# Joe Serna Jr. > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Joe_Serna_Jr. > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Joe_Serna_Jr..md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Serna_Jr. > Source revision: 1355506208 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Joe Serna Jr.** (September 3, 1939 – November 7, 1999) was an American educator and [civil rights](/source/Civil_rights) activist who served as the 52nd [mayor of Sacramento, California](/source/Mayor_of_Sacramento,_California) from 1992 until his death in 1999. ## Early life Joe Serna Jr. was born in [Stockton](/source/Stockton,_California), the son of migrant farm workers. He was raised in [labor camps](/source/Labor_camp) near [Lodi](/source/Lodi,_California) and worked with his family in the fields at a young age. He graduated from what was then known as [Sacramento State College](/source/Sacramento_State_College) in 1966.[1] ## Activism He would grow up to become a supporter of the [United Farm Workers](/source/United_Farm_Workers) and worked with [César Chávez](/source/C%C3%A9sar_Ch%C3%A1vez). Serna organized clothing and food drives for striking farm workers in the 1960s and was one of the UFW's main Sacramento leaders for close to 30 years.[2][3][4] Serna was also a sometime member of the [Royal Chicano Air Force](/source/Royal_Chicano_Air_Force).[5] ## Public career Serna became the first Latino mayor of [Sacramento](/source/Sacramento,_California). Before becoming mayor, Serna had served 11 years on the [Sacramento City Council](/source/Sacramento_City_Council). He also served in the [Peace Corps](/source/Peace_Corps) and was a professor in the Government Department at [California State University Sacramento](/source/California_State_University_Sacramento). As mayor, Serna pushed through initiatives to honor César Chávez when the legendary civil rights leader died in 1993. Serna organized a caravan from Sacramento to march in Chávez's funeral and renamed a park in front of City Hall to [Cesar E. Chavez Plaza](/source/Cesar_E._Chavez_Plaza). Furthermore, Sacramento became the first city in the United States to honor César Chávez with a [holiday.](/source/U.S._state_holiday) ## Legacy Serna died of kidney cancer on November 7, 1999, aged 60, while in office in Sacramento, California; [Jimmie R. Yee](/source/Jimmie_R._Yee) presided over the remainder of his term. Serna is buried at [East Lawn Cemetery](/source/East_Lawn_Cemetery), and his funeral was attended by many of his fellow UFW activists. Serna was honored in 2001 with a brand-new, 25-story skyscraper named after him. The [Joe Serna, Jr. EPA Building](/source/Joe_Serna,_Jr._EPA_Building) (near City Hall in downtown Sacramento) has been named the most energy-efficient high rise in the United States by [Energy Star](/source/Energy_Star). Many California universities and organizations have also established scholarships and grants in Joe Serna's name. Joe Serna, Jr. Charter School, the only Spanish/English dual-immersion school in Lodi, carries out Serna's legacy of giving all people the opportunity to have their voices heard. [Sacramento City Unified School District](/source/Sacramento_City_Unified_School_District) honored Serna by naming their new headquarters, residing on 47th Avenue, after him. Serna is also, to date, the most recent mayor of Sacramento to eulogize a former California governor, delivering the final remarks at the funeral mass of [Pat Brown](/source/Pat_Brown) in 1996 at the [Blessed Sacrament Cathedral](/source/Cathedral_of_the_Blessed_Sacrament_(Sacramento,_California)), which was presided over by then-governor [Pete Wilson](/source/Pete_Wilson), whose term also ended in 1999, and celebrated by then-Bishop [William Weigand](/source/William_Weigand). Serna's eulogy was in Spanish and English. Joe Serna was also honored with apartments in his name. This place is known as Serna Village Apartments in [McClellan Park, California](/source/McClellan_Park,_California). ## References 1. ["Joe Serna, Jr."](http://www.csus.edu/SSIS/inductees/academyserna.htm). *[California State University, Sacramento](/source/California_State_University,_Sacramento)*. csus.edu. Retrieved June 19, 2010. 1. Skelton, George (November 11, 1999). ["Mourning a Role Model Whose Lessons Live On"](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-nov-11-mn-32241-story.html). *Los Angeles Times*. Retrieved June 19, 2010. 1. ["Sacramento Mayor Joe Serna Jr. Dies / First Latino in the job, loyal ally of Cesar Chavez"](https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Sacramento-Mayor-Joe-Serna-Jr-Dies-First-2898066.php). *San Francisco Chronicle*. November 8, 1999. Retrieved June 19, 2010. 1. ["United Farm Workers: Farm Workers Mourn Sacramento Mayor and Guatemala RPCV Joe Serna Jr."](http://peacecorpsonline.org/messages/messages/467/2024511.html). *[Peace Corps](/source/Peace_Corps)*. peacecorpsonline.org. November 8, 1999. Retrieved June 19, 2010. 1. ["The Royal Chicano Air Force"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110928055443/http://www.cac.ca.gov/artsnews/featuredetail.php?id=128). California Arts Council. Archived from [the original](http://www.cac.ca.gov/artsnews/featuredetail.php?id=128) on September 28, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011. ## External links - [*Guide to the Joe Serna, Jr. papers, 1939-1999 (1992-1999)*](http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt3d5nd81z/) - [*Joe Serna, Jr.*](http://www.csus.edu/ssis/inductees/academyserna.htm) - [*The Sernas*](http://www.csus.edu/sernacenter/about/sernas.htm) - [*Sacramento Mayor Joe Serna Jr. Dies First Latino in the job, loyal ally of Cesar Chavez*](https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Sacramento-Mayor-Joe-Serna-Jr-Dies-First-2898066.php) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Joe Serna Jr.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Serna_Jr.) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Serna_Jr.?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.