Dear Mayor & City Council: In order to honor the legacy of the great Asian renaissance man, Dr. Jose Rizal (who was the forerunner of Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi), the first Asian to set the standards in the struggle to restore human dignity and self-respect to subjugated peoples the world over; as well as, to magnify the on-going struggle in the fight for social justice, equality and human rights, I support the proposal that Moneta Avenue in Carson, California be renamed Jose Rizal Avenue. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BIO: Dr. Jose P. Rizal (1861-1896) lived only 35 years, during which he showed unusually enlightened understanding of his times as well as the future of his people and their neighbors in the region. A true renaissance man, Rizal excelled in all the fields he entered- as a sculptor, doctor, architect, engineer, inventor, an illustrator, a businessman, a cartoonist, an educator, an economist, an ethnologist, a composer, a scientific farmer, a draftsman, a historian, an inventor, a journalist, a linguist, a musician, a mythologist, a naturalist, a novelist, an ophthalmic surgeon, a poet, a psychologist, a scientist, a sociologist, a theologian, a fencer and a good shot. He validated through his life that "Genius knows no country"; the first to debunk the myth and racism perpetuated by the colonial masters about the perpetual inferiority of the Indios, the brown-skinned natives. Fluent in over 22 languages, he inspired many Asian leaders on the importance of a national identity and national pride as a precursor to nation-building and independence. With sustained intellectual vigour, he fought against the colonial masters of the day: a feat of immense courage and profound self-sacrifice which evoked the admiration of all those who later became conscious of their own indolence and humiliation under the yoke of colonialism. Rizal championed a nationalism for Asia founded on education of the masses and human rights - always aware that the "slaves of today" can become "the tyrants of tomorrow." His poignant poem, written prior to facing the Spanish colonizer's firing squad, was recited by Filipino and Indonesian soldiers of independence before going into battle. His two novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, banned in the Philippines by the Spanish colonizers, awakened the Filipino people to a national consciousness and fanned the flames of the Philippine Revolution. Jose Rizal stood for a multi-dimensional approach to the problems of mankind. His role as a foundation-layer for the Asian freedom movement was acknowledged by both Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi and Jawarhal Nehru who two decades later are to inspire the US Civil Rights movement with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Cesar Chavez as some of the leading figures. What Jawarhal Nehru in his prison letters to his daughter Indira (Austin Coates) indicated was they found Rizal's writings and martyrdom played a pivotal role in the revolution's national character and; Rizal's struggle to destroy the moral authority of the tyrant to rule through his own example of civil disobedience- was an idea later developed by Mahatma Gandhi. According to Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr. (1955): "Christ gave us the goals and Mahatma Gandhi the tactics. ” If Dr. King learned the tactics of the 1960's Civil Rights movements that shaped the United States through Gandhi, then it is only righteous, honorable and long overdue to recognize the foundation-layer of non-violent revolutions; realized through the paramount legacy of Dr. Jose Rizal- the earliest modern political leader to preach non-violence as a way to freedom. Without brandishing a sword and leading an armed revolution, Rizal through his writings, his novels, the La Liga Filipina (which he founded), and his martyrdom ultimately destroyed the moral authority of the tyrant to rule through his own example of civil disobedience- paving the path towards Asia's first republic and constitutional democracy. "Within a few centuries, when humanity has become redeemed and enlightened, when there are no races, when all peoples are free, when they are neither tyrants nor slaves, colonies nor mother countries, when justice rules and man is a citizen of the world, the pursuit of science alone will remain." Jose Rizal, 1891 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jose Rizal's visit to the United States of America (April 28-May 15,1888) 28 April 1888
-Rizal arrived at San Francisco, California. 28 April to May 1888
-He was placed in quarantine for 6 days on board the Belgic anchored off San Francisco Bay. 5-6 May 1888
-Rizal boarded at the Palace Hotel, San Francisco, California. He went around for observation of the city. 8 May 1888
-He started his trip of the American continent. He passes through Reno, Ogden, Denver, Farmington, Salt Lake City and Provo. 9 May 1888
-Rizal continued his trip, passing the territory of the State of Colorado. 10 May 1888-
He passed thru the territory of the Nebraska, Illinois. 11 May 1888-
He arrived at Chicago, after four days crossing the American Continents. 13 May 1888
-He reached Albany and later traveled along the bank of the Hudson River. This day was the end of his transcontinental trip. Arriving at New York on the morning, he boarded at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. “I visited the largest cities of America with their big buildings, electric lights, and magnificent conceptions. Undoubtedly America is a great country, but it still has many defects. There is no real civil liberty. In some states, the Negro cannot marry a white woman, nor a Negress a white man. " -Jose Rizal,1888 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please sign the online petition to rename Moneta Ave. in Carson, CA to Jose Rizal Ave by July 20,2009 (Sub-commitee hearing @ 6pm, 22400 Veterans Park, Moneta Avenue, Carson, CA.) Moneta (definition: money; a mint.)