Celebración de César Chávez

“It’s ironic that those who till the soil, cultivate and harvest the fruits, vegetables, and other foods that fill your tables with abundance have nothing left for themselves.” ­César Chávez

He was a wind of change that swept over our land,
From San Joaquin Valley north to Sacramento
From northwest Yakima to el Valle de Tejas
From el Valle de San Luis to Midwest fields of corn
He loved the land, he loved la gente.
His name was a soft breeze to cool the campesino’s sweat.
A scourge on the oppressors of the poor.

—From the epic poem Elegy on the Death of César Chávez,
by Rudolfo Anaya

César Chávez’s heroic lifetime struggle for the rights of migrant farm workers will be celebrated on campus April 1­5, beginning Monday with a “teach-out” coordinated by MEChA at local K­12 schools. On April 2, Susan M. Green, Chicano Studies, will speak at noon on “The FBI Files of César Chávez and the United Farm Workers.” On April 3, CSU, Chico student teachers will host a community outreach event at an Oroville middle school, with students sharing their illustrations and writing about Chávez. Also on April 3, Yvonne Yarbro-Bejarano, chair of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Stanford University, will speak on “Making Waves: Chicana Artists’ Revision of Mexican Icons and Narratives” at 7 pm in Tehama 108. Yarbo-Bejarano is known for her provocative and irreverent commentary on controversial literature and artwork. After her talk, a public reception will be held in Trinity 100. On April 4, several activities will take place on Kendall lawn, including speeches and theatre performances. At 6 pm, a peregrinación (march) will begin on campus and wind through downtown Chico. Afterwards, MEChA will conduct discussions on pesticides, farm work, and nonviolent protests. Chávez called nonviolence “hard work. It is willingness to sacrifice. It is the patience to win.” Finally, a dramatic reading of Elegy on the Death of César Chávez will be accompanied by the display of art slides from the book.

See calendar for details. For a complete schedule of events, contact Fabián Álvarez at MEChA at x4001 or Susan Green at x6404.