SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 208

WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas takes great pride in paying tribute to the life and legacy of Cesar Chavez on the occasion of Cesar Chavez Day on March 31, 2021; and

WHEREAS, Cesar Chavez was born on March 31, 1927, near Yuma, Arizona; he grew up in a hardworking family of farmers, and he learned about injustice at an early age through the discrimination he experienced throughout much of his childhood; he left school after completing the eighth grade to become a migrant farmworker; and

WHEREAS, After serving in the United States Navy, he became involved in the Community Service Organization and was soon leading voter registration drives and helping to form new chapters of the organization; he went on to serve as its national director, and he was instrumental in making it the most effective Latino civil rights group of its time; and

WHEREAS, In 1962, Cesar Chavez founded the National Farm Workers Association, which would later become the United Farm Workers of America; in 1965, the association joined in a strike against California grape growers to protest low pay and poor working conditions, and he led the organization in sustaining a five-year strike and boycott that resulted in grape growers signing contracts with the United Farm Workers; by 1973, grape producers were working to undermine the agreements and the organization's power, thus sparking the largest farm labor strike in the country's history; and

WHEREAS, The boycott of grapes received the support of millions of Americans, and California agricultural producers were forced to support the state's historic 1975 collective bargaining law that extended labor union protection to farmworkers; and

WHEREAS, Cesar Chavez was inspired by the examples set by Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and he embraced the practices of nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience; he achieved important victories for the rights of farmworkers and and became one of the country's foremost civil rights leaders, and his motto, "Si Se Puede," has continued to inspire generations of activists; he was the recipient of the 1991 Aguila Azteca Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Mexican government to a person of Mexican heritage, and in 1994, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton; and

WHEREAS, A true hero whose courage and determination served as an inspiration to millions of people throughout the world, Cesar Chavez left an indelible imprint on our country and on the lives of its citizens; it is truly fitting that a day be set aside to commemorate his remarkable life and to honor his historic achievements; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 87th Legislature, hereby recognize March 31, 2021, as Cesar Chavez Day and encourage all Texans to celebrate his important legacy and his invaluable contributions to our state and nation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in honor of Cesar Chavez Day.

Lucio

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on March 29, 2021.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate