Each year, we recognize and honor the individuals who are the heart of California’s agricultural community, our farmworkers. These everyday heroes work tirelessly to nourish our communities and deserve to be celebrated. This year, we are proud to recognize three outstanding individuals for their dedication, resilience, and contributions to the field. Join us in celebrating their stories and honoring their incredible impact.
My name is Hector. I grew up helping my grandfather and in my spare time, I helped him plant sugarcane and corn, while also caring for animals. At 21, I got married and started my own family of four sons, each of whom I feel fortunate and proud to have. My father is a very hardworking man. He arrived in Half Moon Bay in 1976. He worked in the fields his entire life and even registered his own company called “Segura Flower Nursery.” I followed in my father’s footsteps, working the land and planting flowers alongside him, and to this day, I’ve been working in the fields for 32 years. My father transitioned the flower business to me 15 years ago, but he continued to visit and work the fields until two years ago. My father is currently 86 years old. I’m proud that my sons are currently involved in our family business and that they help me sell our colorful flowers we plant and cultivate. It fills my heart with gratitude. The Segura family definitely has a connection to the land and its beauty in our blood, and it fills us with pride to continue working in agriculture every day.
Mi nombre es Hector, crecí ayudando a mi abuelo en mis ratos libres sembrando caña, maíz y también cuidando animales. A mis 21 años me casé y formé mi propia familia que son, 4 hijos varones de los que me siento afortunado y orgulloso de tenerlos a cada uno de ellos. Mi papá es un hombre muy trabajador, llegó a Half Moon Bay en el año 1976. Trabajó en el campo toda su vida, llegó a registrar su propia compañía llamada “Segura Flower Nursery.” Yo seguí los pasos de mi padre, trabajando la tierra, sembrando flores junto con él y hasta el día de hoy, tengo 32 años trabajando en el campo. Mi padre me entregó el negocio de las flores hace 15 años, pero él continuaba visitando y trabajando el campo hasta hace 2 años, actualmente mi padre tiene 86 años. Es un orgullo para mí que actualmente mis hijos son los que están involucrándose y encargándose de vender las flores que sembramos, es algo que llena mi corazón de gratitud. Definitivamente el campo y la conexión con la tierra es algo que la Familia Segura lleva en la sangre y nos llena de orgullo poder cada día seguir trabajando en la agricultura.
My name is David. Growing up, I helped my parents raise pigs, goats, and cows. So, I grew up raising animals from the young age of 8 to support my mother and support my siblings. When I was 27, I got married and that’s when I began to form my beautiful family. I’m a proud father of two boys and five girls. Our beautiful family has lived in Half Moon Bay since the 1980’s, where I continued my work as a farmworker. Today, I dedicate myself to planting and growing beautiful flowers and plants. I still work in the fields; it’s something that fills me with pride to say I’m a farmworker. Long live the countryside, Si Se Puede!
Mi nombre es David, en mi infancia solo pude ir a la primaria la razón fue de que mis padres criaban puercos, chivos y vacas, y ellos ocupaban mucha ayuda por lo que yo crecí criando animales desde mis 8 años para apoyar a mi mama y poder salir adelante con mis hermanos. A mis 27 años me casé y fue cuando empecé a formar mi hermosa familia, soy padre de 2 varones y 5 hembras. Nuestra hermosa familia ha vivido en Half Moon Bay desde los 80’s, donde continué mis labores como trabajador agrícola. Hoy día todavía me dedico a sembrar y crecer hermosas flores y plantas. Aun sigo trabajando en el campo, es algo que me llena de orgullo poder decir que soy campesino. Que viva el campo, SI SE PUEDE!
My name is Lorenzo. I grew up with my parents, who instilled in me the importance of working and getting ahead from an early age. At 10 years old, I was already planting sugarcane, rice, melon, corn, and legumes. In 1980, I got married and began my family. God gave me 3 children: 2 girls and 1 boy. Today, I am very happy to have 10 grandchildren. I have worked planting cucumbers and tomatoes, and I remember that at that time they paid about $2 an hour. After a while, I traveled to Washington to work in the apple orchard. After a while, I came to California to work in the city of Half Moon Bay. As a farmworker on the Coast, I am also a member of a group of peasant accordionists, formed by an organization called ALAS. It is a space created to learn, heal, and demonstrate our beautiful culture. Through music, it has helped me with my mental health. Personally, I am a happy and enthusiastic farmworker! Life is too short to waste it not doing what you love.
Mi nombre es Lorenzo, crecí con mis padres, que me inculcaron la importancia de trabajar y salir adelante desde temprana edad. A mis 10 años ya estaba sembrando caña, arroz, melón, maíz y legumbres. En el año 1980 me casé y comencé a formar mi familia, Dios me regaló 3 hijos , 2 Niñas y 1 Niño. Hoy en día estoy muy feliz de tener 10 nietos. He trabajado sembrando pepino y tomate, y me recuerdo que en ese tiempo pagaban como a $2 la Hora de Trabajo, después de un tiempo, viaje a Washington para trabajar en la manzana, pasando el tiempo me vine a California a trabajar en el esperado en la ciudad de Half Moon Bay. Como trabajador agrícola de la Costa, también soy integrante de un grupo de acordeonistas campesino, formado por una organización que se llama ALAS. Es un espacio creado para aprender, sanar y demostrar nuestra hermosa cultura. A través de la música, me ha ayudado con mi salud mental. En lo personal soy un trabajador agrícola feliz y entusiasmado! La vida es tan corta como para desperdiciarla.
Sunday, June 11th
Time | Performer | Location |
|---|---|---|
11:30am | Opening Ceremony | Expo Hall |
11:30am – 12:15pm | Ballet folclórico Ruth | Community Stage |
12:30 – 1:00pm | Stevie Dale | Community Stage |
1:30pm | Abel Sanchez | Main Stage |
1:30 – 2:30pm | School of Rock | Community Stage |
3:00pm | Film Showing of “A Song for Cesar” | Fiesta Hall – Old Fine Arts Room |
3:00 – 4:00pm | Etaoin Shrdlu | Community Stage |
4:30 – 5:30pm | Cabrillo Elementary Bluegrass Band | Community Stage |
6:00 – 6:30pm | Gabriela Sepulveda | Community Stage |
7:00 – 8:00pm | Nilo Ayele Afro Brazilian Music | Community Stage |
8:30 – 9:30pm | The Flashbacks | Community Stage |
Dolores Huerta is a civil rights activist and community organizer. She has worked for labor rights and social justice for over 50 years. In 1962, she and Cesar Chavez founded the United Farm Workers union. She served as Vice President and played a critical role in many of the union’s accomplishments for four decades. In 2002, she received the Puffin/Nation $100,000 prize for Creative Citizenship which she used to establish the Dolores Huerta Foundation (DHF). DHF is connecting groundbreaking community-based organizing to state and national movements to register and educate voters; advocate for education reform; bring about infrastructure improvements in low-income communities; advocate for greater equality for the LGBT community; and create strong leadership development. She has received numerous awards: among them The Eleanor Roosevelt Humans Rights Award from President Clinton in 1998. In 2012 President Obama bestowed Dolores with The Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States.
