Dolores Huerta’s term as a regent expires today, and
though Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has not said whether he will
offer Huerta another term, his office has received over 1,800
e-mails and at least 50 letters asking that he reappoint her.
Huerta, an activist who worked with César Chávez and
co-founded the United Farm Workers of America, has served as a
regent since September 2003, when Gov. Gray Davis appointed her to
the remaining six months of an unfinished term.
Each of the 18 appointed regents of the University of California
are appointed by the governor to serve for a certain period of
time. Once that term runs out only the governor can reappoint
them.
Schwarzenegger’s office would not comment on the
likelihood of Huerta being reappointed.
Huerta has made it clear that though being a regent is a
time-consuming and unpaid job, she wants to continue to help govern
UC policy.
“If I am not appointed there is always a lot of work to be
done with unity and everything, but I really would like to be
reappointed,” she said.
During her short time as a regent, Huerta has become popular
among students and labor organizations.
As a labor activist and one of two regents from the San Joaquin
Valley, Huerta has an insider’s view on the needs of
low-income workers and student issues like financial aid, fees and
outreach.
And as Huerta herself often mentions during regents meetings,
she is the mother of 11 grown children and has vast experience with
public education in California.
“Most of the regents are successful business people, but
Dolores comes from a different background,” said Matt Murray,
the student regent for 2003-2004.
“Her background in social justice and labor struggles
makes her voice important at the table “¦ it would mean a lot
to lose her,” Murray said.
Many organizations and individuals who sent letters to the
governor in response to Huerta’s request for support share
Murray’s opinion of Huerta’s importance to the
board.
The UFW has recorded over 1,800 e-mails sent to the governor
asking for Huerta’s reappointment.
The Dolores Huerta Foundation has also received copies of 50
letters, but “those are only from the people who took the
time to CC their letters to us,” said Camila Chavez,
executive director of the foundation, explaining that it is likely
the governor’s office has received more.
Organizations that wrote to the governor asking for
Huerta’s reappointment include the League of United Latin
American Citizens, the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, the UC
Berkeley School of Public Health and the Immigrant Legal Resource
Center, Chavez said.
Many individuals, including both Murray and Jodi Anderson, the
student regent designate and a UCLA education graduate student,
also sent letters.
Anderson said Huerta’s experience working with low-income
families could help the UC remain accessible for people from such
communities, especially as budget constraints force the university
to increase fees and decrease outreach and financial aid.
“She knows how important education is in those
communities. If you are from a lower-income family, getting a
higher education is something you can do to better yourself and
give back to (the) community,” Anderson said.
Representatives of the governor’s office would not
disclose the number of letters they had received, saying only that
they could not comment on personnel matters.
Huerta will meet with the governor later this week.
“All of the issues that are at the table right now ““
they are talking about cutting out outreach … programs ““
all these issues are really affecting students, especially students
of color, and those are issues that I really care about,”
Huerta said.