SALEM STATESMAN-JOURNALMarch 14, 2006
Teens learn to follow Chávez's example Hispanic students hear about their culture and are urged to speak their minds SARAH EVANS PORTLAND -- César Chávez died when many of today's teens were toddlers, and much of his work to organize farmworkers happened long before they were born. "A lot of the younger generation doesn't recall who he is," said Yesenia Chavez, 17, a senior at Woodburn High School. But learning about the importance of his work -- and how young Hispanics can follow his message of "Sí, se puede," or "Yes, we can" -- was part of why 1,300 high school students gathered Monday in Portland at a leadership conference bearing Chávez's name. "For a lot of them, this is the place they come to find out about their culture," said Matt Courtney, a co-chairman of the 16th annual César E. Chávez Hispanic Student Leadership Conference, held at the University of Portland. "We want them to know they do have a future. They just have to worry about getting connected and believing in themselves." Yesenia, one of the teens attending the conference, is more familiar with Chávez than some of her peers. Her father told her of the time he met Chávez while working in a field in California. Chávez was going through the field, seeking workers to join him in a protest. Chávez is known for organizing the United Farm Workers union and pressuring California food growers to give their workers better conditions. Yesenia's father couldn't join Chávez because he was worried about losing his job. He needed the money to send back to his family in Mexico. Yesenia said she appreciated one of the messages given early in the conference: to not forget your native language and culture. "You see it at times, people want to pretend they don't speak Spanish," she said. "But we need to remember our language." About 150 teens from all of Salem-Keizer's high schools went to the conference. The event started with a keynote address from Francisco García, the director of the office of migrant education with the U.S. Department of Education. Later in the day, the students heard from Oregon schools superintendent Susan Castillo. In between, the teens attended workshops on topics including how to prepare for college, leadership programs and the history of Chávez and of Hispanic culture. Joel Duenas and Benito Sanchez from McNary High School said they wanted to learn more about college and careers. Joel, a senior, already had gained something after his first workshop, presented by a representative of Oregon Health and Science University. "She was telling us there's a lot of help to pay for college," he said. "I didn't know that." McKay High School senior Francisco Lopez and Molalla High School senior Juanita Montes presented a workshop about a program they attended last summer: the Oregon Migrant Student Leadership Institute. It is sponsored by the Oregon Migrant Education Service Center. Held at Western Oregon University in July, the event taught the youths how to work as a team and how to be leaders. And it was fun, they said. "I picked up a lot of leadership skills," Juanita said. "I'm not afraid to talk. I can stand up for myself. I have a voice." Lorena Silva, a McKay senior who also attended last summer's institute, joined the presenters to tell about her experiences. She said she appreciated hearing from several earlier presenters who emphasized not being afraid to let others know how you feel about issues. "There's always people that will listen to you, and you have that power to say what you stand for," said Lorena, 18. Adriana Leon, a senior at South Salem High School, said she liked the way the conference taught her more about her culture -- and the messages of Chávez. "You learn how to be you," she said, "how not to be scared, how to speak out and have your own voice."
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