The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-04-01
SPANISH BRANCH
MAKES BIG GAINS
in MEXICAN MEET
Fight for Protection of
Latin Workers

class Struggle ana Tor militant nght
against American imperialism, the
Chicago Spanish-speaking branch of
the Workers (Communist) Party
made itself leading factor in the
convention of organizations of Next
cans in this country which has been
meeting over a period of weeks, at
1916 w. Taylor St., Chicago, and
which adjourned Sunday, after Great
ing the Confederation of Mexican So
cieties. Many delegates, as well as
visitors to the convention went up to
the Communists and congratulated
them on the stand they were taking.
Good Support For Program
Manuel Gomez and Jose Espinosa,
delegates from the Spanish-speaking
branch of the Workers Party, sue
ceeded in, rallying considerable sup
port for their program in spite of
the efforts Of the Mexican consul,
/ Luis Lupian, who attended every SEES
sion and whose influence was strong
enough to keep the majority to the
safe and sane path of bourgeois pa
triotism. The left wing elements will
continue to work in close cooperation
with the Workers Party.
The convention was called on the
initiative of the Club Benito Juaraz
and the Sociedad Hispano-Ameri-
cano for the expressed purpose of
taking steps for the protection of
the Mexican worker in the United
States, but except for the Workers
Party delegates and their supporters,
| it paid no attention to this import
ant problem, Notwithstanding the
fact that the Mexican-born workers
in this country constitute one of the
worst exploited sections of the work
! ing class. The consul kept remind
ing the delegates that they were in
a strange country and told them that
if they did anything at all radical the
police would Immediately interfere.
He put the fear of god into them so
strongly that they SHE'D even at the
mention of the word worker" which
they refused to include in the name
of the new confederation.
All Workers Organizations.
Inasmuch as all the affiliated or
CARNATIONS are composed of workers,
the Communist delegates did not
withdraw, but will work within the
confederation for program of action
which will really protect the Mexican
workers in this country by building
upon their own strength and uniting
it with the power of the American
working class as a whole.
Comrade Gomez, who led he mill
tant minority in the convention, point
ed out that the great mass of the
Mexicans in this country are work
ers. He said that the first step to-
word lettering their condition is to
recognize their special character as
workers, as section of the working
class. He said further, that one of
the elementary duties of the new con-
federation, duty owed to themselves,
to their fellow countrymen in Mexico
and to the Latin-American peoples in
general, is to carry out fight against
American Imperialism.
Communist Program.
The program proposed by the
Workers Party delegates contained
the following points:
1. Unionization of the unorganized
Mexican workers in this country;
propaganda to get Mexicans to join
the trade unions and to assist the
unions to carry out campaign Of or
ganization among them.
2. Struggle against the prevailing
discrimination in the matter of hous-
ing, whereby Mexicans are obliged TO
pay higher rents than other workers
for poorer dwellings.
3. Equal pay with workers of 9TH
er nationalities for equal work done.
a. No scabbing; no taking the
place of other workers when on
strike.
5. Abolition of the present system
of contract labor, or "engancho," as
a result of which thousands of Next
cans are lured from their homes by
false promises and brought to this
country, where they are given their
choice between being left stranded
or going to work at wages far below
the wage agreed on-often in the
midst of a strike.
8. Vigorous resistance to attempts
on the part Of the United States gov.
eminent to deport workers for their
political activities; the Mexican en-
bassy and consulates to give the same
protection to Mexican workers as 1t
now gives to Mexican business men.
z. Against the so-called criminal
syndicalist laws prevailing in many
states; freedom for all political pris-
oners.
s. Struggle against the American
ization" propaganda, as scheme for
converting all foreign-born workers
into docile slaves Of American capital
ism.