March 31st is Cesar Chavez Day.
The farm labor movement that he led paralleled part of the Chicano Movement of the 60s and 70s.
The obvious difference between the two was that Chicano activists were largely located in urban communities while Chavez’ work centered in the farms and orchards of rural America.
Also, although both movements based their activities on the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States especially as it pertains to the freedom of speech, assembly and the right to petition for redress, their goals differed somewhat as Chicanos sought to reestablish the space that history had given to their people while the farm worker movement fought to be recognized as an integral part of American labor institutions.
I had the privilege of meeting Cesar Chavez several times during my career in higher education. Initially, I was caught up in the excitement created by efforts to organize migrant farm workers in Southern California that was followed by grape and lettuce boycotts which led to the recognition of the Chavez led United Farm Workers of America as their bargaining agent.
Later, Chavez visited the MSUD campus several times as part of a campaign to generate support for the improvement of the living and working conditions of farm workers in the fields.
His humble and unassuming look as he talked about the needs of this community reminded me of my grandfather explaining where we were to go and the distance we had to travel to the next fields.
Up until my teenage years as a migrant worker, my life encompassed all of those experiences that Cesar Chavez was fighting to remedy. Chief among them were the very hot days and the work that included the quarter of a mile rows of cotton we had to return before our next drink of water.
North Texas in the late fall in the farms around the town of Ballinger was particularly memorable for the terrible living conditions that tested all concepts of endurance. I have never forgotten the night when a lizard came out of the cold and found his way into my sister’s hair and then was taking out by my father with a pair of pliers.
Memories like that always made me have contradicting feelings around Chavez because on the one hand, I was in awe to be in front of this great man, but on the other, felt extreme discomfort caused by the memories that rose up in me in his presence. I am sure that he experienced the same type of history, but nevertheless, pushed through it to become the heroic voice of the farm worker.
My last stop in my higher education career was East Carolina University, located in the center of vast agricultural fields. One of my first undertakings was to visit migrant farm workers in the area.
We found them living in dilapidated trailers, one room per family. I remember the mud on the walk to the front doors that was ankle deep.
As we talked to the people there, I realized that things had not changed much since our family trekked through the South and the Mid-West living in similar conditions some 60 years ago. I remembered the words of Cesar Chavez as we developed a plan of action to help those that worked hard to put food on our table.
Cesar Chavez had that effect on all of us. I am grateful for his presence in our lives.
The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of La Voz Bilingüe. Comments and responses may be directed to News@lavozcolorado.com.
