Little Joe Hernandez is a long-time supporter of the Farm Worker Movement and immigrant rights.

SAN JUAN, April 5 - This is La Unión del Pueblo Entero’s 10th anniversary and to celebrate Tejano music legend Little Joe will join in the group’s Cesar Chavez March and Rally on Saturday.

Little Joe Hernandez is a long-time supporter of the Farm Worker Movement and immigrant rights. The march starts at the Farmworker Mural in San Juan Municipal Park at 10 a.m. A rally will take place at LUPE’s headquarters on Cesar Chavez and Business 83 in San Juan once the march is complete.

Coinciding with the march and rally, Proyecto Azteca is holding a ¡Si Se Puede! 5K Run/Walk to help raise funds. LUPE and Proyecto Azteca work together on many issues and are members of the RGV Equal Voice Network.

LUPE Executive Director Juanita Valdez-Cox said the big issue for LUPE members this year is winning immigration reform that is “comprehensive and humane.” She said the 10th Anniversary March will “send the message” to elected officials that the Rio Grande Valley needs immigration reform for Valley families, the Valley’s economy and the safety of the community.

“2012 was the dawn of a new day of political empowerment of Latino and other minority voters that has brought the light of immigration reform to the horizon,” Valdez-Cox told the Guardian. “Latinos were instrumental in the outcome of the 2012 elections and immigration reform was a mobilizing issue. We are calling on Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz to embrace this new day and support immigration reform that brings the light of justice to the Rio Grande Valley and the state of Texas.”

Valdez-Cox said LUPE members deserve to celebrate after ten years of work “serving the needs of Hidalgo County's colonia residents and building their capacity to make changes in their communities and lives.”

LUPE communications coordinator John-Michael Torres urged Valley residents to “come hear the latest news on immigration reform and help LUPE celebrate its tenth anniversary. Enjoy great food, raffle gifts and more.”

Doctor’s Hospital at Renaissance is a top sponsor of Proyecto Azteca’s ¡Si Se Puede! 5K Run/Walk. Proyecto Azteca, which Cesar Chavez founded in 1991, is a non-profit organization whose aim it so help working poor families achieve the American Dream of home-ownership.

“Cesar Chavez founded Proyecto Azteca in 1991 not as an entitlement but as an opportunity to help working poor families gain upward mobility and break the cycle of poverty by giving their children hope for a better life,” said Proyecto Azteca Executive Director Ann Williams Cass.

“So, our work is not a handout it is a hand up. Families in our program must put 550 hours of construction time into their home and then Proyecto Azteca finances the home at zero percent interest.”

San Juan Mayor Pro-Tem Armando “Mando” Garza has helped organize the 5K run/walk. It costs $25 to register, or $20 with school identification. Registration starts at 7 a.m. The run/walk starts at the Proyecto Azteca headquarters at Cesar Chavez and Business 83 in San Juan. “All contributions will go towards helping families, that are not much different than many of ours used to be, by sharing hope and providing them an opportunity to succeed,” Garza said.

Garza pointed out that any contribution is tax deductible as Proyecto Azteca is a 501c3 tax exempt organization.

Write Raul de la Cruz

Printable version