Home of Cesar Chavez makes national historic place list
Cesar Chavez / The Salinas Californian file photo
WASHINGTON–Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has placed La Paz, Calif., from where farm labor and civil rights leader Cesar Chavez lived and led the farm worker movement during his last 22 years of life, on the National Register of Historic Places.
“Cesar Chavez is one of the heroes of the 20th century, leading a non-violent movement that improved working conditions for agricultural workers and bettered the lives of thousands of Hispanic men and women and other minorities throughout the United States,” Salazar said in a news release.
“By adding La Paz, now known as the National Chavez Center, to the National Register of Historic Places, we are honoring his legacy and inviting Americans to learn more about the life and work of this extraordinary man.”
The designation of La Paz, which served as the headquarters of the United Farm Workers of America and Chavez’s residence from 1971-1993, supports the goal of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative to reconnect the American people to their natural, cultural, and historical heritage, the statement said.
“The listing of La Paz reflects an ongoing commitment to ensuring that the contributions of all Americans are well represented by the National Register and National Historic Landmarks programs,” said Jonathan B. Jarvis, director of the National Park Service, which administers the programs for the Department of the Interior.
“For my father, La Paz was a personal refuge from bitter struggles in agricultural valleys and big cities, a spiritual harbor where he recharged batteries, drew fresh inspiration and prepared for the battles ahead,” said Paul F. Chavez, Cesar Chavez’s middle son and president of the Cesar Chavez Foundation. “It was a place where many dedicated people spent years of their lives working with Cesar Chavez for social justice, inspiring generations of Americans from all walks of life who never worked on a farm to social and political activism. I commend Secretary Salazar and the Department of the Interior for officially marking the significance of La Paz and helping the world experience this important history.”
Salazar made the announcement yesterday evening during remarks to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, where he and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis received the Chair’s Award honoring their careers in public service and their lifelong dedication to improving the lives of all Americans.
La Paz is in the Tehachapi Mountains of Kern County. Purchased in 1970 by Hollywood film producer Ed Lewis and turned over to the farm worker movement, La Paz quickly became a crucial center of labor and farm worker organizing activities.
Thousands of union members and supporters visited the complex to receive training, plan with union leaders, and hear directly from Chavez and others about the late 20th century American labor movement.
The National Register of Historic Places is the nation’s official list of historically significant properties.
It was established by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, and includes more than 87,000 historic buildings, structures, districts, sites, and objects.
Properties are nominated for listing in the National Register by states, tribes, and federal agencies, and can be listed at the state and local as well as the national level of significance.
La Paz was nominated for listing by California’s State Historic Preservation Officer in July 2011.
Online: More information about La Paz and other properties on the National Register of Historic Places can be found at www.nps.gov/nr.