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For other people called Oscar Gomez, see Oscar Gómez.

Oscar Gomez Jr. was a Mexican-American Chicano [1] student activist, [2] who was active in the 1990s [3] while attending the University of California Davis. Gomez died in unexplained circumstances in 1994 while attending a student protest.

Early life and education

Gomez was raised in Baldwin Park, California. [3] He was born to father Oscar Gomez Snr. [1]

He studied Chicano Studies and Behavioural Science [1] at the University of California Davis from 1990 until his 1994 death. [3]

Gomez led protests on the anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1992, and supported students who were hunger striking to draw attention to their desire for a Chicano studies department at University of California, Los Angeles in 1993. [1] In 1994, he was critical of California's Proposition 187 initiative to prevent migrants from accessing healthcare and education. [1] Adopting the stage-name of El Bandido ( English: The Bandit) Gomez hosted the La Onda Xicana (English: The Mexican Wave) radio show on university radio station KDVS that featured interviews and music. [1] El Bandito was named after the Mexican hero and American outlaw Joaquin Murrieta. [1]

Death

Gomez died at a student protest Santa Barbara on November 16, 1994. [3] [1] His body was discovered by the County Sheriff's Department just after midnight on the 17th near the shoreline. [1] Police believe he fell from the cliffs, while his family suspect he was murdered. [1]

The Santa Barbara coroner attributed his death to "severe cranial trauma" but did not categorise the death as either a suicide, accident, or homicide; due to an absence of witnesses or evidence, the manner of his death is reported as unknown. [3]

Aftermath

Gomez's funeral was held at the St. John The Baptist Church, Baldwin Park. [1]

The LUCHA Foundation scholarship was launched in 2004 in tribute to Gomez. [1] Gomez was the subject of a 2012 documentary, produced by film-maker Pepe Urquijo. [1] [4] [5] Gomez was posthumously awarded his degree in March 2022. [1] [6] Later in 2022, Gomez's death was featured in season two of LAist's podcast Imperfect Paradise. [2] During the 2022 Day of the Dead traditional holiday period, inspired by the podcast, University of California, Santa Barbara students held a vigil for Gomez and built an altar on the university's Manzanita Village campus. [3]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "25 Years After His Tragic Death, Oscar Gomez Gets His College Degree". LAist. 2019-04-24. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
  2. ^ a b Guzman-Lopez, Adolfo; Martínez, A (1 July 2022). "Details of a Chicano activist's mysterious death are unraveled in a new podcast". NPR. ProQuest  2682886775.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Guzman-Lopez, Adolfo (2022-11-17). "Where Oscar Gomez Died, Students Have Created An Altar And Vigil For The Anniversary Of The Chicano Activist's Death". LAist. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
  4. ^ Beltran, Bianca (2012-04-18). "The Unsolved Mystery of "Radio Bandido": Documentary Reflects on Chicano Activist's Enigmatic Death at Goleta Beach". The Bottom Line UCSB. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
  5. ^ Cole Connelly, Documentarian Films on Site of 1994 Murder, Santa Barbara Independent, 27 Aug 2011.
  6. ^ US Davis senior Oscar Gomez received posthumous degree, The Sacramento Bee


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