LA UNIÓN HACE LA FUERZA

LA UNIÓN HACE LA FUERZA

By Estella Inda

There is nothing as powerful as being united! Still, it is not always easy to bring people together. With history in mind, previous generations did not have social media and cell phones were not available to spread the word and keep people informed. Communities also did not have the support of news media outlets or government. Even in that context, organizers were able to bring together the different voices of community by going door to door and engaging others to spread the word. The Community Service Organization (CSO) did exactly that for the Eastside community of San José.

As many might be aware, Fred Ross helped start San José’s chapter of the CSO. However, what is often overlooked was the collaborative effort of a few community members to get him to consider San José in the first place. It started with a San José State professor Claude Settles urging Ross to come look at San José –more specifically, the East Side. The efforts were solidified through the work of Alicia Hernández, Herman Gallegos, and Leonard Ramírez, three East Side residents who thankfully engaged with Ross to explain how beneficial community organizing would be for the large underrepresented minority community that made up the eastside of San José. Together these three began spreading the word amongst the community by taking the time to have conversations about how through being united it was possible to correct the injustices the community was facing.

“ ...what is often overlooked was the collaborative effort of a few community members to get him to consider San José in the first place.”

This eventually led to the group collaborating with Father McDonnell from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. Father McDonnell encouraged the congregation to get active, stressing how important it was for them to unite their collective voices to benefit the community. As the CSO organized to get the eastside community members registered to vote, active in legislative campaigns, and more in the name of equality, it was through a united effort and the effectiveness of that unity that caught the attention of a young César Chávez. As an eastsider, Chávez witnessed and learned under Fred Ross about how effective organizing can be in uniting people across differences.

That uniting power also led to the CSO joining forces with the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Though both organizations had their own mission and purpose, it became apparent that the different minority communities faced much of the same injustices and that it would be beneficial to join causes to benefit communities of color. By joining forces, their combined efforts and resources created a louder voice for their communities, creating a more powerful impact.

“....it was through a united effort and the effectiveness of that unity that caught the attention of a young César Chávez.”

EastsideMagazineKooltura MarketingMay 3, 20232023.Ome