2008 Woodie Awards
Political leader remembered
Cesar Chavez day is much more than just a free day off school.
Nieman, Ashleigh
Issue date: 4/9/08 Section: Community
Cesar Chavez Day is a state holiday currently observed March 31, on Chavez's birthday, in remembrance of his life and work. This holiday is intended to promote community service and all government offices, community colleges, and libraries are closed in honor of it. The eight U.S. states that currently observe Cesar Chavez Day are Arizona, California, Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin.
Calvin Li, a freshman history major at Humboldt State University and also a staff member at the MultiCultural Center, believes it's important to celebrate Cesar Chavez Day. "He never gave up," Li said. "He persevered and he succeeded in the end."
Born in Yuma, Arizona, in 1927, Chavez started out as a farm worker who would later become a labor leader and civil rights activist. He co-founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962, which would later become United Farm Workers. His work led to many improvements for union labor workers.
Chavez supported worker's rights and opposed both legal and illegal immigration in order to keep wages high and improve work safety. Beginning with a Latino civil rights group called the Community Service Organization, Chavez encouraged Mexican-Americans to register and vote. He became the director of the organization in 1958.
Supporting and leading many strikes and protests, Chavez's work was noticed by other union and labor groups in the United States. This prompted them to become active in fighting for their own rights and start their own activist organizations.
Chavez has a number of things in the United States named in his honor. Some of these things include a Mexican-American college, streets, parks, playgrounds, and even a postage stamp that bears his name. Not unlike Gandhi, Chavez also participated in fasting in order to protest violence and to promote better living and working conditions for farm workers. Chavez died in 1993 of a heart attack, after fasting for moral strength for several days.
In 2003, Cesar Chavez was awarded the United States' highest civilian honor by President Bill Clinton. Some other Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients include Bill Cosby, Helen Keller, Georgia O'Keeffe, Martin Luther King Jr., and Jacques Cousteau.
On Monday, March 31, a playground was built in Chavez's honor in Eureka, complete with a mural of him. Humboldt State's Youth Educational Services (YES) house, which is a community service-oriented organization, sent approximately 75 volunteers to this event. Mary Stuart is a staff member at the YES house and said she thinks it's important to create local activities in celebration of Chavez. "He made a big impact," Stuart said. "California has a strong agricultural base and it's important to recognize the individuals in the economy."
Bobby Jones, a junior forestry major at Humboldt State, also thinks it is very important to celebrate Cesar Chavez Day. Being a Mexican-American student, Jones feels connected to Chavez in an ancestral way. "He's a role model," Jones said. "He did for the Mexican American community, and all union laborers for that matter, what Martin Luther King Jr. did for the African American community."
Calvin Li, a freshman history major at Humboldt State University and also a staff member at the MultiCultural Center, believes it's important to celebrate Cesar Chavez Day. "He never gave up," Li said. "He persevered and he succeeded in the end."
Born in Yuma, Arizona, in 1927, Chavez started out as a farm worker who would later become a labor leader and civil rights activist. He co-founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962, which would later become United Farm Workers. His work led to many improvements for union labor workers.
Chavez supported worker's rights and opposed both legal and illegal immigration in order to keep wages high and improve work safety. Beginning with a Latino civil rights group called the Community Service Organization, Chavez encouraged Mexican-Americans to register and vote. He became the director of the organization in 1958.
Supporting and leading many strikes and protests, Chavez's work was noticed by other union and labor groups in the United States. This prompted them to become active in fighting for their own rights and start their own activist organizations.
Chavez has a number of things in the United States named in his honor. Some of these things include a Mexican-American college, streets, parks, playgrounds, and even a postage stamp that bears his name. Not unlike Gandhi, Chavez also participated in fasting in order to protest violence and to promote better living and working conditions for farm workers. Chavez died in 1993 of a heart attack, after fasting for moral strength for several days.
In 2003, Cesar Chavez was awarded the United States' highest civilian honor by President Bill Clinton. Some other Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients include Bill Cosby, Helen Keller, Georgia O'Keeffe, Martin Luther King Jr., and Jacques Cousteau.
On Monday, March 31, a playground was built in Chavez's honor in Eureka, complete with a mural of him. Humboldt State's Youth Educational Services (YES) house, which is a community service-oriented organization, sent approximately 75 volunteers to this event. Mary Stuart is a staff member at the YES house and said she thinks it's important to create local activities in celebration of Chavez. "He made a big impact," Stuart said. "California has a strong agricultural base and it's important to recognize the individuals in the economy."
Bobby Jones, a junior forestry major at Humboldt State, also thinks it is very important to celebrate Cesar Chavez Day. Being a Mexican-American student, Jones feels connected to Chavez in an ancestral way. "He's a role model," Jones said. "He did for the Mexican American community, and all union laborers for that matter, what Martin Luther King Jr. did for the African American community."
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