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March 21, 2003

Media Contacts: Pat JaCoby, (858) 534-7404 or Jan Jennings, (858) 822-1684

SENATOR WHO PROPOSED CÉSAR CHÁVEZ STATE HOLIDAY
TO SPEAK APRIL 4 DURING MONTH-LONG CELEBRATION AT UCSD

“I proposed Senate Bill 984 to commemorate the life and work of a great and unique American, César Chávez,” says California State Senator Richard G. Polanco. “He should be honored because his work shaped the America that we live in today.”

Polanco, author of the 2000 Chávez holiday legislation, will speak on Creating the César E. Chávez Holiday at 11:30 a.m. April 4 in the Warren College Amphitheater at the University of California, San Diego. The event is free and open to the public.

Chávez’s birthday, March 31, will be observed as a state holiday, and Polanco’s April 4 talk on the holiday’s creation is one in a series of month-long events, Celebrate, Educate, Serve, at UCSD during April honoring the life and achievements of the labor leader and champion of human rights.
“His life gave courage and hope to all of us that we can make a difference,” Polanco says. “He showed us how important it is to live a moral, responsible life.”

Chávez was the principal figure in the Chicano Civil Rights Movement, a leader in the struggle for working families and an advocate for non-violent solutions and dignity and respect for all. He died in 1993.

“My legislation recognized César Chávez for his contributions as a labor leader, an organizer, and a fighter for justice for all workers,” says Polanco.
More than 10,000 people signed petitions supporting the Latino lawmaker’s SB 984 which made Chávez’s March 31 birthday a paid holiday for state employees and students in public schools (K-12) and community colleges. Governor Gray Davis signed the bill into law in a ceremony in Los Angeles Aug. 18, 2000.

Polanco was elected to the California State Senate in 1994 and recently completed his term. A Democrat, he served as Senate Majority Leader representing Los Angeles Senate District 22. Prior to his election to the Senate, he served eight years in the State Assembly.

Polanco’s areas of particular concern during his tenure in the state legislature were education, healthcare, children’s issues, prison reform, water resources, transportation, and technology. He has been an advocate for business and for equal opportunity in contracting for women, minority, and veteran owned businesses.

A native Californian, Polanco grew up in East Los Angeles. He studied at East Los Angeles College, the University of Redlands and the Universidad de Mexico, majoring in business administration.

For further information on Polanco’s April 4 talk or on César Chávez activities at UCSD during April, visit http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/chavezevents.htm or call (858) 534-9689.