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Stone Soup for the World:
Life-Changing Stories of Everyday Heroes

Introduction by Edward James Olmos

Growing up in East LA's barrio of Boyle Heights, I was blessed by people who showed me that helping others is a way of life. My mother, Eleanor, worked for 20 years in the Los Angeles County General Hospital AIDS Ward and my father, Pedro, helped coordinate Little League baseball. For our family, it was a labor of love.

Over the years, I've met many everyday Latino heroes who, by the power of their example, taught this important life lesson. Like the real star I played in the movie, Stand and Deliver, math teacher Jaime Escalante, gave Hispanic youth the opportunity to get real jobs, with a real future. Carlos Santana, Rita Moreno and I are part of the Hispanic Education and Media Group, Inc. to honor our heroes and promote the Hispanic culture and way of life.

Like my friend, Cesar Chavez, one of the greatest Latino heroes of our time. Cesar dedicated his life to helping our people have a better life. A humble leader, he told us, "Only by giving our lives do we find life." Even in the toughest times, Cesar would remind us, "Si se puede!" Yes, we can!

Stone Soup for the World: Life-Changing Stories of Everyday Heroes honors Cesar Chavez - and other Latino heroes -- like Nane Alejandrez, who is carrying on Cesar's legacy. At Barrios Unidos, he gets kids off the street, gives them jobs and helps them make something of themselves. When Nane saw what Cesar did, he said to himself, "I can do this."

Young people are hungry for real heroes, people who overcame challenges and changed their lives and then, the world. Alejandro Obando is a hero to some of the 6,000 Nicaraguan children left orphaned and homeless by the long Civil War. He and his New York City students and their families built them a school. Miracles like the Los Chavalitos School are possible thanks to one school's support for one man's dream.

At La Clinica del Pueblo in Washington D.C., Dr. Juan Romagoza helps people from Central American heal themselves by helping each other. "We are a people of weavers," he says quoting Guatamelan Rigoberta Menchu, "weaving a better future from our suffering and pain." People return to the Clinic with a passion for giving back. 'Se tiran la casa por la ventana.'

Don Francisco honors the heroic spirit in everday people and unites 100 million Spanish-speaking television viewers around the world every Saturday night on Sabado Gigante. At a time when too many TV shows prosper by exploiting human frailties, Don Francisco hosts telethons and teaches people the value of giving and helping others. Like our PBS-TV show, An American Family, shows our strong family roots and helping each other in times of need.

The stories in Stone Soup for the World are a testament to the Latino tradition of giving back. I am honored that mine is one of them. One of the most important gifts we can give our children is to read stories about those who went before them. Our children need to know about the sacrifices Cesar Chavez and others made for them, and their responsibility to give back to future generations. Who will they learn this from -- if not from us?

The Cesar Chavez Day of Service and Learning in California is the first state holiday for a Latino. Teachers share stories about Cesar's life from the Stone Soup for the World educational curriculum. On March 31, they create culture and arts, environmental and human service projects to help their communities. We hope many more states will follow - so we can pass Cesar's legacy onto our youth -- and inspire them to be heroes, too.

Young people need hope. You get hope by having an opportunity to see a future. With 31 million Hispanic people in America, we can create a great future. My hope is that after reading these stories each one of you will be inspired to move beyond what you think is possible by helping each other take ownership of your lives and your futures. I can almost hear Cesar's words: "Si se puede! Yes, we can!"

Nos estamos moviendo para adelante." or as we say, we are all moving forward.