We trekked from Turlock to Modesto on Saturday, as many as 300 marchers in all, amid temperatures reaching 100 degrees. It was another great day. Marchers included our core group plus some 150 people from Livingston and Modesto who were joined by 150 farm workers about a quarter of a mile from Ceres, where we stopped for lunch. Kicking off from Livingston early Saturday morning were students from two California State University campuses, Stanislaus and Fresno, as well as community members from nearby valley towns, including local elected officials. The mayor, vice mayor and city manager of Livingston, all ex-farm workers, and Lutheran Pastor Bill Ruth along with community residents are organizing a chartered bus to take supporters from Livingston to Sacramento for the big state Capitol rally on Sunday, Sept. 4. Students from CSU Fresno, sons and daughters of farm workers, are organizing their own bus.
A female CHP officer who took care of us Monday through Friday of last week, Officer Nelda Banuelous, came Saturday to march with us on her day off pushing her 11-month old son in a stroller. We celebrated two birthdays: Armando Elenes, a UFW vice president who is coordinating the march, and Delano UFW organizer Maria Barajas, a former union member at the Jackson & Perkins rose company.
At a large outdoor rally in Modesto’s beautiful Cesar Chavez Park late Saturday, Johnny Hernandez, brother of Little Joe Hernandez with the group Little Joe and La Familia, sang "Las Nubes" ("The Clouds"), the famous song written by his family about Cesar and the farm workers. The park was decorated by Radio Campesina, which set up a canopy and sound system near its van. When Johnny Hernandez sang, people started dancing in the park. It was quite a scene.
Maggie Mejia, a long time local farm worker supporter, coordinated the whole event. Different Latino and community organizations joined in to set up the food, housing and other assistance. "You have so much support in Modesto," Maggie said, " it didn’t take any time at all to get a great response from people." They gave us two pallets of bottled water to take with us during the rest of the march.
After 7:30 a.m. Mass Sunday at Cesar Chavez Park, we took off from Modesto on today’s journey north to Manteca. Sunday marchers include one of Cesar Chavez’s daughters, four of his grandchildren and two of his great grandchildren. They are Cesar’s eldest daughter, Sylvia Chavez Delgado, her husband, George; their daughter, Teresa Chavez, and her husband, Scott Tucker; their daughter, Monica Chavez Delgado; plus our daughter, Olivia Irlando, our son, Arthur Rodriguez, and Olivia’s two young daughters, our granddaughters Isabella and Sophia.
Arturo S. Rodriguez, President
United Farm Workers of America
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