While in New Mexico for The Project, Pushback Network’s week-long, two-state, multi-media electoral project, PBN Communications Coordinator Brigid Flaherty interviewed SWOP Field Organizer Joaquin Lujan, on what prompted him to get involved with the election and community.
Why are you involved with the GOTV program at SWOP?
Being a community organizer for most of my life, I never thought we could get the intense feedback from the community like we are now. We’ve gotta push these elections in Albuquerque and around the state because we’re getting somewhere. When I was with the Chicano Movement in the late 60’s and 70’s the racism was really intense. We were dealing with issues where people of color were having nothing done for them. We had no programs set up for Chicanos, Native Americans, African Americans. A lot of the organizing we did was on the basic needs. Well here I am now at 56. And where does the energy of a person my age go? I have found that energy through the youth at SWOP. Because of them I said OK, let me try to be apart of these changes.
Can you tell us about yourself?
My family’s been here for two hundred years. Two hundred years ago our family had land and water rights. And then we saw that taken away. So, in the 60’s and 70’s our movement was about getting our land back. At a very minimum, we needed a certain amount of autonomy because we had land, we had a language, and we were a people. Now, a lot of young folks are asking me for that history. And I say how do we keep that history and also move forward? The election has given us the opportunity to get tighter, to work on those issues, and to talk about history.
What have your experiences been like at the doors?
Well, one time I went to a house where the doors were busted, the windows were broken. And I’m saying wow, does anyone live here? Usually you don’t go to a house like that because chances are they are not registered. And someone came to it and I found the person and they already voted. And I’m seeing those types of things. Before people didn’t feel we had someone that represented us. And now that feeling is out there.
To learn more about the issues Joaquin mentioned in the interview, please check out these links:
