History

Victories, struggles for MEChA de ND

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During the 2003-2004 school year, a new group of students began meeting at the CSC biweekly. The students brought up issues of inequality within the Notre Dame community as well as the South Bend area. From the beginning, a strong connection was formed with outside activist groups as well, including the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and United Farm Workers.

In its first year of existence, M.E.Ch.A de Notre Dame worked at creating several important changes on campus. The Chicano students called upon Notre Dame administration to provide fair trade coffee in the dining halls and all campus owned express eateries. This was an answer to a call national activist associations asking for students to put pressure on their universities to create more socially responsible environments.

Students from all background joined in solidarity with M.E.Ch.A. and the CIW to boycott Taco Bell. Students all across the country called on Taco Bell and Yum! Brand foods to become more responsible to its tomato pickers. At Notre Dame, a rolling hunger strike, started by Mechista Tony Rivas, placed visible pressure on Notre Dame to end all sponsorship by Taco Bell until they agreed to work with the CIW to improve conditions in the field. Finally, years of struggle came to an end in the spring of 2005 when better worker conditions and pay were agreed upon for Taco Bell's tomato pickers.

In the fall of 2004, M.E.Ch.A. de ND earned recognition by National M.E.Ch.A. as an official chapter and was placed in the Tierra Mid-Atl region.

In December of 2005, M.E.Ch.A. de ND was granted official student club status by Notre Dame. Its first calls to action as an official group were to educate students on national immigration reforms up for vote in Congress and the McDonald's Real Rights Tour campaign.