Cesar Chavez Celebration
At age 6, Rich Salas did not spend his summers at the swimming
pool or in day care. Instead, he worked alongside his family in
fields across the country, picking apples, potatoes, cherries and
rows of sugar beets that stretched across fields more than a
quarter-mile long.
“Everyone that has been in the migrant fields has a story to
tell,” he said. “It gives you character. You learn that you have
what it takes to survive.”
Now, he wants to tell the story of one very influential migrant
worker, Cesar Chavez, to CSU students and Fort Collins community
members.
Five years ago, Salas, who is assistant director of El Centro, a
CSU advocacy office that serves Hispanic and Latino students, and
Lupe Salazar, El Centro’s director, started the Cesar Chavez
Celebration at CSU.
This year, several organizations and volunteers across campus
have joined ranks with El Centro to put on numerous events during
the month of March dedicated to Chavez, a man who fought for the
rights of migrant workers and whose ideas are still influential
today, Salas said.
“I think it’s important for students, for everyone, to learn
about the contributions that he made in helping to empower
underrepresented groups and for them to learn that they are people
too. They do have rights,” Salas said.
Working alongside Salas are organizations such as the
Association for Student Activities Programming, the Ram Leadership
Team and the Residence Hall Association, as well as countless
volunteers.
The celebration, which is entitled “A tribute: Social Justice-
Our Responsibility,” kicked off March 3 with a clothing drive that
will continue through the rest of the month.
Many migrant workers are in desperate need of suitable work
clothes, said Mims Harris, co-chair of the Cesar Chavez
committee.
“When they come to work in the field they don’t have adequate
facilities to do laundry and there is not enough time because they
work from sunrise to sunset,” she said. “They also don’t come with
a lot in the first place and they are often constantly exposed to
pesticides, so good clothes are a necessity.”
All collected clothes will be distributed to migrant workers
through the Sunrise Community Health Center in Greeley. Boxes will
be placed in all residence halls as well as various other places
including the Lory Student Center, said Alicia Leonardi, the
cultural and community programming chair for Associated Student
Activity Programming.
Members of Lambda Theta Nu, a CSU Latino/Hispanic sorority, will
also be helping with the collection and sorting of clothes because
they feel that the Cesar Chavez celebration is an essential
educational event.
“We’re predominantly Latino … so our focus is on the Latino
community,” said Lila Medeiros, community service chair for the
sorority. “This event is important because it makes people aware of
other cultures.”
Last year’s clothing drive, which only lasted for one week,
brought in enough clothes to fill two garages. Because this year’s
drive will last for a month, ASAP is expecting to collect a high
volume of clothes, said Megan Lewis, the ASAP assistant director
for administration.
All clothes collected will be sorted on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
in the ASAP office, and anyone interested can stop by to help.
ASAP is also helping to fund a free showing of the play “Papi,
Me and Cesar Chavez” at the Lory Student Center Theatre March 31,
which depicts the life of Chavez and the impact he had.
Other events planned for the Cesar Chavez celebration include an
exhibition featuring photographs of farm workers to be shown in the
LSC Art Lounge beginning March 29 and a participatory exhibit in
the LSC Sunken Lounge, which will include music, presentations and
videos, Harris said. Both of these events are focused on educating
about Cesar Chavez and furthering his cause.
Chavez, who died in 1993, is widely recognized as a leader in
human rights. He worked to improve working conditions for migrant
workers and helped them unionize, which Salas said has not only
allowed the U.S. agricultural industry to prosper, but has also
created greater equality for people of Latino and Hispanic
descent.
In fact, Salas saw Chavez speak at CSU more than 20 years
ago.
“(Chavez) was a small man in stature but very powerful in
intellect,” he said. “He was able to express himself and the
passion that he had was clear.”
Now Salas and his cohorts are working to extend that passion to
others in the Fort Collins community.
“We need more Cesar Chavezes out there,” he said. “By his
experience we can continue to fight for and address things that are
unjust.”
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