DANE A. VANDERVELDEN
STAFF WRITER

Holding permanent vigil at the top of the staircases to the left of the school library stands Cal State San Marcos’s tribute to one of the most highly regarded Latino civil rights activists in modern history: a life-sized metallic sculpture of César Estrada Chávez.

Perched above the saying, “Sí, se puede” (Chávez’s personal slogan, meaning “Yes, it is possible” or “Yes, it can be done”), the statue pays homage to the numerous advancements Chávez made in the steep uphill battle for immigrant workers’ rights.

Whereas CSUSM honors Chávez with this sculpture, March 31 has been designated as César Chávez Day by the states, Colorado, Texas and California. Across these three states, many public schools, community colleges, libraries and other state government offices close for the day to honor the memory of Chávez’s work, as well.

According to the César Chávez Foundation website, Chávez was born March 31, 1927 in Yuma, Arizona to a Mexican-American family. Chávez’s family owned a ranch and grocery store, but eventually lost them both to the turmoil of the Great Depression.

Forced to seek work, Chávez’s family headed west to California to become migrant workers. It was there that Chávez began to encounter the struggles that his fellow Mexican-Americans were experiencing on a daily basis.

After graduating the eighth grade, Chávez worked the fields for two years to help support his family before suiting up and serving in the U.S. Navy for two years.

Upon returning to civilian life, Chávez went back to the fields but quickly established himself as an organizer for the Community Service Organization (CSO), a Latino civil rights group. He traveled the country urging Mexican Americans to register to vote, and also delivered speeches on the rights of migrant workers. He would eventually become the organization’s president in 1958.

In 1962, Chávez left the CSO and co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), another organization geared solely toward the advancement of immigrant workers. Throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s, Chávez would lead numerous strikes across the nation in pursuit of wage hikes for the various immigrant fruit and vegetable pickers. He rarely initiated a strike that did not succeed in its goal.

Chávez passed away in 1993, but since then, his legacy has made him as a revered historical icon in the Latino community. His active support for immigrant workers and his unwavering faith in the ability of grassroots movements to bring about national change have become legendary.