Annual César E. Chávez Memorial Breakfast set for March 29 at CSUSB

The life and legacy of the late labor leader and activist César E. Chávez will be celebrated when the Hispanic Coalition of Small Businesses, Jesse Valenzuela and the Latino Education and Advocacy Days at Cal State San Bernardino present the 2025 César E. Chávez Memorial Breakfast beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 29, at the university’s Santos Manuel Student Union South.

The theme of the breakfast is “Telling Our Stories—Our Way, Our Voice: Latino Representation in the Arts, Media, and Education.”

Pepe Serna, one of the longest working actors in Hollywood, will be honored with the Inaugural Hispanic Coalition of Small Business (HCSB) Lifetime Achievement Award. Bel Hernandez Castillo, founder and CEO of Latin Heat Media, and Enrique Castillo, producer, co-director and writer, are the Padrinos de Honor for the event.

In addition, the breakfast will mark the return of the Jesse Valenzuela Scholarship.

Tickets for the breakfast are $50 per person. Table sponsorships also are available: $750 for Bronze Sponsor, $1,500 for Silver Sponsor, $2,000 for Gold Sponsor and $2,500 for Platinum Sponsor. The proceeds support event costs and fund scholarships, including the Jesse Valenzuela Scholarship. For information on sponsorships, contact Elizabeth Aguilar or Ana Gonzalez at (951) 426-4272 or (909) 275-9812.

Tickets and sponsorships can be purchased through the breakfast’s Eventbrite webpage.

Serna, who was the Padrino de Honor for the LEAD Summit XIII and is also an activist, artist and motivational speaker, was born on July 23, 1944, in Corpus Christi, Texas. With a career spanning more than five decades, he has appeared in more than 100 films and 300 television shows. He is perhaps best known for his role as Angel Fernandez in the iconic film “Scarface” (1983), where his character met a gruesome end in a memorable scene. His documentary, “Pepe Serna: Life is Art,” and his book of the same title, highlights his contributions to Hollywood and the representation of Latino actors in the industry. This documentary is available on streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime and Apple TV+.

In addition to her business, Padrina de Honor Bel Hernandez Castillo is the founding chair of the HCSB Arts & Entertainment Committee, chair of the Farmworker Justice Advisory Council, chair of the Peabody Awards and a member of the Advisory Board of the Mexican American Cultural Education Foundation. Extending the Latin Heat brand, she produced the Latin Heat Entertainment Conference for six years, with the participation of Hollywood’s top talent, studios, networks and executives. Hernandez Castillo’s work led to her being named “The Godmother of Latino Hollywood” by Moviemaker Magazine. 

Padrino de Honor Enrique Castillo is an award-winning actor/writer/director with more than 60 credits, and an author whose work spans theater, television and film. He is an Imagen Award recipient for his writing/directing. He is well known for Showtime’s television series “Weeds,” where he played the lethal Cesar, as well as his film role of Montana in Taylor Hackford’s “Blood In Blood Out,” where he played the inspirational (albeit terrifying) leader of the Mexican prison gang. He has written various screenplays, including “Yo Solo (I Alone),” “The Cobra,” “Valley of The Dead,” “Deerdancer,” and the screen version of “The Last Angry Brown Hat.” His debut novel, “The Dead of Summer” is a suspense thriller/crime drama that takes place in the U.S. and Mexico.

The annual breakfast honors, remembers and celebrates César Chávez, the late civil rights and labor movement icon, who is best remembered for his contributions to agriculture labor laws and social justice reform, and for founding the United Farmworkers of America in 1962.

The César E. Chávez Memorial Breakfast serves as a platform for community members, advocates and leaders to come together in solidarity, reflecting on the progress made and the work that lies ahead in the fight for farmworker rights and social justice. The event also inspires attendees to engage in advocacy and take action on broader issues impacting communities today.

Former California Gov. Gray Davis signed legislation in 2002 making Chávez’s birthday a state holiday—this year, the holiday falls on Monday, March 31—to promote service to the communities of California in honor of the late labor leader’s life and work.