Tejano/Latino festival celebrates the legacy of Chavez

The Saturday event in Old Town features musical acts, dancing, a car show, food and a bit of history as well

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Labor rights leader César E. Chávez used to tell Julio Guerrero, “As long as there are people in the fields, we’ll never be free.”

“He could also be talking about people in substandard conditions in Detroit, or homeless people in Kalamazoo,” Guerrero said. “He was striving for all of us to have an equal, decent lifestyle.”

Guerrero, of Lansing, is a member of Lansing for César E. Chávez, a volunteer organization first formed with a mission of “preserving the legacy of César E. Chávez through education, commemoration, service and self-determination.” The group formed in early 2010 to support the efforts to rename Grand River Avenue in Old Town for Chavez. Since that came to pass a year ago, the group continues to work on new ways to impact the community.

On Saturday, the group hosts a Tejano/Latino Musical Extravaganza, showcasing the city’s Mexican-American heritage. The event will feature local Tejano music and include dancing, food vendors, a beer tent, car show, informational booths and other vendors.

The event is also a fundraiser for raising a gateway to mark the recently named César Chávez Plaza at the corner of Turner Street and César E. Chávez/Grand River Avenue. City Council voted for the honorary naming of Grand River Avenue and the plaza a year ago, and the Lansing for Chavez group wants to erect an entranceway to the popular festival site to remind people that it’s more than a parking lot.

But it’s about more than honoring Chavez, Guerrero said: It’s about using his legacy to help others.

“It inspires young people, whether you’re Mexican or not, a farm worker or not, to have an impact in a community. Whatever you do in your neighborhood can have ripple effects.”

Chávez, who spent his life traveling the country promoting civil and labor rights, made a lasting impression in Lansing. Guerrero came to Lansing from Illinois in the early 1970s to work with Mexican-Americans to develop community radio programming. He met Chávez when he came to town to promote a lettuce boycott and farm worker conditions in California.

“César kept close relationships with Michigan,” Guerrero said. “Michigan, at one time early in the last century, had the second highest demand of migrant labor, next to California.”

Ten years later, Guerrero, who had moved to California, got the call asking if he’d help Chávez develop his newly founded KUFW radio station in the Bay Area. Chávez wanted to use the station to educate people on the issues, so they would fight for themselves.

“The story goes that years before the radio station went on the air, he would negotiate labor contracts on a regular basis, and the contracts said farm workers were allowed to bring transistor radios to the fields attached to their belts,” Guerrero said.

“Farmers looked at that clause and said, ‘We have nothing wrong with that. If they listen to music, the happier they will be and faster they will work.’ Little did they know, he would be starting a radio station and talking to them in the field. That’s big-time visionary.”

Elva Reyes was born and raised in Lansing. He spent his childhood summers in local onion fields with his parents.

“I’ve been out all day in the hot sun. You go out in the fields from the beginning of the day till 6 or 7 (p.m.),” he said. “I’m one of the lucky ones. I got out early.”

Reyes first learned of Chávez and his message when he was 12. “I was at an age where I thought, ‘I can be a punk, or I can be a person who has goals,’” Reyes said. “Listening to him, I wanted to do something for myself and for the community, and I’ve tried to do something.”

Inspired by Chávez’ message of nonviolent empowerment and community organization, Reyes, who worked for General Motors as an adult, became active in the Michigan Coalition of Concerned Hispanics and the Michigan Commission of Spanish Speaking Affairs. During Gov.James Blanchard’s administration, he invited Chávez to come and march from Michigan State University to the Capitol.

“Everyone wanted to be there,” Reyes said. “Everybody wanted his picture with him. He was a pretty gentle man. He didn’t speak loud, he just spoke. When he talked he had a way of getting you to listen.”


Tejano/Latino Music Festival

Noon-11 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 10 

César Chávez Plaza

Turner Street and Grand River Avenue, Lansing

Free admission; $5 cover for beer tent admission

(517) 749-0181

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