First of César Chávez Family to Run for Public Office
 YubaNet
| | Christine Chávez, granddaughter of labor and civil rights leader César Chávez. (YubaNet.com) |
Christine Chávez, granddaughter of labor and civil rights leader César Chávez, made her official announcement last week to run for the 45th Assembly District, representing from East Los Angeles to Hollywood. Christine Chávez is the first of the César Chávez family to run for public office and represents a new crop of Latino leaders and a new generation from the Chávez legacy ready to be put to the political test.
"From a grandfather's legacy to a granddaughter's commitment, hard-working families and their children need a different kind of lawmaker that comes from a lifetime of public service, environmental justice and civil rights," said candidate Christine Chávez (D-Los Angeles) for the 45th Assembly District.
"I want to organize our neighborhoods to fight for the things people need. No child should be denied the textbooks they need and no one student should find the doors to a community college closed to them. No worker should be paid less than a living wage and no child should be without health insurance. No community or neighborhood or class of people should face the threat of pollution, and no polluter should go unpunished. And no people shall be denied any of the rights granted to others. There are no exceptions."
Born in Delano, California, Christine, now 34, was surrounded by the farm worker movement. For the last eight years, she has served as the United Farm Workers (UFW) Southern California Political Director. Her responsibilities included raising public awareness to protect the civil rights of farm workers and the larger immigrant community. Over the last eight years, she has also helped elect candidates, pass legislation and oversee public outreach activities.
"Creating change comes from all levels of public life," added Chávez. "As my grandfather would say: 'Being of service is not enough. You must become a servant of the people.' And in the service of others, it is both spiritual and one of the highest forms of leadership that must carry the greatest measure of discipline, ethics, and responsibility."
The 45th Assembly District was home to the first Latino elected official statewide in 1972. In the 1990s, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa represented this district, and quickly moved up the ranks to Assembly Speaker. After years of Latino elected officials holding this seat, the growing gay and lesbian community in Highland Park, Mt. Washington, Silver Lake, and Hollywood became the swing vote for the district, which led to an openly lesbian elected official winning in 2000.
The 45th Assembly District includes the communities of Angelino Heights, Atwater Village, Chinatown, City Terrace, Cypress Park, East Hollywood, East LA, Echo Park, El Serreno, Elysian Valley, Hermon, Highland Park, Glassell Park, Hollywood, Lincoln Heights, Little Armenia, Montecito Heights, Mt. Washington, Filipinotown, Silver Lake, Thaitown, and University Hills. |
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News from Around the Americas | April 2006 
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