Rosales Sisters Scholarship Campesinos Screening

February 12, 2025

We're thrilled to welcome Olga Rosales Salinas as our newest contributing writer at Silicon Valley Latino! Olga brings a deep passion for storytelling that uplifts our comunidad, and we’re excited to feature her voice.

In her latest article, Olga recaps the Rosales Sisters’ Scholarship’s (RSS) impactful screening of Campesinos: America's Unsung Heroes in Watsonville. The event, a partnership with Silicon Valley Latino and The SVL Agency, brought together community leaders, students, and allies to honor the vital contributions of the campesino community. With a sold-out audience and nearly $14,000 raised for Pajaro Valley Unified School District students, the evening was a powerful testament to the strength of collective action.

Read on to learn more about this inspiring event and the ongoing work of RSS in supporting first-generation and immigrant students. Welcome, Olga—we look forward to your contributions!

On November 16th, the Rosales Sisters’ Scholarship (RSS) proudly hosted a screening of the award-winning documentary Campesinos: America's Unsung Heroes, directed by Joe Poni, at the Cinelux Theaters in Watsonville. This special event, which featured a panel discussion with the film's producer along with key community members, including a Rosales Sisters’ Scholarship 2024 student awardee, was made possible through a partnership with Silicon Valley Latino and The SVL Agency.

Viewers of CAMPESINOS: America's Unsung Heroes in Watsonville, CA

Photo Credit: Rosales Sisters

The Rosales Sisters’ Scholarship has been a vital source of support for first-generation and immigrant students, providing them with essential financial assistance, opportunities, and resources. Since 2019, we have contributed to the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, but the screening of this film marked our inaugural fundraising effort in Watsonville. We were truly heartened by the warm reception we received, especially from the generous sponsors who purchased tickets on behalf of campesino families and students alike.

The event was a resounding success, selling out with over 220 attendees who gathered to support the Campesino community. Thanks to generous sponsorships from organizations like Kaiser Permanente, Watsonville Police Department, CRR Insurance, Pepitos Paletas, and ticket sales, we raised nearly $14,000 to benefit Pajaro Valley Unified School District students. Community partnerships with the Pajaro Valley Unified, United Farm Workers (UFW), Watsonville Film Festival, Freedom Rotary Club, NHORA, and local dignitaries, including Santa Cruz County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez, allowed us to highlight the critical needs of the campesino community with the respect and visibility it deserves.

The panel discussion further enriched the evening, featuring insightful contributions from Lizett Rodriguez Pena, Esq.; Ruby Ann Vásquez; Dr. Ann Lopez, Ph.D.; Consuelo Alba; and Adam Mendoza. They engaged the audience in an open forum covering vital topics such as empowering youth, utilizing technology to support the Campesino community, allyship, and the implications of new administrative policies on immigration reform.

The timing of the event was particularly poignant, coming just two weeks after the 2024 election cycle, where emotions were understandably high given the recent political landscape. With the newly elected administration's focus on policies affecting the campesino community, the discussion felt especially urgent. Attendees left not only with a deeper understanding of the issues but also armed with practical information on how to protect one another, including details about Red Card resources.

Despite the political shift that led to a Republican majority in the House, Senate, and White House, the event highlighted the importance of community solidarity and engagement. We ended the night celebrating a Watsonville High School RSS 2024 Scholarship Awardee. This student shared her experience as a first-generation Latina and her experience in her first-semester in college.

Looking ahead, we are excited for more opportunities to present this powerful documentary and to continue fostering important conversations within our community. Through a growing partnership with Silicon Valley Latino and Silicon Valley Agency, RSS knows we can make a significant difference in the lives of students and marginalized communities as a whole.

Learn more about the Rosales Sisters’ Scholarship by visiting our website, joining our newsletter, or following our social media pages. As a subscriber of Silicon Valley Latino and The SVL Agency, you will be in the know of future RSS and Silicon Valley Latino and The SVL Agency collaborations.

Thank you for reading and supporting our mutually important work and we invite you to watch the summary video of the event below.

#JuntosAdelante