Key Figures
Dolores Huerta was a co-founder of the United Farmer Workers Association. She was a prominent leader in the Chicano civil rights movement. She was shaped by discrimination due to her school teacher, prejudiced against the Hispanics, accused her of cheating due to the eloquent way she would write her papers. She would go forward to organize the 1965 Delano Strikes of 5,000 grape workers and was the lead negotiator of the worker's contract. She fought hard for the unemployment and healthcare benefits of the agricultural workers. She led many more boycotts that lead to the formation of a successful union contract by 1970. This soon lead to her forming the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975 and this allowed for farm workers to form unions and bargain for better wages. Her goal was to improve the workers labor representation and did it in such a way that was successful and allowed for others to improve upon their working conditions.
Her role in the farmworkers movement has been overshadowed due to Cesar Chavez, whom she worked with closely and he was her collaborator and co-founder for the Farm Workers of the American union. She coined the term, "Sí se puede" which means "Yes we can" which holds political significance. It was a term that was part of the struggle of the working-class Latinos. It was the United Farm Worker's Union's rally cry during the 1970s. It was meaningful and meant to inspire the workers to stand up against exploitation and to fight for fair wages and medical and pension wages. This was their challenge to create a better society and to allow others to have equal opportunities to succeed in the nation.
Cesar Chavez
He was a first generation American, and he was born on March 31, 1927 near his family's small homestead in Yuma, Arizona. His family lost their farm during the Great Depression when he was only 11 years old. They became migrant workers and he had to work in the fields full-time to help his family with their finances. He was constantly exposed to the injustices of farm work life and thus, sparked his interest to represent those who are also suffering through the unfairness of the labor system.
He started to start his career in community organizing in 1952 after he was recruited and trained by Fred Ross. Fred Ross was a legendary community organizer who was working to form the San Jose chapter of the Community Service Organization. This was one of the more prominent Latino civil rights groups and Cesar spent 10 years with them. He was able to coordinate campaigns against racial and economic discrimination and organized new CSO opportunities across California. Cesar had the dream to organize a union that would protect and serve his fellow farm workers that they share the same struggles, poverty and powerlessness. He recognized that all the farm workers needed to band together to fight for their rights and to be recognized by the government in order to gain their recognition and help.
Cesar Chavez was the labor union activist for the United Farm Workers. He was deeply inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi. He advocated strongly for better wages, safer working conditions, and less exposure to pesticides. He challenged the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, which went against their cause. It was a federal law that did not protect farm workers, thus Cesar and his supporters led boycotts against lettuce, table grapes, and wine to promote their message and to protect the farmers and workers against these unjust laws. He dedicated his life to protecting against the injustice of the labor conditions and he led the Delano grape strike of 1965 - 1970. His acts had allowed for 2.5 million farmworkers to benefit from his struggles and allowed for those to pave a path towards a brighter future.
Citations
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/dolores-huerta
https://chavezfoundation.org/about-cesar-chavez/
