San Diego Union Tribune: Breakfast honors legacy of Cesar Chavez

“It’s a great accomplishment, but our goal is not just in the numbers,” said Guadalupe Corona, one of the organizers. “Our goal is to be able to educate through the breakfast the values and the legacy that Cesar Chavez left us.”

This year that job fell to several people rather than one keynote speaker.

Human-rights activist Andrea Guerrero of the American Civil Liberties Union talked about the value of “acceptance of all people” and how the county needs to do a better job offering information in languages other than English during emergencies such as the October wildfires.

Educator Maria Chavez’s topic was “celebrating community.” She spoke of the success of the countywide migrant education program she leads, which helps farmworkers and their children achieve their education goals.

Estela de los Rios of the Center for Social Advocacy talked about the need for minorities to register to vote, while San Diego District Attorney Oscar Garcia, who heads the hate crimes unit and the Regional Hate Crimes Coalition, spoke about tolerance.

“Every year we hold educational contests with schools throughout the county where we ask students to present programs to us which embrace some of Cesar Chavez key principles; education, nonviolence, tolerance and diversity,” he said.

Chavez fought on behalf of farmworkers until his death in 1993. He co-founded the United Farm Workers and negotiated the first industrywide farm labor contracts.

California will honor the late civil rights leader on Monday with a state holiday, and organizers continue to push for a national holiday.

“This is a ‘Sí, se puede’ (yes we can) movement to honor one of the most important civil rights leader of the 20th century,” said Evelina Alarcon of the Cesar E. Chavez National Holiday Foundation.

Alarcon said 13 states have set aside days honoring Chavez.

Related activities are planned this weekend, including a parade starting at 10 a.m. tomorrow at 28th Street and Ocean View Boulevard. A Mass is planned for 6 p.m. Sunday at Our Lady of Guadalupe church in Barrio Logan.

Hiram Soto: (619) 293-2027; hiram.soto@uniontrib.com