Life doesn’t make much sense without passion. Salvador “Chava” Bustamante knows this and has lived this truth his whole life. While visiting his family in Texas, Chava chatted with me via telephone about his personal journey, professional achievements, and the future he’s looking forward to now that he’s retired. I listened, humbled, and in awe of not only the 40 years of his dedication to supporting unions and farmworkers but to his commitment to uplifting others.
Because we can’t go far if we don’t take others with us.
A new chapter for Chava began in 1968 when he immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico at the age of 17. Armed with a 9th-grade education, he worked in the fields until he crossed paths with the farmworkers of Salinas in 1970. That chance meeting introduced Chava to the personal and collective power of the union and the laborers whose work was foundational to the community, yet their voices went unheard. Compelled by their stories, Chava became a leader in the United Farm Workers Union for 10 years. During his decade of grassroots activism and community engagement, he utilized what he learned from his peers to activate individuals and give them the resources they needed to be involved in the solutions to the issues they faced.
His civil service didn’t stop there. Chava participated in union strikes – advocating for the rights of farmworkers, laborers, janitors, and the working class – but not without consequence. He was arrested in 1979 for civil disobedience and would spend three months in the Monterey County Jail.
“That pivotal moment around the campfire was the key memory of his ALF Fellows journey and the catalyst for a permanent shift in Chava’s life.”
Given time to contemplate his life, Chava decided he needed to take his activism to the next level by becoming an organizer. Released the day after Thanksgiving, Chava shifted his focus to promoting the labor, human and civil rights of Latino immigrants in Silicon Valley and teaching people the power of a collective voice to give them recognition as part of our democracy.
Decades of organizing and public service would eventually lead Chava to another crossroads. The flame for social activism was petering out, and life went on in circles with no goal to work towards. It was in 2007, high in the mountains with the ALF on Class XVIII’s wilderness trip, Chava sat around a campfire with his class and facilitator Greg Ranstrom, who said something that struck a chord in him: “It’s all about that passion in our gut. Without it, nothing makes much sense.”
That pivotal moment around the campfire was the key memory of his ALF Fellows journey and the catalyst for a permanent shift in Chava’s life.
Once Chava returned home, Greg Ranstrom’s wisdom still in his mind, he set his comfortable position and good salary aside to rethink the direction his life was taking. Without that conversation in the mountains, he might not have ever pondered his own happiness nor founded Latinos United for a New America (LUNA), an organization that helps Latino immigrants take action to address poverty-related challenges and works to unify the community to make lasting change in education, health, and jobs.
“To him, the award represents a recognition of the efforts and struggles of the communities he’s worked with; they’ve made enough noise to be heard, to be seen, and to be included. He believes his victory is a collective one. The work has come full circle.”
Empowered by his trip to the wilderness and ready to rally his community once more, Chava accessed his pension and social security to build LUNA, serving as a volunteer Executive Director for eight and half years as he built the organization to what it is today.
Chava’s tireless dedication to his community and over 40 years of activism, grassroots organizing, and promotion of civil and labor rights have earned him ALF Silicon Valley’s 2022 John W. Gardner Award. When asked what this award meant to him, he admitted he was humbled to be considered in the same league as past recipients. To him, the award represents a recognition of the efforts and struggles of the communities he’s worked with; they’ve made enough noise to be heard, to be seen, and to be included. He believes his victory is a collective one. The work has come full circle.
I concluded our conversation by asking Salvador what was next for him, and sure enough, he wants to write! He hopes to tell the stories of the farmworkers he met in the 1970s and 1980s, to dig through the boxes of documents he has saved since coming to the U.S., and rediscover what hidden pearls lie in wait for him. And he wants to go out and speak with his community to ensure their voices will still be heard and stories will be told.
His fire is still blazing strong.
Congratulations on receiving the John W. Gardner Award, Chava! We look forward to honoring you on April 28th at our 2022 Exemplary Leadership Celebration.
Allyson relocated to San Jose from Central California and joined the ALF team in June 2021 where she’s grateful for the diverse communities she gets to work with everyday. In her free time she enjoys writing stories, drawing, and reading the latest fantasy novel on the beach.
