Maywood Walking Tour
“In true zapatista fashion it doesn’t matter who governs, as long as they obey.”
Leonardo Vilchis, Director Maywood Union de Vecinos
Leonardo Vilchis, Director Maywood Union de Vecinos
Recorded in August of 2011 in the city of Maywood, CA. this was a public event, attended by activists, artists, students and more. People were led through the different neighborhoods of Maywood where stories were heard from “residents about the community-led struggles for environmental justice, fair housing, legal protections for renters, successful campaigns against police corruption, and attempts by the residents to take over the local water utility companies.” The tour begins at Maywood Riverfront Park, which is located next to the fifth largest superfund clean up site in the United States, where a resident talks about organizing to force the city to clean up public restrooms at the park. Amongst her concerns are how the unsanitary conditions will effect her children. More from this same resident are her concerns about the lack of follow through on the part of the city to dispose of large polluted mounds of dirt located across from her home. Residents believe that this heavy pollution, attributed to chemicals dumped by the military during World War II, is causing cancer to occur at higher rates in their city. Though the Environmental Protection Agency is working to clean out the pollution there is fear about the quantity of various pollutants in the drinking water. Drinking water samples also indicate a failing water delivery system which is controlled by three separate and private water companies.
Another situation of great concern to the citizens of Maywood was police abuse. One example explained occurred thru the use of illegal and excessive police checkpoints meant to impound vehicles belonging mostly to immigrants. This activity netted up to four million dollars a year for the tow truck company involved. That money was used to pay off or bribe city council members, police, and more.
As the tour continues we hear from one of the staff members of Union de Vecinos and a resident about how the Los Angeles Unified School District has claimed eminent domain over an area that effects about 140 families, the purpose being to tear down the homes of these families in order to build another school. In the process the community has fought the efforts of LAUSD and have offered up other sites that could be used instead and not effect the community.
Towards the end of the tour Leonardo Vilchis, the Union de Vecinos director for Maywood, talks about the election strategies used to change the city council in order to create more accountability and enhance the application of the democratic process, allowing for strategic alliances with council members that have led to successful solutions to community problems. The process of organizing included changing the minds of those that were in favor of change but were apprehensive about women being involved in city government as council members. In the process two women are elected to city council for the first time. In the years to follow with new council members in place the city was declared a sanctuary for immigrants, the illegal check points were eliminated, the ineffective and abusive police department was replaced with Los Angeles County Sheriffs, and a campaign to cleanup water was put in place.
In spite of the changes in city government it is felt that the city council members often have an antiquated vision about what it means to govern and what government is for a city. Conflicts and needs for solutions still persist. Nonetheless Union de Vecinos takes the viewpoint that it is not up them to mediate all the dialogical processes. For them it’s important that the citizens develop “their own relationships locally” with city council . . . expressing and communicating what it is they want.
Another situation of great concern to the citizens of Maywood was police abuse. One example explained occurred thru the use of illegal and excessive police checkpoints meant to impound vehicles belonging mostly to immigrants. This activity netted up to four million dollars a year for the tow truck company involved. That money was used to pay off or bribe city council members, police, and more.
As the tour continues we hear from one of the staff members of Union de Vecinos and a resident about how the Los Angeles Unified School District has claimed eminent domain over an area that effects about 140 families, the purpose being to tear down the homes of these families in order to build another school. In the process the community has fought the efforts of LAUSD and have offered up other sites that could be used instead and not effect the community.
Towards the end of the tour Leonardo Vilchis, the Union de Vecinos director for Maywood, talks about the election strategies used to change the city council in order to create more accountability and enhance the application of the democratic process, allowing for strategic alliances with council members that have led to successful solutions to community problems. The process of organizing included changing the minds of those that were in favor of change but were apprehensive about women being involved in city government as council members. In the process two women are elected to city council for the first time. In the years to follow with new council members in place the city was declared a sanctuary for immigrants, the illegal check points were eliminated, the ineffective and abusive police department was replaced with Los Angeles County Sheriffs, and a campaign to cleanup water was put in place.
In spite of the changes in city government it is felt that the city council members often have an antiquated vision about what it means to govern and what government is for a city. Conflicts and needs for solutions still persist. Nonetheless Union de Vecinos takes the viewpoint that it is not up them to mediate all the dialogical processes. For them it’s important that the citizens develop “their own relationships locally” with city council . . . expressing and communicating what it is they want.