Annual Valley Cesar Chavez March This Sunday
Written by Alex Garcia, Sun Contributing Writer
The San Fernando Valley is getting ready to honor civil rights icon Cesar E. Chavez this weekend during the 18th annual March in his name.
This year’s keynote speaker is Anthony Chavez, Cesar Chavez’s grandson, who is part of the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation. Ruben Rodriguez of the Cesar Chavez Commemorative Committee said Anthony’s speech gives a more personal perspective of what it was like growing up with Chavez as a grandfather, rather than the civil rights leader everyone else knows. The March itself has become a tradition.
"It’s important to keep his (Cesar Chavez) legacy going to motivate and educate young people to deal with issues that affect their community in a peaceful, non- violent manner," Rodriguez said.
He noted marches are part of the tradition of "struggle" symbolized by Chavez, who often went on long fasts and who gained prominence in the 1960s when he led walkers from San Diego to Sacramento on a quest to get better working conditions for farm workers.
"An action like this I hope helps to give people a moment of clarity so we can start dealing with issues in our community and in our country," Rodriguez said.
Born in Arizona, Cesar E. Chavez grew up in a farm working family that traveled the country following harvest work.
Chavez himself worked in the field and knew firsthand the terrible conditions and lack of rights these laborers faced.
In the 60s, Chavez founded the United Farm Workers and for the rest of his life, until his death in 1993, he sacrificed and advocated on their behalf, using marches, strikes, boycotts and hunger strikes to get his point across.
"His legacy is that, knowing that we have to struggle," said Rodriguez, who adds many people today have lost that sense of commitment to a cause.
"If we don’t make an effort to teach people about the need to struggle for your rights and equality and justice, it gets easy to get sidetracked in liquor, entertainment and sports.
We’re losing a lot of hearts and minds to mindless entertainment," Rodriguez said.
The Cesar Chavez March is also a way to learn how an average man can do amazing things, Rodriguez said.
"It teaches people that if we get together and organize and if we believe in a just cause, we can move our community ahead," he noted.
But the event is not only a march, said Rodriguez, but also a day of celebration, to spend with family, listening to cultural music, watching folklorico dances, and listening to music from the Andes and Central America.
There will also be a blood drive for people who are sick, and booths from different service organizations, including the annual Celebre la Ciencia science fair and essay contest.
"I think the change in the event is that it’s expanding, it’s growing and getting better and more diversified," Rodriguez said.
Apart from honoring Cesar Chavez’s legacy, organizers say they want to bring attention to bills in the state legislature that would empower farm workers such as SB 104, sponsored by state Sen. Darrell Steinberg (Dist. 6).
The measure would allow union representation for workers when a majority of the workers sign cards indicating they desire union representation. "Under current law, an election is required after majority of the workers sign cards indicating they want to be represented by a union. Growers have intimidated workers with threats of firing them if they vote for a union," according to Alex Reza, one of the March organizers.
"We The Cesar Chavez Commemorative Committee] also support Comprehensive Immigration Reform, the California DREAM Act and driver license privileges for the undocumented. We also support enforcement of laws designed to prevent injury or death to workers because of heat. Several farm workers have died in recent years because of heat," he added.
In addition to Anthony Chavez, other speakers will include Los Angeles County supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, State Senator Alex Padilla, Assemblymember Felipe Fuentes, and Los Angeles City Concilmembers Tony Cardenas and Richard Alarcon.
The Cesar E. Chavez Pilgrimage: March for Justice starts Sunday March 27th at 10 a.m. at Brand Park, 15174 San Fernnado Mission Boulevard in Mission Hills. From there, the marchers will head to Ritchie Valens Park, 10731 Laurel Canyon Boulevard in Pacoima, where a Cultural Arts Festival complete will health booths, entertainment, food, and a kids educational corner will take place.