A student based club at Riverside City College called "Movimiento Estuduantil Chicana Y Chicano de Aztlan" (which in English translates to Chicana and Chicano Student Movement of Aztlan), is welcoming new members. The current 15 members are looking to expand in order to draw more students to learning the culture. They would also like to see a class here on campus that focuses on Chicano studies, as well as take trips to places concerning Mexican culture, such as Chicano park in San Diego.
Club MECHA provides equal education and certain rights to help minorities with needs such as books and even scholarships. It also offers an environment where students can come together and interact about their culture and the history behind it through meetings and events.
The meetings consist of information that keeps its members updated on the political, social, and cultural aspects of Latino culture. MECHA reaches out into the community through conferences, outreach events, campus tours, one on one mentoring, and even overnight programs. The club takes pride in their culture by celebrating Hispanic holidays such as 'el Dia de Los Muertos' and 'las posadas'.
To many it may seem that you must be of Mexican decent to join the club, but MECHA says it is not a standard and has no national boundaries. They go by this quote: "Chicano is a state of mind, not a birth right." The president of the club states that "There are no requirements to join the club; you just have to be willing to help others." As of now there are Latinos in the club from several different countries. The only requirements for membership are regular attendence to meetings and participation in the events.
