| Observance of Labor History Week, State Holiday Honoring César Chávez Encouraged |  |
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| Written by Imperial Valley News | |
| Monday, 30 March 2009 | |
| Sacramento, California – California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell today urged schools to offer classroom activities and events so students may better understand why California annually commemorates the importance of Labor History Week and César E. Chávez Day.
Signed into California law in 2002, Labor History Week will be celebrated March 29 through April 4, 2009, during which falls the state holiday honoring César Chávez, the legendary civil rights leader and United Farm Workers co-founder who was born March 31, 1927 and died April 23, 1993. The purpose of Labor History Week is to encourage schools to commemorate this week with appropriate educational exercises that make pupils aware of the role the labor movement has played in shaping California and the United States. "Students should appreciate that the many protections and benefits enjoyed in the workplace today were brought about by the labor movement, such as the minimum wage, the eight-hour day, child labor laws, meal breaks, and safety laws – even the advent of the weekend," said O’Connell. "These rights that now are considered fundamental in the American workplace were established only because of the sacrifices made by many courageous men and women. We should honor and celebrate their commitment and legacy. César Chávez was a labor leader and civil rights activist who remained fully committed to establishing, improving, and protecting farm workers through peaceful means and through education. He always will be an inspiration to me, and I hope his humanity and struggle to improve the lives of others will be recognized by students today and by generations to come." The California Department of Education provides standards-based model curriculum on the life and work of César Chávez for schools at Introduction to César E. Chávez Model Curriculum. The model curriculum is provided for grades kindergarten through 12, with biographies, pictures, and other resources provided to help teachers prepare lessons for this state holiday. This site also lists many supplemental resources that are available for schools and the general public. One of those resources is a new video that could be used to stimulate discussion and reflection about the legacy of César Chávez and the current status of members of our community who do the very hard work of harvesting the food consumed by Californians and people around the world. The video is titled, "California’s Harvest of Shame," a short film showing the realities of life in the fields in 2008, and is introduced by actor Martin Sheen and narrated by former Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez. |