Art Torres '71 Delivers César Chávez Week Keynote Address
Art Torres '71, distinguished former California legislator and current Chair of the California Democratic Party, delivered the keynote address of the 2009 César Chávez Week celebration April 3 in the Wilkins Moot Courtroom. Torres spoke about his experiences working with César Chávez and offered insights on subjects including the state budget crisis and the next governor's race in an event co-sponsored by the Democratic Law Students Association and La Raza Law Students Association.
Torres, who attended UC Santa Cruz before earning his law degree at King Hall, served eight years in the Assembly and 12 in the Senate. He was the first Latino nominated for a statewide office when he won the Democratic primary for insurance commissioner in 1994, and drew national media attention for his vocal opposition to Proposition 187, the 1994 ballot initiative designed to deny social services to undocumented immigrants. He is set to step down from his role as state Democratic party chairman and assume the position of vice chair for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, which will oversee the state's stem cell research initiative funded by Proposition 71.
Torres recounted his experiences with César Chávez, which began after he lost a 1972 run for legislative office and was recruited to work for the United Farm Workers, where he ultimately became the union's national legislative director. Chávez, Torres recalled, "was every bit as moral and upstanding as you've heard," relating several personal anecdotes about the labor leader. Torres asked the audience, which included Professor Keith Aoki and Bob Leidigh '71 as well as dozens of current students, to consider Chávez's career and the holiday honoring his legacy in as a reminder of the importance of public service.
"We need to renew our commitment to public service, and the legal profession is an integral part of that," he said. "Quite frankly, you have a responsibility to give of yourself to your community, and I hope you'll take that message from this holiday."