César E. Chávez Events at UC San Diego Celebrate Activism and Social Justice

Activism, community service, Latin American history and social justice are at the center of the UC San Diego’s 2016 César E. Chávez celebrations.

Taking place from March to May, the various events honoring the life and legacy of Chávez, a cofounder of the United Farm Workers union, include conversations with civil rights advocates who worked alongside Chávez, a one-man show featuring comic John Leguizamo, a free screening of the 2014 Chávez biopic, as well as a panel discussion with “dreamer” students who went on to earn medical degrees.

“We are honored to commemorate the life and achievements of civil rights and labor movement activist César Chávez,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “Chávez dedicated his life to advocating for the rights of underserved community members, and our month-long series of events seeks to educate our campus and community about his values and his contributions to our society.”

The theme for this year’s celebration is “¡Huelga! Celebrating the Delano Grape Strike-50 Years of Activism.”

Chávez’s birthday on March 31 is a statewide holiday that is observed by UC San Diego on March 25. A sampling of UC San Diego’s César Chávez events and details are below. For more information on the campus’s celebration, click here.

• César Chávez Celebration Kickoff Luncheon and Awards Ceremony, April 4, 11:30 a.m., Price Center Ballrooms: UC San Diego’s opening event includes awards honoring individuals for furthering Chávez’s ideals in their communities, including this year’s UC San Diego undergraduate essay contest winners. Carlos and Linda LeGerrette, directors of César Chávez Service Clubs, will give the keynote address. Tickets are $13. Proceeds benefit the UC San Diego MEChA’s Raza Graduation. For more information, contact psbarajas@ucsd.edu.
• Intimate Conversations with Linda and Carlos LeGerette, April 4, 2 to 3 p.m., UC San Diego’s Cross Cultural Center Library: Linda and Carlos LeGerette will share their personal experiences working with Chávez and the United Farm Workers in the San Diego chapter, as well as what motivated them to start the César Chávez Service Clubs. Free and open to the public. For more information, contact hsalazar@ucsd.edu.
• John Leguizamo: Latin American History for Dummies, April 5-17, show time varies, Weiss Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse: Class is in session with John Leguizamo’s new one-man show. Leguizamo delivers rapid-fire laughs in his biting and comic take on 500 years of Latin history spanning the Aztec and Incan Empires to World War II. Tickets start at $29. For more information, go to LaJollaPlayhouse.org.
• Dreamers to Doctors, April 8, noon to 1 p.m., Garren Auditorium at School of Medicine: The event will explore the pathways that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students, called “dreamers,” take in their pursuit of higher education and, in particular, medical school. A short documentary will be followed by a panel discussion with the vice dean for medical education at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, a current “dreamer” medical student at UC Irvine, a current undergraduate “dreamer” at UC San Diego and more. Free and open to the public. For more information, contact M9carden@ucsd.edu.
• 2016 Engagement and Service Learning Awards, April 26, 5 p.m., UC San Diego’s Great Hall: The Raza Resource Centro hosts the Engagement and Service Learning Awards to highlight the contributions of individuals and organizations in strengthening community through interconnecting academics, service, learning and leadership. The awards will honor people and organizations that have shown examples of civic-minded practices and have developed solutions in the community to advance social progress. For more information, contact claudiamartinez@ucsd.edu.

“César Chávez” Free Movie Screening, April 25, 4:30 p.m., The Loft: “César Chávez” is a 2014 American biopic film produced and directed by Diego Luna about the life of the legendary labor leader. The film stars Michael Peña as Chávez. John Malkovich co-stars as the owner of a large industrial grape farm who leads the opposition. Free and open to the public. For more information, contact darlene@ucsd.edu.