Local college celebrates Cesar Chavez Day with multiple festivities

Students at the El Camino College Compton Center celebrated Cesar Chavez Day Thursday with a mix of music, poetry and Mexican cuisine. It would have been the 84th birthday of the Latino civil rights activist.

Chavez is well-known for fighting for the rights of migrant workers and founding the United Farm Workers union in the 1970’s.

“I think it’s important for our students and our schools to see leaders who come from their traditions and from their communities,” Roberto Alcaraz, a professor at El Comino College said.

Alcaraz impersonated Cesar Chavez and spoke about his life as a non-violent advocate for laborers in a 45- minute performance called “Cesar Chavez Speaks.” It included excerpts of his speeches interlaced with a fictional interpretation of the Latino civil rights movement.

He said Chavez fought for the dignity of workers and individuals.

USC Professor Felix Gutierrez knew Cesar Chavez and spoke to ATVN about the importance of the holiday.

“It recognizes a non-violent labor leader and organizer who really reached out and organized and developed a union for the most powerless people which were the farm workers,” Gutierrez said.

“It should be a day of dedication for people who care about how we get our food and to all the workers,” he said.

Chavez died in 1993 at the age of 66. In 2000 Gov. Gray Davis created the state holiday.