On Monday the César E. Chávez Community Action Center hosted a “Knit for Change” event in celebration of its Chávez, Huerta, Itliong (CHI) monthlong event in the Student Union.
The center was established by Associated Students in 2005 to provide civic engagement opportunities, deepening campus connection to the César E. Chávez legacy, according to its website.
Eesha Patel, events and outreach program assistant, planned the “Knit for Change” event.
“So basically this event was more like giving back to the community, kind of how César Chávez, Dolores Huerta, Larry Itliong came all together to become a community and give back,” Patel said.
CHI Month is during March and celebrates three pivotal farm worker union activists (Chávez, Huerta and Itliong) banding together to launch the 1965 to 1970 Delano Grape Strike, according to the Associated Students Website.
The strike sparked a nationwide movement of United Farm Workers, according to the community center’s instagram.
Angelina Grate, the program specialist with the community action center, said the center collaborated with the United Nations Children’s Fund student organization on campus, and would donate the blankets for disbursement to those in need.
“ … We want to connect their activism and history to how students are today … and how students can be more involved and civically engaged in communities,” Grate said.
The César E. Chávez Monument, better known as the Arch of Dignity, Equality and Justice, located in the center of campus, was erected in 2008 as a tribute to honor Chávez, a San José resident, according to the University Archive.
Students who attended the event were supplied with colored yarn and a finger knitting tutorial in person to complete their blankets.
Participants enjoyed free food and boba supplied by Boba Bar, while they chatted and knitted blankets.
Attendees also listened to a brief explanation of the significance of CHI Month.
“The theme for this year’s CHI Month is hands in service … as farm workers are seen using their hands to work through hash conditions,” Patel said during her presentation.
Mia Ramirez-Arellano, a first-year student, said she found out about the event from an email and thought it would be a good way to get out of her dorm and socialize on campus.
“I’m from a Latino background. I find myself wanting to get involved with this organization or group,” Ramirez-Arellano said.
Before leaving, attendees were also sent home with a free knit kit to make a blanket for themselves.
Although there were events planned for the duration of CHI Month, recent allegations against Chávez led to the community center to pause planned events.
On March 17, César E. Chávez Community Action Center released a statement via Instagram acknowledging recent abuse allegations about César E. Chávez.
The post expressed the group’s disappointment and sadness to hear the news, and announced a pause in CHI celebrations.
“While we do not have first-hand knowledge of these allegations, it is appropriate that we pause to determine our next steps. In solidarity with our community and other organizations taking similar steps in this difficult moment, we are taking time to thoughtfully process this information,” a portion of the statement read.
