Obama, Rep. Baca, and United Farm Workers Back National Cesar Chavez Holiday
There is no doubt that Cesar Chavez is the most widely known Latino civil rights leader. Inspired by Ghandi and Martin Luther King, Chavez’s courageous non-violent fight for farm workers through boycotts, strikes, fasts, and rousing speeches led to pesticide-protective clothes, rest periods, clean drinking water, and other basic rights. And, as the Cesar Chavez National Holiday Coalition puts it, “When Cesar Chavez demanded union contracts, decent wages and safe working conditions, he extended the possibility for victory to all workers across the nation. He elevated the bar for equality and unity. He gave hope to the poor and under-represented.”
Chavez has become a symbol of peaceful resistance and his belief that "si, se puede" even inspired President Obama’s campaign assertion "yes, we can." Obama has also supported the coalition and California Representative Joe Baca’s movement to make March 31st a national holiday: Cesar Chavez Day.
The upcoming date, which marks Chavez’s birthday, is already celebrated in ten states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin). But educating future generations about Chavez’s legacy is challenged by recent moves such as removing mention of him from Texas textbooks. Anti-immigrant forces in the country have fought hard to obscure Chavez’s message, and others have simply opted to led it fall by the wayside. When University of Texas-El Paso removed Cesar Chavez Day from its calendar, Change.org members and United Farm Workers supporters working with a student coalition were successful in petitioning the school to reinstate the holiday.
So once again, we are supporting UFW in calling for a national holiday to commemorate one of our nation’s most inspiring leaders and ensure he remains a figure in our national consciousness. As Obama stated: “Chavez left a legacy as an educator, environmentalist, and a civil rights leader…we should honor him for what he’s taught us about making America a stronger, more just, and more prosperous nation.”
Gabriela Garcia is a freelance writer who has written for Latina, the Miami New Times, National Geographic Traveler blog, and Matador Network blogs, amongst other publications.