By:  Chavez                                                       H.R. No. 11 


R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, It has long been the custom of the Texas House of Representatives to honor exceptional individuals who have made this world a better place in which to live, work, and raise a family; and WHEREAS, Cesar Chavez, who died on April 23, 1993, was one such person whose legacy will continue to live on for generations of Texans; and WHEREAS, The founder and leader of the first successful farm workers union in the United States, Mr. Chavez was born near Yuma, Arizona, on March 31, 1927, to a farming family that lost its land during the Great Depression; as a small child, he experienced the harsh working conditions and crushing despair that characterize the lives of many of this country's migrant workers; and WHEREAS, At the tender age of 10, Mr. Chavez began traveling with his family from farm to farm throughout the Southwest and left school after completing the eighth grade so he could join his parents and siblings in the harvesting of row crops, grapes, and tree fruits; and WHEREAS, During World War II, this patriotic American answered his nation's call to arms and served with honor and distinction as a member of the United States Navy; on his return to civilian life, he met Helen Fabela while working in the vineyards of Delano, California, and the couple soon married and settled in San Jose; and WHEREAS, While working in the nearby apricot orchards, Mr. Chavez became involved with the Community Service Organization and began coordinating voter registration drives in the Mexican-American community and forming new chapters of the organization throughout the states of California and Arizona; and WHEREAS, He served as the group's national director during the late 1950s and early 1960s, leaving the position in 1962 to found the National Farm Workers Association, an organization that soon grew to include more than 1,000 member families; in 1965, the association joined with the AFL-CIO's Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee in a strike against Delano grape growers that was the first of many peaceful attempts to secure improved working conditions for farm laborers; and WHEREAS, One year later, the two groups merged to form the United Farm Workers of America (UFW), and the able leadership of Mr. Chavez sustained the organization through a five-year strike and boycott that rallied the support of labor unions, churches, and student, minority, and consumer groups throughout the country; and WHEREAS, By 1970, the boycott had forced most table grape producers to sign contracts with the United Farm Workers, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, but in 1973, most growers attempted to undermine the power of the organization by signing new contracts with the teamsters union, sparking the largest farm labor strike in the history of the United States; and WHEREAS, With nearly 17 million Americans honoring the UFW-led boycott of California table grapes, Red Coach lettuce, and Gallo wines, California agricultural producers were forced to support the state's historic 1975 collective bargaining law that extended labor union protection to farm workers; and WHEREAS, His dedicated efforts were part of a national quest for Mexican-American equality and justice that became known as "La Causa," and effects from that movement are still being felt today; many of the idealistic young people who joined his movement nearly three decades ago have become prominent and respected leaders in our state, including Senator Gonzalo Barrientos, Southwest Voter Education Project founder Willy Velasquez, La Raza Unida founder and political activist Jose Angel Gutierrez, and political columnist Carlos Guerra; and WHEREAS, Mr. Chavez's inspirational leadership, unwavering commitment, and courageous personal sacrifices have helped American farm workers earn decent wages and attain improved working conditions, medical benefits, and protection from dangerous pesticides; and WHEREAS, In recognition of his ability to find solutions to our country's most pressing social and economic problems through nonviolent means, Mr. Chavez was posthumously awarded the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, on August 8, 1994; and WHEREAS, Few people have had so profound an effect on society as Cesar Chavez, thus it is indeed appropriate to reflect on the legacy of this true American hero and to look forward to a future in which agricultural workers are given the recognition and support they deserve for performing one of our society's most important roles; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life and work of Cesar Chavez on the thirteenth anniversary of his death; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for the family of Mr. Chavez as an expression of support and highest regard by the Texas House of Representatives.