We have arrived at a point in our struggle for self-determination where we have collectively, both men and women, decided to embark on a higher level of political activity in the form of our independent La Raza Unida Political Party.
We, the people of La Raza, want this party to fully encompass all the aspects of the needs of our people. We want this party to work for the eradication of all the inequalities and oppressive forces functioning to perpetuate our bondage.
We feel that the importance of the party will be determined by the measure to which it takes into account the needs of La Raza as a whole, and by the measure to which it actively works to meet those needs and to eradicate every form of exploitation which burdens us.
For our women who live under an economic structure which systematically uses and oppresses women to further its own ends, ends to making profits by any means necessary off the backs of whomever it is easily possible to physically identify, isolate, and create myths around, there exists a triple exploitation, a triple degradation; they are exploited as women, as people of La Raza, and they suffer from the poverty which straitjackets all of La Raza. Because of the particular nature of their oppression, within our women lies a tremendous potential for commitment to serious struggle. Their participation, if we eliminate all obstacles, will accelerate and strengthen our struggle to a fantastic degree.
We feel that without the recognition by all of La Raza of this special form of oppress ion which our women suffer, our movement will greatly suffer.
We want to eliminate the exploitation of man by man in every form-to eliminate the oppression of our women so that both men and women, in the process of our struggle and when our struggle bears fruit, will be equal human beings with all of the rights and responsibilities of a truly free people and without any kind of oppression in any form.
Bearing this in mind and recognizing that a people as a whole can never be liberated if an entire sector of that people remains in bondage, we of the Raza Unida Party state our position as follows:
A. We shall respect the right of self-determination for our women to state what their specific needs and problems are, and how they feel that these needs can be met and these problems can be eliminated, as a basic princple of our party.
B. The party encourages La Raza women to meet in Raza women's groups wherever the movement is functioning, in order to enable the women to discuss the direction that their participation is taking and the particular needs of Raza women they feel must be acted upon. We encourage that these groups be formed to enable the women to aid in the recruitment of more women to participate in a politically conscious way and in all levels of the struggle.
C. The party will include Raza women in all decision-making meetings, paying them due respect when they offer opinions and speak. Our women will always be fairly represented in planning committees, in public relations functions as spokeswomen, in workshops, and in discussion groups as leaders.
D. Raza men and women both will cooperate fully, in this party and at home, in the very difficult task we have before us of freeing our women and encouraging them in every way we can, at all times, to become involved in every- level of the struggle and in working actively towards the elimination of all attitudes and practices that have relegated our women to the unquestionably bond-aged positions they are now in.
CHILD CARE
A. Child-care centers controlled by Raza must be made available for Raza in schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods, totally free of charge, wherever our people are found.
B. These child-care centers will be open 24 hours a day and must accommodate children from the age of 45 days through the preschool ages.
C. Medical attention will be made available for the children and facilities will be available for children who may be sick-with the necessary medicine free of charge.
D. These centers will function as educational centers as well as care centers.
F. These centers will be controlled and run by both Raza men and women.
WORK
A. An end to inequality in pay because of sex or race. Statistics show that for the same job women now get paid half the wage earned by men. The poorest suffer from this the most. Raza women as a group are paid even less than their underpaid Raza male counterp arts.
B. Fifty percent of Raza women who work, work as domestics. We want job openings in all areas of work for Raza women, specifically in full-time employment with salaries to meet the standard of living no matter what it may be and no matter how much it increases. All Raza women who apply for jobs, in no matter what area, must be accepted. If training is needed, it should be given with pay.
C. Maternity and paternity leaves with pay and with a guarantee of a job on return.
BIRTH CONTROL
A. Clinics and agencies within our communities that distribute any birth-control information and/or abortion counseling and information and clinics and agencies that pass out birth-control devices and perform abortions must be community-controlled, and a woman who is counseled must be thoroughly informed about all the dangers and possible side effects of any devices or operations.
B. No forced abortions or sterilizations of our women.
C. The ultimate decision whether to have a child or not should be left up to the woman.
EDUCA TION
A. Intensive recruitment of Raza women into the schools -with Raza counselors and tutors to help the women stay in school and to encourage them to enter all areas of study.
B. Guaranteed jobs for all Raza women upon graduation in whatever field the women choose.
C. Part of the education of our women will be dedicated to the study of the history of the oppression of women within the framework of our background and to the study of the role which Raza women have played in the history of our people.