By: Emily Rasmussen ~ Long Beach Press-Telegram ~ March 25, 2019
The event at Cesar Chavez Elementary starts at 11 a.m.
United Farm Workers leader Cesar Chavez pauses during his 1,000-mile march through the agricultural valley of California on behalf of the UFW union in 1975. AP file photo
By EMILY RASMUSSEN, Long Beach Press-Telegram ~ March 25, 2019 https://www.presstelegram.com/2019/03/25/this-is-how-long-beach-will-celebrate-cesar-chavez-day-on-sunday-march-31/
The Long Beach community will celebrate civil rights activist Cesar Chavez with culture and education on the day named in his honor, Sunday, March 31.
The free event at Cesar Chavez Elementary will feature Aztec dancers, food and a lecture to honor the Mexican American farm labor leader who advocated for nonviolent social change since the 1950s.
Chavez co-founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962 and is known for the phrase “¡Si se puede!” which loosely translates to “Yes, it can be done” or “Yes, it’s possible.” Cesar Chavez Day became a California holiday in 2000 and it is celebrated on his birthday on March 31. He died in 1993.
Armando Vazquez-Ramos, a professor at Cal State Long Beach and founder of the California-Mexico Studies Center, said it’s important for Long Beach to celebrate Chavez’s values and legacy. The holiday aims to “enhance the awareness of serving others and the principles of non-violence, and justice for all,” he said.
“Cesar Chavez visited Long Beach on many occasions during his life and left a memorable impression upon generations of Latinos, and people of good will in our town,” Vazquez-Ramos said. “We cannot afford to lose the tradition of celebrating Cesar Chavez, nor forget the importance of his sacrifice in life to help others.”
The event is being organized by the Centro CHA and the California-Mexico Studies Center, and is sponsored by a handful of city leaders. Professor and author José Ángel Gutiérrez will discuss his new book, “The Eagle Has Eyes,” about Chavez and the United Farm Workers Union. Cost: Free. For more information, go to lbschools.net
When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 31, 2019
Where: Cesar Chavez Elementary School. 730 W. 3rd St., Long Beach
What: Cesar Chavez Day Celebration, Sunday March 31, 2019
The Long Beach community will celebrate Cesar Chavez Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 31 at Chavez Elementary School. The educational and cultural event will feature music, Aztec dancers, food and a lecture by Dr. José Ángel Gutierrez on the legacy of Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers as detailed in his new book, "The Eagle Has Eyes."
Along with Cesar Chavez, Gutierrez was one of the national leaders in the 1960s who led the Mexican American civil rights movement.
View English flier. View Spanish flier.
Source: Emily Rasmussen ~ Long Beach Press-Telegram ~ March 25, 2019
