1993_05 Insight May 1993

              Studying Death
Valley in the
greatest lab ever
created: Earth
Seepage 4.
Somali professor
gives answers for
countrysfamine
and civil war.
Seepage 6.
yjsOMALlA
Arsenio Hall
and Magic
Johnsons new
AIDS video.
See page 7
§r
California State University, Fresno
NSIGHT
Wednesday, May 5,1993
CSU Fresno's Premier News Source
Volume 25, Issue 23
Memorial honors
Hispanic soldiers
♦ Hispanic and
Mexican-American
contributions in the
of duty, but must also have survivors
as witnesses to verify the incident.
Most Medals of Honor arc awarded
posthumously. Estrella said.
According to the Congressional
Medal of Honor Society, based in
military Overlooked.      South Carolina, of the 3399 rccipi
ents of the Medal of Honor, only 204
are still alive.
One of those is Alejandro Rub. of
Dinuba, no w 71, who served in World
Warn. Hiscitation describes an incident that occurred on June 26, 1946
By Ruth Kehler	
Staff Writer
Their willingness to serveaboveand
beyond the call of duty has been recognized by the United States since    on a Pacific island. Ruiz'
the Civil War.
Mexican-Americans and other Hispanics have served in disproportionate numbers during the Boxer Rebellion, World Wan I and D. the Korean
Conflict and Vietnam, according to
Ray Estrella, chairman of the California   Mexi-
stopped by a fortified enemy camp
called a "pillbox."
"His squad suddenly dropped under
hail of fire," his citation reads, "and a
grenade attack pinned them down.
Jumping to his feet, PFC Ruiz seized
an automatic rifle and lunged through
the   flying
can-American Veterans Memorial organi-
z a t i o n
(CMAVM).
based in Los
Angeles.
Since their
contributions to the
military arc
often over-
looked.
Estrella
says, a memorial in
Sacramento
will    help
recognize    	
tsWkWKtKKKKmWmm^^^BM
American
veterans. seized more
"What we're looking for here is not rifle and again made for the pillbo)
so much recognition," he said. "We're Enemy fire was now on him but he
looking to be recognized among our charged and miraculously reached a
own people. A lot of people see the    position in view and climbed to the
"We are a united
people when it
comes to defending
this country... We
know we are going
to serve and we do
It
-Ray Estrella,
chairman, CMAVM
grenades and
rifle and automatic
weapons fire
from the top
of the emplacement.
"When enemy soldiers
charged, his
rifle
jammed.
Undaunted,
PFC Ruiz
whirled on
his assailant
and clubbed
him down,
then, running back
through the
bullets,
and another
negative parts of our culture. We're
branded as non-participanu. Hispanics have sacrificed and are still sacrificing themselves for the betterment
of the United States."
Over 40 years ago, Mexican Ameri-
top.
"Leaping from one opening to another he fired short bursts and killed
12 and completely destroyed their
position. PFC Ruiz' heroic conduct
against overwhelming odds saved the
can War Mothers in California pro- lives of his comrades and eliminated
an obstacle that long would have
checked his unit's advance."
Mexican-Americans arc often not
depicted on television and in the movies for their military contributions,
according to John Hernandez, local
CMAVM chairman, "In reality, we
fought side by side with the Anglos,"
he said.
"We want people to understand that
we have made a contribution to this
great nation of ours." Estrella said.
"For being a minority wc have contributed so much and really been recognized so little."
The disproportionate number of
moted the establishment of
Soldado," a monument which now
stands in Sacramento as a tribute to
Mexican-American veterans of the
state. The new committee, CMV AM,
hopes to expand the original concept
to honor Mexican-American service
people nation-wide.
Set for groundbreaking this summer, the new memorial will be a backdrop for the original monument. It
will include a pedestal inscribed with
the names of 39 Mexican-American's
who have received the Congressional
Medal of Honor, the nation's most
prestigious award for bravery. The
namcsof3S,000Mexican-Americans Mexican-Americans in the military
killed in action will be inscribed on has long been known to many of their
the monument's walls. group, but their beliefs were given
Estrella said the last person to re- substance only recently. Books com-
ceivetheMedalofHonorwasaMexi- piling statistics on Mexican-American-American, Col. J. Vargas, who can and African-American military
served in Vietnam. Locally, the most statistics were commissioned by the
recent recipient is also Mexican- Pentagon in the late 1970s. One of the
American, Roy Benavidez of Madera, people involved in requesting that
who also served in Vietnam. specific information was Dr. Robert
Toeam the Medal of Honor, Estrella    Segura, professor of Educational Re-
said, a person in the military must not
only serve above and beyond the call
SlC Memorial, page»14.
Cinco de Mayo
Kelly Jantzen/lNsiGHT
Stamping their feet in celebration of Cincode Mayo, Nue vo Amanecer, Fresno Fairground. One of many dances the group performed was "La
a ba,Uet folklorko dance group, performs during Fiesta Days at the    Madrugada," which means to wake up in the morning.
Small businesses create
backbone of society, city
By Shelley Willingham
Staff Writer
A woman sews draperies in her
garage on a piecemeal basis. Her
often sore fingers hand-tack the
pleated bars. She stitches the hems
and backing borders for the custom
orders by hand.
As her list of orders grows longer
and bolts of fabric stack higher
along the walls, her reputation for
quality work continues to spread
bywordof mouth. Her life changes.
She decides to open a public place
of business.
She rents half of a shop from a
woman who makes custom quilts.
No sooner does she get settled when
the quilting woman asks her to buy
her ouL There's only one problem
-money.
Such arc the humble beginnings
of Doris Olson'sad venture toward
becoming the entrepreneur of
Callahan Quilting and Manufacturing Company, which now has
four employees.
Although products or services
vary among small businesses, successful companies such as Olson's
have one-common ingredient, "extremely hard work," said Nancy
G i lbenson, Fresno S mal IB usi ness
Administration assistant director.
However, extremely hard work
by itself is no guarantee of success.
Eighty percent of starting businesses quickly fail. About 50 percent fail within the first six months
and the remaining 30 percent fail
within two years, according toSB A
statistics.
The difficulties start before the
See Stores, page 14.
Cesar Chavez dies;
mourners lament
By Sandy Sirias
Staff Writer
They came from all over, from all
walks of life, all 35,000 of them, to pay
ihcir last respect to Cesar Chavez, a
man they considered a symbol of dedication and commitment to the farm
workers' cause.
Death came to Chavez at the age of
66. on Friday, April 23 in Arizona.
After learning of his death, the United
Farm Workers of America, which he
founded in 1962, organized a march
preceded by funeral services. The
march took place last Thursday in
Delano.
Cesar CMvez relentlessly advocated
the straggles of farm workers throughout the entire nation, giving his personal and absolute leadership.
CtuWez grew up in the shack* of farm
labor camps, moving from one place
to another, helping his parents cam a
living by harvesting the various vegetable and fruit crops.
His leadership qualities emerged
when he became a volunteer on the
Community Service Organizations
in San Jose, California, in the '50s.
After a few years as a volunteer organizer for the CSO, Chavez, in 1954,
became its director for California
and Arizona. It was at this time that
he also became interested in organizing the farm workers.
Never taking a penny more than he
had to, S5.000 annually to be exact,
he often created economic difficulties for himself and his family but, he
never gave up the fight. He created
the United Farm Workers union to
strengthen the voices of field workers and to make their plight heard by
anyone who was willing to listen.
See Chavez, page 12.