This piece is a contribution to the Pre-Convention Discussion for our 32nd National Convention. During Pre-Convention Discussion, all aspects of the party’s program, strategy, and tactics are up for consideration and debate. The ideas presented here are those of the author or authors alone, and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the Communist Party USA, its membership, or their elected leadership bodies. — Editors

My first reading of the discussion documents began with the call to the conference Join Us For the 32ndNational Convention. It opens inviting folks with date and place and noting the participation of large numbers of new members. The next paragraph notes the current crisis to be discussed and the third brings out the main danger, the growing threat of fascism. I identify with these points and the main document Forward Together with consideration of the points below.

The fourth paragraph points to the growing struggle for democracy. It points to key upsurges of popular struggle by African Americans, Native Americans, women, LGBT+, and youth.  There is no mention of Latinos in the paragraph or the rest of the call. This led me to read the main document with a more critical eye for consideration of this one fifth of the population and working class of our nation.  Reviewing the document, a work for discussion to strengthen, deepen, and improve. My foremost concern for discussion in this submission will focus on seeking to improve content on the democratic and class struggles of Mexican Americans in particular and other Latinos.

Generally the main concern is the lack of the term national oppression with key special concerns subsumed under the terms racial or racism.  Racism and national oppression are mentioned as key and tightly interrelated democratic concerns in our Program and have historically been used for a century by us. I assert that the document can be improved by using national oppression as a theme or category of the discussion. I suggest the preconvention discussion collectives and national leadership should help reinforce efforts along this line.

My experience in working in struggles of democracy particular among Mexican Americans in the Chicano Movement for over half a century is that the development of US capitalism led to the policies of the Monroe Doctrine and Manifest Destiny making a qualitative change in bringing about U.S exceptionalism.  Such also increased profits for the bourgeoisie with super exploitation  and increased genocide against the indigenous followed by US filibusters overthrowing Mexican governance of Texas which with inclusion in US governance as the Lone Star State. It was the main infantry entrance for the US invasion of Mexico resulting in, including Texas, annexing over 60% of Mexican territory. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which provided for key rights for resident Mexicanos and indigenous, was largely ignored.

The  developments increased racial and national oppression that continues to this day now and will in the future.

I think more collective discussion along these lines can improve the document and party practice. I would like to contribute more  in collective discussion with others towards developing one or more resolutions regarding Mexican American equality and other Latina/os within the democratic centralism approach of our collectives. I hope this is appropriately worded for consideration of the issues raised and plan to add more in more concrete terms soon.  I use the first person here for want of more comprehensive collective discussion that is needed on the topics.  For now let me criticize myself for not more fully and adequately bringing more input on such concerns in the collectives I am active in, and to our press and website.

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