Celebration to Honor Labor Leader Chavez

Valley residents will honor pacifist labor leader Cesar Chavez and his works Sunday in San Fernando with a “justice march” and cultural activities.

“Our primary goal is to educate the youth about the importance of Cesar Chavez and his works,” said Xavier Flores, executive director of Pueblo Y Salud Inc., which oversees the celebrations.

“Too many youths don’t know Cesar Chavez or what he did,” Flores said. “He brought dignity and justice to the workplace. He made us feel we are first-class citizens and that we won’t allow [being] treated unjustly.”

Chavez, who died on April 23, 1993, spent his life crusading, through nonviolent action, for human rights for farm workers in California and across the nation. Organizers are expecting about 3,000 participants, most of them students and community members from the Valley, for the “Cesar Chavez Peregrinacion (March) for Justice and Cultural Arts Festival”.

The fourth annual event will begin at 11 a.m. at Brand Park, across from San Fernando Mission at 15151 San Fernando Mission Blvd. in Mission Hills, with Aztec dancing and speeches by community representatives including Assemblyman Tony Cardenas (D-Sylmar) and labor leaders Alejandra Torres and Maria Elena Durazo.

The march will step off at noon at Brand Park and proceed to San Fernando Recreation Park, about two miles east, via Brand Boulevard. The cultural activities, including music, dance and theater, will follow at 1:30 p.m. at the San Fernando park.

The event is being organized by the Cesar Chavez Commemorative Committee, a Valley citizens group representing labor, business, education and religion. The event is held in San Fernando because the city was the first to designate, in 1994, Chavez’s March 31 birthday an official holiday.