2008 Woodie Awards
MAIZE honors Chavez
Earl Parsons
Issue date: 3/21/07 Section: News
Bakersfield College's MAIZE club held a ceremony celebrating Cesar Chavez Day in the Fireside Room on March 28.
People all over the country honored the birthday of the United Farm Workers founder and civil rights leader from Delano who fought for fair working conditions for farm workers, particularly those in the Central Valley.
Lori de Leon, a representative of the Dolores Huerta Foundation and daughter of the civil rights leader for which the organization is named, spoke about her experiences with Chavez growing up as a little girl.
De Leon told the story of "La Marcha de la Reconquista," a march that began on May 5, 1971 and went from Calexico to Sacramento to gain support for the Chicano movement. Even after the ceremony in Sacramento was over, said de Leon, Chavez continued marching up California with hardly anyone behind him, going from town to town informing people on the movement. "It just really showed his dedication," she said.
De Leon then introduced Richard Chavez, Cesar Chavez's younger brother, before he came on the stage, explaining his integral role in helping to establish the UFW, how he built the first UFW office, and how everyone went to his house to use the phone, as he was the only one who owned a telephone in the neighborhood. Richard could only stay for a short time as he had to speak in Los Angeles that afternoon.
Richard focused his speech on two issues facing the farm working community today: this winter's citrus freeze and immigration.
Richard talked about how the low temperatures this winter made the citrus crops freeze right on the tree and how UFW, in collaboration with a number of organizations, are doing what they can to assist in what the U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared a state of emergency for farm workers.
"We are trying to do everything to help these workers. I'm sure that if Cesar were here, he would be right in the thick of it," he said.
Richard then gave his opinion on the current immigration controversy in the United States, saying that undocumented workers do the hard work that no one else wants to do and that if they weren't here, "the economy of this country would collapse in two days."
People all over the country honored the birthday of the United Farm Workers founder and civil rights leader from Delano who fought for fair working conditions for farm workers, particularly those in the Central Valley.
Lori de Leon, a representative of the Dolores Huerta Foundation and daughter of the civil rights leader for which the organization is named, spoke about her experiences with Chavez growing up as a little girl.
De Leon told the story of "La Marcha de la Reconquista," a march that began on May 5, 1971 and went from Calexico to Sacramento to gain support for the Chicano movement. Even after the ceremony in Sacramento was over, said de Leon, Chavez continued marching up California with hardly anyone behind him, going from town to town informing people on the movement. "It just really showed his dedication," she said.
De Leon then introduced Richard Chavez, Cesar Chavez's younger brother, before he came on the stage, explaining his integral role in helping to establish the UFW, how he built the first UFW office, and how everyone went to his house to use the phone, as he was the only one who owned a telephone in the neighborhood. Richard could only stay for a short time as he had to speak in Los Angeles that afternoon.
Richard focused his speech on two issues facing the farm working community today: this winter's citrus freeze and immigration.
Richard talked about how the low temperatures this winter made the citrus crops freeze right on the tree and how UFW, in collaboration with a number of organizations, are doing what they can to assist in what the U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared a state of emergency for farm workers.
"We are trying to do everything to help these workers. I'm sure that if Cesar were here, he would be right in the thick of it," he said.
Richard then gave his opinion on the current immigration controversy in the United States, saying that undocumented workers do the hard work that no one else wants to do and that if they weren't here, "the economy of this country would collapse in two days."
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