In Biden’s Oval Office, Cesar Chavez takes his place among America’s heroes

In Biden’s Oval Office, Cesar Chavez takes his place among America’s heroes

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Among the new exhibitions near a collection of personal photos: a bust of Mexican-American labor leader Cesar Chavez.

“It really shows the contributions and the importance of the work of our community. Immigrants have given and continue to give to this country, even in the most difficult times,” said Paul Chávez, his son and president and president of the Cesar Chavez Foundation, told the CNN in an interview.

Cesar Chavez drew the public’s attention in the 1960s and 1970s to the situation of Latin immigrants and workers harvesting American crops. His defense has made rural workers earn fairer wages, lunch breaks and access to toilets and drinking water at work.
Born in 1927, Chávez joined the Navy as a teenager, serving two years before becoming an activist and community organizer. In 1962, Chávez founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later merged to become the United Farm Workers union.
Chávez and his association joined Filipino-American rural workers in the 1965 Delano grape strike, protesting substandard wages and treating employees. In 1968, Chávez fasted for more than two weeks, culminating in a meeting with Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who was horrified by the working conditions he witnessed and promised to support Chávez and his cause. The efforts of the labor groups turned out to be successful.
Robert F. Kennedy is sitting next to Cesar Chavez, looking very weak after a prolonged hunger strike, during a demonstration in support of the United Farm Workers Union.
A defender of lifelong workers’ rights, Chávez died in 1993. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom the following year.
President Barack Obama honored Chávez during his administration, declaring his birthday, March 31, as the day of César Chávez. The rallying cry of the Chávez movement was “¡Si se puede!” – and its translation, “Yes We Can!” became the slogan of the Obama-Biden campaign on the way to victory in the 2008 presidential election.

‘We hope this is the beginning of a new day’

Paul Chavez today continues the work established by his father, helping those who are new to the United States, as well as families and descendants who have lived in the United States for decades. Its foundation focuses on affordable housing, educational programs, community services and workers’ rights throughout the southwest.

The foundation maintains a series of radio networks, broadcast in English and Spanish. Information from medical experts and local leaders on how to fight the Covid-19 pandemic and register for vaccines is a regular resource, as is the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement.

“We made a point of ensuring that our listeners understood that the suffering of African Americans is the suffering of the Latin community,” Chavez told CNN. “Although we may come from different backgrounds, we share the same situation and the same dreams.”

Chávez noted the toxicity of the previous government towards Latinos and immigrants, saying: “In the past four years, you have heard so many disparaging things about our community, would you believe that we all came here yesterday and that we are doing things that we should not be doing. “

Cesar Chávez an inspiration for the president's slogan and campaign movements

He highlighted the community’s longstanding patriotism, answering service calls and jobs that are often not filled by other Americans. “We are often treated as second-class citizens,” he added, “so what we do is remind people of the contributions and importance that our community and immigrants bring to the improvement of this society.”

Now, with a bust of Cesar Chávez prominently displayed behind the Resolute Desk, his son hopes that efforts like immigration reform will remain at the forefront of the new government’s goals.

“We are happy that the bust is there,” said Paul, focusing less on the direct honor bestowed on his father and, instead, on what it could mean for “a people my father has spent his life supporting and strengthening.”

“It represents the hopes and aspirations of an entire community that has been demonized and despised, and we hope that this will be the beginning of a new day, a new dawn in which the contributions of all Americans can be appreciated and valued.”

CNN’s John King, Cindy Y. Rodriguez and Nicole Chavez contributed to this report.

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