Turnaway crowd at Chavez luncheon in Saginaw Township
Posted by Mike Rocha | The Saginaw News
Just about every chair at every table at the Horizons Conference Center was filled for Monday’s fifth annual Cesar Chavez Luncheon.
This was good news for American G. I. Forum of Saginaw leaders who use the function as its chief fundraiser for college scholarships. Delta College also co-sponsored the event.
"We probably had about 250," said Edward A. Flores, commander of Saginaw’s American G.I. Forum. "I was really surprised. Last year we only had about 110 show up."
Patricia A. Emenpour, 18, who last year won scholarship funds by winning the Saginaw, Michigan and national American G.I. Forum pageants, took time out from her studies at Central Michigan University to attend the luncheon.
"I want to give my full support to the local chapter," said Emenpour, a freshman who is majoring in journalism. "This is for a very good cause. We have to do all we can to raise money for the G.I. Forum."
Santiago Peregrino, professor emeritus at Delta College, was the keynote speaker.
The El Paso, Texas, born Peregrino linked Chavez with historic leaders such as India’s Mohandas K. Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., because of their acts of nonviolence during their fight for justice.
"When I was asked to speak, I saw the connection between Chavez, Gandhi and King," said Peregrino, 68, who retired from Delta two years ago, but still teaches political science and criminal justice at the college. "I have always been a fan of Martin Luther King and Gandhi."
In 1962, Chavez took his plight to stand up for poor migrant workers when he formed the United Farm Workers of America and challenged farmers and the United States government to change harsh working conditions and the treatment of workers.
Peregrino said both King and Chavez learned the philosophy of nonviolence from Gandhi during their respective movements to bring down racial and social injustice.
Like Gandhi, Chavez also fasted to shed additional light on issues he sought to change.
"We should derive inspiration from the characteristics of this man," Peregrino said of Chavez.
Officials honored U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Ricardo Gutierrez Jr. with a standing ovation after a re-enactment of the ceremony when he received the Bronze Star for his heroic efforts to save a fellow Marine during a sniper attack in Iraq in which Gutierrez was shot.
Merrill Park Elementary School fourth-grader Alisandro Rodriguez, 9, won the Cesar Chavez art contest and the $50 first-place award. He emphasized in his art democracy, organized labor unions, nonviolence, the call not to buy lettuce and grapes and Chavez’s signature phrase of !Si Se Puede! — "Yes we can!"
"I wanted to learn more about him," said Rodriguez, son of Lionel and Maria Rodriguez of Saginaw.