R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 WHEREAS, It has long been the custom of the Texas House of
1-2 Representatives to honor exceptional individuals who have made this
1-3 world a better place in which to live, work, and raise a family;
1-4 and
1-5 WHEREAS, Cesar Chavez, who died on April 23, 1993, was one
1-6 such person whose legacy will continue to live on for generations
1-7 of Texans; and
1-8 WHEREAS, The founder and leader of the first successful farm
1-9 workers union in the United States, Mr. Chavez was born near Yuma,
1-10 Arizona, on March 31, 1927, to a farming family that lost its land
1-11 during the Great Depression; as a small child, he experienced the
1-12 harsh working conditions and crushing despair that characterize the
1-13 lives of many of this country's migrant workers; and
1-14 WHEREAS, At the tender age of 10, Mr. Chavez began traveling
1-15 with his family from farm to farm throughout the Southwest and left
1-16 school after completing the eighth grade so he could join his
1-17 parents and siblings in the harvesting of row crops, grapes, and
1-18 tree fruits; and
1-19 WHEREAS, During World War II, this patriotic American
1-20 answered his nation's call to arms and served with honor and
1-21 distinction as a member of the United States Navy; on his return to
1-22 civilian life, he met Helen Fabela while working in the vineyards
1-23 of Delano, California, and the couple soon married and settled in
1-24 San Jose; and
2-1 WHEREAS, While working in the nearby apricot orchards,
2-2 Mr. Chavez became involved with the Community Service Organization
2-3 and began coordinating voter registration drives in the
2-4 Mexican-American community and forming new chapters of the
2-5 organization throughout the states of California and Arizona; and
2-6 WHEREAS, He served as the group's national director during
2-7 the late 1950s and early 1960s, leaving the position in 1962 to
2-8 found the National Farm Workers Association, an organization that
2-9 soon grew to include more than 1,000 member families; in 1965, the
2-10 association joined with the AFL-CIO's Agricultural Workers
2-11 Organizing Committee in a strike against Delano grape growers that
2-12 was the first of many peaceful attempts to secure improved working
2-13 conditions for farm laborers; and
2-14 WHEREAS, One year later, the two groups merged to form the
2-15 United Farm Workers of America (UFW), and the able leadership of
2-16 Mr. Chavez sustained the organization through a five-year strike
2-17 and boycott that rallied the support of labor unions, churches, and
2-18 student, minority, and consumer groups throughout the country; and
2-19 WHEREAS, By 1970, the boycott had forced most table grape
2-20 producers to sign contracts with the United Farm Workers, an
2-21 affiliate of the AFL-CIO, but in 1973, most growers attempted to
2-22 undermine the power of the organization by signing new contracts
2-23 with the teamsters union, sparking the largest farm labor strike in
2-24 the history of the United States; and
2-25 WHEREAS, With nearly 17 million Americans honoring the
2-26 UFW-led boycott of California table grapes, Red Coach lettuce, and
2-27 Gallo wines, California agricultural producers were forced to
3-1 support the state's historic 1975 collective bargaining law that
3-2 extended labor union protection to farm workers; and
3-3 WHEREAS, His dedicated efforts were part of a national quest
3-4 for Mexican-American equality and justice that became known as "La
3-5 Causa," and effects from that movement are still being felt today;
3-6 many of the idealistic young people who joined his movement nearly
3-7 three decades ago have become prominent and respected leaders in
3-8 our state, including Senator Gonzalo Barrientos, Southwest Voter
3-9 Education Project founder Willy Velasquez, La Raza Unida founder
3-10 and political activist Jose Angel Gutierrez, and political
3-11 columnist Carlos Guerra; and
3-12 WHEREAS, Mr. Chavez's inspirational leadership, unwavering
3-13 commitment, and courageous personal sacrifices have helped American
3-14 farm workers earn decent wages and attain improved working
3-15 conditions, medical benefits, and protection from dangerous
3-16 pesticides; and
3-17 WHEREAS, In recognition of his ability to find solutions to
3-18 our country's most pressing social and economic problems through
3-19 nonviolent means, Mr. Chavez was posthumously awarded the nation's
3-20 highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, on
3-21 August 8, 1994; and
3-22 WHEREAS, Few people have had so profound an effect on society
3-23 as Cesar Chavez, thus it is indeed appropriate to reflect on the
3-24 legacy of this true American hero and to look forward to a future
3-25 in which agricultural workers are given the recognition and support
3-26 they deserve for performing one of our society's most important
3-27 roles; now, therefore, be it
4-1 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas
4-2 Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life and work of Cesar Chavez
4-3 on the fourth anniversary of his death; and, be it further
4-4 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
4-5 prepared for the family of Mr. Chavez as an expression of support
4-6 and highest regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
Chavez Garcia
Hinojosa Moreno
Burnam Alvarado
Bailey Berlanga
Crabb Cuellar
Danburg Davis
Dukes Dunnam
Dutton Edwards
Ehrhardt Farrar
Flores Gallego
Giddings Gutierrez
Hernandez Hirschi
Hodge Jones of Dallas
Lewis of Tarrant Longoria
Luna Maxey
McClendon McReynolds
Naishtat Oliveira
Olivo Puente
Rangel Raymond
Reyna of Bexar Serna
Solis Thompson
Tillery Torres
Turner of Harris Van de Putte
Wise
Laney Gutierrez Oliveira
Alexander Haggerty Olivo
Allen Hamric Palmer
Alvarado Hartnett Patterson
Averitt Hawley Pickett
Bailey Heflin Pitts
Berlanga Hernandez Place
Bonnen Hightower Price
Bosse Hilbert Puente
Brimer Hilderbran Rabuck
Burnam Hill Ramsay
Carter Hinojosa Rangel
Chavez Hirschi Raymond
Chisum Hochberg Reyna of Bexar
Christian Hodge Reyna of Dallas
Clark Holzheauser Rhodes
Coleman Horn Rodriguez
Cook Howard Roman
Corte Hunter Sadler
Counts Hupp Seaman
Crabb Isett Serna
Craddick Jackson Shields
Cuellar Janek Siebert
Culberson Jones of Lubbock Smith
Danburg Jones of Dallas Smithee
Davila Junell Solis
Davis Kamel Solomons
Delisi Keel Staples
Denny Keffer Stiles
Driver King Swinford
Dukes Krusee Talton
Dunnam Kubiak Telford
Dutton Kuempel Thompson
Edwards Lewis of Tarrant Tillery
Ehrhardt Lewis of Orange Torres
Eiland Longoria Turner of Coleman
Elkins Luna Turner of Harris
Farrar McCall Uher
Finnell McClendon Van de Putte
Flores McReynolds Walker
Gallego Madden West
Galloway Marchant Williams
Garcia Maxey Williamson
Giddings Merritt Wilson
Glaze Moffat Wise
Goodman Moreno Wohlgemuth
Goolsby Mowery Wolens
Gray Naishtat Woolley
Greenberg Nixon Yarbrough
Grusendorf Oakley Zbranek
_______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 649 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on April 23, 1997.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House