The 14th Annual Cesar Chavez Peace and Justice Awards Banquet was held last Saturday in the Union Ballroom to recognize citizens who do exceptional work for Latina/os.
Salt Lake City residents Jennie O. Herrera and Thomas Prez, Judge Andrew Valdez, the American GI Forum–a veteran’s association in Ogden–and Michiko Nakashima-Lizarazo, a multicultural counselor at Weber State, were all honored for their leadership in and outstanding contributions to the Latina/o community.
Nakashima-Lizarazo said economic development is one of the many reasons it’s important for Latina/os to obtain a college degree. She also emphasized that a college degree gives you knowledge and an experience that can’t be measured in dollars.
“If I can do it, then they should be able to do it, as well,” Nakashima-Lizarazo said. “When Latinos hear it from someone who shares the same experiences and turmoil, then it’s more relevant.”
“Knowledge is power, and you learn a lot more about yourself by getting a degree,” she said.
Octavio Villalpando, the associate vice president for diversity, also said it is important for more Latina/os to receive college degrees so they can achieve economic equality.
“It’s a question of economics; it’s a question of financial need,” Villalpando said.
Villalpando said Latina/os have one of the highest labor force participation rates for youth in the United States and in order to stop this trend, more Latina/os need to obtain bachelors degrees so they have a choice to do something beside hard labor.
“I think it’s about time in Utah that we give a damn about Latino and Latina education,” Villalpando said.
What’s even more startling is the fact that a Latino male is three times more likely to be incarcerated than to receive a college degree, he said.
“Our population numbers aren’t reflected in our higher education numbers in Utah,” said Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon, “Our Latino population is becoming larger; Latino elementary and high school students are going to be part of our future. It’s important that they have the same opportunity as the rest of our citizens.”
Villalpando said there are three major principles he is going to enact over the next six to twelve months in order to promote more diversity on campus: The U will hasten its enactment of equity and diversity across campus, equity and diversity will become key indicators of excellence for the U and empirical evidence will inform initiatives, practices and policies related to equity and diversity.
“We need to be educated because we need more educated Latinos in the community,” said Belem Holguin, a freshman majoring in business.