Friday, September 26, amid escalating attacks from the Trump administration on the Latino community in California and nationwide, the SEIU 1021 Latino Caucus hosted its third annual Latino Heritage Celebration in Oakland. The theme of this year’s very successful event was “¡Cultura, Historia, Fuerza!” — culture, history, strength.

The event, attended by hundreds of SEIU 1021 members from across the Bay Area and as far away as San Joaquin County, featured delicious tamales, chicken mole, and pupusas from Cinco Tacos; a beautiful musical performance from Mariachi San José; and an exciting folkloric dance performance from La Cumbiamba Colombiana. 

“It was a great event! Everyone had a great time,” said Latino Caucus Secretary Veronica Palacios. “There are bigger and better things to come for next year.”

But attendees of this year’s event also got to hear from David Huerta, president of SEIU California and SEIU United Service Workers West, who was unjustly arrested in June while exercising his First Amendment rights as an observer of massive ICE raids in Los Angeles. 

“I can’t go into the details of what happened that day, because unfortunately I’m still in the process of waiting to see what they’re going to charge me with. But what I can say is that I thought that at that moment in time I had to take a stand,” said Huerta during his keynote speech. 

“What I didn’t anticipate was how the response was going to be so strong. I thank you for all that. I know 1021 was there. [SEIU 1021 President] Theresa [Rutherford] came down to L.A. to be with us; I know you were in the streets of San Francisco and Oakland, protesting not only what they did to me, but what this administration is doing to this country.

“This is not about me. I’m just one of many. I’m fortunate that I’m president of a union and have the support of each and every one of you. But there are so many right now being taken, disappeared, kidnapped, brutalized, beaten up, that we cannot accept this. This is not normal. We cannot allow them to determine our destiny. We cannot allow them to take away what we have fought for and struggled for.”

You can watch Huerta’s full speech on our Instagram Live here (Huerta begins speaking around the 5-minute mark.)

The Latino Caucus leadership team welcomed attendees, and SEIU 1021 President Theresa Rutherford reminded everyone that celebrating who we are and where we come from is important — but also under attack in our current political environment. 

“When we celebrate our heritage, it’s not just something for fun. It’s acknowledging who we are,” said Rutherford. ”Recognizing where we came from, why we are here, and the fact that we contribute and change our world. SEIU 1021 is a diverse union, made up of multiple cultures. We are powerful because we’re a diverse union. While we celebrate tonight, we also have to celebrate deliberately, because everything we are and represent is under attack. Our democracy is under attack. Our humanity is under attack. Our value as workers is under attack.” She emphasized the importance of voting yes on Prop 50 in this November’s special election to have a chance of protecting our voice in Congress and of protecting what we have long fought for, from public services to collective bargaining rights.

After the moving speeches and performances, the DJ started spinning and attendees hit the dance floor.

“I am elated to see that our Latino Heritage Celebration continues to be a great opportunity for our Local 1021 members to come together and celebrate the rich and diverse cultures in the Latino community,” said SEIU 1021 Latino Caucus Chair Angel Valdez. “Also, it’s extremely gratifying to hear members and SEIU staff say how much they enjoy this event and to hear them say, ‘Please, never stop putting this event together.’” 

SEIU 1021 members can join the Latino Caucus here. Meetings are held on Zoom the third Thursday of each month at 6 p.m.

“As Latinos we are a beautiful melting pot. Full of color, flavors and traditions. In our SEIU 1021 Latino Caucus, we celebrate and welcome that,” said Latino Caucus Vice Chair Laura Ocon.