In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, I would like to present a throwback shout-out to San Quentin’s La Mezcla, a 1980s Latino Chicano cultural group. The function of La Mezcla (The Mixture) was to help La Raza (The people) and the torcido (incarcerated), according SQNews archives.
“We’re a proud people,” said J. Morris, resident and chairman of the group at the time. “That could be good or it could be bad … we as Mexicanos must get positive thoughts (schooling) into our heads. If you see someone doing something without class don’t downgrade him, educate him. You didn’t always know what you know now. Someone told you.”
La Mezcla fought for education programs within San Quentin and sponsored entertainment events to highlight Hispanic heritage. The self-help group would transform the North Block dining hall to host Cinco de Mayo (May 5) and Mexican Independence Day (Sept. 16) events. They would invite outside participants to come into the prison to perform with artists such as the Ballet Aztlan from Richmond, Calif.; El Trio Azteca, a three-person musical storytelling crew who donned traditional sombreros; and Los Esclavos, a San Jose group. The artists would wow the crowd, according to the archives.
Gloria Vasquez, the group’s chief outside sponsor, worked with Latino population for 12 years. She was instrumental in getting celebrities and government official to attend these events — KPOO radio jockeys Beverly Byrd and Michelle Alexander; John Marquez, deputy labor commissioner of Napa, Solano, and Lake counties; and Judge Carlos Ynostroza of the state’s supreme court, noted the archives.
The group had the support of the incarcerated residents and the outside community, who donated their time, labor, and money to support their banquets and events. SQNews would like to honor these trailblazers and those residents of Spanish-speaking who continue to provide the much-needed support and self-help groups to this part of our community.
