César Cruz is a gang violence prevention advocate [1] and Dean of Secondary Schools Program at Harvard University. He was born in Guadalajara c. 1974, [1] [2] coming to the United States as an undocumented immigrant at age 9, [3] and holds a B.A. in history from UC Berkeley, [4] and a doctorate in educational leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education. [5] On May 1, 1992, he was one of 65 people arrested marching on the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge after the acquittal of officers charged with beating Rodney King. [1] [6] In 1995, he was involved in a fifteen-day hunger strike at University of California, Irvine. [7] [8] The 1995 strike was undertaken by Cruz and others from UC Berkeley and UC Irvine to protect and promote affirmative action at UC Irvine. [9] Cruz was later part of a 26-day hunger strike in 2004, which resulted in Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger agreeing to refinance the West Contra Costa Unified School District's high interest loans. [10] He was keynote speaker for the Cesar Chavez Convocation at UC Santa Cruz in 2014 and Hermanos Unidos National Conference [11] at California State University, Fullerton in 2017. [12] [13] Research at Homeboy Industries, a job skills program in the Los Angeles area for gang members, served as his Harvard doctoral capstone work. [14] [15] He was the first male Mexican-immigrant to earn a doctorate at Harvard's Education Leadership program. [16]
He was awarded the Orange County Human Rights Award in 1995 and the Peacemaker of the Year award by the California State Senate in 2005. [1] In 2011, he was awarded a local Jefferson Award for Public Service for his work with the Homies Empowerment program. [17]
César Cruz is a gang violence prevention advocate [1] and Dean of Secondary Schools Program at Harvard University. He was born in Guadalajara c. 1974, [1] [2] coming to the United States as an undocumented immigrant at age 9, [3] and holds a B.A. in history from UC Berkeley, [4] and a doctorate in educational leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education. [5] On May 1, 1992, he was one of 65 people arrested marching on the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge after the acquittal of officers charged with beating Rodney King. [1] [6] In 1995, he was involved in a fifteen-day hunger strike at University of California, Irvine. [7] [8] The 1995 strike was undertaken by Cruz and others from UC Berkeley and UC Irvine to protect and promote affirmative action at UC Irvine. [9] Cruz was later part of a 26-day hunger strike in 2004, which resulted in Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger agreeing to refinance the West Contra Costa Unified School District's high interest loans. [10] He was keynote speaker for the Cesar Chavez Convocation at UC Santa Cruz in 2014 and Hermanos Unidos National Conference [11] at California State University, Fullerton in 2017. [12] [13] Research at Homeboy Industries, a job skills program in the Los Angeles area for gang members, served as his Harvard doctoral capstone work. [14] [15] He was the first male Mexican-immigrant to earn a doctorate at Harvard's Education Leadership program. [16]
He was awarded the Orange County Human Rights Award in 1995 and the Peacemaker of the Year award by the California State Senate in 2005. [1] In 2011, he was awarded a local Jefferson Award for Public Service for his work with the Homies Empowerment program. [17]