Countywide : Author Villasenor Tours City Schools

Speaking in front of the church where his parents were married, acclaimed author Victor Villasenor opened his weeklong tour of Santa Ana’s schools by reflecting on how a strong family can combat violence and build hope.

The author of “Macho!,” “The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez” and, most recently, a family saga entitled “Rain of Gold” was invited by the Santa Ana Unified School District, the Latino Peace Officers Assn. and a coalition of community volunteers. He will speak at several high schools and will be joined by 44 of his relatives Friday at the Santa Ana Civic Center for a Family Day celebration.

Villasenor, who now lives in Oceanside, said at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church that he traces increasing gang violence among Latinos to family breakdown and a loss of cultural identity.

He urged people to accept and work with gang members. “If we start cutting off gang kids because of their robbing . . . we are cutting our own throats and our own future,” he said. Love, acceptance, and family responsibility are the factors that will build families back up and bring peace, he said.

Diane Thomas, public information officer with the Santa Ana Unified School District, said the author was brought to Santa Ana because his messages of self-esteem and family reinforce the district’s beliefs.

“A strong family is critical to the way a young person grows up,” she said. “We know that we must have parents working with us in order to be successful.”