César Chávez Day
March 31st was César Chávez Day. Here in Colorado and across the United States we celebrate all he has done for labor rights and latino advocacy. He was the founder of the United Farm Workers of America, which was the first farmworker’s labor union in United States. César Chávez and other latino organizers worked hard to secure better working conditions and better pay for farm workers.
César Chávez was born in Yuma, Arizona on March 31st, 1927. He began working in the fields as a young boy. After stint in a segregated unit in the US Navy, he became an organizer for Community Service Organization (CSO), a Latino civil rights group. Chávez registered voters, and aimed to end racial and economic injustices. He became their national director but eventually resigned as CSO did not support his efforts to organize a farm worker’s union.
Chávez was the leader of the famous 1965 Grape Strike. He organized successful efforts to boycott California Grape Growers, organized a 350 mile march, and staged a 25 day hunger strike.This was all a part of the fight against incredibly low wages and poor working conditions seen in California’s agriculture industry. This is just one example of his persistence and dedication to the cause.
He went on to fight many battles in the aim to guarantee farm worker’s the right to organize. His impact on the United States cannot be overstated. He made huge sacrifices for his fellow man in the working class. He dedicated his life to fighting injustice and oppressive forces. Colorado has a large agricultural industry that often employs migrant workers. Chávez set the precedent for these important laborers here in Colorado to have access to labor rights. In his memory we ought to try and advance the rights of workers and latinos and persist until we are successful. We remember him on this day as a hero. Thank you César Chávez.
