July/Aug 2026 Vol. 39 Issue 6 San Antonio, Tejas250 years, ¿y que?
Estamos en un enredo. Quite an entanglement that we find ourselves in, as we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. That is the basis of the mythical American Dream. This is where we start with this edition of La Voz de Esperanza: 250 years, ¿y que? So, what? Having established our independence from Great Britain, the US went on to define a framework for governing: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. The Bill of Rights went on to define citizen and state rights. All of these docs that assume our political system to be a democracy—are in jeopardy. From the first days of this administration’s 2nd term, the ideals and laws set forth in these documents have been ignored or trampled on. As I write this, the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) will rule on birthright citizenship! Where Obama was known as the “deporter in chief”, Trump is the “immigrant incarcerator in chief” who detains children and babies, alike (up to 500). Those immigrants who had been granted Temporary Protected Status have either been deported or their fate hinges on another ruling due this week that will affect Haitians & Syrians. And, the Dreamers remain in limbo. So it is with ALL aspects of our government—everything, in shambles. This deliberate evisceration of our “democracy” has intensified. Nationally and internationally things are a mess. Instead of giving up, we must act by using what is left of our power— raising up our voices and voting in spite of the recent blow against the Voting Rights Act. Continue to write and send your articles to [email protected] to expose the attacks on our government and our people—all of our people. —Gloria A. Ramirez, editor of La Voz de EsperanzaLa Voz deEsperanzaJuly/Aug 2026Vol. 39 Issue 6Editor: Gloria A. RamírezLayout: Elizandro CarringtonContributorsRichard J. Aguilar, Celia Pérez Booth, Ariban Chagoya, Melody Miranda-Colgrove, Dino Foxx, José Angel Gutiérrez, Katherine Hess, Al Kauffman, Fran Quigley (Common Dreams) Esperanza DirectorGraciela I. SánchezEsperanza StaffSherry Campos, Arabella Chávez, Elizandro Carrington, Jacob Mena, Kayla Miranda, Nonye Okoye, René Saenz, Imane Saliba, Susana Segura, Rosa VegaConjunto de Nepantleras—Esperanza Board of Directors—Rachel Jennings, Marivel Dávila, Dennise Frausto, Amy Kastely, Sylvia Mendoza, Ana Lucía Ramírez, Gloria A. Ramírez, Rudy Rosales, Lilliana Saldaña, Nadine Saliba, Graciela I. Sánchez• We advocate for a wide variety of social, economic & environmental justice issues.• Opinions expressed in La Voz are not necessarily those of the Esperanza Center.La Voz de Esperanza Esperanza Peace & Justice Center922 San Pedro, San Antonio, TX 78212210.228.0201 • www.esperanzacenter.orgInquiries/Articles can be sent to:[email protected] due by the 8th of each monthPolicy Statements* We ask that articles be visionary, progressive, instructive & thoughtful. Submissions must be literate & critical; not sexist, racist, homophobic, violent, or oppressive & may be edited for length.* All letters in response to Esperanza activities or articles in La Voz will be considered for publication. Letters with intent to slander individuals or groups will not be published.Entramos a la oscuridad de KalliWe enter the darkness of KalliY encontramos la voluta que era tu senderoAnd found the spiral that was your pathTe vimos por la sombra de tu luzWe saw you through the shadow of your lightNos diste esperanzaYou gave us hopePero tu conocimiento es un misterio —escondido en nuestra concienciaBut your knowledge is a mystery—hidden in our consciousnessY nuestras respuestas estan en tu oscudidaAnd our answers lie in your darkness—Celia Pérez BoothBIO: Celia Pérez-Booth is a retired professor and college counselor and the ceremonial Abuela for Kalpulli Tekpatl in Flint, Michigan with ties to the West Side since the late 1800s.KALLIHOME 2VOZ VISION STATEMENT: La Voz de Esperanza speaks for many individual, progressive voices who are gente-based, multi-visioned and milagro-bound. We are diverse survivors of materialism, racism, misogyny, homophobia, classism, violence, earth-damage, speciesism and cultural and political oppression. We are recapturing the powers of alliance, activism and healthy conflict in order to achieve interdependent economic/spiritual healing and fuerza. La Voz is a resource for peace, justice, and human rights, providing a forum for criticism, information, education, humor and other creative works. La Voz provokes bold actions in response to local and global problems, with the knowledge that the many risks we take for the earth, our body, and the dignity of all people will result in profound change for the seven generations to come.ATTENTION VOZ READERS: If you have a mailing address correction please send it to [email protected]. If you want to be removed from the La Voz mailing list, for whatever reason, please let us know. La Voz is provided as a courtesy to people on the mailing list of the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center. 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What isFreedom toyou?By Melody MirandaMLK’s idea of freedom was to have just and equal rights for all. Gandhi’s thoughts about freedom, through his experiences, were about being able to be independent and about self-sovereignty. The question I always ask myself is what is freedom if in today’s society—freedom doesn’t exist? Everyday I’m aware of what happens around me. Discrimination, no access to resources, and so on. Because of other people’s ways of thinking— only thinking about how they see things—and not about how others live—causes me to be frightened for my future. Coming from a migrant father, I’m scared I won’t see him again—if ICE agents keep harassing people in streets our community has felt safe in, before. ICE’s only job was to secure the border. Instead, they act like they have the authority to hunt down people whose only crime is looking for the American dream. What is an American dream? It is to have a future where people live in utopia. Instead, we hurt the helpless and kill our communities as well as other communities. What was America supposed to be if we don’t have the essential needs to even live—access to healthcare, food, education, clothes and housing. Those were promised to the people. Instead, we fight or don’t —to even be called American.America was supposed to be the dream of people who wished to be free—unshackled and to be able to walk the streets or inside stores without being harassed by ICE asking if you’re a U.S citizen. To not be stopped by people who are supposed to protect us. To not have a rifle in your face when being violated of your rights. To be able to live in harmony. What is freedom? What will be freedom if we keep destroying the resources and people who want a brighter future? We, as humans, and as fellow brothers and sisters. have to protect the innocent. When we think of the idea of America—don’t we all think that it’s unified? That people don’t have to worry about food or money being a problem? I, myself, have suffered way too much—to sit back and not do anything. To watch people I know suffer because they don’t have enough money to buy their children what they need or want—while the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The minimum wage is way too low to even survive with no resources. Why are we letting people who represent us, who rent to people, take our right to live? We, as one nation, must certainly stand up for what’s right, not for what’s wrong. To only think of how things affect you and not others—is wrong. To think that having enough money gives you the authority to punish the young and the innocent is wrong. Non-profits who try every day to make change for everyone should be able to speak for their community.What would MLK think of society today? He had a dream that people could live free and in harmony. I have a dream that people will see that the laws we pass will benefit everyone, not just a majority of a certain group. People may say that it doesn’t really matter what politics we vote on—or say to just let things run its course. Though it’s the way things go in America, we cannot just “let it happen”. Instead, let’s talk and make things change so it’s fair for everyone, and not just one group. With everything I have said, it’s not just to have something to say—there is a point. People are encountering poorness (poverty) over the past year, and have no access to housing or resources. People are dying for no reason, they are innocent people. Learning how to understand people, and to know right and wrong is the best gift someone can have. Having emotional intelligence and integrity is something others seek to find. No one who has money or anything is better off than having peace itself. So, can people really be—united as one with freedom and justice for all?BIO: Melody Miranda-Colgrove is a straight A high school student. She is 1st generation Honduran-American on her father’s side. Her mother, Kayla, is a community organizer at Alazan-Apache Courts in the Historic Westside. Melody was part of Esperanza’s Escuelita Leadership Program in 2023, Student Council in 2024, Texas Appleseed Youth Justice 2025, and UP Leaders of Tomorrow 2026. She recently received a Congressional Special Award for her community service and advocacy. She plans to attend St. Mary’s University and become an attorney.LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2026 Vol. 39 Issue 6•3Melody and other westsiders outside of Sentor John Cornyn’s office at housing rally in Austin.
By Fran Quigley, Common DreamsEvery week in our law school eviction court clinic, we see parents hustling from their workplaces, still wearing fast food and home healthcare uniforms, hoping to push back the day when they and their kids will be sleeping in their car. We see seniors and persons living with disabilities on the verge of eviction because they had to spend their rent money filling prescriptions. We see some of the 43 million people in the US who are living with hunger.Every person suffering like this is a rebuke to the core promise of the Declaration of Independence. We should commemorate the Declaration’s 250th anniversary with a renewed commitment to the pursuit of happiness, which means our government fulfilling basic economic needs.From the very first moment of its existence, the United States embraced economic rights. The Declaration of Independence’s second paragraph commits our government to protecting the pursuit of happiness as an unalienable right. The founders, as flawed as they were, knew that this promise included ensuring that basic needs are met.“Not a Charity but a Right”—The Founders and Government’s Role in Ending PovertyThe Declaration’s main author, Thomas Jefferson, lamented the democracy-undermining existence of poverty. Natural rights are violated, Jefferson wrote, when some residents struggle and others prosper. So he insisted that the government has a duty to act to remedy the injustice, including through aggressively progressive taxation.Freedom and democracy cannot exist without first meeting the rights to basic human needs.Other founders agreed. Alexander Hamilton explained that the General Welfare Clause in Article I, Section 8 of the US Constitution (“The Congress shall have Power to lay and collect taxes... to provide for the General Welfare of the United States”) creates a government that addresses unmet economic needs. Hamilton’s fellow Constitution framer James Madison called for the new nation to enact laws that would “reduce extreme wealth toward a state of mediocrity, raise extreme indigence toward a state of comfort.” For 18th century politicians, this type of government intervention was not hypothetical. Colonial governments instituted price controls on food and aggressively regulated gristmills to keep the cost of bread affordable for all.RECLAIMING THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESSLet’s celebrate the Declaration’s 250th by ending US poverty.LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2026 Vol. 39 Issue 6•4George, who is homeless, panhandles along a street in Lawrence on August 16, 2019 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images). bit.ly/reclaim-happiness.
The founder with the most pronounced vision of economic rights was Thomas Paine, author of the seismic pamphlet Common Sense and a driving force behind the American Revolution and the new government it birthed. Paine called for the redistribution of wealth via progressive taxation and for direct government antipoverty interventions like old-age pensions, support for families with young children, full employment, and a basic income. “It is not charity but a right—not bounty but justice that I am pleading for,” he said.The Meaning of the “Pursuit of Happiness”Beyond the founders’ own words, it is clear from historical context that a 1776 commitment to protecting the unalienable right to the “pursuit of happiness” includes ensuring that subsistence needs are met. Law professor and dean Linda Keller’s comprehensive review of political thought and contemporary use of this critical phrase during the 18th century led her to conclude that basic economic rights are deeply rooted in the nation’s foundation.“Its inclusion was not merely a rhetorical flourish, but rather the pursuit of happiness established an ‘unalienable right’ that includes an economic dimension,” Keller writes. “In particular, there are minimum needs that must be met in order to pursue happiness, for instance food, shelter, and clothing. Thus the government must provide the conditions to enable individuals to pursue happiness.”Over the decades, other scholars have agreed. “The Declaration of Independence manifests a government’s affirmative role in protecting rights,”writes law professor Bert Lockwood. “Both the plain and ordinary meaning of happiness and its common usage in the 18th century indicate that the notion of happiness cannot be entirely separated from material well-being. Access to the minimal necessities of life, such as shelter or basic medical care, is thus an indispensable prerequisite to the notion of happiness.”Charles Black, the longtime Yale Law professor and civil rights advocate who helped argue the legendary desegregation case Brown v. Board of Education, said the point was obvious. “The possession of a decent material basis for life is an indispensable condition, for almost all people at all times, to the pursuit of happiness,” Black wrote. “The right to pursuit of happiness is going to be for all but a small minority of those in poverty, a pale sardonically grinning ghost of a right.”“Necessitous Men are not Free Men”US leaders since the founders have underscored this same point: Freedom and democracy cannot exist without first meeting the rights to basic human needs.“Necessitous men are not free men,” Franklin Roosevelt announced as the foundation of his proposal for a Second Bill of Rights ensuring access to housing, healthcare, and living wages.US voters have consistently expressed concern over ou rampant wealth inequality, supported a government jobs guarantee, and called for recognizing housing and healthcare as governmentenforced human rights.Soon after, the international community heeded Roosevelt’s call. Virtually every nation has ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, which enshrines into law the rights to housing, healthcare, and living wage incomes.Yet the US has not ratified the treaty known as the ICESCR. Not coincidentally, every wealthy nation that has ratified does far better than the US in protecting the pursuit of happiness. Those nations have comprehensive and successful programs ensuring housing, healthcare, and adequate incomes for their residents. In those countries, the grim eviction court scenes we witness every week are almost unheard of.We can do better, too. US voters have consistently expressed concern over our rampant wealth inequality, supported a government jobs guarantee, and called for recognizing housing and healthcare as government-enforced human rights.These rights are necessary for the pursuit of happiness. The founders knew it, and so do we. Along with fireworks and picnics, let’s celebrate the 250th by finally fulfilling the real promise of the Declaration of Independence.Our work is licensed under Creative Commons(CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish. BIO: Fran Quigley directs the Health and Human Rights Clinic at Indiana University McKinney School of Law.LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2026 Vol. 39 Issue 6•5
Will Birthright to Citizenship be Struck?By José Angel GutiérrezEDITOR’S NOTE: This article (reprinted here with author’s permission) was written on April 6, 2026 for Our Voices/Nuestras Voces, a social media platform for Chicanos. Check: https://bit.ly/voice-mainland The US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) heard oral arguments over the clause on birthright citizenship in the 14thAmendment of the US Constitution last week. President Trump was in the audience just to let the justices know he was watching them. The case, Trump. et.al. vs. Barbara, et. al. (no. 25-2861) was brought shortly after Donald Trump as President signed one of many Executive Orders (EO) his first day of his 2nd term. EO 14160titled Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship ordered the end to birth right citizenship guaranteed by the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution.Specifically, he targeted those born in the US to immigrant, non-US citizen mothers to be denied citizenship. US Senator Ted Cruz, among others, filed an Amicus Curiaebrief in support of the president’s instruction of re-interpreting the clause. Another prominent figure who is part of the Trump et. al. petitioners is Mehmet Oz, head of the US government’s Medicare, Medicaid, etc. programs. Interestingly, both Cruz and Oz are just that, children born to non-citizen mothers. Cruz was actually born in Canada in 1970. Oz is worse, he served in the military of Turkey and has dual citizenship because of that. Marco Rubio, former US Senator and now Secretary of State was born in Miami, Florida in 1971 but both his parents did not naturalize until 1975. Theoretically, none of these three should be allowed to keep their US citizenship under Trump’s EO.This birthright citizenship clause reads like this: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” Section 3 of this 14th Amendment also states that those who engage in insurrection or rebellion can be stripped of US citizenship but Congress can prevent that action and or re-instate that individual(s) by 2/3 vote of each chamber. Yet, on his first day in office during the 2nd term, Trump pardoned all the January 6thinsurrectionists. All 1,600 of them of which 600 had pled guilty to assault and obstructing law enforcement and another 170 had pled guilty to having and using deadly weapons during the assault on the Capitol.Closer to home, let’s look at the wives and children of Donald Trump. Two of his three wives have been immigrants, including the current one, Melania Knauss from Slovenia. Melania became a US citizen on July 28, 2006. His previous wife, Ivanka Zelnickova, was from Czechoslovakia. She became a citizen in 1988. Both of these wives had children with Trump.Ivanka has three: Donald Jr. born in 1977, Ivanka in 1981, and Eric in 1984; all well before she was a US citizen. Melania married Trump in 2005 but she did not become a US citizen until July 28, 2006.Baby boy, Barron, is now about 6’7” or 9” tall and was born three months too soon for US citizenship given Trump’ s EO. Barron was born on May 20, 2006.Does anyone reading this think Trump is going to allow anyone to strip Cruz, Oz, and Rubio of US citizenship? Does anyone think Trump is going to allow anyone to strip his children, Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric and Barron of US citizenship? I don’t. Trump is an oversized, blatant hypocrite and a crooked and perverse politician; plus a convicted felon himself. And, now, he is, with his war against Iran and continued destruction of Gaza in Palestine with Bibi Netanyahu, also an international war criminal.Maybe, SCOTUS will rule against him and void EO 14160. Then, all those born in the US to non-US citizen mothers will remain protected under the birthright citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment.BIO: José Angel Gutiérrez is an attorney and professor at UT-Arlington and was a founding member of the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO) in San Antonio in 1967. He is also a founder and past president of the Raza Unida Party, a Mexican-American third party movement that ran candidates for elective offices in Texas, California, and other Southwest and Midwest states of the U.S. LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2026 Vol. 39 Issue 6•6
By Al KauffmanEDITOR’S NOTE: This article was previously published on May 30, 2026 in the San Antonio Express-News and is reprinted in La Voz de Esperanza with the author’s permission. In April, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Louisiana v. Callais.The 6-3 decision will guarantee a political party the ability to redistrict as often as it wishes to maintain permanent control of a state, county or city, regardless of the negative effects on the community as a whole or Black and Hispanic populations in particular.To understand how the Supreme Court did this and what the actual effects will be, we need to examine congressional support for voting rights and the court’s war on voting rights for the past 13 years.In 1965, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act, the most powerful and meaningful voting protection legislation in U.S. history. The two most important parts of the act were Section 2, the general prohibition of discrimination in voting applicable to the whole country, and Section 5, the preclearance provision requiring state and local governments in states with particularly egregious histories of voting discrimination to show their voting changes do not discriminate.Congress, consistently bipartisan on this issue, has continued to support the Voting Rights Act.Democratic President Lyndon Johnson originally proposed it and signed it in 1965, and Republican Presidents Gerald Ford in 1975, Ronald Reagan in 1982 and George W. Bush in 2006 supported and signed later versions of the act.In 2006, the Voting Rights Act extension was passed 98-0 in the U.S. Senate and 390-33 in the U.S. House of Representatives.The Supreme Court had upheld Section 2 in 1986 and at least 10 times since then. Until 2013, Supreme Court justices appointed by Republican and Democratic presidents continued to support the preclearance provision — Section 5 — of the Voting Rights Act. That year, though, the court gutted Section 5, setting off a broad and systemic attack on minority voting rights.In 2019, the court criticized partisan gerrymandering but held that federal courts could not hear partisan gerrymandering cases.In 2023, the court upheld a strong application of Section 2 of the act to an Alabama redistricting plan that minimized the ability of Black citizens to elect representatives of their choice.Then the court decided Louisiana v. Callais this April. As Supreme Court Associate Justice Elena Kagan wrote in her dissent, the court’s decision displayed “untenable readings of statutory text, made-up and impossible-to-meet evidentiary requirements, disregard for precedent, and disdain for congressional judgment.”Louisiana v. Callais was a dream fulfilled for Republican lawmakers who wanted to squeeze out a few more Republican congressional seats in states that, because of Section 2, could not decimate districts that had elected representatives chosen by Black communities.The current court has ignored its own precedents and decided that the act is ill-advised and unfair. Historically, the court has given even more deference to precedent in cases interpreting statutes where Congress could react and, in effect, reverse the court’s decision. This time, the court wrote 40 years of its own decisions out of existence.Consistent with President Donald Trump’s pressure on states to redistrict to provide more Republican congressional districts, Texas capitulated to this presidential desire immediately. The Callais decision has had immediate effects on Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina.These states are passing new districting plans that will delete districts that have elected representatives of Black populations’ choice and will create new Republican districts.The Callais opinion will likely result in wholesale slaughter of minority districts in congressional, statehouse and senate elections. Counties and all partisan elections will soon follow.The Supreme Court wants to present itself as nonpartisan. It is failing miserably.BIO: Al Kauffman is a professor of law at the St. Mary’s University School of Law. These views are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of St. Mary’s University.Supreme Court empowers partisanship over democracyLA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2026 Vol. 39 Issue 6•7www.aclu.org
Queridos Hermanos (Dear Brothers)By Ariban ChagoyaPide la Palabra. Brothers, I believe we are entering the 6th Sun of the Mexica Y Mayan Calenders. This is the time of having the unseen now being made visible. As my comadre, Yvette Mendez says, “Ya nos cayó el pinche veinte. Necesitamos ponernos bien centrados”. We are facing not just the truth about our heroes and their acts of sexual abuse and rape but also facing ecological extinction. That means we are facing no water, no clean air, no bees, and no food. But Rape, Sexual Assault, Anti Abortion Laws, Epstein, P Diddy y Cesar Chávez, too? This isn’t new. It’s been blown off or ignored. Dolores Huerta isn’t the only woman that ever was raped by a “hero” .But why isn’t there never a response from you? I heard more attacks on Dolores from our brothers than support. “She asked for it.” “She didn’t have to keep it secret.” Did you men talk about Dolores y Cesar to each other? My guess is hell no, you didn’t. Was it because it was too shameful? Or, is it that, in general, men don’t talk about rape? The whole United States in general doesn’t talk about men and the rape culture that is very visible and always has been. It seems like the men in government want to deny it ,hide it, or ignore it. And slap the perpetrators little hands. This is the reason Dolores never spoke about her rape. Everyone goes silent and stuffs it somewhere deep. No one would have done a damn thing to make Cesar accountable. Shame. Guilt. I say Guilt because many of you brothers have been raped and raped, too. You, too, Brother, are no hero. I expect more from my Brothers, especially men of color. You know better. After reading Ramón Vásquez’ article,“Cesar, was no hero”, (La Voz de Esperanza, May 2026 issue), I was like, “Duh. I think we know that now.” But I’m glad some man wrote something about Cesar!I originally started this article with the phrase, “I like to think I don’t need men.” But here’s a secret,Brother— Us women love our men. We want you men side by side with us. Despite betrayal and violence, You are our fathers, brothers, and sons. We birthed you. Women have a hard time not loving men despite your violence and disregard of us. Women see a bigger picture of who you are and your goodness. It’s you men that don’t see a woman’s worth. You’ve lost your sacred purpose. Cesar Chávez isn’t the only one doing unholy acts, Brother. My daughter said, “The men aren’t men.” What does that mean? It means you are not treating women better. You are supposed to protect us, Brother. We are not supposed to be afraid of you. But, us women, have good reasons we don’t feel safe and aren’t safe with you. Where are you, Brother? Pide la Palabra, Brother. Some of you already walked away and threw me perra after reading this. This is aint about sliming you. This isn’t about shaming you. This ain’t manhating or just being a bish. This is an attempt to start an honest conversation about what you are doing now, what you need to stop and what you need to be doing not just for me—but for all of us. Brother, where are you?We want you and need you to have these pláticaswith us. Men are not men means where is your courage? Dame tu palabra.We don’t want power over you. Nor do we want you having power over us.We want power with you. Y Brother,find your power within you. Think with your heart. Feel with your brain. Let’s talk about your sacred purpose. I know you are thinking who the hell am I to tell you what your pinchesacred purpose is? Reminds me of the Barbie movie song, “What was I made for?”One, I’m one of the few loving brave ones that have the guts to talk to you about it. I am a warrior.Two, what have I g≠ot to lose? Three, I have brothers and sons who I love very much. I don’t want to pass on my trauma and lies to them. Nor do I want you to do the same. Four, my liberation is connected to yours. Sorry, too bad. Five, San Antonio has some good men that are struggling with this grief about the violence. Let’s start with the man in the mirror. LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2026 Vol. 39 Issue 6•8Ariban Chagoya, the author.
Pide la Palabra. What is the sacred purpose of men? I bring this up because you are needed now. Brother. Ya no chingues. Hear me out. Women create. Men protect the creation of women. I’m not suggesting that men become more violent to protect women. What I am saying is violence is not of any of us—our nature. This what our ancestors knew. We understood, as men and women, what was our sacred purpose before we were forced to believe the opposite. What we live now is the reverse. Men create and the women protect what men have created. Hold up. I’m queer. This is not about rigid hard core gender roles. I’m not about to get a dress and become a housewife to a man. This is about the sacred purpose of men. Men, you are needed and wanted but not like you are now. We need our men warriors standing next to women warriors. We need the pláticas by a fire where we talk about our griefs, woundedness and struggle together. We also need time with just brothers—and time with just sisters. Warriors are made for love. Violence is not our nature. Perhaps, it’s because I lived during AIDS that I am vocal about our men. We lost so many good men. Men who loved big. Men I don’t ever want to forget. And not all of them were queer. A generation before, we lost men to Vietnam and other wars. And always the deaths from drugs and our men. Us women see our men struggling now. So, here is my short list of what women need from you: We need you to stop numbing out-that means cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, porn, gambling, gaming, sports etc. I know you know what I mean. Some men numb out on building birdhouses. It’s not a judgement. It’s like it was said in the movie: Boys in the Hood. “Drugs aren’t there because we use them. Drugs are there so we will use them.” We are tired of seeing you all hurt yourselves physically. Layaway suicide. Don’t go silent. Be vocal about violence everywhere. Stop any violence toward women and children including boys. I expect men of color to tell other men to stop the violence against women. Hold other men accountable. Do a Battering Intervention class as a client, so you can learn how to hold men including yourselves accountable. Talk to your buddy about his violence while you are at the Spurs or Cowboys game, or when changing a tire or at work. If Cesar Chávez was sitting next to you, what would you say to him? Create and model Brotherhood.Hold other brothers accountable about violence toward themselves and women. Take care of each other, Brother. Not like hide the bad. I mean be loving toward each other. The brothers loving each other is beautiful. Think and understand about how men and women have been set up against each other. Look at your own ways you make it unsafe for women at work. Women are not safe even in their own homes. Take a long hard look at women’s lives. Stop lying and pretending, period. Shut up and listen to women. Take part in the Creation of your children. You are half the equation.. Be there when your child is born. Be present and do not check out. Look at the Maternal Death Rate. Mothers are dying after childbirth. Where are you, Brother? Stop being gung ho about war that supports the greedy human and earth hating rich. Look at the Spurs money. Look at where you spend money. Vote differently. We are facing environmental disasters.Stay loving while you do all this. Follow your heart.Brother,for the long range survival of the planet and your beloved gente, you will follow, support and trust the leadership of women. Now, go grab another man to talk this out. You are loved. Bio: (Ariban Chagoya) “I am a 21st century indigenous Helper not a Healer. Some say Curandera. I am also a Doula or Childbirth Compañera. I live for the light that fills the room when a baby is born or healing is happening. I never have a dull moment in my work as helper, writer, poet, or artist. I am the mother of 5 dragons/children with my longtime partner, Jennifer Casimira. And I am queer. For more, go to: lamerameranepantlera.com LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2026 Vol. 39 Issue 6•9Xochiquetzal holds a unique position as a goddess who embodies both the nurturing aspects of motherhood and the passionate elements of love and creativity—often manifested through the arts.
DaddyDaddy taught Mama how to loveAgain on Culebra Rd and 36th St.At the car-wash where he workedBetween Fred’s Fish Fry with theirSquare fish and white bread, and theDairy Queen with their chocolateDipped cones.Mama only asked for change to washHer car, but the moment she sawInto his green eyes for the first time,She was changed forever.Mama had nothing to lose so it wasNo surprise that one week after meetingHim, she offered to marry him so heCould get a green card and a shot atA different life.She was to marry him on the frontSteps of the courthouse on Valentine’s Day.He’d be free to live his youngLife in anyway he wanted but, her actOf kindness towards another lost soulDidn’t make sense to him. Along theWay he fell in love with her and 19Years later they still sit together on theCouch late at night watching telenovelasAnd eating popcorn.He was a fighter, a survivor and a damn hardWorker. From the mean streets of D.F.To now being the father of two and theHusband of a wounded woman with aWhole lot of baggage, he had little time toWonder if he had bitten off more thanHe could chew. He just went to work.Daddy didn’t speak English. He justLowered his head in silence. DaddyMatched the description of a wantedMan. Daddy had three blocks to walkHome from where the workers droppedHim off at the HEB Mercado on 24th St.Daddy didn’t understand the copsWhen they asked him for properIdentification. Daddy only found threeEnglish words, “Fuck You Motherfucker.”Daddy didn’t come home that day andI saw Mama’s heart break again.She waited by the window in theLiving room, occasionally pulling backThe sheer curtain liner to see if she’dSee him walking down the streetWith his lunch boxI saw a question mark in Mama’sEyes. She tried to figure out if sheShould be scared for his life, or forHers if this meant she had fallenFor another man who only meant toHurt her.No one slept well that night and rightAfter the sun came up, the phoneRang. We crowded around thePhone to hear Daddy’s voice. It wasDistant, like it were coming from anotherPart of the world.Daddy’s voice came from the CasetaIn downtown Piedras Negras. TheySent him back. He hadn’t been in theCountry long enough. He didn’t haveProper paperwork to get back into theCountry even with his wife. Luckily heHad a cousin who lived there who gaveHim a safe place to stay.Mama was strong. She piled us intoThe old Cutlass Supreme that was inNo condition to be making long tripsInto a different country, but with a fullTank of gas and a Mama full of graceWe made it to Mexico on a prayer,A bag of Fritos and countless iced coldBig Reds and Diet 7UPs.With no idea of how to really get there,Mama sped her way down to theTejas Border and we were in the center of townHugging Daddy in no time.We spent the day in town, and eventuallyFound our way to the train tracksWhere coyotes bartered for freedomIn the midday sun. They were askingFor too much money and no guaranteeThat Daddy would even get across safely.There was only one way to make thisHappen. Daddy would swim. He wouldLA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2026 Vol. 39 Issue 6•10It’s been 7 years since my Dad gained his citizenship.
Use all of his strength to get acrossThe Río Bravo to be back in San AntonioIn time for bedtime. He knew he wouldn’tSpend another night without MamaSo his determination pushed him intoThe freezing water.We watched him strip down to the blackBikini underwear Mama would buy himAt Wal-Mart. He placed all of his clothesAnd his shoes into the plastic HEB bagThat once held our day’s ration of food.He jumped in and we watched him swimHalfway before we needed to headAcross to meet him in Tejas.With my feet firmly planted beneath meIn native soul, I watched Daddy risk hisLife to better ours. He made a commitmentThat he wasn’t backing out of, so he swam.He fought the current; he fought the cold,He fought for us and he fought for mama.The sun was almost out of sight as weDrove around the foreign streets ofEagle Pass praying and searching forA sign, hoping to find Daddy, wet butNot hurt. We tried hard to avoid BorderPatrol trucks driving around looking forDaddy or the others who tried to makeIt across that day.We all held our breath every time theyDrove past us. It wasn’t easy for us toHide in the old Cutlass Supreme becauseAfter all, it was green with bright redFenders that didn’t match the rest ofThe car after it was involved in a wreck.We circled as the night fell and we sawNo signs of Daddy. Mama slowly brokeDown. I could see fear in her eyes.I knew this fear far too well.This was a look I grew up seeing eachTime the bottom would fall out fromUnder us and mama would have toPut the pieces back together.They say it is the darkest before the dawn,But dawn came quickly as we turnThe corner to find Daddy walking down aStreet we had driven down 15 times.He jumped into the backseat and hid.We all cried. Mama sped away andFinally got safely onto the highwayThe worst was over, but we weren’tClear yet. We all knew that halfwayHome from the border was a BorderPatrol Station that would stop us andAsk Daddy to declare his citizenship.We practiced with Daddy in the carTrying to mold his answer into aFirm “yes,” not a shaky “jes.” So weCould finish our journey to the homeHe worked so hard to provide for us.“Are you an American Citizen?” “Jes.”“Jee-es.” “Yee-es.”The mile markers flew by and ourHearts raced in the anticipation ofDriving up to that station. “Yee-es.”“Yes!” There were no lights on. ThereWere no state troopers to be seen.We just sped by in our red and greenCharriot wiping the tears from our eyes.Daddy was more than a father. He wasA fighter, a survivor and a damn hardWorker. From the mean streets of D.F.To now being the father of two and theHusband of a wounded woman with aWhole lot of love, he had little time toWonder if he had bitten off more thanHe could chew. He just got up at 5:00amThe next morning and went to work. —Dino Foxx*“Daddy” appeared in When the Glitter Fades (Kórima Press, 2013).BIO: Dino Foxx, born and raised in San Antonio, TX, is a nationally presented actor, singer, burlesque dancer, writer, spoken word poet, mindfulness coach, arts educator and activist. NOTE: I say this now, as I have for 30 years, and will keep screaming for another 30 more if I have to. Chinga. La. Migra. Now and forever. Do what you can today to bring forward a world where everyone has an equal chance at living a life rooted in dignity and love. —Dino FoxxLA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2026 Vol. 39 Issue 6•Dino Foxx, the author 11It’s been 3 years since my Dad became one of the happiest grandpas in the world. (Pictured with grandson, Joaquin.)
On Understanding and Supporting Transgendered IndividualsBy Katherine HessNOTE: My husband and I have two distant relatives who are transgendered—the one up in Oregon is quite frightened. In the news this week it was reported that this administration wants to get health care removed for all transgendered people not just those under 18. I don’t understand this attitude and have some thoughts on the concept of being transgendered. We currently have a political party in this country which does not give weight to scientific principles causing members of the party to not know or to misunderstand many realities within our world. Although there are various reasons for sexual diversity, I am only going to address those biological realities which can explain a portion of our population that do not fit into the typical male/female population.Within Greek mythology, we have the term chimera which denoted a fire breathing female creature with a lion’s head, a goat body and a serpent’s tail. Today, the term is used to describe the early fusion of two fraternal embryos within a twin pregnancy. This occurs when two separate embryos absorb one another leading to either a male or female with two sets of DNA or producing a person with both male and female DNA. The medical community has known for ages that on rare occasions a child would be presenting both male and female sex organs but only modern science has been able to explain why. Typically the child’s doctor and parents would choose the gender for the child. Such a designation made early on in the child’s life may not have chosen the dominant orientation. These persons could be classified as transgendered. Today’s parents might choose to let the child mature enough to decide their own sex. And this would all be fine—but we live in a culture where too many people condemn such persons.Another modern biological finding concerning gender was discovered in the 1940’s by Harry Kinefelter with his colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital. They found that a syndrome existed where an extra X chromosome could be present with the normal XY, which determines a male, yielding 47 instead of the normal 46 chromosomes that come equally front the mother and the father. Among the primary features of the syndrome are infertility and small testicles. Other symptoms can include weaker muscles, greater height, poor motor coordination, less body breast hair and low libido. In most cases the symptoms are not noticed until puberty. It is noted that variations in Klinefelters Syndrome can have up to three extra X chromosomes.These explanations do not touch on possible environmental or psychological reasons for diverse sexual orientations within an individual. But room must be left for more that can be known in other fields to explain gender preferences. What is important to take from this article is that all of the above mentioned syndromes involve human beings who deserve the dignity and respect of others.BIO: Katherine Hess has been an educator in many schools in San Antonio during the past 40 years and a religious educator in her home parishes. She frequently contributes articles to the SA Express-News and other publications. LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2026 Vol. 39 Issue 6•12Gender in human nature has always gone beyond the imagined male and female physical types with many indigenous cultures having been accepting of individuals who chose to live outside the boundaries ascribed to gender whether physical or cultural.
Museo del Westside @ Rinconcito de Esperanza816 Colorado StOpen Tues-Sat 12pm - 6pmEmail: [email protected], call 210.228.0201Where San Antonio’s Westside stories come alive!Cooperativa MujerArtesEsperanza’s Clay CooperativeWith a variety of handmade clay art for sale!816 S. Colorado (Rinconcito de Esperanza)Open M-F, 9am-4pmLA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2026 Vol. 39 Issue 6•13Paseo ThanksOur 17th Annual Paseo Por El Westside that took place on Saturday, May 9, 2026 was a great success thanks to the Esperanza staff and buena gente who set up the Rinconcito de Esperanza at 816 S. Colorado with booths, tables, chairs and exhibits that spilled out onto Colorado St. and inside the Casa de Cuentos, La Casita and the Museo del Westside. MujerArtes’ adobe workshop was also open and full of creative clay works for sale! Indeed, the Westside’s cultura, gente and history were highlighted in a variety of ways. A peek into the future of Rinconcitowith the reconstruction of adjacent Casitas left everyone looking forward to next year’s Paseo Por El Westside. Mil gracias to al!
THE BIG GIVE!-Save the date!“Be a Bountiful Giver” to the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center!Since 1987 many persons have been “Bountiful Givers” towards the vision and mission of the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center in San Antonio, Texas. Big Give-San Antonio is an annual opportunity to make a financial gift to support our work in Arts and Culture, Advocacy and Rights, Organizing and Community. Esperanza has participated in Big Give-San Antoniosince 2014. For the year 2026, Big Give early giving will commence on Wednesday, September 16th. The actual Big Give Day is Wednesday, September 23rd beginning at 6pm in the evening through Thursday, September 24th at 6pm; with extended giving through Saturday, September 26th. Giving may be made in person at 922 San Pedro in San Antonio, via check or online. Soooo, Save the Date(s) for the Big Give on behalf of the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center and mark your calendars, now! Join the many Buena Gente bondadosa, who for almost forty years have been Bountiful Givers making things happen at and through the Esperanza’s many projects and programs. Thank you for your bountiful giving! ¡Todos Somos Esperanza!Contact: Richard J. Aguilar, FundRaising OrganizerPhone: 210-228-0201 and Email: [email protected] Check our website at: www.esperanzacenter.orgThe Esperanza staff, board and buena gente extend heartfelt condolences to the Sandoval family on the passing of their mother, Hilda. Verónica Sandoval, one her daughters, has been a longtime buena gente for the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center and had been caring for her mother for many years, along with the rest of the family. Born, Hilda Herrera, she was raised in San Antonio and attended Jefferson High. She married Pete Sandoval, Jr and built a life with their three children. As life went on, Hilda experienced debilitating health issues that led to dialysis three times a week. A warrior queen, Hilda held on intending to be part of her children’s lives for 11 years and she did so, with dignity. Hilda chose the road that led to much discomfort and pain, but also deep abiding love that she shared with her entire family, her three children and even her grandchildren. She leaves behind many memories and examples of how to love deeply and unconditionally. Hilda Sandoval will continue to be present in the lives of her family and friends. May her memory be eternal. Hilda SandovalNovember 23, 1959 - May 20, 2026LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2026 Vol. 39 Issue 6•14Eva Ybarra was a guest performer at the 2026 Paseo Por El Westside.Graciela I. Sánchez and Imane Saliba at the 2026 Paseo Por El Westside.
geminiink.org aztlanlibrepress.com centroaztlan.orgFREE COMMUNITY EVENT:Celebrating 49 Years of Centro Cultural Aztlán!Saturday, July 18, 202612:00pm - 6:00pm @ Centro Cultural Aztlán,1800 Fredericksburg Road, Suite 103wApplications for El Gran Día de los Artistas due on July 2nd:bit.ly/gran-diaCheck individual websites, FB and other social media for information on community meetings previously listed in La Voz. For meetings and events scheduled at the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center check: www.esperanzacenter.org or call 210.228.0201.AnunciosJuly / Aug 2026Remember your tax deductible giftsYour donation supports the Esperanza! go to: www.esperanzacenter.org/Donateor send check to:Esperanza Peace & Justice Center922 San Pedro Ave • SA, TX 78212Become a Monthly Donor!a new single by Bett Butler & Joel Dilley. It's a song of hope and a call to action. In under 3 minutes of horn-driven, gospel-influenced R&B, it states clearly what's happening now in our country—and how we can fix it by becoming engaged in organized action.On July 3rd, a day before its release, you can download this track on Bandcamp, with all the proceeds going to the Democracy Defenders Fund, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to stopping the assault on American democracy.For more, check www.mandalamusic.com or Bett Butler on facebook\"The Gospel Truth\"15LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2026 Vol. 39 Issue 6•or call210-228-0201to donateYour donationhelps us advocatefor you.Support the Esperanzawww.esperanzacenter.org/donate15LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • June 2026 Vol. 39 Issue 5•Painting by Ukrainian artist, Olesya Hudyma
SAVE THE DATE! • Coming in August, 2026!The 4th Annual Voz de La PalomaA vocal competition for girls & young womenhonoring Beatriz Llamas, La Paloma del NorteSponsored by the Esperanza Peace & Justice CenterAnd Beatriz’s family, the López familiaDetails - TBA | Check: www.esperanzacenter.orgHaven’t opened La Voz in a while? Prefer to read it online? Wrong address? TO CANCEL A SUBSCRIPTIONEMAIL [email protected] CALL: 210.228.02012026 Summer 2nd Saturday Convivios! July 11th & August 8th @ 10am @ Casa de CuentosCome share your stories & photos of San Antonio’s historic Westside! 816 S. Colorado St., SATX210.228.0201 | www.esperanzacenter.orgGet ready for Esperanza’s annual fall events!Buena Gente, Get clacking! Make the November issue of La Voz to die for!Start now & send in your Literary Ofrendashonoring those who’ve passed. And Calaveras that will target the living who deserve to be taken away by La Katrina! Send to: [email protected] 27, 28 & 29, 2026Call for vendors & volunteers!Applications now available!Call 210.228.0201 or email peace [email protected] Annual Peace Market/Mercado de Paz 2026Non-Profit Org.US PostagePAIDSan Antonio, TXPermit #332LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2026 Vol. 39 Issue 6•ESPERANZA PEACE & JUSTICE CENTER922 San Pedro San Antonio TX 78212210.228.0201 • www.esperanzacenter.orgBeatriz Llamas, La Paloma del Norte2025 winning vocalists pose with Graciela Sánchez of the Esperanza