In 1962, Cesar Chavez founded the United Farm Workers Association (UFW).
Sixty-three years later on Thursday, March 27, approximately 150 community members gathered near the Cesar Chavez statue in the Fresno State Peace Garden for an annual memorial put on by the College Assistance Migrant Program and the Cross-Cultural and Gender Center.
In the name of the UFW, Chavez led several marches and fasted for lengths up to 36 days in order to advocate for the rights of farm workers across the United States.
Cesar Chavez Day is celebrated annually, this year on March 31, in honor of his work.
The Thursday memorial went from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. and hosted performances by Danza de Los Diablos, Los Danzantes de Aztlán and the Fresno State Mariachi.
After the live entertainment took place, Raul Moreno, chief executive officer of the Moreno Institute, Sudarshan Kapoor, founder of the Peace Garden and professor emeritus in the Department of Social Work Education and Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval gave speeches.
Also featured was an array of over 25 on-campus organizations that were tabling along the perimeter of the Peace Garden.
Gabriel Perez, a member of the Beta Gamma Nu Fraternity Inc., was tabling for the fraternity’s philanthropic organization “Heart of the U.S.A,” which focuses on advocating for farm workers and migrants.
He spoke about the memorial’s significance to him.
“It’s very meaningful seeing Fresno State hosting an event such as this,” Perez said. “It’s just very impactful seeing all the students come out [and] learn about our culture… and just celebrating Cesar Chavez’s life and what he was able to accomplish.”
The annual commemoration has been in the works for months, explained academic advisor for the College Assistance Migrant Program camp Jose Mundo.
“We made the reservation for the Peace Garden back in November, and ever since January kicked in we started doing everything that needs to come through,” Mundo said.
For Mundo, the memorial serves as an important reminder of Chavez’s advocacy work for farm workers and migrants.
“We celebrate so we don’t forget who he was and so students remember that, you know, maybe one day they’ll be the ones on the statues,” Mundo said.
Before the speeches began, Mundo led the audience in a moment of silence to recognize the recent death of professor emeritus Manuel Perez, who worked at Fresno State as a member of the Chicano Staff Association.
Perez died at age 95 on March 24 and was described by the Fresno Bee as a community activist.
Of the three speakers was the keynote, Raul Moreno, who spoke about his mission in attending the memorial.
“Today I was invited to be the guest speaker, but my topic has always been defending the community,” Moreno said. “I’m asking students, staff [and] faculty to come together and be the voice for those that do not have a voice.”
During his speech, Moreno led the crowd in a chant:
“When I say Viva, you say Chavez,” Moreno said.
Moreno highlighted Chavez’s legacy and the vitality of supporting programs that aid underrepresented groups such as the Educational Opportunity Program, Services for Students with Disabilities and the Migrant Education Program at Fresno State.
Shortly after, Kapoor gave his speech where he pushed the notion of enduring hardship; a lesson that can be taken from Chavez’s actions.
Before the event, Kapoor gave insight into his personal experience with Chavez in an interview with The Collegian.
“It was right in ‘68 when I came to know about him, [and] since then actually I have been in touch with him,” Kapoor said. “I was teaching a class about Gandhi and nonviolence, and he gave a seminar.”
Kapoor explained that, while Chavez initially said that he only had 15 minutes to speak, he ended up talking with the students for an hour-and-a-half.
“The students were so thrilled and uplifted,” Kapoor said.
Kapoor also emphasized that the youth are the future, therefore making college-targeted events such as this all the more significant.
“[Students] are our hope, they are the ones who are going to carry on, and we want to remind them [about] the sacrifices that [Chavez] made,” Kapoor said.
Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval also discussed the importance of student attendance at the memorial after his speech.
“I feel that the more students participate in these cultural events that are open to everyone, the more we learn about the past and the more we strengthen our ties with each other here in the present,” Jiménez-Sandoval said.
Through live music, entertainment and three speeches, Cesar Chavez’s legacy was celebrated among students, staff, faculty and the Fresno community.
Fernanda Sistos contributed to the reporting of this story.
