 Ramba uchiverenga ndima iyi - Mhuri yaRivas yakazotama ichibva kuEscondido, California ichienda kuWatsonville, California kwaakapinda Chikoro cheWatsonville High. Yakakurudzirwa uye yakaratidzirwa nezviitiko zveWatsonville Canning Strike, Gomez v City of Watsonville Supreme Court voting rights decision, uye 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, akarega chikoro kwemakore anoverengeka kuti arambe achibatanidzwa somurongi womunharaunda uye murwiri wokodzero dzokuvhota. Akazonyoresa kuCabrillo College, uko makirasi emitambo akamukurudzira kuti apinde mumitambo. Muna 1993, mushure mekuita basa neEl Teatro Campesino kweanenge mwaka miviri, Rivas pamwe nevamwe vatatu vaaidzidza navo Manuel Montez, Leonard Maestas naRenee Sola vakavamba Chicano TheatreWorks, kambani yakagadzirwa mukupindura kupfuurwa kweCalifornia Proposition 187. 