With the determination of four core members, De Anza’s M.E.Ch.A club has been brought back to life.

M.E.Ch.A, translated ” Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan,” or Chicano Student Movement of Aztlan, works to unite immigrant’s rights with the student movement and liberate all oppressed people.

The history of the name stems from the island where the Aztecs originated. The island is said to be somewhere north of the central valley of Mexico, although the exact location is unknown. The concept of Aztlan came to symbolize Mexican land that was lost to the U.S. invasion of 1846-1848 group member Jose Romero said.

M.E.Ch.A is a national organization that started in the 1960s when the Chicano communities and activists began identifying with the concept of Aztlan in an attempt to reclaim their Mexican and Aztec roots and culture.

M.E.Ch.A fights for equal rights and people of color. Romero says that groups like M.E.Ch.A have given us rights we enjoy today.

There are M.E.Ch.A clubs at many universities, including UC Santa Cruz, San Jose State, Harvard and Stanford Universities.

M.E.Ch.A has been at De Anza for about 10 years, but had died down recently when main organizers graduated and transferred to four-year universities. With the help of club members Isabelle Barrientos Vargas and Jose Romero, the club has been brought back to life.

“We needed to have one more national organization at De Anza to add to the political movement,” said Barrientos Vargas. “It is cultural, political and also involved in the community.”

“In the situation we live in today with wars, bailouts and immigration, groups like M.E.Ch.A are really needed,” Romero said.

Devoted members like Romero reach out to other M.E.Ch.A organizations and work to come up with political campaigns. “It’s a challenge to do everything,” Romero said. “But I can already see the fruits of our labor.”

Most recently, De Anza M.E.Ch.A helped coordinate this year’s contingent of the International Worker’s Day “May Day Rally” held in San Jose on May 1.

There is no president of the M.E.Ch.A club – only a facilitator. All members of the group have an equal voice and work to make decisions together. They attend ICC meetings and wrote a constitution together.

Club members are encouraged by the strong turnout and interest they received at Club Day. M.E.Ch.A is encouraging everyone interested to join and welcomes students of all backgrounds with open arms. The club meets every Wednesday at 3 p.m. in the Juan Bautista room of the Campus Center.

Club members are enthusiastic that M.E.Ch.A is a tool for people to fight for justice, focusing on community political and cultural awareness, and joining can fulfill community service hours.