Basta Ya: Boycott "Si Se Puede" in Elections

In their harried pursuit of Latino votes in previous and in upcoming primaries like that in Texas, candidates Obama and Clinton have added another to the still-growing string of records broken this election year: number of times the phrase "Si se puede" has been used in a U.S. presidential election

The record is being broken in large part thanks to the powerful, yet deadly combination of the exponential growth in the Latino electorate and the fabulous lack of imagination of campaign strategists. In their efforts to highlight the "intimacy" and "unity" between the candidates and Latinos, rally after rally in Dallas, Houston, El Paso and other urban, suburban and rural parts of Texas has included loud, mantra-like repetitions of the Spanish language phrase, which means "Yes We Can".

Originally coined in 1972 by my friend, United Farm Workers co-founder, Dolores Huerta, "Si se Puede" became the UFW's motto ; It then transcended the UFW to become an important slogan for many labor, immigration and other historic struggles involving the country's largest "minority".

And now, in what appears to signal another mainstreaming of a Latino trend, many, if not most Clinton or Obama rallies include some mention of the English or Spanish or English and Spanish language political slogan.

While it is true that the mainstreaming of "Si Se Puede" provides us with another signal of how the larger body politic is successfully adjusting to the death of the black-white electorate, this mainstreaming comes at a high cost: the cheapening of "Si Se Puede". To transform a term rooted historically in the salt of the earth struggles of working class Latinos in the campaigns of candidates who also repeat mantra-like the phrase "middle class" alters and diminishes the political value and movement power of "Si Se Puede". That my friend, Dolores Huerta, uses the term to promote her favored candidate, Hillary Clinton, saddens me less because I am anti-Clinton than because I was pro-Si Se Puede since my political childhood.

Before the inevitable moment when big corporations start using the term as slogans in ads selling us cars, burgers and tampons arrives, let us put up a big "No Pasaran" (They Shall Not Pass) before the forces of Little Political Imagination: BOYCOTT "SI SE PUEDE" IN ELECTIONS-AND BEYOND. Such a boycott may well free up and force the creative energies to come up with newer, fresher and less-compromised political language.

Si Se Puede is Dead. Que Viva............................

Comments

[NABNYC]

The strength of the U.S. comes from the fact that we are a mix of everything -- people, religion, ethnic, national background, languages, and best of all, food. We take parts of different languages and as groups move here, we pick up a little of theirs, they pick up a little of ours. What's it hurt? Probably at sometime in the future, if we haven't wiped out all humans, everyone will look exactly alike (of course the cloning will help ensure that) and speak one language. Dame some schmear on mi tortilla, mil gratzie.

In the meantime, it can hurt to see something of great significance trivialized.

I'll never forget the first time I heard Rhapsody in Blue used in a commercial for an airline. I thought that was end of everything.

No Pasaran is a famous anti-fascist saying, made popular during the Spanish Civil War by those who resisted the fascists. So now it's on a blog. I guess we have to accept the melding and respect the history.

Actually, one of the most famous anti-fascists songs, Bella Ciao, is not well known in the U.S. but known throughout Europe and much of Latin America. There is a group called La Modena City Ramblers that has a video on You Tube of them performing Bella Ciao in front of an Italian audience. And when they finish singing, the audience starts in singing -- they know all the lyrics, like Americans know the words to Take Me Out To The Ballgame. But Bella Ciao is a famous anti-fascist song about patriots fighting the fascists in WWII, and of course fighting until their death. I like the fact that so many people (in Europe) know the song. But maybe having it on a modern rock CD is a little odd.

[Dee321]

I love and respect Dolores Huerta. She walked side by side with Cesar Chavez in the 60´s. We should honor and respect the great sacrifices and leadership role she had through the Civil Rights and UFW - Labor Movement. I know many of you are young and were not there through all of the institutionalized racism that occurred then, in every day life and in the fields (I was a migrant worker in the sixties). After the success of the movements and defeat of the Jim Crow laws, we could eat at the same restaurants, go to the same parks and pools, drink from the same water fountains and we had better pay and treatment in the fields.

Each decade, it became better. I thought the 90´s were the best decade. We have taken a big step backwards this decade with all of this ANTI Immigration Reform rhetoric. But we cannot forget the sacrifices and help provided by Dolores and others like her. I respect what she is saying. Obama is free to say "Yes We Can!" as he is often captured on camera, although I do believe him saying it in Spanish has different connotations. There is a signficance.

I myself am neutral between Hillary and Obama. I will support whichever candidate wins the Democratic nomination. Hillary has been a long time supporter of Equal Rights, Human Rights, Education and Universal Health Care. I think all Dolores is saying is, while Obama has a great message of hope for the future, he doesn´t have a proven track record for Equal Rights, Human Rights, Education and Universal Health Care. He does say he will, but will he? I pray that if he does become our President he does come through for ALL OF US as he says he will.