El Paso, Texas, November 7, 2011 — Paso del Norte Civil Rights Project is pleased to announce its Fifth Annual Fiesta Fronteriza. The Fiesta Fronteriza will take place on November 18, 2011 at the El Paso Library- Main Branch between 5pm and 8pm. It will feature live music, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and cocktails. The annual event celebrates the history of civil rights activism in the Paso del Norte region and honors individuals and organizations that contribute to the community through their work in civil rights. Tickets are $55.
This year, Paso del Norte Civil Rights Project will give a Ruben Salazar, Exposing Truth Through Journalism Award. This award recognizes a commitment to journalistic excellence in the Paso del Norte region. Made in the name of Ruben Salazar, the nominees of this award have shown unrelenting courage amidst the escalating violence in Northern Mexico.
Ruben Salazar was a Mexican-American journalist who committed his life to uncovering unjust systems through mainstream media exposure. A native of the Paso del Norte region, Ruben Salazar eventually went on to cover stories for the Los Angeles Times, where he spent much of his attention chronicling the Chicano movement, as it unraveled in Los Angeles. Ruben Salazar used his influence as a journalist to bring light to this movement, as he critically documented the government’s unjust treatment of many activists. He eventually lost his life at the hands of a government official after his coverage of the National Chicano Moratorium March, organized in response to a disproportionate number of Chicanos killed in the Vietnam War. In memory of Ruben Salazar, our nominees for exposing truth in journalism are Emilio Gutierrez Soto and Angela Kocherga.
Mr. Emilio Gutierrez Soto has worked in various positions as a journalist for almost thirty years. Most notably, he has worked for El Diario de Noroeste, El Universal, El Fronterizo, and various radio stations. In 2005, Mr. Gutierrez wrote several reports documenting Mexican military abuses in the region in which he was working. Shortly thereafter, on the heels of military resistance in the area, soldiers invaded Mr. Gutierrez’s house and attempted to kill he and his son. Mr. Gutierrez immediately fled Mexico and presented himself as an asylee at one of the international bridges. After his detention with the Department of Homeland Security for over 8 months, Mr. Gutierrez has become an outspoken critic of the impunity of the Mexican military and the war on drugs.
Ms. Angela Kocherga is currently serving as the Border Bureau Chief for Belo Television’s 20 stations and 3 regional cable networks. Ms. Kocherga’s work has been highlighted by her extensive coverage of the influence of organized crime and drug violence in both Mexico and the United States. She has also reported on immigration issues, trade, and bi-national health issues along the US/Mexican border. While several of Ms. Kocherga’s peers in Mexican media coverage lost their lives amidst the escalating drug violence in Juarez, she makes frequent trips across the border, accompanied only by her cameraman and a microphone. Angela Kocherga’s commitment to journalistic excellence, teamed with a strong desire to expose the public to issues that plague the southwest border, make her insightful reports so essential.
Please join Paso del Norte Civil Rights Project in paying tribute to these exceptional community members while promoting racial, social, and economic justice and providing support for free legal services for the poor.
For more information please call Sandra Arzate at 915-532-3799 ext. 22.