If there was a Chicano Hall of Fame, Ben Saiz would be a member of it. 

Ben had come from ELA to CSUN in 1969 when there was a push to recruit Chicano students. Ben was from the mean streets of ELA. However he blossomed at CSUN and became a Chicano student leader. His spirit of activism never left him and he went on to stay active in the Ventura Co. community as a Youth Authority Parole Agent, Oxnard city councilman, and teacher.

Via Sergio Hernandez:


Just minutes ago we received terrible news that our dear friend Ben Saiz suddenly passed away this morning. Ben was an alumni of CSUN and the MeCha President during the early 70’s, He was a retired Parole Agent, Oxnard City councilman and Adjunct Professor at Oxnard City College. He was an avid collector of Chicano art and organized a show of his collection at Oxnard City College. This hits us deeply because Ben was one of our longtime friends…no details on his services but I will post when I receive notice.