September 30, 2003 :: No. 56

California Rural Assistance League Honors Cal State Fullerton Professor

Isaac Cardenas, chair of the Chicana and Chicano Studies Department at California State University, Fullerton, was honored recently with the California Rural Assistance League’s 2003 Educator Award.

The league is a statewide, nonprofit social justice organization dedicated to legal advocacy for farm workers and other rural low-income families throughout California.

Cardenas, a resident of Rowland Heights, was recognized for his achievements in education and for playing a significant role in the Latino community. A member of the Cal State Fullerton faculty since 1974, Cardenas has chaired the Chicana and Chicano Studies Department for nearly 26 years. He was reappointed to the post in 2001.

“I feel greatly honored by this award,” said Cardenas. “I think it is representative of the important contributions that Cal State Fullerton is making to the Latino community.”

Over the years, Cardenas has received numerous awards, including being named Educator of the Year by the Hispanic Bar Association of Orange County in 2000. He also has received honors from the Association of Mexican American Educators, League of United Latin American Citizens, CSUF Hispanic Faculty and Staff Association and the Independent Latino Student Association.

He has served as a faculty sponsor to the annual Latino College Leadership Institute and developed a number of programs that involve university students in community service. In addition, he has been involved in programs for both high school and elementary school students, some of which are specifically directed at children of migrant farm workers.