Cesar Chavez mural

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Marshall G. Vega began the Cesar E. Chavez Drive Committee in November of 1995. Marshall wanted to name a street for a Hispanic American because there were no such streets in all of Wisconsin, and Cesar E. Chavez Drive was indeed the first in Wisconsin. Marshall wanted to name the street for Cesar because he was admired by people all over the world for standing up for the Migrant Farmworkers.

In August of 1996 the CEC Renaming committee appeared before the Common Council to lobby for S. 16th St. from Pierce to Mitchell Street to become S. Cesar E. Chavez Dr. Marshall then lobbied for S. 16th St. from Pierce to Windlake Avenue S. Cesar E. Chavez Dr. to avoid confusion by having the street go through the entire community.

Marshall G. Vega passed away on April 11th 1999 from renal cell kidney cancer but his vision for Chavez Dr. became a reality in March of this year when Cesar Chavez would have been 82.

Cesar Chavez Mural

Jesus Salsa was the founder of Obreros Unidos an independent farm labor union established in Wisconsin in 1966 and supported by funding from the AFL-CIO. Jesus Salas also worked for the United Farm Workers (UFW) and Cesar Chavez on the UFW Grape Boycott. A native of Crystal City Texas and former migrant worker, Salas served as coordinator and board member of United Migrant Opportunity Services (UMOS).

Obreros Unidos engaged in its first labor action by seeking to organize migrant potato harvest and processing workers in the town of Almond, WI. and received support from the AFL-CIO, Cesar Chavez, and other labor unions.

The union published "La Voz Mexicana" which provided Mexican-American farm workers in Wisconsin with information on minimum wage, worker's compensation, child labor, and health provisions for migatory farm workers.

The union only lasted 6 years, but many of its organizers went on to work for the United Farm Workers grape boycott and other Mexican-American organizations in Wisconsin.

Loyola Students at Cesar Chavez Mural

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The ethnic identity assignment for Loyola students

The previous pictures and text was part of an assignment for the Loyola students.
They had to pick a picture of their favorite sport, singer or activity and write 100 words on how these activities are related to their perception of their racial and ethnic identity.

Loyola Students

My favorite singer is Puerto Rican hood star (singer from the street) by the name of Nengo Flow. He is from the hometown Vigio in Baysmon Puerto Rico. Nengo Flow is related to me in a lot of different ways. One he is a full blooded Puerto Rican like me. Another interesting thing about him is that he is Street in music but not fake Street. Like a lot of these rappers today they talk about drugs, killing, and guns while they don't really do that in everyday life. The thing about him in Puerto Rico there are no gangs just the battle between drug hoods. Every town has a hood in Puerto Rico so people from there need to be ready to protect the hood. He talks about that. I relate to him by the fact I write about those things too. He influences what a person from my ethnicity or racial identity is if you are from the hood or if you're a person that needs to survive by being "street". Most of the time its not because your mom raised them like that or taught them wrong it's what you become due to where you live. Also due to job shortages or no money to study. This is where these images are born. This is how Nengo Flow matches me, but I want to break that chain and prove I can educate myself to be a poet of the night and find a legitimate job during the day.

Loyola Students

Espinoza Paz is one artist that typically falls under the stereotypes that other people say about "Mexican" music. He wears pointy cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. Macizo musical is another typical Mexican group they sing "duranguense" with that tumba, tumba, tumba, kind of rhythm.

An activity I like to do is listen to music and dance. When I listen to music I forget about my problems and dance. The music I dance to is "cumba", "duranguense", "corridos", and "banda". Those are typical Mexican sounds.

I usually watch the music channel but also like to watch novellas or soap operas.

Loyola Students

Conejo is one of the rappers that I listen to a lot. He was born in and raised in Los Angeles California. He was also a drug dealer and a West Side Harpy's gang member. He's been on the run from the cops for several years already. No one really knows where he is at right now, but about a year ago he was in Canada. One of the reasons why I listen to him is because many rappers talk about selling drugs and gang banging when they have never done it and he has. I started getting into his music about four years ago when I first heard "Bitch Ass Rappers" which was like a whole industry diss and was actually my friends beat but was taken by an artist from Milwaukee named DJ Payback Garcia and given to Conejo. Conejo is more like a poet that tells actual street stories and speaks his mind which is why he's hated by so many rappers.

Service Learning Student Assignment #1 (4)

"Immortal Technique"

This picture is of my favorite rapper Immortal Technique a revolutionary rapper who is from Peru. He is different from mainstream or some underground rappers because e spit the truth about what is happening in the world not about money, cars, and girls. He raps about revolution. The radio never plays his music, why? Because he raps about the government and the lies they say the bad things they have done in the past. He is talks about racism and how the world is corrupted.

Service Learning Student Assignment #1 (3)

"Basketball"

I choose this picture because it is my favorite sport and the NBA really doesn’t have a lot of Hispanic players. People think that Hispanics really aren’t good basketball players but it is not true there is a lot of good Hispanics who are good but just aren’t known like others. The NBA consists of mostly African Americans. I think Hispanics don’t focus just on sport s that is why they don’t try to become famous like others. They look towards there future and think about how they rather live with a paying job that is why Hispanics aren’t really known for basketball. To me basketball is the best sport there is and I hope one day I will have the opportunity to join the NBA.

Service Learning Student Assignment #1 (2)

“Alacranes Musical”

The musical group “Alacranes Musical,” is by far one of my favorite acts ever! They’re the same ethnicity as me. People that aren’t Mexican, or maybe some that are, might say they’re the worst group ever, because they don’t like that type of music. Some people that aren’t Mexican might like Mexican music. I personally like, and listen, to all kinds of music, except for oldies and country. I think that kind of music is ugly and horrible.

Service Learning Student Assignment #1 (1)

“Louis Garcia (“Fosforito”)”

This is Louis Garcia, a.k.a. “Fosforito.” He’s a Hispanic-Christian singer. He’s Christian like me, and sees this world corrupt like me. Like me, he wants to tell the world that there’s no true path, because the true path is through Christ. I seem him as a cup being used in the hands of God to tell the world what the true path is. I believe this world will remain corrupt without peace, and peace lies in the hands of Jesus Christ.