Special words from my 12-year-old son, Luis

As a school assignment, my 12-year-old son Luis Jacinto wrote what I thought was an amazing statement. Here it is--he's not only a great writer, but an inspired artist (he loves cartooning). This is posted with my son's permission.

Childhood has a notable similarity to a rainy day. As you dwell in the rain, these liquid missiles--which resemble the troubles that you may go through--will not miss you, and only if you find some form of shelter from them will you find safety. As simple as that may seem, the amount of open areas with which rain will seize the chance to attack by far exceeds the amount of “shade” areas you may find. Then there are the peaceful moments when you are indoors--similar to any place where you may not feel judged or unappreciated--and you will either cherish the moment or simply take it for granted to let it pass by.

As the pounding raindrops crashed on to the bus window, making it impossible to see through, it reminded me of every car crash that has ever taken place. I watched as the raindrops flew to their death and, soon after, vanished to be forgotten. It seems this is true for most victims of a car accident. With the exception of their families, they are not remembered by most of the witnesses who watch the victim's wrecked vehicle as they pass by on route to their destinations.

As I sit alone on this bus, in this seat, trapped in my thoughts--parallel to every other day--I mature. I answer questions for myself without the disruption or argument of somebody else. I wonder what is truly right in this world full of disagreement, where I think that someone has the wrong idea about something but then I see how they would think that! With this how could either of us be correct. We both have our ideas of our morals, yet morals are supposed to be obvious in a way, are they not? Adding to this, I clearly see many of the problems that exist in myself as well. Therefore, the question of what is correct or not, right or wrong, becomes even more complicated.

Whenever I find any problems, of the many that I might find about school, I feel like I'm just another complaining child speaking of the absurdity of the note on his report card stating “talks too much” or “can't pay attention.” However, I feel that the problems I spot are different. I see the very same kids who complain about their report card, calling other kids names like “retard” or other vulgar names that they might have learned. Why? Are they a "retard," or just an innocent person who made a MISTAKE. I, personally, can see the giant gap between a retarded person and a person who just did something incorrectly.

I notice a conversation and eavesdrop, receiving: “Hey, dude! Did you see, today at school, when Isaac said something about Billy's mom, so Billy just went and kicked his...”

Of course, I knew what he was talking about. I had seen that many times before--the “victim” pushing the “offender” towards the wall, asking him why he said what he said and telling him to take it back, but the “offender” is too scared to take back anything. At this point, the “offender” and the “victim” have switched places and have become the victim and the offender without quotation marks.

This is not a tale, but it is the truth and whole truth that I know--of how the world is and how school should not be... but is anyway. And as the bus screams to a halt, and I look out the window and see that this is my stop, I get out and start to walk home, looking up at the sky, where the sun is shining down on me, as I notice that the sky above is empty of a single cloud.

Updates on Tia Chucha's Move and other Matters

We are moving along with our plans to relocate Tia Chucha's to a temporary space soon after we move from our current space in Sylmar. We've had tremendous support since word got out about our notice to vacate the premises by February 28. Last Sunday, a community meeting was held at Tia Chucha's that brought around 50 people -- teachers, youth, artist, musicians, poets, and more. KPFK did testimonial interviews with our supporters that was later aired this week. We also had great stories in the LA Daily News, the LA Times, La Opinion, LA Weekly, among others. And Univision and Telemundo have both been airing shows and special shorts on our situation.

I've also had amazing offers from people in downtown LA, East LA, San Gabriel Valley, and other places who want us to come and set up shop in their areas. We would love to, of course. But we are committed to the Northeast San Fernando Valley with a large Chicano/Mexicano/Central American population that has been neglected when it comes to bookstores, movie houses, and cultural centers. We may also consider satellite events at some of these spots, like a mobile Tia Chucha's.

Hopefully, once we are in a more-or-less permanent facility and stable, we can share what we know and help other communities create their own Tia Chucha's (they can name them after their own aunts). The point is every neighborhood should have venues like ours -- where books, ideas, dialogues, music, art, writing, dance, indigenous traditions & thought are alive and thriving for everyone.

One bit of bad news -- I got an attack of gall stones last Tuesday night, January 16. I didn't know what it was at first. I was in tremendous pain and my wonderful companion Trini took me to the emergency at the Olive View Hospital in Sylmar (I don't have insurance so I joined the other uninsured, included the undocumented, with hours of waiting). I was there from 11 PM until 4 PM the next day. I must say though, once I got over the wait and was given a cot and a backless hospital gown, I was treated very well. They gave me tons of tests -- blood test, urine tests, EKG, X-rays, and an ultra-sound. The last one finally discovered the source: tiny gall stones blocking some important passages.

While I may need to consider gall bladder removal, I am thinking this over very carefully and consulting health experts I know before I make such a decision. The upside is that I'm now feeling much better and I'm more knowledgeable of what causes gall stones and what I can do with diet and exercise to avoid another attack. I've had kidney stones (passing them as well, another pain I would rather not ever endure again). I even had a hernia and other ailments at age 10 -- with beatings, accidents, and tooth decays along the way. I know pain. But gall stones... they're up there.

Anyway, none of this has deterred Tia Chucha's from our efforts to move, to find a suitable temporary situation, and to raise around $250,000 in two years before we move into a larger, better, and more permanent space. We thank you all -- all our customers, students, instructors, staff, volunteers, board members, friends, and family who are standing strong with us. Our communities deserve the best, and we will do all we can to do our part.

Remember to make plans to join us on February 17, Saturday from noon til 11 PM for our 5th Anniversary Benefit Event at Tia Chucha's. We will be having a silent auction, raffles, and Aztec dancers, musicians, poets, theater, and more. Go to www.tiachucha.com or call 818-362-7060 for more information.

Tia Chucha's Must Move -- But Our Spirit, Creativity, and Unity are Intact

Just after the holidays, Tia Chucha's Cafe & Centro Cultural was served with a notice forcing us to move. We have to leave by February 28, 2007. A powerfully energized and thriving bookstore/cafe/performance space/cultural center is to be replaced by high-tech laundry machines. The laundry company is apparently investing $8 million in the strip mall, something we can't compete with.

Maintain a vibrant community space? Of course not! Instead, make way for another laundry outlet! That's capitalism. Money follows money, not needs, not literacy, not community, or cultural expression. In the world we've inherited, most creativity and expression has to make big money, or it's out.

We created a space that requires a lot of personal and community investment. The community came to embrace Tia Chucha's and make this space its own. We plan to take the spirit, creativity, and unity we helped nurture to a temporary site as we plan and prepare to obtain a larger permanent site in the Northeast San Fernando Valley.

This is a time to come together, strategize, and work to keep Tia Chucha's viable as a cultural center while we explore our options. We will not give up. We will find a temporary space; we will also curtail our retail operations while we concentrate on our programming, events, outreach, fundraising, and growth.

We ask that you strengthen our efforts by writing letters in support of cultural spaces like Tia Chucha's that we can take to city, county, and state entities, as well as granting agencies, so that these spaces are safeguarded and provided the necessary resources to thrive. Send to: Tia Chucha's Cafe & Centro Cultural, PO Box 328, San Fernando, CA 91341.

We will also have a petition in support of Tia Chucha's at the store/center so that we can come back stronger, bigger, and better endowed than ever. We need this written support to show the various governmental bodies, developers, and foundations that this community will fight for the arts, music, dance, theater, writing, film, publishing, and a vital gathering place where we can share ideas, history, politics, economics, and our indigenous traditions and thinking.

Our strategy this year includes implementing a fundraising plan with a 5th Anniversary event at Tia Chucha's on February 17 from noon to 11 PM. We will also have another "Celebrating Words: Written, Performed & Sung" festival at Sylmar Park on May 19. And we have been approved to do a benefit event for Tia Chucha's at the Ford Amphitheater in Hollywood on July 29, 2007 at 6 PM. Sign up for our e-mail newsletter on our website -- www.tiachucha.com -- or call 818-362-7060 for more information.

--Luis J. Rodriguez Co-founder and Creative Director, Tia Chucha's Cafe & Centro Cultural

James Brown -- the Meaning of Soul

James Brown died on Christmas day, unfortunately overshadowed by the execution of Saddam Hussein and the death of Gerald Ford soon after. However, it's James Brown's death and life that stands out for me. He was one of America's most important and creative influences over the past 60 years. He is one of my own personal heroes of the last 40 years -- I can name a few that have had significant influences on my life, work, ideas, and writing: Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Cesar Chavez, Ruben Salazar, Pablo Neruda, Tupac Shakur, among others.

James Brown singularly changed the tone and tenor of US music. He was not only the Godfather of Soul ("the king of them all, you'all") in the 1960s, but the mainstay of 70s funk, 80s disco, through early and modern Hip Hop. Much of what we consider the hippest music and performers of today would not exist if it weren't for James Brown.

I understand in his later years personal problems overwhelmed most news about Mr. Brown. That's unfortunate. But in my mind, and not to excuse some rather tired acts and mis-acts on his part, these stories never diminished what his music has meant to people like me -- growing in up in urban LA, in the streets, in gangs, among the pushed out and forgotten, then spending 15 years in Chicago. That's why urban music was always important for me -- including Jazz, Rhythm & Blues, Soul, Funk, and Hip Hop (James Brown was key through most of this).

While the commercialization of music destroyed much of what was vital and significant of the music of the 1960s and 1970s, it still somehow breaks through and re-ignites the soul-spring of dance, harmonies, and unifying rhythms. As George Clinton said, "one nation under a groove."

I was part of that nation. I still am. All the divisions of the streets -- due to competition for meager and exploitative work, for survival, for drugs, for street turf -- somehow vanished when you heard the bass, the drums, the horns, and that wail and grunt. James Brown. The dancing, the voice, the words.

Soul means that kind of unity, that kind of community. Something essential had to be tapped, refined, confined, and let loose. Color, language, religion, and other barriers vanished in the face of the sweep and scope and deep-self penetration that James Brown and the urban music of US streets brought to the world. Yes, the heart of this was African American, but Chicanos, Puerto Ricans, and other urbanized people of color and the working class contributed, picking up the rhythms and sounds, and even taking it to new levels. Ask my friend Ernie Perez, the Mexican Soul Man, who fronts bands like the Boxing Ghandis and is the driving spirit behind Rock-A-Mole Music, Films & Festivals.

It's another way the South with its core culture and central status in US history and expression continues to remake who we are.

Ask anyone making vital music today. James Brown is the epitome, the source, the past and future. Deep-self penetration. Deep Africa in us all. Soul.