[altroots] Fwd: Jose Torres Tama/Open letter about the ROOTS Katrina Relief Effort

Begin forwarded message:

My dear ROOTS colleagues and executive committee,
Thank you for your interest in trying to develop support for the ROOTS=20=

LA/MS artists who are displaced and unemployed due to the tragedy of=20
Hurricane Katrina. I believe this to be a noble and heartfelt cause by=20=

the ROOTS leadership in figuring out how to contribute to the general=20
relief and support of all of us who are practically "in exile=92 from =
our=20
homes and the lives that we once led within our communities as artists=20=

and residents.
I, for one, am deeply disturbed by the social and rather inhumane=20
conditions that we are hearing about in relationship to so many=20
evacuees and how they are being treated by the FEMA authorities and=20
even the Red Cross as "detainees" under military strategies that are=20
less than humane in their supposed "aid" to people who have lost=20
everything.
I am very interested in figuring out ways to manage some kind of=20
community art projects with any evacuees who have been displaced and=20
are experiencing the trauma of loss and abandonment in the wake of=20
Katrina. I can speak for myself and honestly tell all of you that as=20
strong as I am in will and perseverance and in my need to continue to=20
be an active voice on this tragedy, I go through deep periods of=20
morning everyday. It is not uncommon for me to begin to break down in=20
tears when I come across another story of abuse and injustice in the=20
aftermath of this tragedy. I do not have the indifference of heart to=20
not be affected by what I read=97especially in the face of what I=20
experienced in New Orleans after Katrina. I am simply not made of the=20
steely indifference that seems to be the modus operandi by government=20
officials acting in the interest of big business and the blatant=20
corruption and hypocrisy that they subscribe to in maintaining their=20
power and control. Already Haliburton
  and Blackwater, the insidious corporate duo that respectively brought=20=

you the Iraq reconstruction mess and the ubiquitous prison abuse of=20
Muslim civilians, are positioned in New Orleans for no-bid contracts of=20=

rebuilding and private security for the wealthy property owners uptown.
Thus, I mourn for my beloved city of New Orleans that is currently=20
under military siege and that has been unnecessarily transformed into a=20=

war zone for "containment and martial law" practices engineered by=20
homeland security sadists eager to implement their post 9/11 tactics. I=20=

mourn for my artist colleagues and communities who are displaced across=20=

this vast expanse and some of whom I have not heard from and others who=20=

have lost all or parts of their homes and studios. I mourn for the=20
thousands whose suffering seems unimaginable at times and who are=20
dispossessed of everything they once knew and had. I mourn for the=20
state of this social experiment called the United States=97this country=20=

that I am having trouble believing in and its rogue government that has=20=

the blood of its citizenry on its hands once more.
As such, I am sometimes gripped by a deep, deep pain and depression=20
that often cripples me into inaction and makes me question any efforts=20=

I engage in as useless acts of futility in the face of such a corrupt=20
beast that this system--which favors capital over people--has become. I=20=

am not saying this to be over dramatic. I am simply stating how I feel=20=

about this house of cards that has been exposed for all its fragility=20
by the winds of Katrina. I can honestly say that it has become very=20
difficult for me to believe in the social agreements that we seem to=20
collectively adhere to in our desperate need for the creation of a=20
civil society where people are supposedly the most valued entities and=20=

not private property. Katrina=92s winds blew down the house of cards =
that=20
was a fragile New Orleans whose social ills of extreme disparities=20
across race, class and economics are not much different than any other=20=

urban metropolis in this country.
Think of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and even Atlanta and you do not=20=

have to look very far out of your windows to see the same racial and=20
economical dichotomies in place. Maybe all you need in your communities=20=

is a catastrophe like Katrina to expose the lies that we are living=20
under this administration that continues to forge an extreme polarized=20=

legacy of socialism and corporate welfare for the rich and unfettered,=20=

brutal capitalism for the working class and poor.
Thus, I am desperately trying to believe in this place, people, and=20
frankly, the only thing that has kept me going is the kindness and=20
outreach that many of you have expressed. I may add that the love of my=20=

partner and family are also much needed blessings that keep me sane and=20=

help me focus on the activism that I need to undertake to continue=20
forward.
With all of this said, I would like to hear some more specific plans on=20=

how ROOTS is looking to develop support for art projects to assist=20
displaced artists and communities. The language of the letter that I=20
received explaining the support in development seems somewhat unclear,=20=

and this may be because the plan is still in the process of being=20
defined. I can understand that, but please consider some more direct=20
input from those of us who are currently displaced and are ourselves a=20=

bit traumatized by this experience.
In the face of immediate needs, my laptop computer took a bit of a=20
beating as I was desperately evacuating the chaos of New Orleans, and=20
it seems to be on its last legs as the screen is almost coming apart=20
from the keyboard body. If any of you have any ideas on how I may be=20
able to acquire another (even a better used one), I am open to=20
suggestions. Unfortunately, a number of projects that I had in New=20
Orleans are in a deep state of suspension, and as such, I have lost=20
quite a bit of work and funds. Since I am a working artists who is=20
solely supported through my variety of art projects and tours, I am=20
looking to figure out ways to supplement the funds from the many New=20
Orleans projects that have disappeared indefinitely.
In short, if your community can handle a Latino performance and visual=20=

artist with something to say about the real-estate-of-things and the=20
immigrant experience, I am open for residency possibilities and can use=20=

the employment. I apologize for the candid solicitation, but these=20
times call for desperate measures. On the bright side, I still have a=20
few national residency projects left for the rest of this fall season=20
that will certainly help. I look forward to your suggestions.
Un abrazo electronico para todos/a bilingual electronic hug to you all,
Ashe, gracias,
Jose Torres Tama
www.torrestama.com
"in exile" in Gainesville, Florida
504-232-2968

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