Jackson Browne

Dear Friends, 

Eugene Rodriguez is my good friend and collaborator. Together we wrote and performed “The Dreamer,” one of my favorite songs. I was introduced to Eugene by Linda Ronstadt, and I’ve had the chance to perform with him and the young people of Los Cenzontles a number of times.

Please read Eugene’s statement. It’s a chance to better understand the lives and aspirations of the hard working Latinos who live and work among us, giving this country their best. It’s also a chance to reconnect with the dreams and the values of our own forebears who came to this country only a few generations ago. 

Jackson 

From: Eugene Rodriguez

Subject: A Statement

Dear Friends, I write this not as a political partisan, but as an American, a person of Mexican descent, and as a teacher and director of Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy.

We are living in times such as I never would have imagined possible. Though well aware of our many historical inequities and atrocities, I was brought up to believe, almost as sacrosanct, in the arc of progress made possible by America’s democratic system of government. And it is with this faith that I have lived my life and conducted my career. So to witness today’s betrayals of our constitution, corruption of our system of justice, and the defamation and assaults on people who contribute to our nation, feels immensely personal and painful – an American tragedy of epic proportions.

We are told that paramilitary force is necessary to enforce immigration laws. I believe that a country has the right to uphold the law, but not to break the law. Undocumented immigration is a civil offense, a misdemeanor, not criminal, and a de facto feature of our economy contributing great value to our society. The offense of the vast majority of the undocumented is that they are doing jobs that are being offered to them. Yet they are the only part of this system that are branded as ‘illegal’ and systematically and brutally punished without due process. The solution to immigration imbalances is thoughtful legislative reform, something that politicians have neglected to do for years, creating the opportunity for corruption and abuse that we are witnessing. These actions are grotesquely out of proportion, unconstitutional, and aimed at something even more ominous – a drive towards authoritarianism which places all Americans and our country at risk.

We must not forget that this dangerous chapter began by the exploitation of fear of Latinos as the ‘other’. And it is not just about immigrants. When I am online I am routinely told that I should be deported because my name ends with a ‘z’, though three of my grandparents came to this country from Mexico over a hundred years ago, and my father’s father was born in Arizona before it was even a state. 

I have dedicated my life to the well-being of the Mexican American community with a focus on teaching our traditions to youth, mindful that I am also contributing to the health of this country, my country. Over four decades I have witnessed, first hand, generations of immigrants working hard, sacrificing, creating jobs, and revitalizing this neighborhood. All the while they raise their children to be grateful, purposeful American citizens. Seeing working people treated like animals is deeply painful. And so is imagining what these images and messages do to our children.  

Los Cenzontles is not a place where we politicize our students. We teach them to cultivate their voices, hands, and bodies in the arts so they may know themselves and express themselves, and to engage with the world with confidence. We do not use culture to boast or to claim superiority. But we also don’t allow ourselves to be treated as lesser. We sing our songs and share our stories of connection to encourage others to contribute the best of themselves to our society, something that I feel is imperative in a multi-cultural democracy. 

I feel angry and betrayed that the power of our government, intended to be “of, by, and for” the people, is being weaponized to intimidate Americans into submission through division, corruption, and violence. But I am grateful that I am able to productively channel that betrayal and anger, which is born of my love for our people and nation, by teaching our children how to work cooperatively, that our families and cultures are valuable, and that this is their country to steward. These are lessons that all Americans should be learning before we risk losing everything we have fought so long for.

Eugene

Eugene Rodriguez

Executive Director Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy