Chavez school would be good step.

Byline: GUEST VIEWPOINT By Javier Ayala For The Register-Guard

Imagine hundreds of youths and adults participating in the democratic process. Now imagine the same group of people working toward one objective.

Imagination implies the unreal. However, in this case, the participation is a reality. The goal is to name Eugene's new southside elementary school in honor of Cesar Chavez. The name is about more than participation in the democratic process - it is about creating an inclusive community for all.

Eugene's Latino population in the past decade has grown by more than 200 percent and has contributed to the overall ambiance of the community. According to the Census Bureau, this growth will continue in decades to come.

Latino population growth has contributed to increases in revenue for the city, business growth and development, and diversity. Population growth also has had other positive implications for how Eugene defines community, educates residents, provides access to health and social services, and increases social mobility among its working class, just to name a few.

Although population growth has been positive, Eugene school names have yet to show reciprocity with the Latino community. Exclusiveness is the norm when it comes to school names. One hundred percent of school names in the Eugene School District 4J are non-Latino, yet approximately 20 percent of Eugene residents are Latino. Naming Eugene's southside elementary school in honor of Chavez would be one step toward breaking down decades of exclusion, and would be a reciprocal gesture well overdue.

Creating an inclusive community by naming southside elementary after Chavez has proved to require more than reciprocity. The Register-Guard has documented that the naming process has been riddled with ethnocentricity and disrespect for cultural differences.

For example, the school board and the committee (more than 95 percent white) chosen to carry out the selection process set criteria that excluded Latino names by requiring words that are easily pronounced - that is, Anglo names. Latino community groups, such as Educacion y Justicia Para La Raza, MEChA, LCC Latino Student Union and GANAS, quickly organized to counter the ethnocentricity of the school board's criteria.

Latino organization will curtail some ethnocentricity, but building an inclusive community for all will require a revolution in how Eugene conducts its business. Events indicating a needed change include last year's fiasco in renaming Centennial Boulevard in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., which signaled that the white city council would not represent the interests of all groups.

Other events have been white supremacist groups leafleting southside Eugene with hate materials, and similar groups setting fire to a car tagged with a swastika on MLK Boulevard. The police and city government have shown political ineptitude in dealing with these problems, and the media have minimized the severity of these events' effect on the psyche of a community that aims to be inclusive.

Chavez's life reflects how barriers to an inclusive community can be removed. Chavez experienced the difficulties in building an inclusive community that valued reciprocity and pluralism, and whose business practices showed political efficacy in dealing with intolerance. As an organizer for farmworkers he, along with other groups and individuals committed to social justice, implemented reforms that increased representation of Latinos and Latinas on city councils and school boards.

Chavez's legacy lives on today throughout the United States. His efforts for building inclusive communities and creating social justice were acknowledged by receiving the Medal of Freedom, one of the highest awards given to a civilian.

Building an inclusive community through the naming of southside elementary in honor of Chavez is just the beginning. The growing Latino population brings in millions of dollars to the community, yet they are nowhere in sight when it comes to school names. Hundreds of Latino and non-Latino youths and adults are working to make the community more inclusive. Many city residents of all backgrounds welcome the change. However, many in power also are turning their backs through ethnocentric actions, which derail the development of an inclusive community.

Chavez elementary would be a symbolic first step in eradicating decades of exclusion. The time has come to represent the diversity of Eugene. Support the naming of southside elementary in honor of Cesar Chavez on Wednesday.

Javier Ayala is a member of Educacion y Justicia Para La Raza (Education and Justice for Our Community).

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GUEST VIEWPOINT