Cesar’s faith in people moved the masses to believe they could overcome even the most insurmountable odds.
Today, Monday, March 31st, we celebrate Cesar Chavez Day, honoring the leader of farm workers who never bowed his head nor allowed political and economic power to diminish the struggle. Chavez brought dignity to a sector of the immigrant community that is vital to the functioning of this country: farm workers.
“Our Movement has always been about more than wages or working conditions—it is about people: the right to be seen, to be heard, and to be valued. Now, more than ever, we must ensure that Cesar’s life’s work and vision endures for future generations. We draw strength, courage, and resolve from remembering our Movement’s roots and the unwavering belief that change is possible when we stand together,” says Manuel Bernal, president of the Cesar Chavez Foundation.
Five years before Chávez died, at the age of 61, he undertook his third hunger strike to protest the dangers of pesticides for farmworkers and their children– his hunger strike lasted 36 days. Chavez’s resilience and commitment to improving the working conditions and wages of farmworkers are just as important today.
And now, more than ever, the country needs leaders like Chavez.
The policies of the Trump Administration have not only attacked the immigrant community, including farm workers. Recently, a farm worker leader, Alfredo “Lelo” Juarez Zeferino, a staunch advocate for the local immigrant community, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Tuesday morning. He helped found the local farmworker union Familias Unidas por la Justicia, according to the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center.
For Trump, everything related to diversity, workers’ rights, social services, and more, has no right to exist. He wants to erase them from the map and even has the audacity to change the names of geographical areas with a long history.
Meanwhile, Cesar’s faith in people moved the masses to believe they could overcome even the most insurmountable odds. He taught us that you only lose when you give up. That message is just as powerful today as it was over 60 years ago, when this Movement was founded to challenge the weight of poverty, discrimination, and powerlessness.
“Cesar Chavez taught us the importance of treating every person with dignity and respect, and that the power of positive change lies in the everyday people who are willing to fight to make it happen.”
In the face of the political confusion of the Democrats and the well-founded fear of the immigrant community, few speak out, few fight. Well, Cesar Chavez wouldn’t have stayed silent; he would be standing, organizing workers, and launching a counter struggle against the now ‘unpopular’ policies of President Trump.
His union’s efforts led to the passage of the groundbreaking 1975 California Agricultural Labor Relations Act to protect farm workers. Today, it remains the only law in the nation that protects farm workers’ right to unionize. The significance and impact of Cesar’s life transcends any one cause or struggle.
“Cesar Chavez taught us the importance of treating every person with dignity and respect, and that the power of positive change lies in the everyday people who are willing to fight to make it happen. The celebration of Cesar Chavez reminds us that we are the change that we have been waiting for, and that this is our moment. There is a leader within each of us, and we must embrace and recognize the common everyday heroes that are fighting to make this happen,” wrote the Latino Victory organization.
We hope that his legacy is recognized and remembered today and serves as a breath of air to prepare us for the long struggle of these four years ahead.
