Issue of Racial Motivation Raised in Secession Forum

A community activist questioned whether the Valley secession movement is racially motivated, during a forum Saturday on Latino voter participation.

The discussion grew heated when Xavier Flores urged representatives of Valley VOTE to come clean with the 40 or so people gathered at the Ritchie Valens Community Center about their efforts to bring Valley secession to a vote in the year 2000.

“I think we heard what the real reason for the movement to secede was when we listened to the people who wanted to break away from [the Los Angeles Unified School District], some of the same people behind this initiative,” said Flores, who moderated the event. “And that word was racism.”

Jeff Brain, Valley VOTE president, said with minorities making up 40% of the Valley’s population, charges of racism are inaccurate. And, he said, right now secessionists are only asking that the viability of the San Fernando Valley’s becoming its own city be studied.

“The northeast Valley in polls had the strongest support for seceding,” Brain said. “And I know why because I have been in these neighborhoods and don’t get bus service and you don’t get streets cleaned and you don’t have street lights fixed. You have the most to gain.”

The exchange came during a forum sponsored by the National Assn. of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. The forum focused on educating Latinos about voting rights and hot political issues, including Proposition 227 and the proposed vote on Valley secession.

Flores, executive director of Pueblo y Salud, a San Fernando-based nonprofit organization, said his and other Latino groups plan to remain neutral on the subject until they have more information. But he asked Brain to be clear with those present about Valley VOTE’s petition asking for a formal study on secession, the first step in bringing the issue to a vote.

“What you aren’t saying is that when we sign this petition, we aren’t just saying we want to study this issue,” Flores said. “We are saying we are in favor of seceding, and while I’m interested in studying the issue, I don’t want my name on something that says I’m in favor of it.”

Mari Lopez, who helped organize Saturday’s event, said turnout was low because of competing activities such as a nearby carnival and the Sylmar parade. But she said the efforts to increase Latino political involvement have already paid off. More than 6,000 new voters have been registered in the northeast Valley since the last election, she said.

Many of the new voters are like Pedro Cervantes of San Fernando, who said that for most of the 40 years he has lived in California he was afraid to ask about voting. Four years ago, the 65-year-old Mexican immigrant became a citizen. Since then the retired General Motors mechanic said he has been a regular at such meetings.