Cesar Chavez Awards recognizes four nominees
LMC brings event back after three-year hiatus
May 2, 2023
The Cesar Chavez Awards returned after a three-year hiatus to honor four winners in the Los Medanos Student Union on the night of Friday, April 21. The four nominees took home awards across three different categories: Cesar Chavez Award for Exemplary Community Service, East County Educator and the Chavez Spirit Award.
Former Cesar Chavez award winner Paul Ramirez opened up the evening with a story from his childhood about the mistreatment of farm workers and what Chavez’s fight meant for workers across the country.
Ramirez said, “Cesar Chavez was the one who stood up and said you cannot treat human beings this way, there was no one else who said that.” He added, “Everyone in this world deserves dignity, and that’s what Cesar Chavez knew.”
Following Ramirez’s speech, the first awards were given out: The Cesar Chavez Spirit Award. Winners of this award were human trafficking case specialist, Norma Guadalupe Zamora Arreguin and President of One Day at a Time, Diana Hidalgo. Currently, Hidalgo is away at college in New Mexico, as she was not present to receive the award herself.
Arreguin describes what the award meant to her, “It means that we as Latinos and Mejicanos are seen more, we are not invisible anymore.” She added, “As a mother, it’s an inspiration for kids to keep doing their education and the work that we do.”
The following award was the Cesar Chavez East County Educator Award which was awarded to Violeta Orozco. She is currently a counselor at Jack London Elementary School and previously spent time as the head counselor at Antioch High School.
Orozco spoke about a time when she was in the fifth grade and had to dress up as a hero for a school project. She borrowed her uncle’s Union jacket and dressed up as Cesar Chavez.
“I’m super grateful, Cesar Chavez is such a hero to so many people and has been a hero to me and to even be acknowledged in that category is a huge honor,” said Orozco.
She added that an event such as the Cesar Chavez Awards can help inspire more leaders and for the younger generation to continue this fight.
The final award to be given was the Cesar Chavez Award for exemplary community service which was awarded to Fernando Sandoval who currently serves as the Contra Costa Community College District Governing Board President.
“I think there’s more work to do, but I am among some great young people. Dolores Huerta is 93 years old so that means I have many more years to serve. She’s my inspiration,” said Sandoval.
Graciela Olveda and the crowd closed out the event by singing two songs, The first being “Volver, Volver” by Vicente Fernandez. The second song has been the traditional closeout song of the Cesar Chavez Awards, “De Colores”
Interim President Pamela Ralston viewed this spring semester as a rebirth period for on-campus events, as Los Medanos College continues to return back in person.
“To get this opportunity to celebrate this community inside our college has just been incredible,” said Ralston.
