The
Don King Of Cock Fighting?When I first saw Gustavo's item on Nativo's secret love of cockfighting, I thought it was a casual comment by Senor Larry. Some Googling revealed that Nativo Lopez really, really, really loves cockfighting and his MAPA is working hand in glove with California Association for the Preservation of Gamefowl (APG).
At Cockfightsonline.com -- yes, there is such a site -- someone named "Tornado" described the action at the 2004 California APG annual convention last November:
We then welcomed Nativo Lopez, National President of MAPA(Mexican American Political Association) at which time he took over the floor and he too also discussed our current situation, and what it would take to join our efforts and grow our numbers and fight hand in hand against all of the attrocities commited against us. I thought it was very promising, and I encourage everyone that can to join their organization for the betterment of our sport, and legal representation, you don't have to be Mexican American to join. I'm sure we will be hearing more about this in the near future...
Since that time, Nativo Lopez has forged a close alliance with fighting cock breeders and aficionados. In February 2005, he was rallying the forces of cock-fighting in Oklahoma:
Contributor Jubal Jubal is the proprietor of the Orange County Insider [go to Jubal index] |
Nativo Lopez, President of the Mexican American Political Association ,(MAPA) will be a featured speaker at our National Rally Wednesday February the 4th at 11 A.M. in the southlawn of the Oklahoma City Capitol. He represents a group of over 5 million latinos and is based in California. Mapa will soon start a chapter in Oklahoma, linking all the Latino voters across the United States into one.
On the Sabong website (a Filipino cock-fighting website that proudly announces the "2005 World Slasher Cup -- International 8-Cock Derby" is now available on DVD! I wonder if you get a free copy of "Faces of Death" with that?), I found the July 2005 APG newsletter which shows the how Nativo had by then virtually merged APG into MAPA:
MAPA (Mexican American Political Association)
California APG has joined forces with MAPA and we have started our own chapter of MAPA called the California APG/MAPA. We will have more political clout with MAPA behind us and we think this is a smart political move for the APG. They are very active politically and, as you know, the Latino community is growing at a rapid rate and is a force to be reckoned with.Membership is only $20 a year, for each member $12 is sent to MAPA and $8 is deposited to the California APG/MAPA account which is under the control of the members, you decide how and when these funds will be used.
The officers of this Chapter are: Larry Esquivel, President, Brad Hagbery, Vice President, Martha Delgado, Secretary and Mike Mitchell, Treasurer.
See enclosed letter that MAPA President, Nativo Lopez sent to Fabian Nunez, California State Assembly Speaker opposing SB 156.
The following was taken from MAPA’s Annual Convention Flyer:
"We are pleased to announce that this convention will enjoy the support of various other organizations as co-hosts. These include the Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana, the Southern California Association for the Preservation of Gamefowl and the National Coalition for Immigrant's Rights. More organizations are expected to join as co-hosts as we near the date of the convention.
Keynote Speakers at the MAPA Convention will be:
- Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) - Federal Immigration Reform [editor: you mean the same John McCain cutting commercials for Marilyn "Tough On Illegal Immigration" Brewer?]
- Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-Chicago, IL) - Federal Immigration Reform
- Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (D-Norwalk, CA) - Real ID Act and Protecting Social Security
- Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (D-Lakewood, CA) - Real ID Act
- California State Senator Gil Cedillo - California Real ID Act - Driver's License for Immigrants
- California State Treasurer Phil Angelides - California Budget
- Peter Camejo, California Green Party - California Budget
- Rose Ann DeMoro, California Nurses Association, Executive Director - Health Care Access and California Budget
As you can see there will be a lot of politicians there and the APG will receive recognition as being a co-host. So please support this chapter by joining today. Anyone can join you don’t have to be Latino. To join please send your $20 made payable to California APG/MAPA to Larry Esquivel at 16147 Harvest Moon Street, La Puente, Ca, 91744. For more information call Larry at 626-991-0343."
Thanks to Nativo Lopez, MAPA has become so enmeshed in cock-fighting that it is sponsoring what game fowl enthusiasts euphemistically call "poultry shows":
Status of California Felony Bill
Our lobbyist, Maurice Ayala has been in Sacramento lobbying against SB 156; it has been getting moved from one committee to another. This has been happening rather quickly so there has been no time to notify the membership of the dates and times of the meetings. Maurice will be at the APG/MAPA poultry show on July 16th to give a full update and answer any questions you may have.
Nativo Lopez seems to have found his calling. Perhaps he wants to be to cock-fighting what Cesar Chavez was to farm workers. Still, fighting for the right to watch two roosters slash each other to death is something of a step down, in the liberal civil rights cosmology, from running citizenship centers and battling for bilingual education. CRO
