Michael Peña (right) stars as the legendary Cesar Chavez

A new major film about the life and legacy of Cesar E. Chavez will try to bridge the gap between young, urban Latinos, and the current farm worker rights’ movement.

Cesar Chavez: An American Hero, a film directed by Mexican actor Diego Luna, opens on Friday, March 28th, across the country, and the United Farm Worker Foundation is hosting a red carpet event and panel discussion in San Diego that night.

In addition to serving as a fundraiser for the UFW Foundation, the event’s goal is to create awareness that the farm workers’ plight is far from over, something many of today’s Latinos know little about.

“I think it’s incredibly exciting for the public to know that there people who continue to care for farm workers’ rights,” said Diana Tellefson-Torres, executive director of the United Farm Workers Foundation. “Mainstream is now approaching a Latino like Cesar Chavez who fought for social justice and labor rights. The film presents a piece in American history in a way that others will be able to connect to what is currently being done in the farm worker movement.”

The film stars Michael Peña as the legendary Cesar Chavez, whose birthday is celebrated on March 31st in California and other states.

The San Diego red carpet event will feature celebrities such as Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas, A.B. Quintanilla from Kumbia Kings, and actor Jacob Vargas, who in the film portrays Richard Chavez, Cesar’s younger brother and also a leader in the movement.

Also in attendance will be the current president of the United Farm Workers, the farm worker union Chavez helped established, as well as other labor leaders.

San Diego elected officials and community leaders are going to be present during the event, which serves as a fundraiser for the UFW Foundation.

“Cesar Chavez is an American hero, and a role model for many in the Latino community and beyond, and I’m proud to be lending my support to this film,” said County Supervisor Greg Cox.

Money raised at this special red carpet event will help to support both the UFW Foundation and the United Farm Workers.

The United Farm Workers today continues to help farm workers organize and negotiate new contracts that dramatically change their lives while continuing to ensure their legal protection of the most basic worker rights, Tellefson-Torres said.

“Farm workers continue to be excluded from protections other workers have. For example, farm workers earn overtime after 10 hours of work, instead of eight,” she said. “Agriculture continues to be a multibillion industry where a lot of inequality exists today.”

Tellefson-Torres said she hopes the film will create a new awareness of these issues among the urban population.

“Sometimes this conversation is not part of people’s daily lives,” she said. “If you’re not working in the fields, this is a whole different world for you.”

For Danny Melgoza, who is deputy chief of staff for Supervisor Cox, Cesar Chavez: An American Hero is a film that celebrates an American legend.

“Even though he was Latino, Cesar was an American first,” said Melgoza, who was in the San Diego red carpet organizing committee. “Just like other major films have honored other great humanitarians like Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr., this movie honors Cesar Chavez.”

The Red Carpet and VIP reception will be on Friday, March 28th, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Stingaree Night Club, 454 6th Ave., San Diego, and the movie screening and panel discussion will take place at Reading Cinemas Gaslamp 15, 701 5th Ave., San Diego.

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