GONZALES, CA – United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez and a group of city and county elected officials will be marching in Gonzales today as part of a campaign to celebrate the birthday of the late labor leader and UFW founder Cesar E. Chavez and calling for a comprehensive U.S. immigration reform.
The Gonzales march, which is one of several rallies planed throughout the week in Monterey County, is scheduled for 5 p.m. departing from the Central Park in Gonzales. The march is part of the union’s nationwide immigration reform campaign, ‘Con La Union de Campesinos Tendremos Papeles.’
Following the march, Monterey County Supervisors will be presenting UFW president Arturo Rodriguez with a resolution endorsing the UFW’s campaign for a fair immigration reform and honoring Cesar Chavez.
"President Barack Obama spoke last week about how important it is to build a path to citizenship for immigrants who have put down roots in this country," Rodriguez said.
"The farm worker movement that Cesar began is the root of the Latino political movement. And now, we have a president whose own roots are like ours and whose campaign was rooted in Cesar’s grito, ‘Si se puede! Yes we can!’" he added.
The Gonzales march is about 3 ½ miles and is expected to attract hundreds of people. The first march was held last Sunday in Greenfield and attracted more than a 1,000 people. The last march in the Central Coast is scheduled for Sunday, March 29, at 11 a.m. meeting at the Cesar Chavez Park in Salinas. For more information or to find out about other marches and events going on in other areas, please visit our Web site at: www.ufw.org.