By Stephanie Raygoza
Editorial Intern
In the same spirit and dedication exuded from late Senator Jenny Oropeza upon unveiling the park she had lobbied to be named after her hero, Cesar E. Chavez, community leaders and members, family and friends gathered last Thursday to celebrate the life of the beloved Long Beach advocate to dedicate the community center in Cesar Chavez Park in her honor.
The Jenny Oropeza Community Center was unveiled during the 10th annual Cesar Chavez Day celebration to hundreds in attendance that included: Senator Ted Lieu, who took Oropeza’s seat when she died last year; Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal; Assemblymember Tony Mendoza; First District Councilmember Robert Garcia; and Second District Councilmember and Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal.
“Jenny Oropeza did so much for this community, and now they get it to be named after the person that worked so hard to make this park and this community a much better place for the residents of this area,” Mendoza said. “She is the reason why I’m in politics.”
Garcia administered the event by providing a brief background on what Oropeza represented to the Long Beach community, in particular the first district to which she was elected, along with presenting her fellow leaders and colleagues as they spoke sincere words regarding her work and efforts.
“Today is a happy day,” Lieu said. “She loved serving her constituents, and sometimes she knew she was not feeling well and yet she came up, and because of her service, she would fight for her constituents. As a result of her service she passed some of the most progressive legislation in the areas of health, in the areas of environment. We are a greener, healthier, more compassionate state because of Senator Oropeza.”
Assemblymember Lowenthal and Lieu presented Garcia with a plaque for the community center on behalf of City representatives, along with personally giving one to her family. Oropeza’s husband, Ted Mullins, her mother, Sharon and her sister, Lynne, were family members in attendance. Musical group Trio del Alma provided entertainment during the ceremony and also sang “Las Mananitas,” a traditional Mexican birthday song, for Sharon’s birthday.
“She wanted this park to be named after Cesar Chavez because he was one of her great heroes, and I hope you agree with Jenny and me in this sense— he was a great American,” Mullins said. “I know Jenny is here in spirit with us now and that she’s so very pleased, honored and grateful for what Councilmember Garcia and this city [have] done in this naming today.”
Garcia unveiled the plaque located in front of the community center following Oropeza’s husband’s speech and, with the help of Sharon and Lynne, also unveiled the new name of the community center. The ceremony concluded with a corrido, a Mexican ballad, written and sung in Oropeza’s honor.
Ann Salas-Rock, who led the community effort to name the community center after Oropeza, said, “I was here at the time she was our councilwoman. The signs, the plaque, it’s just fabulous. She was such a great individual trying to help everyone and doing what was best for the community. It was just her spirit. She was great.”
Following the ceremony was the Cesar Chavez Day celebration presented by Centro Cha and Centro Shalom. The celebration included food provided by Super Mex, educational activities for adults and children, information booths hosted by representatives from the US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, Long Beach Transit and other social services, and ballet folklorico performances, among other activities.
Oropeza served as the first Latina on the Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education in 1998 and then as the first Latina elected to serve as councilmember of the First District of Long Beach. She continued to represent the city when she was elected to the California State Assembly and Senate. She was a cancer survivor, however she died from complications related to an abdominal blood clot last year at the age of 53.
