The Anniversary of Ruben Salazar’s Death

This is in reference to Frank del Olmo’s article (Editorial Pages, Aug. 29), “A Memory, a Legacy.”

The article has a conservative tone of one that lacks the kind of reporting experiences that made Ruben Salazar a household word. People did not need to know Ruben personally. He expressed himself in his writings. He exposed the injustices that are so prevalent in the barrio and in the process he displayed honesty, compassion with an insight to Chicano problems that others preferred to ignore.

I was one of the fortunate ones who walked the barrios with Ruben as he prepared for a series of articles on a community organization that I headed at that time. To me Ruben is, was, and will always be a part of La Causa . He is a part of Chicano history that cannot be shelved as just a memory.

Why should we be satisfied with a few accomplishments? We are still in the midst of poverty, our undocumented citizens are not just being harassed, they are being killed! And the unemployment rate for Chicanos remains high.

I, for one, am not interested in the upwardly mobile Chicanos. They are deadlocked into a system that provides no opportunity for expression of a political and social nature; besides they are few in numbers and are more concerned about their mortgage payments.

I say we need to remember, lest we forget.

ALICIA ESCALANTE

Sacramento