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Cesar Chavez Grandson at Dedication in Salinas of Plaque Where Chavez Was Jailed in 1970

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A bronze plaque was dedicated Tuesday, December 4 in Salinas outside the Old Monterey County Jail, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004 because of its link with the incarceration there of Cesar Chavez on Dec. 4, 1970. He had disobeyed a rural judge’s injunction against the boycott of a huge Salinas Valley vegetable grower. As he was being led away in the Salinas courtroom after the judge ordered him to jail, Chavez defiantly said, “Boycott the hell out of them.” After 20 days, on Christmas Eve, he was ordered set free by the California Supreme Court, which later found the injunction unconstitutional. Coretta Scott King and Ethel Kennedy, widows of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, visited him at the jail.

“The lessons learned nearly 50 years apply today,” said Andres Chavez, 24, a Chavez grandson representing the Chavez family and Cesar Chavez Foundation at the plaque unveiling ceremony in front of the old jail. “It is my hope that this plaque serves as a source of inspiration and a call to action to be courageous and to always stand on the right side of history, whether it be resisting the separation of families or continuing to support the farm workers’ right to organize.”

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¡Yo Aqui Cuento!

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In 1984, long before most people were talking about Latinos being the “sleeping giant” in electoral politics, Cesar Chavez spoke of the political power that came with the growing numbers of Latinos. Cesar’s words spoken over 30 years ago during the Commonwealth Club Address resonate now more than ever:

“Like the other immigrant groups, the day will come when we win the economic and political rewards which are in keeping with our numbers in society. The day will come when the politicians do the right thing by our people out of political necessity and not out of charity or idealism.
That day may not come this year. That day may not come during this decade. But it will come, someday!”

Follow along with the Yo Aqui Cuento campaign on the Cesar Chavez Foundation’s Facebook page to learn about the importance of voting and don’t forget to exercise your right to vote on November 6, 2018.

 

 

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PepsiCo Cesar Chavez Latino Scholarship Fund

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The Cesar Chavez Foundation, in partnership with PepsiCo, invite students of Latino descent who are beginning or continuing their studies at higher educational institutions in Arizona and California, to apply for the PepsiCo Cesar Chavez Latino Scholarship Fund. The Scholarship Fund provides $300,000 in scholarship awards to qualified Latino students in Arizona and California regardless of national origin or immigration status in an effort to promote their academic success. It supports 10 scholarships at $5,000 per student annually and will continue to do so until 2021. Scholarships are granted solely based on academic excellence, leadership in extra-curricular activities, commitment to volunteer service in the community and financial need. They are designed to supplement the students’ financial resources from family, government, and other sources. The intent is to fill the gaps our students encounter in financing a college education. The 2019-2020 application cycle is now open. Click here to apply!

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate the following: Academic excellence, leadership in extra-curricular activities, a commitment to volunteer service in the community and financial need.

Applicant must be an incoming or continuing full-time undergraduate student at any education institution for the 2017- 2018 Academic Year.

Applicant must be of Latino descent. Applicant must have a minimum 3.0 GPA.

Scholarship is available to U.S. Citizen, Permanent Legal Resident, Undocumented, DACA or Eligible Non-Citizen (as defined by FAFSA).

Applicant may only receive award once. Applicant’s immediate family members are not eligible for award within 12 calendar months (e.g. siblings, parents, or children).

 

For any questions on this application, please email:  

scholarship@chavezfoundation.org or bfimbres@chavezfoundation.org

 

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Cesar Chavez Foundation and New Directions for Veterans break ground on Ybarra Village

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Cesar Chavez Foundation and New Directions for Veterans to break ground on affordable housing project for veterans in West Adams district on April 4

LOS ANGELES – The Cesar Chavez Foundation and New Directions for Veterans (NDVets) will officially break ground on Ybarra Village, a new affordable housing community for veterans in the West Adams district of Los Angeles on April 4, 2018. This new residential community will feature 64 units with on-site supportive services for veterans provided by NDVets.

“There is an affordable housing crisis in Los Angeles and this project is critical to helping veterans in need of housing,” said Alfredo Izmajtovich, Executive Vice President of Housing and Economic Development for the Cesar Chavez Foundation. “We look forward to working with New Directions for Veterans in order to provide veterans with affordable housing and the services they require.”

Ybarra Village will feature 64 units with more than half of the units designated for homeless veterans, as well as additional units for veterans’ with special needs. The remainder of the units will be allocated for seniors, with a preference given to senior veterans. There will be a wide range of on-site social service programs for veterans provided by NDVets, including counseling, case management, job training, legal assistance and Veteran Affairs (VA) health services and benefits assistance.

“It’s an unfortunate reality that veterans are more likely than civilians to experience homelessness in their lifetime due to factors like Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD),” said NDVets CEO and President, Colonel (Ret.) Yvette J. Kelley. “We are grateful to the Cesar Chavez Foundation for making veterans a priority with the construction of Ybarra Village, where veterans will have a safe place to live with staff on-site to help ensure they have the necessary support and resources to retain housing.”

The property is named for Miguel “Mike” Ybarra, a U.S. Marine Corps and World War II veteran. Ybarra was active with the United Farm Workers and worked with both the union and Cesar Chavez to organize farm workers across California. He was a longtime board member of the Cesar Chavez Foundation.