Just a Thought: Cesar
E. Chavez Marchby Steve Walker
The upcoming Cesar E. Chavez March reminds us
of the celebration of the legacy of the civil rights activist who with Dolores Huerta co-founded the
National Farm Workers Association later known as the United Farm Workers Union.
A Mexican-American,
Chavez became the best known Latino American civil rights activist with the
help of the labor movement who supported his nonviolent tactics. Those tactics
helped the farm workers’ struggle become a moral cause with national support.
His famous
expression, “Si Se Puede,” has become synonymous with the
struggle of all minimum wage workers to receive better working conditions as
well as the better wages. On the national level during the current presidential
campaign, minimum wage is once again a hot topic for both political parties.
His birthday March 31st is a Texas State
Holiday and in San Antonio Durango Boulevard was re-named Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard a
few years ago. It took many years of the Latino population lobbying for the
name change along with local Icon Jaime
Martinez who still heads up the annual march to this day. Jaime was a longtime
compadre of Cesar Chavez in the fight
for equality for migrant workers.
For many immigrants over the years who
have crossed the border from Mexico with the ultimate dream of obtaining
full citizenship, many of them have worked the fields to obtain a better life
in America and Texas in particular.
As one who has marched for 19 consecutive
years in San Antonio, March 26th will be my 20th year to
honor the late Cesar E. Chavez who
died in 1993. What better way to honor him than by marching down Cesar E.
Chavez Boulevard from Avenida Guadalupe to the Alamo, along with thousands of
other marchers? Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales will serve as Grand Marshal.
When I met him as a reporter for KENS 5
in 1982, I sat down with him for over twenty minutes and interviewed him. Two
years ago at this time I wrote a column on that interview on his striking soft
spoken, articulate calm demeanor. In that column I equated him to another
activist for civil rights, Mahatma
Gandhi.
To this day I am in awe that it was my
fortune to do the interview over senior reporters. I recall the assignments
editor asked the pool of reporters who wanted to cover the story and I had
enough sense to raise my hand first. I vividly recall questioning Cesar Chavez
on his mission to protect the farm workers.
He spoke about the discrimination
against field workers, forced into the hot sun for long hours of grueling work
and low compensation.
As one who taught in Southside ISD in
the late 70s, many of my students were the children of migrant workers who
toiled in the fields in and around San Antonio. I was acutely aware of what he
was saying in the interview.
Ironically I had my own personal
experience of working in the fields when I travelled to Israel in 1972
and worked on a kibbutz for only a week. It gave me a small taste of what it
was like to work in the fields as I picked apples and tomatoes.
For anybody who has ever worked a field
picking commodities, it is back breaking work. Anyone who tells you it is not extremely
uncomfortable bending over for eight or more hours a day picking whatever in a
field, is not telling you the truth.
When I shared my story with Mr. Chavez he smiled and said, “Welcome to
my world!”
This year on his birthday March 31st there
will be a Cesar E. Chavez tribute to Veterans at Fort Sam Houston at the
Assembly area. Chavez served in the Navy for four years during WWII. As a Viet
Nam Veteran, I am honored to be the keynote speaker at that tribute to veterans
and Cesar Chavez along with other speakers.
Join us in the March (26th) and
the Tribute to Veterans. (31st) Come celebrate the contributions
of Cesar E. Chavez to
the struggle for worker’s rights. “Si Se Puede.”
Anyway, as always, what I write is “Just
a Thought.”
Steve Walker is a Vietnam Veteran and former Justice of the
Peace and Journalist.
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