Honoring the life of Cesar Chavez

Español On Saturday, March 31, the nation will celebrate the life and contributions of Cesar Chavez. Chavez has paved the way for individuals today to advocate for equitable wages and safe working conditions. In recognition of this legacy, former president Barack Obama mandated in 2014 that all fifty states honor Chavez’s legacy by observing a national holiday each year.

 

Chavez grew up as a first-generation American in a family of migrant farmworkers. After his family lost ownership of their farm amidst the Great Depression, he traveled throughout California working full-time on farms to support his family. He picked peas in Pescadero and avocados in Oxnard. During this time, he witnessed firsthand the unfair treatment of his fellow workers and the hardships they endured.

His early efforts involved criticizing and bringing to national attention the World War II “Bracero” program, which he said exploited Mexican “guest workers” as a source of cheap labor. Chavez drew attention to the issue through advocacy, strikes, and marches, and this effort evolved into a lifetime of work to ensure workers’ rights.

 

The National Labor Relations Act was created in 1935, permitting collective bargaining in the private sphere and thereby acknowledging strikes and trade unions. However, the act did not apply to farmworkers, meaning they faced low salaries, poor housing conditions, and lack of access to healthcare.

In 1964, Chavez formed the National Farm Workers Association, an organized body that battled against this inequity in the law. He created the new union’s slogan: “Viva La Causa” (Long Live the Cause).

He led the union’s protest and marches for several decades. This included strikes against California grape growers in which the union demanded that growers protect farmworkers.

In 1975, Chavez worked with Governor Jerry Brown to pass the California Agricultural Relations Act, which officially established collective bargaining rights for farmworkers.

The law resulted in benefits such as increased wages; however, aspects of the law still weren’t being enforced in the following years. Farm workers in the Central Valley and Central California had higher rates of cancer and miscarriages and the data suggested growers minimally regulated these pesticides, contributing to these negative health consequences.

Chavez responded in 1988 by fasting for 36 days. “Cesar’s Last Fast”, a documentary released in 2014, shows footage of him during these last few days of this fast. His health rapidly declined and he demonstrated that he was willing to give up his life for the cause. A Mexican-American biographical film of his life was also released later in 2014.

The organization Chavez formed is today called the United Farm Workers Union (UFW) and it still uses the slogan “Si se Puede” (Yes, We Can) created by his colleague in the struggle, Dolores Huerta. UFW continues to organize in large agricultural sectors in California and advocates for reform in immigration, worker protection, and pesticides. It has seen further success in establishing agreements with major wine, tomato, berry, and mushroom companies.  UFW has made sure that recent laws also protect workers in non-union ranches.  In 2016, the union sponsored the first law in the nation that provides California workers with overtime pay beyond eight-hour days.  In addition, the Cesar Chavez Foundation was created to improve the lives of both farm workers and Latino families beyond the workplace.

 

Parks, major streets, libraries, schools, and postage stamps honor Chavez in many states and remind us of his ongoing legacy. In 2015, Chavez received military honors for his service in the U.S. Navy. The Navy held a ceremony on the anniversary of his death, paying tribute to his life and service at the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument in Keene, California.

We will celebrate Chavez for his human rights work and his direct contributions to farmworkers’ rights in California. His actions serve an example for all on how nonviolence can be used to institute meaningful change in society.

San Francisco’s 2018 Cesar E. Chavez Parade and Festival will be held at Mission Dolores Park. The parade will feature an array of cultural performances and organizations. Many other cities like Salinas will hold marches honoring Chavez while also protesting immigration policy and advocating for farmworkers’ rights.