Andres Chavez – Cesar Chavez Foundation

Empowering Voices: Q&A with Andres Chavez on the Inaugural Chavez Huerta Leadership Conference

October 28, 2024, by CCF

The National Chavez Center, in partnership with California State University Bakersfield and the Dolores Huerta Foundation, hosted the inaugural Chavez Huerta Leadership Conference at CSUB and La Paz on October 3 and 4. The two-day conference, themed “Latinos in Politics: Our Vote, Our Voice, Our Impact” for 2024, featured renowned speakers such as Dolores Huerta and CSU Chancellor Mildred Garcia. The event included panel discussions and scholarly explorations covering such issues as Latinas in public life and the impact of Proposition 187.

We spoke with Andres Chavez, Executive Director of the National Chavez Center and steering committee member of the Chavez Huerta Leadership Conference. He shared insights on Cesar Chavez’s legacy, Villa La Paz, and the Center’s role in inspiring future leaders, as well as the conference speakers and program.

1. How does the partnership between California State University Bakersfield and the National Chavez Center contribute to sustaining and expanding the legacy of Cesar Chavez in Kern County and beyond?

If you boil down the work of both CSUB and the National Chavez Center to their core, you’ll see we have parallel missions. At the end of the day, we are both working to inspire and develop the next generation of leaders. To partner with CSUB on the inaugural Chavez Huerta Leadership Conference was extremely fitting.

Conference attendees visit Cesar Chavez’s burial site at the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument with Cesar’s son and Chavez Foundation Chairman of the Board Paul Chavez.

Fitting not only because CSUB’s main campus is miles from where so many important historic events took place, but also because the students who attend the university share similar backgrounds to Cesar. Much of Cesar’s legacy is defined by his ability to get ordinary people to do extraordinary things and to believe in themselves. And though, he may no longer be around to do this directly, we can take comfort in knowing that we continue his work by developing the next generation of change makers and do good-ers through this conference.

The conference was met with warm reception and many of the folks involved saw the opportunity for it to scale into a statewide and national conference.

2. What specific values or lessons from Cesar Chavez’s life are most important for today’s young leaders to understand and carry forward, especially regarding service and community impact?

Cesar taught us many important lessons. But I believe the most important lessons and values for young leaders to know is importance of service, unity and the Si Se Puede attitude.

Conference attendees tour the Cesar E Chavez National Monument’s visitor center with National Chavez Center Executive Director Andres.

My Tata Cesar once said, “it is my deepest belief that only by giving lives do we find life.” At the very heart of this statement is the value of service. What I share with young people, especially college students, is that service can take place in so many different ways. Cesar was of service by being an organizer and activist. But we know that’s not the only way to be of service to your community. You can do it through medicine, law, education, art… the list goes on and on.

Additionally, what gave Cesar and the movement power was their ability to work with folks from all backgrounds. The movement was spurred by Filipinos and Latinos coming together and flourished by engaging people from all backgrounds, races, and corners of this country.

I end with the Si Se Puede attitude because this value was the heart and spirit of the movement and what made Cesar who he is. What most people don’t realize is that Cesar and the movement had more defeats than they had victories. But it was how they responded to those defeats that defined their legacy. They simply never gave up. If we can embody the same attitude and spirit, there is no stopping what we can do.

3. Cesar Chavez envisioned a future where farmworkers and marginalized communities had strong leaders advocating for their rights. How do you see the Chavez Huerta Leadership Conference’s role in realizing that vision?

This year’s conference focused on the importance of civic engagement. The conference thoughtfully weaved together diverse subjects, histories, and voices to show the many ways students can be involved in the civic affairs of their community. It showed that everybody has a role to play and the ability to create change

The Chavez and Huerta Leadership Conference cohort enjoys lunch at the historic Villa La Paz at the National Chavez Center.

I’ll also add that we literally saw students transform overnight. On day one of the conference, we had some challenges getting students to engage with and ask the speakers and panelists questions. When we arrived at the National Chavez Center on day two, the students and participants were full of questions and not afraid to make their voices heard. It was truly remarkable. The best part is that we are just getting started.

4. Looking ahead, what are some key areas where you hope to see growth and increased engagement from Latino leaders in civic spaces, and how can the National Chavez Center support that mission?

This question makes me think back to what my Tata Cesar once said: “If you want to remember me, organize!”

There are many important issues and areas to work on. The only advice I’d give is to get involved. Don’t be afraid to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. And always remember the words Si Se Puede.

Honoring Cesar Chavez’s Legacy: The Inaugural Cesar Chavez Lowrider and Classic Car Show

September 27, 2023, by Vanessa Gonzalez

This summer, the National Chavez Center hosted a remarkable event that brought together thousands of passionate individuals. The Cesar Chavez Lowrider and Classic Car Show, held in partnership with the Classic Dreams Car Club, was a testament to the enduring spirit of lowrider and classic car clubs. These clubs have deep-rooted connections with the Latino community and continue to advocate for its well-being.

Car clubs have played a pivotal role in supporting causes dear to the hearts of many within the Latino movement. They were instrumental in the United Farm Worker’s march from Delano to Sacramento, which took place last year in support of Assembly Bill 2183. During this march, the idea for a car show at the NCC took place thanks to a fortunate encounter between Executive Director Andres Chavez and members of Bakersfield car clubs.

Reflecting on that encounter, Andres Chavez spoke to the Bakersfield News-Press, saying, “I was on that march and was really moved personally by their commitment.” This profound connection prompted him to reach out to a gathering of Bakersfield lowrider clubs to gauge their interest in organizing an event at the historic center.

On August 12, thousands of car enthusiasts from across southern California converged at the National Chavez Center to pay tribute to the enduring legacy of Cesar Chavez and the farm worker movement at the inaugural Cesar Chavez Lowrider and Classic Car Show. The event was a vibrant celebration of culture and community, with one of the highlights being the “Sí Se Puede Car Club,” a name deeply rooted in the movement.

The event also provided an opportunity to honor individuals like Martina Contreras, whose unwavering commitment to the cause made her a backbone of the movement. Her contributions were immeasurable, from preparing meals for hundreds to hosting union meetings at her home. Today, her children continue to honor her memory and dedication to La Causa.

The inaugural Cesar Chavez Lowrider and Classic Car Show was a powerful reminder that, as Cesar Chavez famously proclaimed, “Sí Se Puede” – Yes, we can – make a difference and continue the legacy of justice and equality for all.

Images courtesy of Chicano Soul

Cesar Chavez family invited to join Mexican president celebrating ‘El Grito’ at National Palace before a big crowd on giant Zócalo Plaza

September 12, 2022, by CCF

Cesar Chavez family invited to join Mexican president celebrating ‘El Grito’ at National Palace before a big crowd on giant Zócalo Plaza

Mexico City (September 12, 2022) – Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has invited the family of U.S. civil rights and farm labor leader Cesar Chavez to join him in proclaiming “El Grito”—The Cry of Dolores—celebrating Mexican independence on Thursday evening, Sept. 15 from the National Palace before a large crowd assembled in the giant Zócalo or Plaza de la Constitución.

Five of Chavez’s eight children—Sylvia Delgado, Eloise Carrillo, Paul Chavez, Elizabeth Villarino, and Anthony Chavez—will join the Mexican president and a distinguished group of current and former heads of state and other international figures for the annual historical commemoration akin to America’s 4^th of July. Also present will be grandson Andres Chavez, executive director of the National Chavez Center, which preserves and promotes his grandfather’s legacy.

The invitation is part of a long relationship of cooperation between the farm worker movement and the government and people of Mexico. Cesar Chavez was awarded the Aguila Azteca (the Aztec Eagle), Mexico’s highest honor for people of Mexican heritage. The farm worker movement worked with the Mexican administration to cover U.S. farm workers in Mexico under the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, the Mexican healthcare system.

Paul Chavez, president of the Cesar Chavez Foundation, issued the following statement from the National Chavez Center in the Tehachapi Mountain town of Keene, Calif., where his father lived and labored his last quarter century, and where he and his wife Helen are buried. It also hosts the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument, administered in partnership between the National Park Service and the National Chavez Center.

The Chavez family and farm worker movement express our gratitude to President Lopez Obrador and the government and people of Mexico for including us in this annual historical observation. We are proud of our ancestry and honored to participate in the president’s proclamation of El Grito that inspires people from both sides of the border.

Mexican Independence Day, Sept. 16, also marks the anniversary of when Cesar Chavez’s mostly Latino union joined Filipino workers by striking Delano, Calif.-area table and wine grape growers in 1965. That sparked a five-year-long landmark grape strike and a three-year-long international grape boycott.

Latino Conservation Week: An Interview with Andres Chavez

July 20, 2022, by CCF

In honor of Latino Conservation Week, we sat down with the National Chavez Center’s (NCC) Executive Director Andres Chavez to learn about the NCC’s role in preserving the legacy of Cesar Chavez and the importance of landmarks that have been paramount for the Latino civil rights movement.

What is the role of the NCC in preserving Latino history and places?

The core of our work at the National Chavez Center is preserving Cesar Chavez’s legacy and ensuring its relevance. Cesar is the most recognizable Latino civil rights leader of the 20^th century. The impact of the farm worker movement he founded and helped inspire extends well beyond the fields. What people saw in Cesar and the farm workers was that with hard work and determination, anything is possible. He said the movement sent out a message to all Latinos that if farm workers could bring change to the fields, it could happen anywhere. Preserving and telling this story is important and necessary because it’s an important part of America’s story. In 2012 the César E. Chávez National Monument—where my grandfather lived and labored his last quarter century at the Tehachapi Mountain town of Keene, Calif.—became the 398^th unit of the National Parks Service. It’s the first and only national monument honoring a contemporary Latino figure. Our hope is that this national monument is the first of many to tell the story of Latinos in this nation.

Cesar Chavez is considered a forefather of environmental justice. What part of your grandfather’s legacy are you hoping to cultivate at NCC?

Most people know my Tata Cesar for his work organizing farm workers. Relatively few know about all of his other endeavors and interests. My Tata was a fascinating and complex person with an eclectic curiosity. This is best seen in the library of his office at the Chavez National Monument. The diversity of subjects and titles is incredible. Part of our plan is telling the world more about the Cesar we know. For example, sharing with folks his love for classic jazz music, about how he daily practiced yoga and meditation and his work as a social entrepreneur, just to name a few. His work in environmental justice is certainly an area we want to share more about. For example, the first time DDT was banned in the United States was not by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the mid-1970s, but in United Farm Workers’ contracts with wine grape growers in the late 1960s. My Tata’s last and longest public fast, of 36 days, was in Delano in 1988 over the pesticide poisoning of farm workers and their children.

Why is preserving Latino history through stories and historical landmarks and monuments important?

The mission of the National Park Service is to tell the story of America. Yet former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said the story of America couldn’t properly be told without also telling the story of Latinos in America. That’s why Secretary Salazar helped convince President Obama to establish the Chavez National Monument in 2012. That is why it is so important to share more of the diverse history of Latinos with all of the American people—and to get students and others to visit these historical sites.

What is the significance of the National Chavez Center site at Keene?

The National Chavez Center in the Tehachapi Mountains town of Keene, California, had an incredible history prior to when my Tata Cesar and the farm worker movement stepped foot on the grounds. As a kid, I remember running around the 187-acre property and coming across boulders with grinding stones carved into them. Later, I learned the indigenous people of the Kawaiisu tribe lived in and around the area. The site was later owned by the County of Kern and was home to the Stony Brook Retreat, a tuberculosis sanatorium. In 1971 the site became the headquarters of the farm worker movement and was named by my grandfather Nuestra Senora Reina de La Paz (Our Lady Queen of Peace), commonly referred to as La Paz. Interestingly, my Nana Helen Chavez had lived there as a child. She was treated poorly there, so when Tata Cesar wanted to move there, she initially refused.

My Tata’s life was filled with conflict. La Paz was where he began building a community of fellow movement members and volunteers who worked with him full-time for social justice. It became a spiritual harbor for him and other movement staff, who were “paid” $5 a week (doubled to $10 a week in the late ’70s) plus room and board. La Paz offered them respite from tough struggles in the fields and cities. You can learn more about the story by visiting the Chavez National Monument and watching the video in the Visitors Center.

Does NCC consist of any other places?

The National Chavez Center owns and manages two historic properties, the NCC in Keene and the historic “Forty Acres” complex outside Delano. The Forty Acres, in Delano, where the movement was founded and where it was headquartered until 1971, includes a co-op service station where farm workers could buy cheap gas and repair their vehicles, a health clinic, movement offices, a union hall, and the Paulo Agbayani Retirement Village finished in 1974 for elderly and displaced Filipino farm workers with no decent place to live their final years.

Does the NCC advocate to preserve Latino heritage?

Most recently, I testified before Congress in support of H.R. 8046, which would establish a Cesar E. Chavez and Farm Worker Movement National Park in California and Arizona. The NCC works closely with the National Park Service in developing exhibits and programs around the farm worker movement and interpreting its significance for Latinos and all Americans. We have testified and lobbied for state legislation honoring the Filipino farm workers’ contributions to farm labor history, including establishing a Larry Itliong Day in California on October 25 of each year. In 2011 the National Chavez Center hosted Telling America’s Story: American Latino Heritage Initiative La Paz Forum. At this forum, folks from National Parks Service superintendents from across the country gathered to discuss the role of Latinos in American history.

As executive director of the National Chavez Center (NCC), Andres Chavez, 28, leads the arm of the Cesar Chavez Foundation that educates and promotes his grandfather’s legacy across the nation. He also oversees two historic properties, including La Paz in Keene, Calif., where Chavez lived and labored his last quarter century, a portion of which is now the César E. Chávez National Monument that the NCC manages in partnership with the National Park Service.

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