<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>César E. Chávez – Amigos805.com</title> <atom:link href="https://amigos805.com/tag/cesar-e-chavez/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://amigos805.com</link> <description>Information for and about the vibrant Latino community in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties 805 region</description> <lastBuildDate>Sat, 04 Apr 2015 01:23:23 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2</generator> <item> <title>April cover story: One reporter’s view of a 20th-century icon</title> <link>https://amigos805.com/april-cover-story-one-reporters-view-of-a-20th-century-icon/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Amigos805.com]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2015 13:30:43 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Cultural]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cabrillo Village]]></category> <category><![CDATA[César E. Chávez]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Oxnard]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Piru]]></category> <category><![CDATA[protest march]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Santa Paula]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Saticoy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[UFW]]></category> <category><![CDATA[United Farm Workers of America]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://amigos805.com/?p=22476</guid> <description><![CDATA[Coverage of march from Santa Paula to Cabrillo Village in Saticoy opened up the world of reporting on local, national events By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 Was it really more than a quarter of century ago when I first…<p class="more-link-p"><a class="more-link" href="https://amigos805.com/april-cover-story-one-reporters-view-of-a-20th-century-icon/">Read more →</a></p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_22477" style="width: 368px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-22477" class="size-full wp-image-22477 " src="http://amigos805.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/César-E.-Chávez-—-April-2-1982-Protest-March-e1428110286438.jpg" alt="" width="358" height="593" /><p id="caption-attachment-22477" class="wp-caption-text">César E. Chávez on March 27, 1982, completing the second day of a 40-plus-mile protest march from Piru to Oxnard. Photo by Frank X. Moraga © 2015</p></div> <p><span style="color: #800000;"><strong><em>Coverage of march from Santa Paula to Cabrillo Village in Saticoy opened up the world of reporting on local, national events</em></strong></span></p> <p><strong><em></em>By Frank X. Moraga</strong> / <em>Amigos805</em></p> <div> <p>Was it really more than a quarter of century ago when I first laid eyes on an individual who had become synonymous with self-sacrifice, determination and the willingness to do what it takes to elevate the working conditions of his fellow human beings?</p> <p>It was a typical spring day in Ventura County. The April showers threatened to arrive a few days early on Saturday, March 27, 1982.</p> <p>And there he was, wearing his traditional black nylon jacket and dark t-shirt with that look of determination as he walked the final steps that late afternoon from Santa Paula to the farmworker-owned housing at Cabrillo Village in Saticoy.</p> <p>César E. Chávez had begun his march the day before in Piru, with the end point to be his old community organizing stomping grounds in Oxnard, a 40-plus-mile journey.</p> <p>For Chávez, and the intimidating body guards walking nearby, it just seemed like a typical stroll, not that day’s 11-mile trudge that would have had many of us journalists hanging our tongues and counting our blisters.</p> <p>Along with the several hundred striking farmworkers and supporters in attendance, Chávez was soon surrounded by the media horde, including yours truly, as we struggled to take photographs and ask questions of the man who had long since become a cultural legend, lauded by individuals such as the late Robert F. Kennedy and Coretta Scott King, wife of the late Martin Luther King, Jr.</p> <p>For Chávez, it was all about getting another union contract signed with local growers.</p> <p>“The two big issues are wages and the duration of the contract,” Chávez was quoted in a Ventura College Press article about the strike against citrus growers ~ Coastal Growers Association in Oxnard, L & O Growers and Limoneira Co. of Santa Paula (1,200 strikers) and mushroom grower West Foods Inc. in Ventura (1,450 strikers).</p> <p>Chávez, who had marched with farmworkers in the lettuce fields of Salinas and the vineyards of Northern California, felt the demonstrations were an effective way to gain public attention and support.</p> <p>“It (the march) is going to have a definite impact,” he said. “The march is an effort to document our struggle…. If we don’t settle the strike soon, we will try to get between 20,000 and 25,000 supporters to protest in Oxnard.”</p> <p>Chávez was joined that day by Mario Obledo, the former California Secretary of Health and Welfare, who was waging a long-shot candidacy for the Democratic nomination for governor. Obledo would eventually lose that nomination to Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, who would lose that fall to Republican George Deukmejian.</p> <p>But on that late March afternoon, the mood was celebratory, with plenty of speeches by UFW union members and supporters. For Chávez himself came the realization that he had yet another day to go before ending this particular march in Oxnard, adding to the hundreds of miles he had already marched throughout California and elsewhere.</p> <p>“These marches are always very difficult and painful, especially when walking on blisters,” he said that day. “I feel tired like most of the people who have marched today, but I also do feel pretty good.”</p> <p>As reported that day, Chávez waved to the crowd of people as he approached the village. “Muchas gracias,” he said as he passed a throng of well-wishers.</p> <p>I recall seeing Chávez one more time, probably a year or so before he passed away on April 23, 1993. He was speaking in Spanish to a crowd packed into the cafeteria at the old Juanita Elementary School in La Colonia neighborhood of Oxnard, a school that would be renamed for him on Sept. 24, 1993. It just amazed me that such a soft-spoken individual could still command such a huge following, audience members who hung on his every word. But they did just that, as people continued to remember the impact this man from Yuma had on the American labor movement.</p> <p> </p> <h2>For more information on the life of César E. Chávez, visit</h2> <p>> The Nation review of 2014 movie “Cesar Chavez” — <a href="http://www.thenation.com/article/179121/not-cesar-chavez-i-knew#" target="_blank">http://www.thenation.com/article/179121/not-cesar-chavez-i-knew#</a></p> <p>> A&E Channel biography — <a href="http://www.biography.com/people/cesarchavez-9245781" target="_blank">http://www.biography.com/people/cesarchavez-9245781</a></p> <p>> History.com biography — <a href="http://www.history.com/topics/cesar-chavez" target="_blank">http://www.history.com/topics/cesar-chavez</a></p> <p>> Ventura County Star 2002— Chavez celebration grows to week — <a href="http://www.vcstar.com/news/chavez-celebration-grows-to-week" target="_blank">http://www.vcstar.com/news/chavez-celebration-grows-to-week</a></p> </div> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Bilingual report: CSU Channel Islands’ week long César E. Chávez Celebration continues through March 30</title> <link>https://amigos805.com/csu-channel-islands-announces-weeklong-cesar-e-chavez-celebration-starting-march-25/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Amigos805.com]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:27:16 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Cultural]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[En español]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Events]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[César E. Chávez]]></category> <category><![CDATA[CSU Channel Islands' Center for Community Engagement]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://amigos805.com/?p=12472</guid> <description><![CDATA[  CAMARILLO— CSU Channel Islands (CI) invites the public to join in a weeklong celebration honoring the late labor leader and civil rights activist César Chávez. A series of events are planned on the CI campus and at Café on A in Oxnard throughout…<p class="more-link-p"><a class="more-link" href="https://amigos805.com/csu-channel-islands-announces-weeklong-cesar-e-chavez-celebration-starting-march-25/">Read more →</a></p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> </p> <p><strong><a href="http://amigos805.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Cesar-E.-Chavez-exhibit.jpg" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-12493" title="" src="http://amigos805.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Cesar-E.-Chavez-exhibit-e1363278354923.jpg" alt="" width="325" height="420" /></a></strong></p> <p><strong>CAMARILLO</strong>— <a href="http://www.csuci.edu/" target="_blank">CSU Channel Islands</a> (CI) invites the public to join in a weeklong celebration honoring the late labor leader and civil rights activist César Chávez. A series of events are planned on the CI campus and at Café on A in Oxnard throughout the week of March 25, leading up to César Chávez Day on March 31.</p> <p>The events are intended to engage students, faculty, staff and community members in a shared celebration of Chávez’s life, legacy and core values, the university reported in a media release. Throughout the week, CI students will also participate in activities promoting service, advocacy and volunteerism.</p> <p>The weeklong celebration is made possible by funding from Instructionally Related Activities and sponsored by CI’s Centers for Community and Multicultural Engagement, the Chicana/o Studies, Communication, and History programs, the John Spoor Broome Library and Project ISLAS, the CSU Channel Islands’ Center for Community Engagement reported.</p> <p><strong><span style="color: #800000;">A detailed listing of free, public events is provided below:</span></strong></p> <p><strong>Volunteer Fair: Spring Into Service</strong><br /> <strong>Monday, March 25, 2013 at 10 a.m. in the Library Courtyard</strong><br /> “Spring into Service” will allow you to find volunteer, advocacy and service-learning opportunities that match your interests, major, and career goals. Ventura County non-profits will be visiting the campus to offer a wide variety of opportunities. Come get involved, take action, and make a difference in your community today.</p> <p><strong>Voice of a Generation: Spoken Word Performance Workshop</strong><br /> <strong>Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 4 p.m. in the Student Union Building</strong><br /> Come learn from nationally recognized spoken word poet Paul Flores, featured on HBO’s Def Poetry Jams, as he leads a spoken word workshop for CI students who want to learn more about performance poetry, hip hop activism and using your words to create social change and impact.</p> <p><strong>Rhyme for a Reason: Social Justice Poetry Slam</strong><br /> <strong>Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. in the Student Union Buidling</strong><br /> Don’t Mince Your Words, Deliver Your Message, Come Speak Your PEACE at the Social Justice Poetry Slam. Come for a night of words, music and fun. MC will be nationally recognized spoken word poet, Paul Flores, a past performer on HBO’s Def Poetry Jams.</p> <p><strong>Equitable Language for a Just Community</strong><br /> <strong>Wednesday, March 27, 1 to 3 p.m. in Petit Salon</strong><br /> The Language Justice workshop, facilitated by Alena Marie and Greg Brieto, from Just Communities, introduces participants to an analysis of power, privilege, and language. Participants will consider how language can be both a tool of oppression as well as a critical strand of movements for social justice.</p> <p><strong>César E. Chávez: A Legacy of Service: Photo Exhibit Opening & Reception</strong><br /> <strong>Wednesday, March 27, 2013 at 1 p.m. in the Broome Library 1320 Exhibition Hall</strong><br /> Join us for the debut of two exhibits that pay powerful tribute to the memory of César Chávez. Photojournalist Jess Gutierrez has captured the spirit of Ventura County farmworker communities for over four decades. Artist Xico González honors labor leaders of the United Farm Workers movement in celebration of the 50<sup>th</sup> Anniversary. The event will include a 6 p.m. panel discussion, moderated by Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the <a title="United Farm Workers" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Farm_Workers" target="_blank">United Farm Workers</a> (UFW) union with <a title="César Chávez" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%A9sar_Ch%C3%A1vez" target="_blank">César Chávez</a>. The panel will feature faculty members, community activists and artists who will discuss the intersections of Chávez’s core values of service and learning, art, and community activism. A reception will follow at 7 p.m. Limited complimentary campus parking will be available. Follow signs to event parking. Please RSVP to the exhibit opening at: <a href="https://csuci.wufoo.com/forms/r6r2q7/" target="_blank">https://csuci.wufoo.com/forms/r6r2q7/</a>. For more information, contact Dr. Frank Barajas at frank.barajas@csuci.edu. This event is sponsored by Laborers’ International Union of North America-LIUNA-Local 585, Ventura and Cabo Seafood, Grill and Cantina.</p> <p><strong>cinÉngage: Children in No Man’s Land</strong></p> <p><strong>Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 6 p.m. in Broome Library 1320</strong><br /> A documentary that uncovers the current plight of the 100,000 unaccompanied minors entering the United States every year. This film gives this timely political debate about the U.S./ Mexico border a human face by exploring the story of Maria de Jesus (13) and her cousin Rene (12) as they attempt to cross the U.S./Mexico border alone to reunite with their moth¬ers in the Midwest. Focusing on minors crossing through the Sonora Desert area in Nogales, Arizona, this film explores every detail of these children’s journey as well as the journeys of other children we meet on the way. We uncover in an intimate and personal way where they are coming from, what their journeys have been like, and how they’ve gone about making the United States of America their new home.</p> <p><strong>Revoltoso: The Art of Xico González</strong><br /> <strong>Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 7 p.m.</strong><br /> <strong>Café on A – 438 South A Street, Oxnard, CA.</strong><br /> Brash, evocative, and never shy, González’s “Revoltoso” features silkscreen posters created in support of numerous political causes, but mainly the fight for immigrants’ rights. In this Metizo Gallery Stroll González’s art “over-turns” conventional thought and popular images to make his audience react in visceral ways. In his own words, González “seeks to empower people uniting in common cause against a common oppressor disguised in different mascaras [masks].” This has madeå him not only an artist, but an activist/organizer who puts his artistic skills to the benefit of his community. Xico’s work contributes to the long dialogue of art, activism and the legacy of the Chicano Art Movement.</p> <p><strong>Rhyme for a Reason II: Social Justice Poetry Slam</strong><br /> <strong>Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 8 p.m.</strong><br /> <strong>Café on A – 438 South A Street, Oxnard, CA.</strong><br /> Nationally recognized Chicano poet Paul Flores will be coming to Oxnard to speak his rhyme. The Center for Community Engagement will host San Francisco poet Paul Flores, a past performer on HBO’s Def Poetry Jams, as he weaves spoken word, theater and hip-hop around issues of social justice.</p> <p><span style="color: #800000;"><strong>Farmworker Immersion Project</strong></span></p> <p><strong>Saturday, March 30 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.<br /> </strong></p> <p><strong>The Farmworker Immersion Project g</strong>uides students through a firsthand experience of typical farm work life in Ventura County. We will speak with farmworkers and their families in their homes and visit a local berry farm, to learn about the agricultural business in our county, harvest berries and eat lunch with the farmworkers. We will return to CI for reflection and pizza.Students are required to apply for this project and attend an orientation session, applicants will be notified of further trip details. This event is limited to 35 students. Please apply at: <a href="https://csuci.wufoo.com/forms/r6r2w7/" target="_blank">https://csuci.wufoo.com/forms/r6r2w7/</a></p> <p>For more information please contact:<br /> Pilar Pacheco, Associate Director,<br /> Center for Community Engagement at<br /> <a title="Contact Pilar Pacheco" href="mailto:pilar.pacheco@csuci.edu" target="_blank">pilar.pacheco@csuci.edu</a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong> ***</strong></p> <h3><strong>CI Patrocina una Semana de Eventos para Celebrar el Día de César Chávez</strong></h3> <p><em>Los eventos comunitarios incluyen competencias de poesía, fotografía y exposiciones de arte</em><em></em></p> <p><strong>CAMARILLO</strong> — <a href="http://www.csuci.edu/" target="_blank">CSU Channel Islands</a> (CI) invita al público a participar de una celebración de una semana de duración en honor del fallecido líder laboral y activista de los derechos civiles César Chávez. Se han programado una serie de eventos en las instalaciones de CI y en Café on A de Oxnard a lo largo de la semana, a partir del 25 de Marzo, hasta el 31, día de César Chávez.</p> <p>La intención de estos eventos es la de lograr la participación de los estudiantes, la facultad, el personal y los miembros de la comunidad en una celebración compartida de la vida de Chávez, su legado y sus principios medulares. A lo largo de la semana, los estudiantes de CI también participarán en actividades promoviendo la idea de servicio, apoyo y voluntariado.</p> <p>A continuación presentamos la lista de eventos públicos y gratuitos.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">César E. Chávez: Un Legado de Servicio:</span></strong><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> Apertura y Recepción de la Exposición de Arte y Fotografía</span></strong></p> <p><strong>Miércoles 27 de Marzo a las 7:30 PM, John Spoor Broome Library, CI campus</strong></p> <p>Le invitamos a participar junto a nosotros en el debut de dos exposiciones que rinden un gran tributo a la memoria de César Chávez. El fotoperiodista Jess Gutierrez ha captado el espíritu de las comunidades de braceros de Ventura County por más de tres décadas. El artista Xico González rinde tributo a los líderes laborales del movimiento United Farm Workers en su celebración del 50 Aniversario. El evento incluye, a las 6 PM, un panel de discusión moderado por Dolores Huerta, cofundadora del sindicato <a title="United Farm Workers" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Farm_Workers" target="_blank">United Farm Workers</a> (UFW) junto con César Chávez. Seguirá una recepción a las 7 PM. Habrá limitado estacionamiento de cortesía en las instalaciones. Siga las señalizaciones que conducen al estacionamiento del evento. RSVP a la apertura de la exposición a: <a href="https://csuci.wufoo.com/forms/r6r2q7/%20/%20_blank" target="_blank">https://csuci.wufoo.com/forms/r6r2q7/</a>. Para obtener más información, puede ponerse en contacto con Dr. Frank Barajas en <a href="mailto:frank.barajas@csuci.edu%20/%20_blank" target="_blank">frank.barajas@csuci.edu</a><span style="text-decoration: underline;">.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Revoltoso: El Arte de Xico González</span></strong></p> <p><strong>Jueves 28 de Marzo, a las 7 PM, Café on A, 438 South A Street, Oxnard</strong></p> <p>Impetuoso, evocativo y nunca tímido, “Revoltoso” de Xico González presenta serigrafías creadas en apoyo a numerosas causas políticas, pero fundamentalmente a la lucha por los derechos de los inmigrantes. Su arte subvierte el pensamiento convencional y las imágenes populares para que su público reaccione de forma visceral. Activista y organizador, al mismo tiempo que artista, González utiliza sus habilidades artísticas para beneficio de su comunidad y contribuye al largo diálogo del arte, el activismo y el legado del Chicano Art Movement.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Rhyme for a Reason II: Competencia de Poesía por la Justicia Social</span></strong></p> <p><strong>Jueves 28 de Marzo, a las 8 PM, Café on A, 438 South A Street, Oxnard</strong></p> <p>Nacionalmente reconocido, el premiado poeta Chicano, autor y dramaturgo Paul Flores viene a Oxnard para presentarnos su rima. Ex-integrante de Def Poetry Jams de HBO, Flores entreteje la palabra hablada, el teatro y el hip-hop en torno a la problemática de la justicia social.</p> <p>Esta semana de celebraciones es posible gracias a: CI’s Centers for Community and Multicultural Engagement; the Chicana/o Studies, Communication, and History programs; the John Spoor Broome Library; Project ISLAS; Instructionally Related Activities funds; Laborers’ International Union of North America-LIUNA-Local 585, Ventura; Cabo Seafood Grill &Cantina; Xavier Montes; and Marie Gregorio-Oviedo.</p> <p>Para obtener más información, puede comunicarse con Pilar Pacheco, Associate Director, Center for Community Engagement, enviando correo electrónico a: <a href="mailto:pilar.pacheco@csuci.edu" target="_blank">pilar.pacheco@csuci.edu</a> ó 805-437-8851.</p> <p>Para preguntas de medios publicitarios, contacte a Nancy Covarrubias Gill, Directora de Comunicaciones y Publicidad de CSU Channel Islands, llamando al 805-437-8456 o por correo electrónico a <a href="mailto:nancy.gill@csuci.edu" target="_blank">nancy.gill@csuci.edu</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>César E. Chávez exhibit on March 27 highlights a lifetime of capturing the Latino perspective</title> <link>https://amigos805.com/cesar-e-chavez-exhibit-on-march-27-highlights-a-lifetime-of-capturing-the-latino-perspective/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Amigos805.com]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 25 Mar 2013 14:30:11 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Cultural]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Events]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[César E. Chávez]]></category> <category><![CDATA[CSU Channel Islands]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Dolores Huerta]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jess Gutierrez]]></category> <category><![CDATA[United Farm Workers Union]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://amigos805.com/?p=12594</guid> <description><![CDATA[Photojournalist Jess Gutierrez joins with artist Xico González to present César E. Chávez, UFW exhibit at CSU Channel Islands Amigos805 staff report If there was a big gathering of Latinos, Chicanos, farmworkers, community activists and others in the 805 region, chances…<p class="more-link-p"><a class="more-link" href="https://amigos805.com/cesar-e-chavez-exhibit-on-march-27-highlights-a-lifetime-of-capturing-the-latino-perspective/">Read more →</a></p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_12595" style="width: 334px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://amigos805.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/CESAR-CHAVEZ-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-12595" class="size-full wp-image-12595" title="" src="http://amigos805.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/CESAR-CHAVEZ-1-e1363888040605.jpg" alt="" width="324" height="216" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-12595" class="wp-caption-text">Photo by Jess Gutierrez</p></div> <p><span style="color: #800000;"><strong><em>Photojournalist </em></strong><strong><em>Jess Gutierrez joins with artist Xico González to present César E. Chávez, UFW exhibit </em></strong><strong><em>at CSU Channel Islands</em></strong></span></p> <p><strong>Amigos805 staff report</strong></p> <p>If there was a big gathering of Latinos, Chicanos, farmworkers, community activists and others in the 805 region, chances were photojournalist Jess Gutierrez wouldn’t be too far from the action.</p> <p>With his trusty camera, Gutierrez could be found documenting Latino life in the region, covering everything from El Concilio Family Services’ annual Latino Leadership Awards to protest marches featuring César E. Chávez.</p> <p>To honor legacy of Chávez, Gutierrez will join artist Xico González to present an exhibit featuring images of César E. Chávez and other leaders from the United Farm Workers union on Wednesday, March 27 at CSU Channel Islands.</p> <p>The exhibit opens at 5 p.m. at the Broome Library, 1320 Exhibition Hall, followed by a panel discussion moderated by CSUCI Professor Dr. Jose Alamillo and a reception at 7 p.m.</p> <p>Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers Union, will be the guest speaker. Click here to <a href="http://csuci.wufoo.com/forms/r6r2q7" target="_blank">RSVP</a>.</p> <p>Titled “A Legacy of Service,” the exhibit captures what César E. Chávez was about: a fighter for human dignity and justice for all working people, Gutierrez said. There are images in the exhibit of him talking to farm workers at Buena Vista Labor Camp in Oxnard, one of the largest camps in the U.S. at the time, housing up to 5,000 braceros.</p> <p>“I never imagined my photography exhibited at CSU Channel Islands,” Gutierrez said. “It’s a photographer’s dream, for his work to be appreciated and valued, especially when it happens in your own community and is displayed by an institution of higher learning.”</p> <div id="attachment_12599" style="width: 210px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="http://amigos805.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Jess-Gutierrez.jpg" target="_blank"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-12599" class="size-full wp-image-12599" title="" src="http://amigos805.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Jess-Gutierrez-e1363888250775.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="200" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-12599" class="wp-caption-text">Photojournalist Jess Gutierrez with some of the banned books he was gathering to take to Arizona in 2012 as part of “Librotraficante,” a protest against Arizona’s ban against ethnic studies programs. Photo by Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805</p></div> <p>Gutierrez said his own family’s history was closely tied to the movement led by Chávez.</p> <p>“Having worked as a teen in Oxnard fields for a dollar an hour or less, with no overtime pay, potable water or restroom facilities, I agreed with Chávez when he spoke to farm workers about their right for better working conditions, higher wages and not being afraid to speak their minds,” Gutierrez stated in a media release. “He was saying what most of us were afraid to say a decade before.”</p> <p>Gutierrez’s family relocated in 1961 from East Los Angeles to Oxnard, where the family labored as field workers. He remembers picking tomatoes, green beans, chilies and using the eventually-banned short handled hoe (el cortito), working alongside braceros from local labor camps during his freshman and sophomore summer breaks from Oxnard High School.</p> <p>By 1972, Gutierrez was president of MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan) at Moorpark Community College, a group that presented Cinco de Mayo celebrations that featured speakers like Chávez and Luis Valdez, founder of El Teatro Campesino.</p> <p>In 1973, Gutierrez became a photographer for La Colonia Youth Services Project and started documenting the United Farm Workers when they held their marches, rallies and boycotts in the region. The LCYSP office was located across the street from the county’s United Farm Workers Colonia office, he said.</p> <p>Chávez, who at one time lived in La Colonia, visited Ventura County many times, participating in the marches that often ended with a rally at Colonia Park. Over the years, Gutierrez covered the farmworker movement and included information in his bi-weekly column “Minority View” in the Ventura County Star-Free Press from 1977 to 1983.</p> <p>Gutierrez said he also interviewed Chávez for an article in Lowrider Magazine about Chávez’s teenage years growing up in Delano, cruising in the family’s 1940 Chevy and looking “cool” in his zoot suit.</p> <p>In 2001, as a substitute teacher at his alma mater and MEChA Club co-advisor, Gutierrez said he wrote for a $10,000 grant for the states’ first César E. Chávez Day of Service and Learning program to promote service to communities in honor of the life and work of César E. Chávez.</p> <p>Oxnard High School was the only county school funded for the grant, he said.</p> <p>“I didn’t know at the time my images and stories about Chávez would become historical decades later,” Gutierrez said. “I enjoyed the excitement and passion of the large crowds supporting Chávez and the farm worker struggle. I’m proud of being part of that history and documenting it so others do not forget its significance.”</p> <p>Chávez’s service to others, people of all color and races, is now recognized nationwide, Gutierrez said.</p> <p>Chávez was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States; the U.S. Navy named a cargo ship after him, USNS Cesar Chavez; and La Paz, the UFW headquarters near Bakersfield, was recently designated the César E. Chávez National Monument by President Obama, he said.</p> <p>“In Oxnard we now have the César E. Chávez Elementary School, César E. Chávez Drive, and an annual march to honor César E. Chávez on his birthday,” Gutierrez said. “Chavez’s fight for justice created a movement that transcended small rural communities like Oxnard to large urban cities and across the nation, inspiring multitudes with the spirit of ‘Si Se Puede’ that President Obama adopted in his first presidential campaign – ‘Yes We Can.’ ”</p> <p>Gutierrez is also celebrating his 40th year in photography.</p> <p>“My photography is a personal journey of my Latino culture and activism; it’s very personal and public at the same time,” he said. “I photograph people in their most private and public moments and these images will last a lifetime, and some become historical.”</p> <p>Gutierrez said his image collection numbers in the thousands and includes images about culture, religion, entertainment, music, cultural and political events, Latino leaders and everyday people, custom lowrider cars, teenagers (now their 40s and 50s).</p> <p>He also said this is the first of several photography exhibitions he will present throughout 2013. Others are scheduled for Oxnard, Ventura and Santa Paula.</p> <p>His work has been previously exhibited at the Bell Arts Factory in Ventura, Cafe on A’s Rudy F. Acuña Gallery and Cultural Arts Center, the Carnegie Art Museum, the Mexican Consulate and ¿Tomas Café?, all in Oxnard.</p> <p>His work has also appeared in El Informador, El Sol, VIDA Newspaper and Amigos805. Gutierrez was the founder and publisher/editor of GENTE Magazine from 1981 to 1985 and published Latino Life Style in 2004.</p> <p>For information on “César E. Chávez: A Legacy of Service,” contact CSUCI Professor Frank Barajas at <a href="mailto:frank.barajas@csuci.edu" target="_blank">frank.barajas@csuci.edu</a> or 805-437-8862.</p> <div id="attachment_12596" style="width: 335px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://amigos805.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/CESAR-CHAVEZ-21.jpg" target="_blank"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-12596" class="size-full wp-image-12596" title="" src="http://amigos805.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/CESAR-CHAVEZ-2-e1363888382852.jpg" alt="" width="325" height="216" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-12596" class="wp-caption-text">Photo by Jess Gutierrez</p></div> <div id="attachment_12597" style="width: 335px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://amigos805.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/CESAR-CHAVEZ-BURIAL-SITE-LA-PAZ.jpg" target="_blank"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-12597" class="size-full wp-image-12597" title="" src="http://amigos805.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/CESAR-CHAVEZ-BURIAL-SITE-LA-PAZ-e1363888537904.jpg" alt="" width="325" height="481" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-12597" class="wp-caption-text">César E. Chávez burial site in La Paz near Bakersfield. Photo by Jess Gutierrez</p></div> <div id="attachment_12598" style="width: 335px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://amigos805.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/CESAR-CHAVEZ-OXNARD-MARCH.jpg" target="_blank"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-12598" class="size-full wp-image-12598" title="" src="http://amigos805.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/CESAR-CHAVEZ-OXNARD-MARCH-e1363888630609.jpg" alt="" width="325" height="216" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-12598" class="wp-caption-text">Javier Gomez of the Inlakech Cultural Arts Center in Oxnard leads members of his group during a recent César E. Chavez March in Oxnard. Photo by Jess Gutierrez</p></div> <p><a href="http://amigos805.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Cesar-E.-Chavez-exhibit.jpg" target="_blank"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-12493" title="" src="http://amigos805.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Cesar-E.-Chavez-exhibit-e1363278354923.jpg" alt="" width="325" height="420" /></a></p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Commentary: César E. Chávez event on March 24 a time to focus on true immigration reform</title> <link>https://amigos805.com/commentary-cesar-e-chavez-event-on-march-24-a-time-to-focus-on-true-immigration-reform/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Amigos805.com]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:00:27 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Cultural]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Events]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[César E. Chávez]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Immigration reform]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Oxnard]]></category> <category><![CDATA[UFW]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://amigos805.com/?p=12510</guid> <description><![CDATA[Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805. By Denis O’Leary / Guest…<p class="more-link-p"><a class="more-link" href="https://amigos805.com/commentary-cesar-e-chavez-event-on-march-24-a-time-to-focus-on-true-immigration-reform/">Read more →</a></p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_551" style="width: 160px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="http://amigos805.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/09-27-10-oleary-b.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-551" class="size-full wp-image-551" title="" src="http://amigos805.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/09-27-10-oleary-b.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="220" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-551" class="wp-caption-text">Denis O'Leary</p></div> <p><strong>Editor’s note:</strong> <em>Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805.</em></p> <p><strong>By Denis O’Leary</strong> / <em>Guest contributor</em></p> <p>The national conversation around immigration is at its core about how we will define ourselves as Americans, and about our relationships with one another. What we expect and what we consider just are too often one sided arguments with political points repeated for brinkmanship more than collaborative policy building as the goal.</p> <p>The sub issues are many: harsh working and living conditions, poor wages, families torn apart, a lack of health benefits that saves corporate profit at the expense of tax payer emergency room costs, and youth who are held in the shadows of their parents are just some of the issues faced with. This same work force with their families provide the food, items and services in the best feed and wealthiest country on the planet. Tax provided benefits, education, law enforcement and security are issues that compensate for employers who benefit from an undocumented labor force.</p> <p>A true and just immigration reform will be a defining moment in our chaotic social-political American fabric and general way of life for years to come. Delayed by opposition and distracted upon by shrill slogans, true comprehensive reform has now become a survival cry in both Democratic and Republican Parties. This year, reform is expected, and voters have made it clear that it will be rewarded with potentially winning margins for those who bring this legislation.</p> <p>Generations of workers have been called to the United States to toil in the fields, factories, and service jobs that American citizens have rejected. This call has been at times by our government and often from land, factory or service company owners and investors who see their priority of personal wealth overriding civic or legal responsibility.</p> <p>Too often empty gratitude has become a political echo. Hate and hostility has become common and the men and women who toil in the increasingly political untouchable class have become pawns between patrician strengths.</p> <p>Republican candidates have lost the last two presidential elections and the majority of races in California in great part to their hard line stand against the Latino community. Penalties, back taxes, fines, fees and standing in the back of the line have become the cries of a Republican Party seemingly open to immigration reform for their own benefit and with their own self-aggrandizing proclamations without wanting to seem weak or rewarding on the issue.</p> <p>True immigration reform will not happen by itself. On Sunday, March 24, the community is invited to gather to call for an immigration reform that helps people, not entrenched politicians. In Oxnard, as in communities throughout California, families will gather to recognize the people who serve our country, and are by many, exploited and vilified.</p> <p>This year marks the 20th year since the passing of César Chávez, the co-founder of the United Farm Workers Union. Chavez was also a child in our Oxnard community who went to our schools and an adult who worked in our Ventura County fields.</p> <p>We have all benefited greatly, as has the nation from the advocacy and laws that have come about from the UFW and “la causa.”</p> <p>César Chávez was the catalyst of the movement, but many others were on the front line with the labor leader from the very beginning. Dolores Huerta still fights for justice in the farm worker ranks, as do UFW President Arturo Rodriguez, and every worker and volunteer who considers themselves an organizer.</p> <p>Oxnard was the city where César Chávez started his labor movement with gatherings at the elementary school that now bears his name. Like those who are calling for immigration reform today, César found difficulties at every turn, but his words were exciting and people listened.</p> <p>Now, twenty years after Cesar’s death, the population has caught up with his call for respect and justice. On Sunday, March 24 the community will gather in peace to demonstrate its resolve and show its political strength to see federal law catch up with justice and respect.</p> <p><strong>“César E. Chávez March for Immigration Reform!”:</strong></p> <ul> <li>9 a.m. Sunday, March 24 — Mass for the fieldworkers at Cristo Rey Church, 531 Cooper Road, Oxnard.</li> <li>10 a.m. Sunday, March 24 — March starts at Cristo Rey Church and ends at César Chávez School, 301 N. Marquita St., Oxnard.</li> <li>11 a.m. Sunday, March 24 — Celebration of our resolve to see a true and just immigration reform this year with UFW President Arturo Rodriguez.</li> </ul> <p><em>— Denis O’Leary is an educator and a member of the board of trustees for the Oxnard School District.</em></p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> </channel> </rss>