Que tal Mabistas. It is hard to believe that we are already half way done with 2010. I would like to start off by thanking all of you who have paid your dues and otherwise been supportive of MABA this year. Much has happened since our last newsletter and there is still much to come.
Our 2nd Annual MABA Softball Tournament was a big success with hundreds of players and spectators in attendance. Make sure and check out the center spread and Daily Journal article about the Tournament, inside this newsletter issue. MABA is especially grateful to the folks who purchased teams and sponsored the Tournament. Latino Comp and Hadsell and Stormer were our MVP sponsors, Felipe Plascencia sponsored our law student team and IKON Copy Services generously contributed our tournament signage.
April was a busy month for the MABA Board, as we had the privilege of interviewing and selecting 2010 candidates for endorsement. We created our endorsement list after three days of interviews, literature review, and extensive discussions; all the while keeping our mission statement as our guide. Look out for the list of endorsed candidates in your weekly e-newsletter. A special thank you goes out to past MABA Board Member Richard Macias for all the time and energy he put into planning our three endorsement meetings. We could not have done it without him.
On April 16th, MABA, along with Trujillo Bus Stop Productions hosted our very first “Club 80’s” featuring a live concert by pop sensation Exposé. We had hundreds of guests in attendance and we thank our 2009 President, Mario Trujillo for his time, energy and generosity in putting this event together.
Also in April, MABA co-hosted a reception for the new United States Attorney, Andre Birotte at the Far Bar in Little Tokyo. Many of Andre’s supporters, friends and colleagues were in attendance. The number and diversity of guests served as a true testament to Andre’s successful career and his ability to understand and build bridges among various parts of our community. MABA is excited to have Andre at the helm of this very influential office
In early May we were visited by a Judicial Delegation from Mexico organized by Judge Teresa Sanchez-Gordon. Through the generous support of Moreno & Perez and the Law Offices of Carlos Iriarte, MABA was able to host a luncheon and establish a relationship with these neighboring officials. For more on MABA’s recent events please see inside this newsletter.
MABA ARCHIVES & FUTURE EVENTS
Please keep in mind that MABA’s archiving project is still underway. This is a unique and historic opportunity for us. The UCLA Chicano Studies library will be the new home of the MABA Collection. The Chicano Studies Department will undertake the task of reviewing each item we provide. It will assign doctoral candidates to work on oral histories in order to memorialize MABA’s 50 Years. Our story will ultimately be documented in texts for future generations to use and research. However, none of this can happen unless we donate our documents, photos, newsletters or any other MABA item we may have. Please contact the MABA office for more specifics on the donation process.
MABA’s 50h Anniversary celebration continues and we still have many exciting events lined up this year. Keep in mind that we changed the date for the 2010 MABA Golf Tournament. The NEW DATE, Wednesday August 18, 2010 is a Furlough day, which means all courts are closed. Why not take the day off and spend the afternoon with friends and colleagues while enjoying a round of golf? Early bird specials end on July 18th.
Still to come are MABA’s Criminal Law MCLE (June 24); a Meet and Greet mixer with the Japanese American Bar Association (July 29), and schedules permitting, a Homeboy Industries Fundraiser featuring a book reading with Fr. Greg Boyle (date TBA). Finally, please keep in mind that this year’s MABA trip destination is Panama. There is much to see in this beautiful country so reserve your spot now and do not let the June 30th Early Bird registration deadline pass you by.
ARIZONA’S SB 1070 & MABA’s COMMUNITY LEGAL FAIR
In closing, I wanted to feature two of our upcoming events in the context of Arizona’s recent legislation. It seems that Arizona is on a role, creating legislation that unjustly targets our community. Just weeks ago, Arizona’s governor outlawed Mexican-American studies programs in the Tucson school district on the basis that they teach Latino kids to resent whites. This foolish law came on the heels of Arizona’s SB1070; a law that subjects Latinos to racial profiling and labels as criminals those who are undocumented. I trust that as Mabistas, we are aware of how this legislation affects our communities and that we recognize just how insulting, mean and racist this law really is.
Without skipping a beat, MALDEF has been at the forefront of the fight against this legislation. However, as a non-profit organization, they need additional resources in order to challenge this law. To this end, MABA is joining forces with Trujillo Bus Stop Productions and others in the Latino legal community, in order to raise funds for MALDEF’s litigation to defeat SB1070. A Unity for Justice fundraiser has been planned for Thursday, June 17th at 6pm at the Conga Room in LA Live. Please mark your calendars and come support and contribute to this worthy cause.
Without a doubt, our Spanish-speaking raza will be the most victimized by Arizona’s anti-immigrant legislation. This is a segment of our community that most of us are familiar with as they call to mind our parents, and parientes who are often unfamiliar with the legal process. On Saturday June 19th, we will all have the opportunity to help folks here in LA County that are similarly situated. June 19th marks the day for MABA’s 2nd Annual Community Legal Fair. It will take place in Lynwood at Plaza Mexico. This event was started last year as a way of providing free legal help to our communities. This year the Mayor’s office, El Show de Piolin por la Mañana and the Mexican Consulate have agreed to advertise the event in order to ensure that we serve a larger segment of the community. It is up to us to make sure that we have the requisite attorney volunteers. I urge you all to donate your time, even if just for a few hours. If you are unable to provide legal advice, please keep in mind that we also need translators, registration volunteers and folks to assist with traffic control. You can contact the MABA office if you are interested or if you have any questions. Our community needs you.
On behalf of the Board, I thank you once again for the support you have given MABA and I hope to see you at our upcoming events this year. Muchas Gracias!
Un Abrazo,
Judy Perez
2010 MABA President
