MEChA is a Chicana/o organization that was founded at a conference held in Santa Barbara, California in 1969. Concerned students and community members gathered at this conference to draw attention to the needs and concerns of Chicanos, both in the educational system and in the community.
+Each word in M.E.Ch.A. symbolizes something. MOVIMEINTO, means that the organization is dedicated to the movement to gain self-determination for their people. ESTUDIANTIL, identifies the organization as a student group for we are part of our Raza's future. At the heart of the name is the word CHICANO. At first seen as negative, now is taken as a badge of pride. In adopting their new identity, the students committed themselves to return to the barrios, colonias, or campos and together, struggle against the forces that keep our people oppressed. Lastly, the students affirmed that they were from AZTLAN, the legendary birthplace of the Aztecs, which reputed is today's Southwest. M.E.Ch.A. originated in the Southwest but quickly spread throughout the United States.
M.E.Ch.A.'s primary role in the Chicano movement are:
| 1. | To increase the number of Chicano students in higher education and to ensure that all necessary assistance if offered for successful completion. |
| 2. | To take part in the direction of the movement towards Chicano self-determination or control over one's destiny. |
| 3. | To socialize and politicize Chicano students on their particular campus, to the ideals of the movement. |
| 4. | To establish close working relations in the barrios, assisting in all that has to be done to reach justice and equality for our people. |
| 5. | To educate and mobilize barrio youth towards self-determination and not self-destruction. |
If you would like to learn more about MEChA, here is a research paper done by Jorge Tapia.
MEChA de Tejazlan is made up of Chicana/o students attending the University of Texas at Austin.
At the University of Texas at Austin, MEChA holds meetings on Mondays at 8:00 p.m., during activity period. The meetings are held in the Chicano Culture Room in the Texas Union. All are invited to attend!!
For more information send email to Robert Garza: rgarza@mail.utexas.edu.
MEChA de Tejaztlan: April
30, 1998
This page is maintained by Jorge
A. Tapia.
E-mail your comments and suggestions to: tapia@cs.utexas.edu.