Annotations for Subject-headings: Fund Raising

We've gathered a group of Latino journalists to talk about the news of the week from their perspective. With us from Washington are Sandra Marquez, a reporter for Hispanic Link News Service; Zita Arocha, a freelance journalist and contributor to USA Today; and José Carreño, Washington Bureau chief of the Mexican Daily Newspaper El Universal. Thank you all for coming and welcome to Latino USA. I guess we should start off with this, Zita… the Clinton administration started off with a focus on multiculturalism. We saw Edward James Olmos at the inauguration along with Willy Colón and many other Latino artists and participants. Well, so far have the promises of Latino inclusion been met by President Clinton's appointments and hirings?

He's taken a first step. I mean, we have Federico Peña as Secretary of the Department of Transportation, and we have Henry Cisneros who is the head of the Urban and Housing…and that's a good first step for him, but I would say that there's still really a long ways to go and also he hasn't really made most of the appointments he's supposed to make. All told we're waiting for about 1500 appointments. He's made about 150 or so, and just today the Associated Press came out with a little survey that they did saying that about 86% of the appointees so far, basically white males in their mid-forties. So we're looking at almost the same kind of configuration that existed when President Bush was president.

So is there a lot of pressure coming down within the political circles of Latinos in Washington that possibly may make Clinton make some more appointments and hirings?

Just last month, a group of Latinas, very powerful Latinas from across the country met here in Washington. They had the first ever national Latinas forum, and spontaneously what came out of that meeting was a real strong drive to push for Latina appointments to this government, and it was a very dramatic experience. Within 10 minutes, the women in the room decided to put their money where their mouths were, raising over $10,000 in less than 10 minutes to put an ad in the Washington Post. That ad has not materialized to this date because word got out to the White House. The women were invited back, and they've already had two meetings with personnel directors from the White House. They have been told to hold tight and to be very confident that they can see some very high-level Latina appointments to the new administration.

Well, José, you covered the Bush administration during his tenure and what we've just heard is that, in terms of appointments and staff, the Clinton administration looks a lot like the Bush administration. So, what would you say is the most fundamental change you see from the Bush administration to the Clinton administration regarding the issues affecting Latinos?

Well, I could say that it is the willingness to do something about it. It's unfair, in a way, to say that the Clinton administration hasn't appointed too many Latinos… hasn't appointed too many of anything in terms of a comparison with the Bush administration. I think that mostly maybe the care that they're trying to go with, but at the same time it's nothing but projects at this point. It's nothing but words.

Well, and in fact, regarding the words of President Clinton, we have his new economic plan on the table. Sandra, is the plan going to be a boom or a bust for Latinos? What areas do you think that Latinos will benefit most or be most hard hit from the Clinton economic plan?

Well, my concern about the economic plan is just that the majority of our community is comprised of the working poor, and so I wonder how much more they can give. So, I think Latinos, like the rest of this country, are ready for change and are really hoping to see a reduction in the deficit, and they've been giving disproportionately more than the rest of the society for the last 12 years. And so, I think that we're just watching closely to see what our role is going to be in this package.

Okay. Well, thank you very much Sandra Marquez, Zita Arocha and José Carreño for joining us here on Latino USA.

And for this week y por esta semana, this has been Latino USA, a radio journal of news and culture. Latino USA is produced and edited by María Emilia Martin. We had help from an Angelica Luévano, Vidal Guzmán, Radio Cali in Los Angeles, Teresa Acosta, and MEChA at UT Austin, and Manolita Wetherill. Latino USA is produced at the studios of KUT in Austin, Texas. The technical producer is Walter Morgan. We want to hear from you. So, llámenos on our toll-free number 1800-535-5533. Major funding for Latinos USA comes from the Ford Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the University of Texas at Austin. The program is distributed by the Longhorn Radio Network. ¡Y hasta la próxima! Until next time. I'm María Hinojosa for Latino USA.

Commentator Luis Guillermo Guerra is an Austin artist who now resides in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí. And for this week y por esta semana, this has been Latino USA, a radio journal of news and culture. Latino USA is produced and edited by María Emilia Martin; associate producer, Angelica Luévano. We had help from Karyl Wheeler in New York. Latino USA is produced at the studios of KUT in Austin, Texas. The technical producer is Walter Morgan. We want to hear from you. So, llámenos on our toll-free number, 1-800-535-5533. Major funding for Latino USA comes from the Ford Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the University of Texas at Austin. The program is distributed by the Longhorn Radio Network. Y hasta la próxima. Until next time, I'm María Hinojosa for Latino USA.

And for this week y por esta semana, this has been Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture. Latino USA is produced and edited by Maria Emilia Martin; associate producer is an Angelica Luévano. We had help from Vidal Guzmán and David Gorin. Latino USA is produced at the studios of KUT in Austin, Texas. The technical producer is Walter Morgan. We want to hear from you, so llámenos on our toll-free number, 1-800-535-5533. Major funding for Latino USA comes from the Ford Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the University of Texas at Austin. The program is distributed by the Longhorn Radio Network. Y hasta la próxima, until next time, I'm María Hinojosa for Latino USA.

They came by the thousands to the 40-acre ranch near Delano to pay their respects to the man who had fought an entire lifetime to give dignity and more opportunity to those who picked the food on America's tables. César Chávez, founder of the United Farm Workers Union, the first successful attempt to organize agricultural workers in this country, died April 23 at age 66. In Delano, the mass procession behind Chávez's simple pine coffin was at times over two miles long, as everyone, from farmworkers to the famous, came to pay their respects.

We shall miss…we shall miss César's powerful voice. His life and its example call each of us to a higher purpose, to greater resolve, to right the wrongs, to correct the injustices that continue to plague our communities, whether it's urban or rural, industrial or agricultural. It is an honor to remember his valiant life and to recommit myself and that of my colleagues as we go forward to try to bring for our children and our children's children the vision and the dream that we share. Entonces, con su permiso…hablo poquito en Español.

[Crowd cheering]

César Chávez es mi hermano, mi amigo, mi compañero. ¡Viva la raza! ¡Viva la causa! ¡Viva César Chávez!

[Crowd cheering]

A proclamation by the President of the United States of America upon the death of César Chávez. "César Chávez came from the humbled yet proud beginnings of a migrant worker to lead those same workers in a movement that irreversibly shaped our nation and brought justice and dignity to thousands. After the Depression ..."

In 1965, I believe, or '66, we marched with César here in Delano. On the efforts to do something about publicizing the boycott and the plight of farmworkers.

He moved us in a way that has come to be known as el movimiento y la causa.

Repeat after me. Boycott grapes! Boycott grapes! Boycott grapes!

In his loving…in his loving memory, please, boycott grapes. Make sure that our children do not have to suffer the pesticides anymore. What has happened to César will happen to all of us, and may we all be as lucky as César and be able to lay our heads down, close our eyes while reading a magazine on the Aztec nation and go to sleep and end our lives in that manner. We should all be that lucky.

¡Nosotros venceremos! ¡Nosotros venceremos ahora!

The life of César Chávez, his commitment to a cause, inspired many across the country, and as thousands gathered at the memorial service in Delano, California, Diana Martínez collected these thoughts from friends and supporters of César Chávez.

Nosotros venceremos.

Whether from a celebrity, politician, or average citizen, everyone who came to pay their respect seemed to have a story about how César Chávez touched their lives.

His life was an example to people, and millions of Hispanics and millions of Americans who will never live on a farm had their lives changed by him.

Mark Grossman first met Chávez in 1969 as a student. Grossman worked summers and vacations on the grape boycott from 40 Acres, United Farm headquarters in Delano. He learned firsthand how César was always able to get people to do a little more than what they first expected. Grossman wound up working for the union for 24 years and became his press secretary and personal aide. No one, he said, worked harder than the labor leader.

No one could tell César Chávez to slow down. The man was working 20-hour days, traveling constantly. I can't count the number of times that I'd meet him at his yard…you know, at 3 o’ clock in the morning, because…at La Paz near Bakersfield, because we had to be in Sacramento or San Francisco at 11:00, and we'd spend a full day of appearances and rallies and news conferences and protests or negotiations and be back dropping him off at 3 o’ clock the next morning.

Before becoming a politician, California State Senator Art Torres also worked for the UFW. As a young man, he was inspired by his unbending principles.

I remember, one time, we were driving from…Thermal, California in 1973 and the two dogs were in the back, Boycott and Huelga, and we stopped at a gas station…and we had just come from a rally. We had collected all this money, and I said, "Well, brother, we need to pay the gas bill." He says, "You're not going to touch that money until it's accounted for, back at La Paz." I said, "But we have no money to pay for the gas." "Then you go out there and you find the money from somebody else, but you're not going to touch that money because that has to be accounted for. It's the workers' money."

Senator Robert Kennedy, Jr., says his family became more aware of the power of the Latino vote because of Chávez.

I remember in the 1980 campaign when he came to Arizona, which he didn't have to do, during a primary, when Senator Kennedy was already in bad shape in the election, but he produced hundreds of lowriders who came with him because they were devoted to him to get out the vote for us on primary election day. He went into the field, sent organizers, had them register actually in the field, and we won the state of Arizona just because of César.

My first job that César gave me when we came to Delano was to go get the money from the workers at $3.50.

Dolores Huerta was with Chávez from the very beginning. She said he always knew gaining rights for farmworkers would mean tremendous sacrifice.

I went back to César, and I said, "César, they can't afford that much money." And he said, "If they don't give that $3.50, they will never get out of their poverty.”

Father William Wood, president of the National Catholic World Life Conference, and the Reverend Jesse Jackson, say Chávez will never be forgotten.

Because of our common faith, and especially with what I see here tonight, with the face of the people, I see that that it's really true when they say "Viva César Chávez." He really does live.

Chávez was a seed sower. He planted seeds of dignity, and those seeds will keep sprouting in the heart of people. As long as farmworkers fight for a decent wage, Chávez lives. As long as they fight against the horrors of the insecticides, Chávez lives. As long as they fight for the right to vote, Chávez lives. As long as they fight to build coalition, Chávez lives.

For Latino USA, I'm Diana Martínez.

And for this week y para este semana, this has been Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture. Latino USA is produced and edited by María Emilia Martin. Associate producer is Angelica Luévano. We had help this week from Franc Contreras, Mandalit del Barco, Patricia Guadalupe, Manolita Wetherill, Karen Blackman, Radio Bilingüe in Fresno, California, Margo Gutiérrez, Linda Wedenoga, and the Chicago Cultural Center. Latino USA is produced at the studios of KUT in Austin, Texas. The technical producer is Walter Morgan. We want to hear from you, so llámenos on our toll-free number, 1-800-535-5533. Major funding for Latino USA comes from the Ford Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the University of Texas at Austin. This program is distributed by the Longhorn Radio Network. Y hasta la próxima…I'm María Hinojosa for Latino USA.

[transition music] And for this week, y por esta semana, this has been Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture. Latino USA is produced and edited by Maria Emelia Martin. The associate producer is Angelica Luevano. We had helped this week from Karyl Wheeler and the Hispanic Link News Service. Latino USA is produced at the studios of KUT in Austin, Texas. The technical producer is Walter Morgan. We really do want to hear from you, so ¿Por qué no nos llaman? Call us on our toll-free number. It's 1-800-535-5533. That's 1-800-535-5533. Major funding for Latino USA comes from the Ford Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the University of Texas at Austin. Y hasta la próxima. Until next time, I'm Maria Hinojosa for Latino USA.

And for this week, por esta semana, this has been Latino USA, the Radio Journal of News and Culture. Latino USA is produced and edited by Maria Emilia Martin. The Associate Producer is Angelica Luévano. We had helped this week from Vidal Guzman. Latino USA is produced at the studios of KUT in Austin, Texas. The technical producer is Walter Morgan. The Executive Producer is Dr. Gilbert Garenas. Please call us with your comments or questions. Our number is 1-800-535-5533. That's 1-800-535-5533. Major funding for Latino USA comes from the Ford Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the University of Texas at Austin. Contributors include the Estrada Communications Group, the Hispanic Link News Service, and Tesoros trading company. Maria Hinojosa will be back next week. Y hasta la próxima, until next time, I'm Maria Emilia Martin for Latino USA.