NAFTA flooded the Mexican market with cheap American corn so they could not sell their harvest and were starving. Act today if you can please...Peace on Earth & Goodwill to All,” – Jim Moreno

BLANKETS FOR VALLE VERDE

We've received a request from the women of the "Mujeres Mixtecas" sewing coop in the Mixtec indigenous community of Valle Verde, Tijuana-many people in the neighborhood need blankets.

We are coming into the coldest time of year, and many residents of Valle Verde live in pretty sparse conditions. A lot of the houses have thin walls, and some nights it can almost feel like you're sleeping outdoors. When temperatures get this low, you need all the blankets you can get.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND INFO ON THE MIXTECS OF VALLE VERDE:

The Mixtec people are one of many indigenous ethnicities in Mexico. Often marginalized, discriminated against and exploited, unable to survive from rural agriculture because of unfair "free" trade agreements, many Mixtec people migrate to northern Mexico. Valle Verde was founded a couple decades ago by Mixtec people, mostly from the southern State of Guerrero. The community has a long history of community organizing, drawing from ancient traditions of "usos y costumbres" in indigenous communities.

"Mujeres Mixtecas" is a worker-owned business made up of Mixtec women from Valle Verde. The women have a sewing shop where they create clothing, blouses, aprons, school uniforms, and other articles. The women created the coop to try to develop alternative sources of income and provide for their families. This December, the women from the "Mujeres Mixtecas" coop have decided to help out their neighbors in Valle Verde. And they've asked for our solidarity with them, inviting us to collect donated blankets and comforters.

So if you have any extra blankets, or would like to buy some for the "Mujeres Mixtecas" coop to distribute, please send them our way!

COLLECTION POINT

People in San Diego area can leave donated blankets and comforters at the following location:

"Western Service Workers Association"

Located in Barrio Logan

3014 Imperial Avenue

Tell the folks at WSWA that the blankets are for Valle Verde or "C.A.F.E.".

Any questions, feel free to contact David Schmidt: davidschmidt2003@hotmail.com  Or Dan Watman: dan.watman@gmail.com