LASA Conference -- Come to Washington!
On April 16-19, 1970, the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) is holding its biennial Convention, at the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. As usual, the LASA Establishment and...
...THEREFORE, we call upon radical "Latin-Americanists," both inside and outside of the universities, to: -- PLAN TO COME TO WASHINGTON, APRIL 16-19...
...PLAN TO COME ON THURSDAY, APRIL 16: beginning at around dinner time (or earlier) Thursday, we will meet (place to be announced) to make final plans for the Convention...
...Box 57, Cathedral Sta...
...BUT something will be different this year...
...10025 Riverside, California 92507 VENCEREMOS...
...Radical Caucus of Latin Americanists...
...NACLA Radical Caucus of Latin Americanists P.O...
...They come to Washington to exchange gossip and ideas -- ideas, that is, about more effective cooptation or repression of revolutionary movements in Latin America, about keeping the research grants flowing from the government and the big foundations, about the latest miniscule modifications in "modernization" theories...
...PLAN TO STAY THROUGH SUNDAY, APRIL 19 for an all-day meeting to set up a permanent anti-imperialist organization...
...We will hold our own Clearinghouse for Radical Research, where radical Latin-Americanists will have an opportunity to exchange new ideas...
...We will demand the total democratization of LASA...
...And in order to function in a representative manner ourselves, we need everyone's suggestions and active participation...
...We will challenge LASA in its own panels and business meetings...
...They look forward to a genial, back-slapping weekend...
...This year radical students and young faculty -- as many of us as possible -- are going to converge on the Convention...
...They are securely in control of their elitist, undemocratic Association (in which, for example, only "full members" -- i.e., NO students -- may vote for officers, and even full members must choose from among candidates pre-selected by the LASA Nominations Committee...
...In order to present an effective challenge, however, we must be a large "presence" at the Convention...
...As usual, the LASA Establishment and "professional" Latin-Americanists will be there (most of them travelling on fat university or foundation grants and staying at the Hilton for $18 a day...
...To transmit your ideas, and to obtain further information, contact: N.Y...
...EFFORTS WILL BE MADE to arrange housing (but do bring your own sleeping bags and try to arrange housing yourselves if possible...
...No longer will we sit at home, leaving the field to the "professionals...
...Most important, we will organize our own permanent anti-imperialist organization or caucus...
...in which, according to the Executive Council decision of November 14-15, "only bona fide members, i.e., voting members in good standing, will be admitted to the business meeting" at the Convention...
...c/o Edelstein, 3420 Kentucky Street New York, N.Y...
...And finally they come to look over the latest crop of graduate students, to recruit the more docile and malleable to transmit to future generations of students the received wisdom of Latin American studies...
...And this is only the beginning...
...Meanwhile, spread the word...
Vol. 3 • February 1970 • No. 10
