"Que Milargo Chaparrita"
or "Voy A Mandarte Un Papel?"
Sing them both.
Three months...
and we'll have corn.
We will eat the corn...
This is very good.
I want to eat it with everything.
Don Meņo!
The guys are here, so you can show them your plants.
Look at my zucchinis, see how big they are...
They taste so good because you took care of them, you made them.
That's it, my friends.
We've worked this land,
because you can't eat the earth.
The Urban Gaden will
probably close before the end of the year.
For the use of
storage warehouses.
The decision came down in favor of the previous owner
Ralph Horowitz.
It was very dirty, and we cleaned it,
my children and I.
We were happy because we had a piece.
They wanted to throw us out
like if we were animals.
It's because we're Latino,
Exactly.
I can't sleep because my thoughts are going
they're going to take it away, they're going to take it away...
Remember, we are now the South Central farmers.
Let's talk about what direction this organization should go.
What we are doing is very important for our people.
Long live Zapata!
Yes we can!
We work for them...
No, on the contrary,
we pay the taxes.
Government is made by us
because we are the ones who pay their salaries.
It's more important that you guy say this.
I will be there with you,
but you must speak from your heart.
I am a farmer, and here is the proof in my hands!
To not allow us to stay on that land
that has already been cultivated!
For what reason?
What I am here to say today...
I'm a bit upset, well not a bit but a lot upset.
Because supposedly there are steps to follow when evicting someone.
And with us...
I don't know what happened.
To the council,
you guys spoke beautifully.
Josefina
she spoke from the heart.
He's arrived.
We have avocado trees,
guava trees,
apple trees,
banana,
papaya...
I am the son of immigrants. It gives me great pride to say that.
I learned how to farm the land,
and got my first blister when I was just 5 or 6.
- And there's some "guaje"? - Yes, guaje.
You of course know what that is!
Mr. Villaraigosa had no idea.
These are things that your kids cannot learn in books.
No, they can't learn this in books. We need to teach them here.
I want to thank you for this opportunity
to learn what you have taught me here today.
I know why my parents came to this country.
So their children, we, could have opportunities.
For that reason,
I am not going to tell you lies.
I'm not going to tell you that on the 29th,
we're going to stop them from taking the land,
because the law says we can't do that.
Tragically, we can't do that.
The truth is, I know that Jan Perry,
she wants to make a better situation for all of you.
Thank you very much.
I appreciate this.
Tezo's father was a very respected person here in the garden,
a very helpful person.
He was very admired here.
We loved him a lot.
The sale of land which we are working
is an illegal sale.
As usual,
we can count on the presence
of our Councilwoman from the 9th district,
Mrs. Jan Perry.
Please give her an applause!
Also present is Juanita Tate!
The Director of Concerned Citizens for South Los Angeles.
Next we're going to hear from...
Gualdo Torres who has some questions for councilwoman Jan Perry.
Yes, you have my heart and my attention, yes.
Who do I need to speak to?
Hello, how are you gentlemen?
The councilwoman has nothing to do with this?
We want a solution.
Not problems.
She is the councilwoman of our district.
She is the one who has the option to help us...
The problem is not with her, it's in the courts.
Yes, we can!
Thank you for coming to the march.
"They gotta go." What does that mean?
Compaņeros!
We're here and we're not going anywhere!
Tell the owner to let us stay, not to run us out.
You tell him.
372 farmers and their families are fighting to gain some time
and avoid being evicted from the urban garden.
We could see today they began to remove some of the fences,
despite the fact that the eviction date is February 29th.
This caused a heated arguement among the parties.
You think this is right?
If they come and do that to me, what am I to do?
You only see a few of us, but we're 347 families.
Just think if we assemble two from every family,
and you know we'll each grab a hoe, and no one will get past us.
Don Meņo, hurry up!
Raise your hands.
I think that its a...
it's a great step they've...
that we are taking,
to find justice.
Tomorrow we gotta be at the meeting to see...
Yea...
In case we lose, I'm taking my Virgin Mary,
and this little plant,
or just whatever I can.
Whether we're rich or poor
or a developer from a good background,
we will all be made equal under the law.
And now we will see who will prevail,
I want you to tell everyone,
they have no right to touch any fences,
They can't knock anything down.
- And on Sunday we have, what? - The PARTY!
They thought they could just open the door,
give us a swift kick in the ass, and send us on our merry way.
They didn't count on Rufina being here.
If it wasn't for her, we would have been gone long ago.
I tell my friends, that we are farmers!
And now we have the freedom to plan without being trampled!
That's all.
I planted all the colors.
And we got one that has all the colors.
It's green on the bottom.
Look, this color is very pretty.
Do you see the work that we have ahead of us?
Yes, it's a great victory, as the lawyers said.
Now we still need the other part, which is the keep working.
We have to be better than our enemies.
And up to now we have proved that we are.
Wait a second, wait...
On Saturday a man who is a presidential candidate is going to come.
He'll be here around 12 or 2pm.
A guy who's... a presidential candidate.
Of the country?
Yes!
Yes, it can be!
Well, if he shows up here, we've got it made.
Because he's the strong arm. Chief of the Nation.
Good afternoon.
I'm Dennis Kucinich, I'm a candidate for president
Very nice to meet you,
These are some new rules:
Persons who do not comply with these last three rules...
will have their plots taken away within 24 hours.
We don't give out plots to 2 or 3 people within the same family.
That is one of the rules.
It's always been that way.
Jan Perry is saying:
'Those people don't use the land to eat.'
'They are using it to sell.'
If we have that problem
they will not give us this land.
I've been on this land for 10 years, and now you're just going to throw me out?
I'm going to say that I came here to speak with you...
Look, why are you threatening me?
We're not taking anything away, we're trying to save this fucking place.
Exactly.
Then why are you fucking with us?
No, we're not fucking with you!
You're abusing this person here.
They take away plots from whomever they feel like.
So now those of us, as representatives.
They don't need us.
Because...
this lady is the only one, she has self proclaimed herself
as the only one allowed to make decisions.
There is no need for you to mistreat us
or as it is said to 'curse our mothers'
and to use language that truthfully is very low.
This is very...
very difficult for me.
The worst thing is that...
you can come up to me and say
but no one
is making any money
And we don't deserve
your abuse.
So therefore, if you're not happy my friends...
there is the door.
And for what reason do these people do this?
He worked a lot in this garden, a whole lot.
He was one of the hardest workers, he always opened early.
Yet, they took his keys without telling him.
He tried to open it, and they had changed the lock.
So now, I want to make sure this is very clear...
that this is going to be the process
that this was what you all as a community voted for.
If I'm afraid of you, I can put a restriction on you?
Why not?
You guys set the rules!
I am executing your rules.
If you don't like the rules,
change them,
but let's do it in a democratic way.
Do you have the machete?
It was you... who else got in a fight with them?
Rufina, and a lot of the people...
A lot of people were holding them back?
I have the gentleman's machete that he attacked me with.
Where's Gamboa's machete?
Everything that we struggled for...
they don't care anymore.
That's the reality,
If they're going to kick out out anyway.
We are ready to lose it now, not later.
We've lost, my friends.
We've lost the fight to stay in this place.
This is a sad day for me.
Because we didn't know how to steer this fight.
We didn't know how to organize on a higher level...
So, my friends,
this person here
with her mistakes,
this person is spread thin...
The internal problems...
are just like those in a family.
In here, there were rules, that were not implemented,
and our family broke.
I have learned from this land,
to be proud...
And like every human,
maybe they've made mistakes.
But nobody's perfect here.
So up with Rufina! Guero! And Deacon!
Who helped us!
Do want to sign a letter to the Mayor?
The music!
This is true happiness.
Very beautiful.
Very handsome.
Beautiful woman.
And handsome Mister.
Just as they use money to fight wars to destroy,
now it's the time,
to help us with your money to save the life of this garden.
I pay my tax, I'm an old lady.
How am I going to survive now?
He said we couldn't raise millions!
And now that we've raised millions,
he pretends not to know us!
My parents raised us in a very poor environment.
I said that my father had left me a million in inheritance.
Everyone thought it was money.
The inheritance that my parents left me
is working the land.
For me, its the story of life.
Because without the land, we are nothing.
What are we without the land?
Try planting on cement
and you'll get nothing.
It's life, simply life.