California has one of the highest densities of Chicano and Latino students in the United States, and even more minority communities make up California’s scholars. However, the customs of American society don’t always show these communities the respect they deserve. Despite promises of welfare benefits and political progress, life can still feel isolating and unfair for brown students in need of community support. On September 19th, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jaki Ramirez and Javi Valdepena – leaders of the MEChA club here at College of the Sequoias. Together, they expressed what their club stands for, and how they advocate for brown-skinned students at COS.

In 1969, students at Santa Barbara formed MEChA, a student organization meant to empower Chicano students. Its goals were to promote the higher education of students, to preserve Mexican culture, and to use political action to liberate the oppressed Chicano communities. According to Ramirez, the MEChA club at COS is inclusive of Asian, Black, Native American and other communities with Hispanic roots.

Ramirez and Valdepena went on to share what they stand for as leaders of the MEChA club, and what inspired them to take action on campus. They and the members of the club are strong advocates for the use of education as a tool against political injustice, and the fight for equal rights locally and abroad. Ramirez says that they are always looking to make students aware of injustice against brown communities, and the need for solidarity on the basis that “We are a majority no matter how much they try to make us think we are little.”

In the past few weeks, the MEChA club has collaborated in support of the victims of the Palestinian conflict. The club’s reason for linking arms with pro-Palestinian activists is the motto, “Por que viva méxico, viva palestina.” Additionally, Aztec and Indigenous American leaders were invited to speak about native history and culture, and the club aims to spread awareness of Missing/Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW).

The MEChA club also seeks to be a place for students to join if they need a sympathetic ear. Ramirez and Valdepena stated that the club was created by brown students, for brown students– much of the ideology of MEChA is a criticism and response to mainstream white society, but the club also aims inward at problems within brown communities. Valdepena expressed his concern of homophobic Latino communities by saying “We’re trying to dismantle that culture… because of how much our parents made us believe that what we are is bad.” According to Ramirez, the club is proud to have majority queer leadership and welcomes LGBTQ students with open arms. They declared, “…when you think of a predominantly Latino space, you think of homophobia, you think that you’re not welcome. That is not the case with MEChA.”

If you are interested in attending activities or joining the MEChA club, they currently meet on Thursdays from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at the second floor of the campus bookstore. Due to the growing number of participants, the club also plans to meet on Mondays in the future. If you have any questions or want to learn more, you can message or read event updates from their
Instagram page:

@cos.mecha