César Estrado Chávez is being remembered for his tireless efforts to advocate for immigrant workers in the US.
Chávez died in 1993, but his legacy lives on through celebrations on March 31 every year since it became a national holiday in 2014.
César Chávez was born near Yuma, Arizona in 1927 and was the son of a migrant farmworker.
His father lost everything during the Great Depression causing the family to move from place to place as migrant laborers.
It was during this time as a young boy that Chávez heard of unions forming to protest against the harsh working conditions of migrant workers, distilling in him a deep-rooted need to be a part of it.
He galvanized support for farmworkers at the time, many of whom were illegal immigrants who were paid very little for their work.
Chávez was living in San Jose, California when, in 1952, when he was sought out by community organizer Fred Ross who told him he wanted to set up self-help groups in minority areas.
“He looked to me like potentially the best grass-roots leader I’d ever run into,” Ross said, according to the LA Times.
Chávez stayed with the organization for a decade, during which time he led a voter registration drive advocating for Mexican-Americans and Mexican immigrants who complained they were mistreated by police, immigration authorities, and welfare officials.
After leaving Ross’ organization in 1962, Chávez set up the National Farm Workers Association, later known as the UFW.
His new endeavor gained followers who came together in organized marches, boycotts, and strikes that succeeded in earning union and non-union members increased wages and extensive benefits.
Jerry Cohen was the general counsel for the UFW from 1967 to 1981 and told the LA Times in a 1993 interview, “Cesar accomplished more with fewer people than anyone I know of . . . He was like water running downhill at that time. Nothing could stop us.”
Chávez passed away in 1993 from undisclosed natural causes but nearly three decades later, he is still remembered for his contribution to the civil liberties of immigrant workers.
Susana Almanza, the executive director of People Organized in Defense of Earth and Her Resources (PODER) recognized Chávez during the March 31 celebration of his life and accomplishments.
“He’s a role model for everybody in the world because he was a person that fought against oppression and exploitation,” Almanza said about Chávez in an interview with CNBC.
“He took on the powerful in defense of the powerless, and that’s what PODER does.”
President Joe Biden issued a proclamation on March 31, 2022, in remembrance of Chávez, a man who gave a voice to migrant workers from the 1950s through the 1980s.
“We stand on the shoulders of César Chávez and carry forward his fight to advance the dignity of working people and fulfill the promise of America for all Americans,” the proclamation read.
Biden further remembered Chávez’s legacy by placing a bust of him in the Oval Office as “a constant reminder of the enduring values he embodied, the vision of freedom he fought for, and his commitment to social justice and equal dignity that we must uphold each and every day.”
Former President Barack Obama issued a proclamation in 2014 declaring March 31 to be César Chávez Day in the US – the day marking what would have been his 87th birthday.
Latino-led nonprofit organizations are commemorating César Chávez Day by holding events that focus on farmworker and labor rights and legal and environmental issues.
In California, the UFW which was originally founded by Chávez himself is holding events to urge Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign the Agricultural Labor Relations Voting Choice Act.
The piece of legislation would give farmworkers more options for when to vote in their union elections and would eliminate pressure from their supervisors.
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Newsom issued a proclamation on César Chávez Day saying, “Throughout his life of work and service, César Chávez empowered thousands to stand together for their rights and led our nation toward a more equitable and just society.
“His visionary leadership inspired a powerful movement that burns brightly to this day, rallying people from all walks of life to champion the dignity of work.”
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