[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 65 (Friday, April 7, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E872-E873]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


  HONORING THE CESAR CHAVEZ WRITING CONTEST AWARD WINNERS OF THE EAST 
                    SIDE UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT

                                 ______


                            HON. ZOE LOFGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, April 7, 1995
  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize more of the 
winners of the first annual Cesar Chavez writing contest held by the 
East Side Union High School District in San Jose, CA. I had the great 
privilege of attending the award ceremony honoring the student winners 
on March 31, 1995, and would like to continue sharing the essays and 
poems written by the student award winners with my colleagues.
  On April 4, 1995, I began by sharing the essays and poems of the 
grand prize winners and three of the first place winners, and today I 
will share the five remaining first prize entries, and the first three 
of eight second place winning entries. On April 6, 1995, I shared the 
remaining five essays and poems of the second place winners.
  The first prize winning essays and poems of Lisette Munoz of W.C. 
Overfelt High School, Ahmed Desai of Piedmont Hills High School, Brenda 
Reyes of Silver Creek High School and Eulala Reynolds of Yerba Buena 
High School follow:
                              Cesar Chavez

            (By Lisette Munoz of W.C. Overfelt High School)

     To some he was a hero but he only saw himself as a man.
     A man I believe put on this earth to help the disadvantage.
     His struggle was not easy for he faced much prejudice.
     An acquire prejudice brought upon be ignorance.
     His people, he saw hunched over in the fields, sweat upon 
           their brows, pain in their backs, hands blistered and 
           skin darkened from the sun.
     All eyes were wide open, everyone looked around but no one 
           took stand.
     Cesar Chavez felt something in his gut this was `El 
           Movimiento.'
     He stood amid the mist of the pesticides and began to walk, 
           and surprisingly, the people followed.
     He then knew that all the people needed was a leader who was 
           dedicated to his cause.
     He fasted so that people would listen.
     He pointed out the forgotten ones.
     Babies deformed by the hands and inventions of man.
     He did what he needed to go change would come about.
     He did all this but his body couldn't withstand the battle.
     He entered the souls of all of his followers, and his spirit 
           became the agila on our flag, soaring to continue the 
           unfinished struggle.
                        Dedicated to a Dedicator

                   (By Ahmed Desai of Piedmont Hills)

       In a modern world dominated by models who are athletic 
     superstars, rarely is society given the gift of a true hero. 
     The late Cesar Estrada Chavez was and continues to be such a 
     unique individual who deserves the title of ``genuine 
     model.'' Chavez is an inspiration to many, and a teacher to 
     all. There is much that he stood for, and even more that 
     today's youth can learn from him.
       A servant not to his own wants and desires, but rather to 
     those of his community, Cesar Chavez reminds the young to put 
     the needs of others before one's own. He utilized the tactics 
     of civil disobedience and peaceful protests only to bring 
     about change for the better and for society, and not for his 
     personal gains or rewards. Armed with a strong dedication, 
     yet a descendant of a poor background and a minority ethnic 
     group, Chavez proved that anyone, anywhere, with 
     perseverance, can succeed and make a difference. Withstanding 
     and conquering numerous obstacles, he neither gave up nor 
     lost hope. He worked long and hard, rested little, and made 
     nothing come between him and his goal. As a result of years 
     of continuous struggles, Cesar Chavez achieved his goal and 
     gained rights for farm laborers. Youths of today can see 
     themselves in Chavez, as they prepare their future 
     aspirations and discover ways to accomplish them. As a model, 
     Cesar Chavez teaches youngsters that the best and only method 
     for success is through dedication and persistence.
       Cesar Chavez lives on as a leader to whom teens can relate 
     and look up. He was human and knew his strengths and limits. 
     He did not only talk about ideas, but took charge and did 
     things to make them a reality. Chavez, even with his short 
     stay on earth, proved that a lot can be done in and with so 
     little. Moreover, he made the most of what he had and did not 
     ask for more than what he felt was deserved. The lifestyle 
     that he led includes many lessons that can be beneficial to 
     today's new generation. Let us reflect the past actions of 
     Cesar Estrada Chavez, a great humanitarian. Feliz Cumpleanos, 
     senor Chavez.
                                 Battle

            (By Maria Gonzalez of Santa Teresa High School)

     He fought for what was right,
       It didn't matter if it was Day or night.
     He fought for our race,
       And battled face to face
       With the dangers we find
       When we are the alien race.

     Latino, Hispanic, Chicano
       Some of the names he was called.
     Proud to be who he was,
       And what he stood for, Equality.

     He was a leader urging us to Fight.
     A leader explaining our right's.
       Our right's as people
       Our right's for freedom
       Our right to come to this
       Country, fight the odds, and Win.
                             ``Who Is He?''

             (By Brenda Reyes of Silver Creek High School)

     The fields were his life.
     Los files eran su vida.
     The crops in the fields were his life.
     Las cosechas que crecian en los files, eran su vida.
     The people picking the crops in the fields, were his life.
     La gente que cortaba la cosecha en los files, eran su vida.
     The pesticides that fell upon the people, became his enemy.
     Los insecticidas que caian sobre la gente en los files, se 
           convirtieron en su enemigo.
     They became his concern.
     Ellos se hicieron su preocupacion.
     His struggle.
     Su batalla.
     His fight.
     Su pelea.
     But no one cared.
     Pero a nadie le importo.
     ``I will make a difference'' he said.
     El dijo, ``Yo hare la diferencia.''
     ``I will bring justice'' he said.
     El dijo, ``Yo traire justicia.''
     ``Something will be done!'' El dijo.
     But no one listened.
     Pero nadien escucho.
     ``No grapes'' he yells.
     ``Uvas no'' El grita.
     ``Who is he mommy?'' a little girl asked.
     ``Quien es el mami?'' una nina pregunto.
     ``I do not know'' the mom answers.
     ``No lo se'' contesto la madre.
     ``One day I will be like him, mommy.'' the girl said.
     ``Un dia sere como el mami.'' dijo la nina.
     ``I will fight for what I believe, and I will be a leader.''
     ``Yo peleare por mis creancias y sere una lider.''
     ``Many will believe in me, and I will believe in myself 
           too.''
     ``Muchos creran en mi, y yo crere en mi misma tambien.''
     ``Crowds will come to listen to my words of wisdom, and there 
           will be those that will want to stop me.''
     ``Grupos bendran a oir mis palabras de sabiduria y habran 
           unos que quedran interponer.''
     ``But no one will suceed.''
     ``Pero nadie lo hara possible.''
     ``I will organize may own march's, and those who believe in 
           me will follow.''
     ``Yo organisare mis propias marchas, y esos que crean en mi, 
           me seguiran.''
     ``The sore blistered feet will be my reward.''
     ``Los pies mayugados y ampollados, seran mi rcompensa.''
     ``I will have hunger strikes, as he.''
     ``Yo trende guelgas de hambre, como el.''
     [[Page E873]] ``And the grumbling of my stomach, will be my 
           reward.''
     ``Y los grunidos de mi estomago, seran mi recompensa.''
     ``I can't wait to grow up mommy.''
     ``No pudo esperar para crecer mami.''
     ``I want to be just like Cesar Chavez.''
     ``Quiero ser igualita que Cesar Chavez.''
     ``It can be done, huh mommy?''
     ``Si se puede, eh mami?''
     ``Yes honey, it can be done.'' The mom smiles.
     ``Si mija, si se puede.'' La mama sonrie.
                              Cesar Chavez

            (By Eulala Reynolds of Yerba Buena High School)

     Raw, callous, sun, rain
     Eternal work, labor, pain
     Grief, hurt, no reward
     Living land a sharpened sword
     Struggle, family, one thing clear
     Survival, essential, defeat near
     Uprooted and adrift behold!
     For this an endless story told!
     What one voice and truth is heard?
     A man with whom a piercing word?
     Loud for absorbed by truckloads of women and men
     Who fight for justice again, again
     The power of nonviolence but yet a war
     Lead by him to soothe the wound
     The wound an open cut, a pool
     desolate, defeat, doom
     The union ``La Causa'' it's birth not a breech
     Gallo wine, grapes, lettuce beseech
     For had ``La Causa''slowly climbed its way
     The picket march exist today
     Child labor put to ends
     By well pronounced fighting friends
     Cesar Chavez stood brave, tall
     His lifelong dream, ``live for the cause''
     For now over is the war
     Still the wound remains, the scar.

  The second prize winning essays and poems of Lauren Droira of Andrew 
Hill High School, Eva Zuniga of Independence High School and Troy 
Arevalo of James Lick High School follow:
               Cesar Chavez's Testimony to Modern Society

             (By Lauren Droira of Andrew Hill High School)

     A splendorous eagle soars through the boundless skies above 
           on a quest to grasp the seemingly unattainable star.
     Off in the horizon a muffled road:
     Come accompany us in accomplishing such a dream which appears 
           so far.
     Ferocious winds encompass the creature, though it valiantly 
           persists onward, an astonishing feature.
     Cesar Chavez: a dauntless, intrepid warrior;
     One who strived throughout his entire existence to eradicate 
           the actual barrier.
     Racism? Latino farmers impetuously toil throughout the day,
     Hoping to be paid by the sun's final ray.
     Injustice? Living conditions were quite squalor,
     Personal wages as meager enough to leave a child's stomach 
           hollow.
     Such reasons fed the brewing red fire of desecration;
     Protests, tumults, riots were born Mr. Chavez as the 
           chieftain.
     ``SOCIAL JUSTICE!'' exclaimed the impoverished multitude,
     And the truth was revealed bare and crude.

     Now this great moment in time,
     Has influenced the viewpoints of society's mind.
     One can rationalize that such minorities stand beneath the 
           human category, if you will,
     Regardless of their customs, ethnic backgrounds, or skill.
     Regressing to the era of John Locke and his corresponding 
           theories,
     One recalls the Natural Rights: the right to life, liberty, 
           and property.
     To whom was such theory directed towards?
     Why the people of the world, of course!
     Analyzing this statement, one can discover some significant 
           aspects;
     CORRECT! Humans possess rights to live independently, to 
           survive, and to own, though obliged to comply with the 
           present-time precepts.
     For instance, this world can be pictured as a vast rainforest 
           filled with thousands of different species,
     Among such myriad of creatures exists humanity.
     Each member must stand in one accord in order to endure
     The process in maintaining freedom and composure.
     Sacrificing every ounce of material obtained for his fellow 
           agriculturers,
     Including the faithful supporters,
     Chavez eventually was depicted as a unique, symbolic figure 
           for migrant worker's ethics,
     Simultaneously promoting social justice.
     Influentially, Chavez's devotion and dedication in 
           transforming the ``old society'',
     Has conclusively become our tenacity to continue striving for 
           equality.
     Yet beyond its effects on society's established regulations,
     Chavez's perseverant character has modified even the most 
           desperado of people into diligent beings possessing 
           substantial aspirations.

     During his amazing fulfillment,
     Cesar Chavez's speaking contained moral relevance.
     ``The beauty of life is not what surrounds us, but the 
           compassion and charity we have within our hearts.''
     Human beings tend to rank others according to outer bearings,
     Though interior values possess greater meanings.
     Considerate, abased, and anxious,
     Cesar Chavez could very well represent a golden sack of 
           morals, so virtuous.

     Similar to Dr. Martin Luther King and Ghandi,
     Who both likewise elevated the social rights of their 
           corresponding people utilizing a manner of fiery 
           resolution and obstinacy,
     Cesar Chavez can be illustrated as the deliverer of his own 
           compatriots,
     The stalwart defender who blanched the obscure unrighteous 
           spots.
     In history such standard bearer that prominently
     Exudes in determination to conquer the epitomy,
     Specifically for his fellow workers and racial minorities,
     Is highly commended in the present times,
     And will be in the future minds.
                                Charity

              (By Eva Zuniga of Independence High School)
       All too many times while I was young, I was asked who my 
     hero was. I had never stopped to think about the importance 
     of this question until recently. Throughout my education I 
     was given research assignments that required me to learn the 
     lives of many people. I knew that these people were important 
     to many people and I thought what they done was great but, I 
     never felt a touching emotion for these people. I asked many 
     people including teachers and friends what makes a hero 
     heroic? However, I never found an answer that was suitable to 
     me. I decided to compose a search of my own on what a hero 
     should be and I realized that the characteristics of a hero 
     couldn't be found in an encyclopedia article nor in a 
     definition in a dictionary. It was a feeling you feel in your 
     heart. It's a definition you create on your own to fit your 
     personal beliefs.
       After reading about the life of Cesar E. Chavez I finally 
     felt gratitude for a man who has brought so much knowledge to 
     the lives of many. Cesar was born into a family with little 
     of their own and nothing to spare. He learned the ways of 
     life from his work in the farming fields of California. With 
     little education and a strong will in life Cesar grew to be a 
     leader, a man who took action, someone who speaks up, a man 
     who will fight until he wins or die trying. He helped his 
     fellow farm workers by gathering people who believed that 
     working in the fields where poisonous gases are sprayed and 
     threaten the lives of men, women and children. He rallied 
     against every health problem, every underpaid and overworked 
     individual farm worker. This wasn't a job for Chavez, it 
     wasn't something he was paid to do. It was what he believed 
     and what he knew his people deserved.
       Many times Chavez risked his life for the welfare of his 
     people. He starved himself for long periods of time to 
     express his strong beliefs and he sacrificed anything to 
     bring his people to a better way of life.
       Chavez fought for the dreams of thousands of people and 
     their families. The time, the effort, and the courage that 
     Cesar has shown us we should honor and respect. He has taught 
     many lessons, fought many battles and he has left us with the 
     knowledge to fight on.
                              Cesar Chavez

              (By Troy Arevalo of James Lick High School)

       He struggled, with persistence, for the rights of the 
     oppressed, And in striving to bring about a change, he did 
     not rest. Despite the disheartening atmosphere in which he 
     matured and grew, Chavez became the type of leader only of 
     which there are a few. The needs of his people fell upon 
     uncaring ears, And through his fight for liberation, there 
     fell many, many tears.
       Although many Mexicans were helped by Cesar Chavez in 
     bringing an end to their plight, he emphasized that his 
     crusade was for all people, it was not just a Mexican fight.
       Chavez's organization of unions attracted many powerless 
     people who would not confront the growers who proved to be 
     formidable, but to gain liberation, he was surely capable.
       Because of his efforts in trying to help the California 
     farm workers, his movement gained empathy from much of the 
     nation, but there was still prejudice from many, many people 
     against the workers in the organization.
       In order to form the union, Chavez went from door to door. 
     In the end, when the workers had gained their liberation, it 
     did not matter that they were all poor .
       After spending five years of life for his people's 
     liberation, Chavez finally succeeded, but these rights were 
     by far not easily gained, but greatly needed.
     

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