BILL NUMBER: ACR 151 ENROLLED
BILL TEXT
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY APRIL 27, 2000
PASSED THE SENATE APRIL 6, 2000
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 6, 2000
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 30, 2000
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Villaraigosa
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Aanestad, Alquist, Aroner, Ashburn,
Bates, Baugh, Bock, Brewer, Calderon, Cardenas, Cedillo, Correa, Cox,
Cunneen, Davis, Dickerson, Dutra, Firebaugh, Florez, Floyd,
Frusetta, Gallegos, Granlund, Havice, Hertzberg, Honda, House,
Jackson, Keeley, Knox, Kuehl, Lempert, Leonard, Longville, Lowenthal,
Maddox, Maldonado, Margett, Mazzoni, McClintock, Migden, Nakano,
Olberg, Robert Pacheco, Rod Pacheco, Papan, Pescetti, Reyes, Romero,
Scott, Shelley, Steinberg, Strickland, Strom-Martin, Thompson,
Thomson, Torlakson, Washington, Wayne, Wesson, Wiggins, Wildman,
Wright, and Zettel)
(Coauthors: Senators Alarcon, Alpert, Bowen, Brulte, Burton,
Chesbro, Dunn, Escutia, Hayden, Hughes, Johannessen, Johnson,
Johnston, McPherson, Murray, O'Connell, Ortiz, Peace, Perata,
Polanco, Rainey, Solis, Soto, Speier, Vasconcellos, and Wright)
MARCH 23, 2000
Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 151--Relative to Cesar Chavez.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
ACR 151, Villaraigosa. Cesar E. Chavez.
This measure would recognize March 31, 2000, as the anniversary of
Cesar E. Chavez's birth.
WHEREAS, On March 31, 1927, a true hero named Cesar Estrada Chavez
was born in Yuma, Arizona to Librado and Juana Chavez and became the
second oldest in a family of five children. Cesar Chavez lived his
life dedicated to improving the plight of farmworkers through
struggle, sacrifice, and abnegation. He founded and led the first
successful farmworkers' union in United States history. He stood for
dignity and justice for farmworkers. Today, he remains a symbol of
hope to all Californians who find hope and peace in justice; and
WHEREAS, In the 1930's, during the Great Depression, Cesar E.
Chavez's father lost his small farming business and the family went
broke. The family became migrant workers and joined some 30,000
workers who followed the crops from Arizona into Southern California,
then up the length of the Central Valley and back again picking
everything from peas to cotton. They lived in tents and other
makeshift housing that often lacked a bathroom, electricity, or
running water. Schooling for Chavez was irregular and haphazard. He
attended some 30 different schools, often encountered
discrimination, and was punished for speaking Spanish; and
WHEREAS, After graduation from the eighth grade Chavez was forced
to quit school and take to the fields in order to help support his
family. In 1944, at the age of 17, Chavez joined the Navy and served
in World War II. After he completed his tour of duty Chavez
returned to California and married Helen Fabela, a woman who shared
his dedication to the cause of the farmworker. They lived in San
Jose in a tough Mexican neighborhood called "Sal Si Puedes" which
translated to "Get out if you can," and together raised eight
children; and
WHEREAS, As a farmworker Chavez experienced firsthand the
injustice of working long hours with little pay. Instilled with a
sense of justice passed down from his mother, Chavez made a decision
to speak up and fight for a change. He took part in his first strike
in protest of low wages and poor working conditions for farmworkers.
Although initially unsuccessful, his participation in that first
strike was to mark the beginning of a long career in which he fought
for improved working and living conditions for farmworkers; and
WHEREAS, In 1952, Chavez met Fred Ross who was with a group called
the Community Services Organization (CSO). Struck by Chavez's
engaging personality and leadership qualities, Ross tapped Chavez to
head voter registration efforts where he successfully registered
4,000 voters. The following year Chavez led organization efforts to
establish CSO offices in every major barrio. He eventually spent 10
years with CSO, and became, general director in 1958. During this
time services were expanded to include citizenship classes, helping
members secure driver's licenses, assistance in filling out
applications for aid, and securing legal counsel; and
WHEREAS, In 1962, Chavez resigned his position with the CSO to
embark on a bold new undertaking to form a farmworker's union. He
was joined by the great Dolores Huerta and together they became the
architects of the National Farm Worker's Union, the forerunner to the
present United Farm Workers (UFW); and
WHEREAS, In 1965, Chavez led a strike of California grapepickers
to demand higher wages, and urged all Americans to boycott table
grapes as a show of support. The strike included a 340-mile march
from Delano to Sacramento in 1966 in which thousands of farmworkers
and supporters marched in solidarity. The farmworkers and supporters
carried banners with the black eagle with HUELGA (strike) and VIVA
LA CAUSA (long live our cause); and
WHEREAS, Chavez preached nonviolence to the strikers even as they
were physically abused by many of those opposed to the grape boycott.
In 1968, Chavez began a Ghandi-like fast to call attention to the
migrant workers' cause. Although his dramatic act did little to
solve the immediate problem, it increased public awareness of the
conditions under which farmworkers labored. In 1973, the UFW
organized a strike for higher wages from lettuce growers and after
many battles, an agreement was finally reached in 1977 that gave the
UFW the sole right to organize farmworkers; and
WHEREAS, During the 1980's, Chavez led the effort to call
attention to the health problems of farmworkers caused by the use of
certain pesticides on crops; and
WHEREAS, On April 23, 1993, Cesar Estrada Chavez died peacefully
in his sleep in San Luis, Arizona. During Chavez's funeral Cardinal
Roger M. Mahoney, who celebrated the funeral mass, called Chavez "a
special prophet for the worlds' farm workers"; and
WHEREAS, Many declared that the UFW would die without him, but on
Chavez's birthday, March 31, 1994, under the leadership of his
son-in-law Arturo Rodriquez, the UFW marched 343 miles from Delano to
Sacramento, echoing Cesar Chavez's historic 1966 march, and
demonstrated that the UFW still worked for farmworkers; and
WHEREAS, In 1990, Mexican President Salinas de Gortari awarded
Cesar E. Chavez, the "El Aquila Azteca" (the Aztec Eagle), Mexico's
highest award presented to people of Mexican heritage who have made
major contributions outside of Mexico. He also became the second
Mexican American to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the
highest civilian honor in the United States, which was presented
posthumously to Helen Chavez and her children on August 8, 1994, by
President Clinton; and
WHEREAS, In 1994, Chavez's family and the officers of the UFW
created the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation to inspire current and future
generations by promoting the ideals of Cesar's life, work, and
vision. Communities throughout California and the United States have
honored Cesar Chavez by naming parks, children's centers, streets,
and other public works after the leader; and
WHEREAS, Cesar Chavez led by example, giving of himself so that he
might help others. His relentless pursuit of the belief that the
American dream should be available to all Americans, regardless of
race or origin of birth, stands as a monument to our free society.
His life and work is not only an inspiration to Latinos, but to
working Americans of all nationalities. His legacy lives on in the
improved working and living conditions of hundreds of thousands of
Californians, and their families; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature recognizes March 31, 2000,
as the anniversary of the birth of Cesar E. Chavez, and calls upon
all Californians to participate in appropriate observances to
remember Cesar E. Chavez as a symbol of hope and justice to all
citizens, and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.