Bob Menendez: “this week, our Nation comes together to honor one of our Nation's foremost civil rights and labor leader, Cesar Estrada…”

“this week, our Nation comes together to honor one of our Nation's foremost civil rights and labor leader, Cesar Estrada Chavez. I rise today, along with my colleague Senator Ken Salazar, to submit a resolution honoring the accomplishments and legacy of Cesar Chavez. Cesar Estrada Chavez was born 80 years ago, on March 31, 1927, in Arizona to poor migrant farm workers. He and his family struggled to survive at a time when "Whites only" signs were still on display and when it was necessary to trade in his school books to support his family working full-time in the fields. "But rather than just survive those times, Cesar Chavez turned his experiences into ammunition to help fight for a better life for all Americans, becoming one of our Nation's most inspirational leaders. Following the principles of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., in 1962 Cesar Chavez co-founded the first successful farm workers union in the United States--the United Farm Workers (UFW). Through the UFW, Chavez brought many farm workers together, including Mexican- and Filipino-Americans, to fight for common goals. He also inspired hope in these workers through his great rallying catchphrase, "Si Se Puede." In one of their major victories, after 5 years of boycotting table grapes, the United Farm Workers gained the first-ever collective bargaining agreement between farm workers and growers in the history of our country.”