This year’s annual César E. Chávez March for Justice will be different in two ways: the march will go down the newly named César E. Chávez Boulevard and the number of students involved will be greater than ever. At least that’s what its organizers expect.

“We have been educating in the schools for many years and it’s paying off,” says Jaime P. Martinez, longtime activist and founder of the César E. Chávez Education and Legacy Fund.

Through the use of social media, social justice movements among young people have spread throughout the world like never before.

While some schools are removing César Chávez lessons from social studies books — the Texas Board of Education briefly agreed to do the same, but later reconsidered — students involved in the local movement are doing what they can to teach themselves.

“When our students become exposed they become inspired to continue on with the movement César created,” says Carlos de Leon, a University of the Incarnate Word student who serves as the organization’s Student Outreach Coordinator.

Students known as DREAMers believe his legacy continues as they pull from Chávez’s nonviolent methods and stage hunger strikes and marches in support of the DREAM Act.

“History repeats itself,” Martinez says. “I was young one time. I used to march for labor reform. Now we have the young students taking to the streets marching against injustice, for education, for health care.

“Those are issues that need to be addressed and I think in this century you’re going to see the young people bridge the past to the future.”

We take a look at what those involved have to say about recent social justice movements, how they compare to those of Chávez’s and how his legacy continues in the young, some born after his death.

How today’s movements are different:

“The thing that is different now is that it’s almost all youth and almost all through social media,” says Patricia Sanchez, associate professor of bilingual and bicultural studies at UTSA.

How today’s movements are the same:

“There is a resurgence of (students) becoming aware of what La Causa is and just becoming advocates for social justice. There’s a very famous quote in which (Chavez) talks about how our ambitions must be brought to include others,” says Carlos de Leon, a student organizer. “The students here have been really receptive this year of marching with people of all backgrounds.”

Why young people are getting involved:

“The students that have committed to helping us, they see the importance of raising awareness in the community especially since a lot of the individuals are older and it’s time for the younger youth to come in and put in their effort and continue the legacy,” says Rosario Plascencia, a César E. Chávez March for Justice student organizer and UIW senior.

“Students do care about the community, about people that are marginalized, and that’s why this march is important to us,” de Leon says. “We want to seek not only the betterment of ourselves, but also our community.”

What the future of Latino movements hold:

“I think that we don’t want to forget what he did, but we need to expand who our heroes and heroines are,” Sanchez says.

“We want everyone to reach the American dream regardless of background,” de Leon says. “We believe the spirit of César is living on, it’s not dead.”

mvilla@express-news.net

Marissa Vill, San Antonio Express-NewsCopyright 2012 San Antonio Express-News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.