Mar 31, 2008 7:39 pm US/Pacific
Oakland March Marks Cesar Chavez Day
OAKLAND (CBS 5 / KCBS / BCN) ―
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The late Cesar Chavez.
CBS4
Approximately 200 students and community members marched to Oakland City Hall and rallied Monday to honor Cesar Chavez Day by advocating immigrant rights.
Chavez was a labor rights activist, who worked tirelessly to improve the lives of farm-workers. He was also a co-founder of the United Farm Workers' Union.
The march began at 98th Avenue and International Boulevard. The route to city hall cut right through Oakland's predominantly Hispanic Fruitvale District.
"We were able to continue the struggle that Chavez began for dignity and equal rights for Latinos and immigrants and to make sure that his holiday is remembered,'' said Ronald Cruz, a member of Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action Integration and Immigrant Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN).
Organizers said most of the attendees at the event were students from the cities of Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda.
The students indicated their support for the California Dream Act, which was vetoed in October by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The bill would have enabled qualifying undocumented students to apply for two types of non-competitive state financial aid.
In 2000, Cesar Chavez Day became a state holiday and legislation was passed to allow public schools to close in recognition of the day and hold activities that focus on Chavez and the history of the farm labor movement in the U.S.
San Francisco and Oakland public schools and many colleges throughout the state do close during the holiday, but activists said it appears the majority of schools with large Hispanic populations do little to honor the occasion.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report.)
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