Our New Anahuac

The media does not seem to shy away from reminding us that our young Latina girls have the highest teen pregnancy rate in the county.

About one million teenage girls in the United States, or one in three, gets pregnant before they turn 20.

More than 80 percent of those pregnancies are unintended and unintentional, and one quarter of the girls who have babies have another one within two years.

Hispanic girls have the highest teen birth rate at 83 out of 1,000 girls.

For  many reasons, activistas have never really touched on the subject teenage preganancy in our comunidad. This, along with other issues like health, have traditionally been seen as a personal issue, and traditional activism has always been about fighting the system. It seems that activists draw the line at the canton’s door.

There are complex reasons why activistas won’t touch the subject. Those on the far, far left have traditionally seen family values as a construct of capitalism, and some proponents of communism really believe that the family is an enemy to the state or at least an impedimet to the creation of the new human, which should see all humanity as his brother/sister, and not just his family. They see this as slightly elevated individualism. Addressing teenage pregnancy properly also requires a talk about personal responisbility. Many would rather focus on defeating the system.

There is also the feminista challenge. Some feminists resent the implication that children require a man to have a “proper” upbringing or that gay couples can’t do an explary job in rearing children.  Point taken.  I have seen very strong women and men grow up without a father, and I have seen others grow up in a situation in which a father has done more harm than good.

Even so, when speaking about the ideal situation for our children, I still believe that family is important.  Setting aside the requirement of a straight man, I believe that a positive family is a requirement for the strong nation that we shall build in Our New Anahuac. 

I accept that families can come with a variety of gender relations and that a traditional marriage might not be necessary.  But a positive family is required for us to be a strong people.  I don’t think that a movement promising a new tomorrow can ignore it.  If those of us who concern ourselves with flowering the pilosophy of Mexicayotl do not pay attention the the values of our community, then who will?

The Catholic Church has failed, as it was destined to when forced on us.  The schools won’t touch the issue.  Planned Parenthood has promoted women’s rights, but has no place in promoting our people’s culture.  Those of us who see our people as a nation have the responsibility to make sure that the nation is built upon values that will sustain our nation.  If a nation has no values, it will fall.

Do not confuse the ideas of this post with the Christian ideal of marriage being an intractable covenant with Jesus. 

I am not suggesting that we promote the idea of trying to force unhealthy marriages (I remember a pamphlet about 15 years ago.  I think it was from the Chicano Moratorium Committee which suggested 50 actions, and it included dissuading people from divorce).  I have seen single fathers be more involved than some fathers who live in the child’s home.  My ideal  would discourage the behaviors which lead to divorce, such as alcohol and spousal abuse, infidelity and materialism.

I’m not suggesting that the problem is “unwed mothers.”  This phenomenon is a symptom of the problem, and blaming mothers frees the young man of his responsibilities.

I’m not saying that gay couples can’t raise healthy families.

What I am saying is that we must promote the idea of a healthy family in our community.  Our sacred ancestors called their community their extended home (kalpulli).  Our best friends are honored by attaching them to our home: nonchantlaka, literally means homeboy in Nahuatl.  Places of worship, teokalli, is literally translated at spirit home.  All of this speaks to the important place that the home and family plays in our traditions. 

Our nations were build on the foundations of families, and exteneded families, and our nation must be re-built on families.  So what does the ideal Anahuac family look like, if traditional Christian marriage is not needed, if gay couples are not condemned to hell, and if we recognize the importance of extended families.  I have my own ideas, but I will leave it up to you to comment.  Please share your thoughts below.