Their continued immigration from Latin America has enhanced their presence in different economic sectors, particularly the agricultural and industrial ones, which have placed them among some of the most vulnerable workers in American society.
Consequently, Latinos, who have participated more actively in labor movements during the 19th and 20th centuries in the U.S., contributed to the betterment of working conditions for all nationwide.
Cesar Chavez, one of the country’s most renowned labor advocates, rose from being a fruit and vegetable picker to found and lead the United Farm Workers of America. Combining the teachings of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. into a philosophy of non-violence, Chavez used strikes and peaceful protests as tools to enhance the lives of others, as he believed the struggle was always about people rather than grapes or lettuce. He employed nonviolent acts of civil disobedience to shed light on discrimination and enact policies that improved farmworkers’ working and living conditions nationwide.
Born as a first-generation American on March 31, 1927, in Arizona, Chavez experienced the hardships of migrant farm worker life from an early age. His family lost their farm during the Great Depression, and he worked in the fields to support them after finishing his formal education in eighth grade.
In 1946, after World War II, Chavez joined the U.S. Navy and married Helen Fabela, whom he had met while working in the fields. His career in community organizing began in 1952 when Fred Ross recruited him to join the Community Service Organization, an important Latino civil rights group. However, Chavez’s dream was to organize a union to protect and serve farm workers who faced poverty and powerlessness. Despite the challenges and skepticism from experts, he founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962, later becoming the United Farm Workers of America, achieving unprecedented gains for farm workers.
Throughout his life, Chavez embraced a life of voluntary poverty and selflessness, dedicating himself to the betterment of farm workers’ lives. He established various programs and initiatives to support and uplift the farmworker community, such as health clinics, daycare centers, job-training programs, and affordable housing.
He was not only a genuinely religious and spiritual figure but also a community organizer, social entrepreneur, and champion of militant nonviolent social change. He also fought for the environment and consumer rights.
Chavez's famous motto, “Si se puede!” (“Yes, it can be done!”), continues to be a powerful and relevant legacy. Since his passing, numerous facilities and awards have been named in his honor, and his birthday is celebrated as an official holiday in several states.
In 1962, Dolores Huerta, alongside Cesar Chavez, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association -which later evolved into the United Farm Workers and became the largest farm worker organization in the country. Huerta and Chavez achieved numerous accomplishments together, such as securing state-backed assistance and disability insurance for injured California farm workers. Huerta’s upbringing by a single mother in the farm worker community of Stockton, California, exposed her to the harsh and inhumane conditions faced by those who toiled in America’s fields. This experience and her passion fueled her dedication for improving the lives of migrant farm workers and led her to direct a nationwide grape boycott, drawing attention to the hazards of pesticides on grape pickers. This boycott prompted the entire California table grape industry to adopt safer practices. She also negotiated the first collective bargaining agreement with an agricultural business, securing better wages and working conditions for farmworkers. Throughout her career, Huerta was also a relentless advocate for various causes, including world peace and the rights of immigrants, women, minorities, at-risk youth, and the LGBTQ+ community.
In recognition of her lifetime of advocacy for the underserved, President Obama awarded Dolores Huerta the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012, the highest civilian honor in the United States. Throughout her decades of leadership, Huerta demonstrated remarkable resilience and unwavering determination, leaving an indelible mark on the struggle for justice and equality.
Santiago Iglesias Pantin, the father of the free trade union movement in Puerto Rico, was born in Coruña, Spain, in 1872. After a decade as a labor activist in Cuba, Iglesias moved to Puerto Rico, founded the island’s first labor newspaper, Ensayo Obrero, and started the organization of various crafts. Facing legal issues, he moved to New York. Once in the US, he appealed to the American Federation of Labor for support. Samuel Gompers, founder and leader of the federation, saw an opportunity to challenge the labor legislation in place on the island based on Spanish laws, so he played a key role in helping Pantin organize Federación Libre, the insular branch, as part of the American Federation of Labor. Iglesias went back to Puerto Rico and after being imprisoned and released, he finalized the organization of the working people’s movement under American guardianship and, as Gomper’s advisor, he played a relevant role in inter-American trade union relations for nearly forty years.
References:
U.S. Department of Labor Blog
5 Hispanic Leaders Who Changed Labor History
Hall of Honor Inductee: Cesar Chavez
https://www.dol.gov/general/aboutdol/hallofhonor/1998_chavez
Cesar Chavez Foundation
https://chavezfoundation.org/about-cesar-chavez/
Hall of Honor Inductee: Dolores Huerta
https://www.dol.gov/general/aboutdol/hallofhonor/2012_huerta
Santiago Iglesias Pantin
https://www.jstor.org/stable/980224
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