In San Juan, annual Cesar Chávez march focused on immigration, farmworkers rights
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Posted: Saturday, March 29, 2014 8:00 pm
SAN JUAN — A petition was supposed to be passed out during the Cesar Chávez March on Saturday to ask President Barack Obama to declare Monday a national day of service in honor of the late advocate for farm workers’ rights.
But the White House beat La Unión Del Pueblo Enteroorganizers to the punch by making the announcement Friday. That, coupled with a recent major motion picture detailing Chávez’s formation of the United Farm Workers and subsequent strikes for farm workers’ rights, meant the annual event carried a bit more weight in the national consciousness, said LUPE spokeswoman Tania Chavez, the organization’s special programs coordinator.
“We had a whole week of events,” Tania Chavez said. “It’s creating momentum for everything.”
LUPE hopes to use that momentum to bring about “fair and just immigration reform,” which was the theme of this year’s march. A large part of that is stopping the separation of families through deportation, Chavez said.
Between 850 and 1000 people walked from San Juan City Park to LUPE headquarters on Cesar Chávez Road on Saturday. They formed a stream of blue t-shirt-clad marchers, waving flags and holding hand-made signs handed out by organizers.
Aida Cruz, 25, of Donna held a sign lent to her by march organizers that read “No Discriminación” while she marched behind her two sisters and her nephew. Her 3-year-old niece rode on her shoulders, waving a miniature red flag adorned with the United Farm Workers’ squared-off eagle symbol.
In addition to supporting immigration reform, Cruz said she participated in the 11th annual march to continue a family tradition.
“My grandparents marched with Cesar Chávez in California … We’ve always been coming to the César Chávez marches since I can remember,” Cruz said.
As a child, Cruz went north with her farmworker parents, who gained legal status through the Immigration Reform and Control Act. President Ronald Regan, a Republican, signed the landmark immigration law in 1986.
Cruz attended South Texas College and later earned an associate’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Texas-Pan American. Both the annual march and a new movie directed by Diego Luna will focus attention on farmworkers, Cruz said.
“It’s good to get some recognition finally,” Cruz said. “It’s good to know the public is being more informed of all the injustice that was done and is still being done now.”