On July 11, 2009, there will be a skate jam held by Relate Skateboards to celebrate our dear good friend and brother Ruben Osorio Jr. This year it will be held at a much-anticipated skate-park that has been built in the historic Logan Square area and by historic, Chicago crews know what I am talking about. I have to admit that never would I have thought that there would be so many skate-parks being built not only in Chicago, but in other cities as well. That is a good thing. I am sure Ruben would have been just as excited, but would have also had just as much of a questionable stance about the overall agenda. I knew Ruben well and he was a very smart man so he understandably would have had his reservations because we always new that nothing in life came easy especially for us in the old neighborhoods where our parents as working class people, made their homes.Regardless, we always supported skateboarding in the neighborhood and we knew that we had to do something to get an area that was ours or secure some property ourselves to make this happen consistently and provide opportunity to other kids in the hood. With the local Church and public youth groups suffering from citywide disinvestment and lack of employment for working class people, little did we know how hard this would be. While growing up in the neighborhood, we had made many attempts throughout our lives to push our entrepreneurial spirit by starting businesses very young as teenagers. I started a t-shirt business called "Style-Zone" and a local neighborhood Skate/BMX crew called "The Pavement Platoon" which was inspired by watching BMX/Skate videos like Curb Dogs, Powell Peralta skateboarding videos, and from listening to what is now known as political Hip-Hop like Public Enemy and BDP. Although we listened to a variety of music, in Chicago, House music was dominant on the streets and dance halls, Hip-Hop and it's culture was a definite influence on how we lived and expressed ourselves. Ruben and two other neighborhood skaters, started to silk screen skateboards and made a business called "Relate Skateboards". The future looked bright but there always seemed to be something stopping our progress that we couldn’t figure out as youth. We also knew that it was hard to get through egos and to convince other people in the area to come together for something more positive and to work for the common goal. I know now that, like our families trying to make a life for themselves, most people had bigger issues to deal with in terms of surviving and keeping homes. Skateboarding, and especially BMX, was definitely seen as luxury which was aimed at more middle class suburban youth.
JOSE RIDING THE HOOD LIKE I ALWAYS DID...CIRCA 88
What we went though to make money in a legitimate way wasn't unique to how any business is created in a capitalistic society. We knew that there would be competition and "haters" but because we where both in agreement about this reality and knew that regardless of the odds, we could keep the friendship authentic enough to make something work, we had allot of hope with our plans. We where always able to work together with minimal disagreements and indeed, we related to each other like family. I think it's because socio-economically and culturally, we where expressing ourselves through a common ground and saw each other as equals. We definitely fed off of each others ambitions and goals. Although he was first generation Mexican and I was first generation Puerto Rican, we both came from hard working immigrant families so our outlooks on life and cultural history where very similar. Also, he was a bit younger so it helped to balance us out. No matter what it was, all I know is that Ruben was a true best friend and I rarely use the term best friend having very few that are true and that will side with me against my enemies and on political and social issues.
LADY OF GUADALUPE
I remember after 911, we where tripping because since we looked Arabic, people used to try to call us terrorists. Having a friend to stand by you through hatred gives you strength and we dealt with haters effectively. My good friend Brian, who is first generation Chinese, is similar in that regard and comes in a close second as far as really good friends. We have similar views politically and it helps in an increasingly Neo-liberal world where racism and classism against racialized groups is going underground and/or is commonly accepted as not a big deal. Of course, there are a couple of other new and old friends that I am fortunate to have as well but few have shown me the trust, respect, and comradery that people like Ruben did. I think many will agree, good friends are hard to find especially in a culture that pits you against the next man or woman for the sole purpose of wealth and the perceived power and privilege that comes from it but again, Ruben and I where well aware of this reality and constantly validated it's existence which prepared us for life.
Ruben, like me, loved music, specifically Hip-Hop and although we had different approaches to the culture and the music, we can always appreciate each other tastes. Hip-Hop gave us pride in who we where and the neighborhood that we lived in. It fueled our creativity in skateboarding, biking, and life in general. It also made us realize that music is global and it taught us how to respect other people and their own personal tastes. We also knew that Hip-Hop and the culture accepted us as we where and although we faced allot of hate from people who thought they had some sort of stake in the culture, we knew we had nothing at all to prove. Anyone that really knew us understood our struggles and accepted us as we where realizing the roots and the cultural ties. He could listen to Al Green while at his crib and I would go home and listen to some thrash metal but when it was time to cruise the Tahoe and flex the chrome rims through the hoods, we where bumpin some Gangstarr or some Mobb Deep looking for some cute girls to talk to. We never had much luck, but it was allot of fun.
Lucha De Paz Con El Machete,
Jose Bicicletas
Ruben, like me, loved music, specifically Hip-Hop and although we had different approaches to the culture and the music, we can always appreciate each other tastes. Hip-Hop gave us pride in who we where and the neighborhood that we lived in. It fueled our creativity in skateboarding, biking, and life in general. It also made us realize that music is global and it taught us how to respect other people and their own personal tastes. We also knew that Hip-Hop and the culture accepted us as we where and although we faced allot of hate from people who thought they had some sort of stake in the culture, we knew we had nothing at all to prove. Anyone that really knew us understood our struggles and accepted us as we where realizing the roots and the cultural ties. He could listen to Al Green while at his crib and I would go home and listen to some thrash metal but when it was time to cruise the Tahoe and flex the chrome rims through the hoods, we where bumpin some Gangstarr or some Mobb Deep looking for some cute girls to talk to. We never had much luck, but it was allot of fun.
PUBLIC ENEMY-IT TAKES A NATION OF MILLIONS
TO HOLD US BACK
That is another thing that Ruben taught me about life that there is nothing wrong with being cool with people you meet and you do not have to put up a front or have a false attitude. We where some really cool brothers, or as some people like to call us, “nice guys” and we never saw anything wrong with that. We would always talk about how people thought we where gullible or stupid because we where cool with people. In other words, people took kindness for a weakness but we knew that to be relatively successful in life, we have to treat others how we would like to be treated and it helped us weed out the fake people from the authentic ones. Indeed, Ruben warned me about many people we both knew. He seemed to have a sixth sense as to who was on some bullshit, had greed and envy in their hearts, or who just had treacherous intentions. Indeed, we hated selfish people and shady individuals who only cared about their own interests. We put those people at a distance or down right challenged them on there ignorance. They weren’t welcomed on our circle. Basically, we recognized the game before it became one.
This was no truer in dealing with some females that we encountered who are always looking for the next best thing and when they find a “nice guy” they either call him a punk, try to emasculate him, or use him for money because he is so happy to have a woman interested in him. Females where a sort of a prized possession in the hood. If you got a good girl, your on top of the world. I will never vilify women because they have historically been victims and many of them aren't even aware of that. I don’t blame females, especially of color, as a whole because in this society like many others, they are victims of Patriarchy and Hegemony and I realize that more as I get older. I am more aware now and realize that people like Ruben and me, and the many other racialized men in the hood trying to navigate through a sometimes shady society and find their place, should not have to have their characters attacked just because they choose to do the right thing in the hood and other aspects of their life. That said, we where by no means perfect and we knew that we had to work extra hard to compete within a society that views our culture negatively but we, in turn, never vilified others to get ahead. In retrospect, there are some people, and I won't mention any names but they know who they are, that we should never have offered a helping hand to especially those who either knowingly or unknowingly helped in our vilification and in the subsequent gentrification of the hood, but we learned by experience and knew what was really going on. I am personally glad I made the mistakes I did and learned from them. This is how Ruben and I lived our lives. Little did I know that by watching my brother Ruben struggle through the pitfalls of life as a Mexican young man in America, I was going to find my own strength to fight for justice and truth while recognizing my own struggles and revolutionary past. This is the gift Ruben gave me and I will never forget our lucha on this earth. NEVER!
This was no truer in dealing with some females that we encountered who are always looking for the next best thing and when they find a “nice guy” they either call him a punk, try to emasculate him, or use him for money because he is so happy to have a woman interested in him. Females where a sort of a prized possession in the hood. If you got a good girl, your on top of the world. I will never vilify women because they have historically been victims and many of them aren't even aware of that. I don’t blame females, especially of color, as a whole because in this society like many others, they are victims of Patriarchy and Hegemony and I realize that more as I get older. I am more aware now and realize that people like Ruben and me, and the many other racialized men in the hood trying to navigate through a sometimes shady society and find their place, should not have to have their characters attacked just because they choose to do the right thing in the hood and other aspects of their life. That said, we where by no means perfect and we knew that we had to work extra hard to compete within a society that views our culture negatively but we, in turn, never vilified others to get ahead. In retrospect, there are some people, and I won't mention any names but they know who they are, that we should never have offered a helping hand to especially those who either knowingly or unknowingly helped in our vilification and in the subsequent gentrification of the hood, but we learned by experience and knew what was really going on. I am personally glad I made the mistakes I did and learned from them. This is how Ruben and I lived our lives. Little did I know that by watching my brother Ruben struggle through the pitfalls of life as a Mexican young man in America, I was going to find my own strength to fight for justice and truth while recognizing my own struggles and revolutionary past. This is the gift Ruben gave me and I will never forget our lucha on this earth. NEVER!
BROWN BERETS
Although I am happy that the local youth have a skatepark in Logan Square, I am still personally pushing for a skate-park to be built in Humboldt Park for working class and poor kids that is just as maintained as any other part of the city and for the current and past residents. It might not help with other, market based socio-economic issues but at least kids will have a new option. In addition, I personally question the timing as the area in Logan Square is in the advanced stages of gentrification and funds are being used to benefit developers and residents outside of the community which is unfortunate for us that have been displaced and are even more impoverished. The majority of us won't benefit from the new wealth of a gentrified neighborhood and the jobs or economy it creates. Are they waiting for the advanced gentrification stage of west Humboldt Park to take place before building a skate-park there or having any other investments into the community? I definitely think so. Are the kids in the area not worthy of having the same attention as middle class pioneer Gentrifiers or artists from outside the neighborhood? With the negative and racist attacks against Mexicans and Puerto Ricans, and the vilification of a perceived “ghetto” culture, is this being used to justify a second place for us in society again? The answer is clear to me and I won’t sugar coat any of it because the hatred and history cannot be denied. The proof is there. We ALL have to deal with it now.
It was clear to Ruben and I, may he rest in peace, that our contributions to the community might not be invested back into the area because of the issues we faced as first generation Mexican and Puerto Rican youth trying to succeed in the Urban Centre of Chicago's northwest side. We had always hoped that there would be an area to skate and indeed we made areas out of the environment we grew up in and had allot of fun. We knew that we where often vilified by the outside community and that the area was a little rough but we chose to stay and planned to make a local skateboard business and shop while others would hang out in other neighborhoods or helped others progress economically and socially from outside of the community. Thankfully, Rafael Boria and his family choose to reinvent the "Relate Skateboards" company and build from where it left off which helped bring renewed attention to our community. It brings a sense of pride to local youth most definitely.
However, the Osorio family already had a business, which was being inherited by Ruben Jr. and it would employ some neighborhood friends who needed work in the area including myself. Thanks to Ruben and his family, their local business brought opportunity in our lives, some stability, and hope that we can succeed in the city. With this local support we felt we could, compete with those that have inherited generational wealth, are many times from outside the community, and have lived privileged lives. It makes me very sad and angry at times to think about how our plans where cut short by his untimely and tragic death and at the time, with Helen Curtis and local factory jobs leaving the area, I could not afford to stay. Many other close friends lost jobs, moved out, where displaced, imprisoned, or had succumbed to the many traps and pitfalls that we have dealt with for generations. The economy got worse, and our dreams where temporarily put on hold (some permanently). Since wealth and development wasn't invested in making our working class community develop itself, it began to fall apart. Many of us have become displaced or are threatened with poverty, access to good healthcare, which Ruben desperately wanted, and education or training that will help us survive into the future.
It was clear to Ruben and I, may he rest in peace, that our contributions to the community might not be invested back into the area because of the issues we faced as first generation Mexican and Puerto Rican youth trying to succeed in the Urban Centre of Chicago's northwest side. We had always hoped that there would be an area to skate and indeed we made areas out of the environment we grew up in and had allot of fun. We knew that we where often vilified by the outside community and that the area was a little rough but we chose to stay and planned to make a local skateboard business and shop while others would hang out in other neighborhoods or helped others progress economically and socially from outside of the community. Thankfully, Rafael Boria and his family choose to reinvent the "Relate Skateboards" company and build from where it left off which helped bring renewed attention to our community. It brings a sense of pride to local youth most definitely.
However, the Osorio family already had a business, which was being inherited by Ruben Jr. and it would employ some neighborhood friends who needed work in the area including myself. Thanks to Ruben and his family, their local business brought opportunity in our lives, some stability, and hope that we can succeed in the city. With this local support we felt we could, compete with those that have inherited generational wealth, are many times from outside the community, and have lived privileged lives. It makes me very sad and angry at times to think about how our plans where cut short by his untimely and tragic death and at the time, with Helen Curtis and local factory jobs leaving the area, I could not afford to stay. Many other close friends lost jobs, moved out, where displaced, imprisoned, or had succumbed to the many traps and pitfalls that we have dealt with for generations. The economy got worse, and our dreams where temporarily put on hold (some permanently). Since wealth and development wasn't invested in making our working class community develop itself, it began to fall apart. Many of us have become displaced or are threatened with poverty, access to good healthcare, which Ruben desperately wanted, and education or training that will help us survive into the future.
DISPLACEMENT IN TEXAS-IT IS A GLOBAL ISSUE
WITH THE "NEW" ECONOMICS
What Ruben's legacy gave to us was a sense to persevere, unify, and be active in molding not just our neighborhood, but also the greater society. I personally continue to educate myself and have returned to school. Ruben knew the value of a good education and although he knew it didn’t guarantee success in life; we would educate others about this truth through knowledge of our own culture, the Hip-Hop culture, and skateboarding culture. Ruben himself always wanted to be a Gym teacher and I always felt it was the perfect career for him. He also loved to play basketball and go camping. We would encourage others to get educated and to work in the system for change but we knew who would only want to capitalize from the neighborhood for private benefits.
My experience with Ruben gave me the will to fight for the issues we face as Mexican, Puerto Rican, African, and the few working class Anglo/European Americans that have lived in the Humboldt Park area because it was the only place they could afford to live resisting "white flight" or who didn't see a problem living near racialized groups. His memory and advice has opened my eyes to entrepreneurship, community service, and activism in issues like immigration rights and quality healthcare that only the privileged where traditionally able to enjoy. Ruben passed away from complications due to a depleted immune system caused by B-Cell Lymphoma. I still educate others about the importance of having a clear and comprehensive health care plan that will cover all people regardless of class, ethnicity, or economic level. I think that will level the playing field a bit and is good for any economy. If people aren't mentally and physically healthy, they can't work. It's that simple and I know people of all skin tones, cultures, and ethnicities that agree with me. In addition, a person like me doesn’t “buy” into class and racial ideologies that have been imposed on us since the creation of this country. Ruben felt same and would treat everyone, regardless of religion or ethnicity, with respect and honesty given they did the same. That was the unwritten "code of conduct" we promoted in the neighborhood.
My experience with Ruben gave me the will to fight for the issues we face as Mexican, Puerto Rican, African, and the few working class Anglo/European Americans that have lived in the Humboldt Park area because it was the only place they could afford to live resisting "white flight" or who didn't see a problem living near racialized groups. His memory and advice has opened my eyes to entrepreneurship, community service, and activism in issues like immigration rights and quality healthcare that only the privileged where traditionally able to enjoy. Ruben passed away from complications due to a depleted immune system caused by B-Cell Lymphoma. I still educate others about the importance of having a clear and comprehensive health care plan that will cover all people regardless of class, ethnicity, or economic level. I think that will level the playing field a bit and is good for any economy. If people aren't mentally and physically healthy, they can't work. It's that simple and I know people of all skin tones, cultures, and ethnicities that agree with me. In addition, a person like me doesn’t “buy” into class and racial ideologies that have been imposed on us since the creation of this country. Ruben felt same and would treat everyone, regardless of religion or ethnicity, with respect and honesty given they did the same. That was the unwritten "code of conduct" we promoted in the neighborhood.
A UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
IN HUMBOLDT PARK
Photo Credit: http://www.daylife.com/photo/05pe8vo0qJ4bK
Even without community, state, or city support, through Ruben’s legacy and people like him, I know that I will continue to educate and supply a safe sense of self to all people. It will enable many of us to progress in our own direction without feeling shame about who we are or where we come from. This is the message that Ruben has given to me and many others in our neighborhood. It was truly a sense of family, confidence in who you are, and support when we really needed it. It was real friendship in a world where increasingly; friendship is measured by wealth, privilege, and allocated to those who are assigned more value then others. Ruben knew that the true value of a person came from the strength to be good and honest person in the midst of social evil.
Lucha De Paz Con El Machete,
Jose Bicicletas
