Cesar Chavez Day is a commemorative holiday occurring annually on his birthday to honor the legacy and contributions of the Mexican-American civil rights and labor activist Cesar Chavez.
Chavez was born on March 31, 1927, near Yuma, Arizona. According to the United Farm Workers, he experienced injustice early in life when his family lost its land and became migrant farmworkers in California.
After facing discrimination and poverty, Chavez left school after eighth grade to support his family but remained passionate about social justice. After serving in the Navy, he married Helen Fabela and later joined labor-organizing efforts, inspired by Father Donald McDonnell and Fred Ross.
In 1962, Chavez founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) with Dolores Huerta, using nonviolent tactics such as strikes, boycotts and fasting to fight for farmworkers’ rights. His leadership won union contracts and national support, making La Causa a powerful movement for dignity and justice.
Lecturer for the UTRGV History Department Mayra Avila said Chavez’s nonviolent activism and leadership in the UFW improved the lives of farmworkers, inspired social justice movements and left a lasting legacy of hope and empowerment.
“His union efforts brought about the passage of the groundbreaking 1975 California [Agricultural] Labor Relations Act that protects farmworkers, and today, it remains as the only law in the nation that protects the farmworkers’ right to unionize,” Avila said.
Chavez’s 1988 36-day Fast for Life protested farmworkers’ suffering, pesticide dangers and unfair labor conditions. He saw fasting as a personal purification and a call for justice.
He died in his sleep April 23, 1993, near Yuma, Arizona, while defending the UFW in a lawsuit. Despite exhaustion from intense legal proceedings, he remained dedicated to farmworkers’ rights. According to the United Farm Workers, the morning after a long day, he was found with a book in hand and a peaceful smile, reflecting a life devoted to justice.
Avila said Chavez impacted Latino communities by helping them learn to speak out against adversity.
“That idea, ‘sí se puede,’ still continues, and that’s still a battle cry for people that you see in political rallies,” she said. “You see it in education even now, right, when the kids are walking out, that saying, ‘sí se puede’ is still a term of like, we can do this, and it still talks to people in the community that there’s change and they can cause change.”
Over 50,000 mourners honored Chavez at the largest funeral for a U.S. labor leader, held at the UFW’s Forty Acres in Delano, the ceremony included farmworkers, family and supporters.
Avila said his legacy remains relevant today in discussions about workers’ rights and social justice because it is important for workers to know their rights and to speak out when facing injustice.
“Cesar Chavez showed individuals that you can speak out against their boss and organizations,” she said. “And even if you’re the little man, you still have a voice and you should use it. And being able to get people together. And when you work in numbers, there’s change.”
Chavez was laid to rest at the UFW’s La Paz headquarters. On Aug. 8, 1994, his widow, Helen, accepted the Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton, who praised Chavez as a Moses figure for farmworkers.
This is Victoria Gonzalez for Vaquero Radio.
