Cesar Chavez

The life of labor leader Cesar Chavez is celebrated each year in communities across the nation. Marches, candlelight vigils, fasts and cultural festivals are common around his birthday, March 31. Facilities named in his honor include libraries, parks and schools. Chavez, who died in 1993, would have turned 71 on Tuesday.

Peregrinacion

The fifth annual Cesar Chavez Peregrinacion and Cultural Arts Festival was held Sunday in the northeast San Fernando Valley. Drill teams and dancers mix with activists and union leaders. Participants include those who knew Chavez, founder of the United Farm Workers, and those just beginning to learn of him. B1

School and Church

At schools such as Cal State Northridge and San Fernando High School, lectures, essays and dramatic presentations encourage student awareness. “You’d be surprised how many of them think he was a boxer,” said Julie Padilla, bilingual program coordinator at the high school. “He’s not as well-known as he deserves to be.” Another lesson: a candlelight vigil Tuesday night at Mary Immaculate Catholic Church in Pacoima.

San Fernando

San Fernando set aside Chavez’s birthday as a city holiday in March 1994. The city has been one of the most active in remembering his struggles and achievements. “Celebrating Cesar Chavez’s birthday is now part of San Fernando’s culture,” said Mayor Raul Godinez II. “We’re very proud of that.”