Two pioneers of Fresno State’s Chicano movement who helped open the doors of higher education to Latino youth died Tuesday: Dr. Jesus Luna, professor emeritus of history, and alumnus Alfonso Hernandez, a student activist who founded the Chicano Youth Center and tackled dropout and gang issues. Dr. Luna, who helped develop Fresno State’s La Raza Studies Program (now Chicano and Latin-America Studies Department), died in Houston at age 70. Mr. Hernandez, a 1973 social welfare graduate, died in Fresno at age 64. Community leaders will honor him at press conference at 1 p.m. today (Dec. 9) at the Chicano Youth Center (1515 Divisadero St.). See the full FresnoStateNews.com stories using the links above.
