Their motto is “La unión es en la fuerza,” meaning we are stronger together, and for Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/a de Aztlán (MEChA), unity is important.

Throughout the last several decades, MEChA has been involved in different forms of activism and advocacy relating to social issues in the community.

Juliet Matamoros, a secretary for MEChA, discussed the group’s significance.

“I feel like when you’re fighting for a cause, it’s not really over until everyone is liberated,” Matamoros said. “I’ve seen a lot of regression with social justice issues in our neighborhoods.”

MEChA de CSUN is a student association that promotes unity among Latinxs/Chicanx students and community members in and out of campus through higher education, culture and political action. Their goal is to encourage students to create positive and meaningful changes in society, according to their club description on CSUN Matasync.

Today, MEChA de CSUN is just one out of hundreds of chapters in the country.

MEChA first began as the organization “United Mexican American Students” (UMAS) in the late 1960s, according to Samuel Torres, MEChA president. By 1969, MEChA was established and became chartered through “El Plan de Santa Bárbara”, or “The Santa Barbara Plan”.

“The Santa Barbara Plan” acted as a blueprint for the inception of Chicano/a studies programs throughout the University of California school system during the civil rights movement, according to the University of California, Santa Barbara. The plan also resulted in activist organizations like UMAS to unify into one organization — MEChA.

“MEChA has served not just as a place for students to come together, but to organize, especially for students who were dealing with so much discrimination and struggle back then,” said Torres. “Even now, we still fight for people who can’t fight. We still fight when there’s a struggle going on, when there’s still advocacy to be told.”

Given that social injustices still persist today, MEChA de CSUN continues to engage in acts of activism for diverse communities. In recent months, the student organization participated in the 31st Annual Cesar Chavez March for Justice and the Students for Justice in Palestine at CSUN walkout.

“Something we always say is ‘The work is never done’, because all the systems in the US are never made for us,” said Matamoros. “So, it can feel defeating, but at the end of the day, when we look at the impact that we make in our community, we look at how much better of a footprint we’re going to make for future generations or other students that are lost and looking for a space to thrive in.”

In addition to activism and advocacy, MEChA de CSUN hosts cultural events. Last fall, the organization collaborated with the student association, Colita de Rana, and the Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies to present the Día de Los Muertos event, Days of the Dead - Miccaihuitl.

Día de los Muertos first originated from the Aztec ritual Miccaihuitl, which was a time for communities to harvest and honor loved ones who died. Today, the event is a two-day celebratory holiday in November that reunites the living and the dead. Families still commemorate loved ones who have died and do so through decorated altars and “ofrendas”, or offerings. Although the holiday emerged in Mexico, it is widely observed in other areas of Latin America, according to National Geographic.

Melissa Martinez, a treasurer of MEChA, explained what the sacred event meant for her.

“I was able to see my culture represented,” said Martinez. “[My first year at MEChA de CSUN], was actually my first time celebrating the Day of the Dead. So, I was able to put pictures of my ancestors [on the altar]. It was a beautiful tradition and we’re just trying to keep that alive.”

To promote higher education within the community, the student organization previously hosted the Raza Youth Conference which focused on motivating youth and minority students to pursue higher education. While MEChA de CSUN did not host the Raza Youth Conference this year, Torres hopes to start planning for the next Raza Youth Conference in the fall semester.

Every Thursday, MEChA de CSUN conducts weekly meetings at the Chicano House. Despite having the term “Chicanx” in the organization’s title, students of all backgrounds are welcomed to join.

“We really love to put emphasis [that] you don’t have to be Mexican to join MEChA,” said Matamoros. “I feel like a lot of people get that mixed up.”

The Chicano House is located between Juniper and Laurel Hall. It is a common area for all Mechistas. While the old brick bungalow has been around for decades, the Chicano House was once the center of conflict. In 1970, MEChA de CSUN lost its home due to a fire, according to The Daily Sundial. Nearly 50% of the house was destroyed as a result.

“It was burned and it was definitely the target of a lot of hate,” Torres said. “MEChA was a target and a lot of Chicanes in school would be targeted for discrimination. We even have documents in [our] history of fraternities giving us [a hard time].”

Despite a tumultuous history, the Chicano house continues to be an important stomping ground for MEChA de CSUN. Along with meetings, Mechistas use the home to organize events, celebrations and other activities, according to Torres. The Chicano House is also used by other organizations such as La Raza Alumni Association.

Although the student association has existed for over 50 years, the organization continues to grow, as new members join every year. For Matamoros, passion is what keeps the MEChA de CSUN going.

“A revolutionist once said, ‘Every real revolution starts with love’,” said Matamoros. “Without love, we wouldn’t be here, we wouldn’t be loving what we do for our community. There would be no love in the cause because that’s what brings us all together.