Excerpt from Ricardo Flores Magon speech in El Monte 6 de octubre de 1917:
Let us stop shaking hands and asking anxiously what will be good to counteract the onslaught of the tyranny of the governments and the exploitation of the capitalists. The remedy is in our hands: let all of us who suffer the same evil unite, surely our solidarity will face the abuses of those who base their strength on our disunity and our indifference.
We pay homage to the original caretakers of the land, the Tongva people, where we reside, the village of Houtngna (El Monte). We honor the lives taken by El Monte Police Department: Sawandi Asad Toussaint, Phuoc Dai Ngyuen, Jose Sanchez, Khoa Ahn Le, Kiki the Dog, David Viera and our loved ones kept in cages. Although the focus of this community space is to support our immediate vicinity, our struggles are not limited to the geographical bounds of our neighborhoods, but extend to all communities of resistance across borders.
The construction of condominiums is a sign of the ongoing displacement caused by “economic development” projects leading to further gentrification. Public spaces like the El Calvario community center and Tongva (Pioneer) Park have both been converted into condominiums. Near our location on Garvey and Tyler, a resident in a mobile home died in a fire caused by negligent repairs. The mobile home park was then converted into condominiums, which still sit half empty. Resources for social services, art, and recreational programs are minimal in our community. Through this community space, we look to strengthen our mutual aid efforts, collective mental health, food sovereignty, arts production and transformative justice practices.
Our group consists of artists, herbalists, students-educators and advocates with social work and marriage and family therapy backgrounds. We envision a San Gabriel Valley where local communities have the resources and strong, interpersonal relationships needed to constructively respond to problems together. . As abolitionists we are working to build community through transformative justice that lets us take control of our safety, lives and our communities. Overall we look to nurture each other’s growth and healing. With suicides and mental health crises on the rise, we aim to provide people the opportunity to explore and develop mental health resources. We believe that everyone deserves access to mental health care, especially communities like El Monte and the Greater Eastside, who are often overlooked and underserved due to oppression and stigma. In addition, we believe in informing the community on their consent while navigating the Eurocentric and often oppressive mental health system.
We look to create an environment of care and love by practicing mutual aid, resisting hierarchies, and building solidarity through a popular education model. Our solidarity is built through a process in which we learn, live, theorize, and create together as a community. In this space, our plan is to host regular workshops focusing on art, housing, mental health, and teach-ins to build autonomy and community care. We also plan to host monthly pop-ups and open mic events to support local vendors and artisans. One of our goals is to have a free community fridge, closet, and bookshelf to help address the basic needs of our community. We will have different committees working on communication, finance and programming, with receipts made available upon request. Join us on this journey as we build strong communities to make prisons and policing obsolete.
In solidarity,
SGV Community Action Team (CAT 911)
Social Work/Mental Health Group*
*Disclaimer: Our role at this space is that of mental health advocates who can provide links to resources and beginning mental health education. Our role is NOT that of therapists or crisis counselors.
What your funds will go towards:
Our rent will be $1350. With utilities, insurance and wifi, we estimate the monthly cost of $1600 per month. We intend for our mental health support groups, workshops, food and clothing distributions to be free of charge for the community. For this reason, we are fundraising to cover the first year’s rent and utilities ~$19,200. We also plan on purchasing an industrial fridge to store food for our weekly distributions as well as a commercial copier to print our educational materials. In order for us to become more sustainable and not depend on donations, we look to purchase a food trailer to sell healthy food options at a sliding scale.
Xerox VersaLink C7030 with 2 x 520 Sheet paper Tray and stand $4,895.00 + tax 30 ppm speed on Color and B&W ~$4,895.00 + tax, maintenance
Turbo Air PRO-50-4R-N 51-¾” Premiere PRO Series Top Mount Insulated Reach-In Solid Door Refrigerator with 2 Sections and 4 Solid Half-Doors with Locks, 47.57 Cubric Feet, 115 Volts ~$6,500
Boxer M2 11ft. Vending Trailer by Arete Food Trailers ~$11,499 +grill, oven and generator
Listed in order of priority
$20,000 rent (including utilities and essentials)
$10,000 supplies and programming
$6,500 fridge
$6,000 printer (including maintenance and warranty)
$7,500 half costs for the food trailer with grill, oven and generator
El Monte Facts
According to the most recent census, El Monte has nearly double (19.5) the national poverty rate (10.5). Over 50% of El Monte residents face housing burden, spending at least 30% of our income on housing, and about 30% of residents face severe housing burden, spending 50% or more of household income on housing. Los Angeles County has 8.10 acres of green space per 100,000 residents, while El Monte has less than ½ an acre per 100,000 residents. In the 20-21 annual budget, the EM police are allocated $30,287,504 (43%), while Parks and Recreations only receive 3% of the budget. The chief of police has a minimum annual salary of $193,075 while the average income of El Monte residents is $18-20k ($49k per household). Entry level police officers with no college education make $77,685 while the entry level teaching position with the school district is at $52,407 (with a bachelor’s degree and teaching credential). 42% of adults 25 and older in El Monte do not have a high school diploma, compared to the California average of 17%. Moreover, only11% of EM residents have a bachelor's degree and 2% have graduate degrees, compared to the California averages of 32% and 12% respectively.* These are just some statistics to highlight inequality in El Monte and greater California.
(*However, graduation rates are not sole measurements of “success”; schools have historically been tools of assimilation and higher education is increasingly exclusive with rising tuition. We feel education should be free for all, and we work against the culture of competition by building cooperative and educational models that do not depend on state institutions.)
we are also open to receiving donations:
Bulletin Board
Phone line/Wifi
Bookshelf
Chairs / table
Bean Bags
File cabinet
Art supplies
Radio
First Aid Kits
Narcan
TV or Projector for screenings / meetings
White Board
Journals/Notebooks
adult coloring books
crayons, color pencils
fidget toys
stress balls
Paint, paintbrushes/canvas
Headphones
yoga mats
plants
for more information, reach out to houtngna@gmail.com
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