On March 31 César E. Chávez would have been 81 years old, and although he died almost 15 years ago, the impact he had is still felt. In California there is a state holiday commemorating Chavez’s birthday, and there is some talk of a national holiday. Many people, though, don’t know who César E. Chávez is or why he is so important to Latinos, the GLBT community and to the United States.

On March 31, 1927, César was born to a farming family. During the Great Depression, when César was only 10 years old, his family lost its farm near Yuma, Ariz., and was forced to become migrant laborers, eventually settling in Delano, Calif. César attended 38 different schools and finally gave up after finishing eighth grade, when he began working full-time in the fields.

After a stint in the military César returned to California and got married in 1946. In 1952, he began working as an organizer for the Latino civil rights group, the Community Services Organization (CSO). During his time with the CSO, he recruited Latinos to register and vote, and traveled throughout California advocating for laborers rights. He became the CSO national director in the late 1950s.

In the early 1960s César formed the United Farm Workers Association. In 1965, The Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC), a mostly Filipino union, went on strike when the Delano grape growers cut pay rates during the harvest. César asked his organization to join the strike, and quickly became its leader. The strike encouraged all Americans to boycott table grapes in support of the effort and this union eventually evolved into the United Farm Workers. Hundreds of students, religious workers and labor activists across the country talked to consumers in front of markets, asking them to help by not buying grapes. At its height, more than 13 million Americans supported the Delano grape boycott. The strike lasted five years and gained the support of many prominent Americans, resulting in the first major labor victory for migrant workers.

César was successful at overcoming odds, and defined the struggle as one of non-violence and grass roots support. He was successful at reclaiming dignity for people who were marginalized by society. What had started as the Delano grape strike came to be known as La Causa (the Cause).

César placed harsher demands on himself than on anyone else in the movement. In 1968 he fasted, the first of several fasts during his lifetime, to recommit the movement to non-violence. The fast marked the beginning of César’s national political presence. Presidential candidate Robert Kennedy went to Delano to break bread with César at the end of his fast. César responded by committing his union to campaign for Kennedy in the California primary, helping Kennedy’s margin of victory in California.

Throughout the years the UFW has become a significant political force, demonstrating that Mexican Americans can, and will, participate in electoral politics when their concerns are at stake. What César started more than 40 years ago led to the election of thousands of Latino officials and a major shift in the American political landscape.

César was also successful at formulating a diverse and national coalition of students, middle-class consumers, trade unionists, religious groups, Latinos, Filipinos, Native Americans, Jews, blacks, gays and lesbians.

In the 1970s, before gays were publicly accepted, he spoke strongly for GLBT rights at gay rights rallies and marches. His views on equality remained strong and uncompromising as he spoke at The March on Washington in 1987. He was quoted saying, “Our movement has been supporting lesbian and gay rights for over 20 years. We supported lesbian and gay rights when it was just a crowd of 10 people.”

César died peacefully in his sleep in San Luis, Ariz., in 1993. President Clinton awarded the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, to César’s widow in 1994.

Don’t forget to celebrate the life of this great man. The San Diego César E. Chávez Commemorative Committee will hold a series of events to honor the life and memory of this great Latino leader. The 14th annual César E. Chávez Parade will take place on Saturday, March 29, at 10 a.m. and will step-off at 28th Street and Ocean View Boulevard. For more information on this and other events, visit www.sdchavezcommittee.org/events.htm.

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