The 60s were an exciting time to grow up. And I'm glad that I went through that experience when many important events in the Chicano civil rights movement were taking place. And in fact, I participated in, in an organization called MAYA: Mexican-American Youth Association, which was centered here in the barrio. And the MAYA organization was instrumental in ending a nefarious no-Spanish on campus at, at our high school. They used to punish us with keeping us after school. They called it Spanish detention. And so as, as we were becoming more politically conscious, our group, MAYA, started to organize for a walkout of the school. And eventually the school board here and, and the principal got around to eliminate eating the, this rule. The walkout never took place because they conceded before the walkout. So that was something good.

Let me mention that this MAYA organization started as a coalition of four different neighborhoods. And, and my neighborhood, the Blue Stars was one of those four. The other ones being nearby the, the Oregon Alley Cats. And then further up here, the Chihuahua, Chihuahuita Cougars. And then further east, the Ochoa Sun Devils. We were active in trying to maintain our neighborhood. Like, maintain it clean. Keep out drugs. You know, beautify the area and try to deal with, with problems that we could resolve ourselves as young people. And so, in that sense, that was like an incipient opening of eyes about what could be done when you work as a group, as an organization.

Our youth club used to have weekly meetings. And we had officers and stuff like that. And so, you know, that was, growing up in that neighborhood was like a training ground for me to step into other types of organized activity. And that was the beginnings of MAYA, four neighborhoods here in the barrio.

https://mayaelchuco.com/