2 Sides of Kalisher Debate: Pride in Local History Versus Honoring of Chavez Legacy

City Councilwoman Rosa Chacon of San Fernando proposed renaming Kalisher Street for Cesar Chavez. Coincidentally, she is a cousin by marriage to Arturo Chacon. She told The Times:

I provided the leadership to expand our city’s recognition of Cesar Chavez by supporting the renaming of a relatively short street in his honor.

In March, 1994, the city of San Fernando was the first in the nation to set aside his birthday as a city holiday. Former Mayor Jose Hernandez and I initiated this policy. We did not “pre-test” our position to see whether it was politically correct, nor did we go out and fish for community consensus.

The opposition to my most recent initiative comes from three sources:

* Lack of administrative and political will to support the kind of social justice that Cesar Chavez represented. Some people cannot identify with or support the struggle to which he gave his life. The majority of the City Council is out of touch with the historical importance and inspiration he gave to the hundreds of thousands of men, women and children who toiled to harvest the food we eat.

* Residents voicing concern for holding on to “our” city history, reflecting the mind-set of the days of economic and social exclusion of the dispossessed humanity that Cesar Chavez represented. They will never embrace the change that his legacy epitomizes.

* Neighbors who oppose the renaming of a street for sentimental reasons and because they lack the information to appreciate fully the contributions made by Cesar Chavez: the struggle for dignity in the workplace; opposition to labor laws that abused women and children; the extension of quality-of-life programs such as Social Security, health safety standards and family-friendly reforms to the disenfranchised of our society. We have to do a better job of informing the community.

It is important to hold on to real heroes. Cesar Chavez was a real American national hero. His ideals and actions made our country stronger and better.

I am proud to have taken the initiative to honor the accomplishments of Cesar Chavez. His memory will survive the obstacles and confusion imposed by a small group of gatekeepers trying to place a hold on change.