By Crystal Carry

By Crystal Carry

Cesar Chavez went through a lot of struggles in his life. He stood up for the human rights of field workers going against corporations and he fought for basic necessities such as water.

Riverside City College celebrated Cesar Chavez week with three days full of events. Teatro Quinto Sol from UCR performed skits that dealt with migrant farm workers, there were two guest speakers and a documentary called “Fight in the Fields” was shown followed by a discussion about migrant farm workers.

“We wanted to bring awareness to this issue just as Chavez tried to let everyone know about that struggle,” said M.E.Ch.A. chair Rudy Gonzalez.

The two guest speakers, Maguel Arias and Alejandro Torres, were once field workers and each brought a different message to share with the students.

“Maguel brought a message from the workers asking for the students help,” Gonzalez said.

Arias, who worked with Chavez for 10 years, brought photos of the migrant workers and talked about their struggles.

“I think this is important for people to see. A lot of people don’t see what’s out there,” said RCC student Stacie Gonzalez. “They hear about it but don’t know and it’s important to know the truth.”

Torres, who worked in the fields picking grapes with his parents, talked about overcoming those struggles and getting an education.

“(Torres) said it’s important for students to see that coming here, being responsible and getting an education makes a difference,” said RCC student Brandon Jacobson. “People like me don’t really know what it’s like in the fields and I know now that making school a priority is important.”

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