[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 124 (Thursday, September 26, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E1657]]



                     IN SUPPORT OF H. CON. RES. 177

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CIRO D. RODRIGUEZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 24, 2002

  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Dolores Huerta, 
the most prominent Chicana labor leader within the Latino community. 
Dolores Huerta is the co-founder and First Vice President Emeritus of 
the United Farm Workers Union of America (UFW), AFL–CIO. For 
decades she has dedicated her life to the struggle for justice and 
dignity for migrant farm workers. Honored with countless awards for her 
tireless commitment, she is a role model for the entire Hispanic 
community.
  In the mid 1950's Dolores Huerta began her work empowering workers by 
joining the Community Service Organization (CSO), a Mexican American 
self help association founded in Los Angeles. Dolores understood early 
on that empowerment was the key to leveraging power within the Latino 
community. She registered voters, organized citizenship classes for 
immigrants, and pressed local governments for improvements in the 
poorest of barrio communities. Given her passion and determination the 
CSO sent her to lobby on behalf of these under served communities in 
Sacramento. It was in this capacity that Dolores began her historic 
work serving the needs of migrant workers.
  Life for migrant farm workers is incredible harsh. They endure 
painful work conditions during the day—with the hot sun beating 
down on them as they spend long hours bent over picking strawberries, 
grapes, lettuce and other crops. The conditions did not improve in the 
evenings—they retired to run down shacks, if they were fortunate 
enough to have a home. Often their cars or the floor were their only 
retreat. The workers were paid nominal wages, $.10 to $.20 a basket, 
and often were subject to further deductions in pay for water they 
consumed in the hot sun. The majority of these workers were Mexican 
immigrants or Mexican Americans who were monolingual Spanish speakers 
and had no voice. Dolores would soon lend her voice, in fact shouts, 
for justice to their cause.
  She joined the Agricultural Workers Association (AWA), a community 
interest group in northern California. Through her work with the AWA 
she met Cesar Chavez, at that time the director of the CSO in 
California and Arizona, soon to become her colleague in the 
organization which would improve the quality to life for migrant 
workers across the country the United Farm Workers Union (UFW). The UFW 
was founded in 1972 with a commitment to justice, heard through the 
shouts of “si se puede” or felt through the pounding rattle 
of their traditional unity claps, has won many significant struggles 
for Latino workers.
  As a co-founder and second in command to Chavez, Dolores helped shape 
and guide the union and contributed to their significant successes. Her 
style has always been forceful and uncompromising, yet she has been 
able to build successful coalitions of feminists, community workers, 
religious groups, Latino associations, student organizations, peace 
activists and countless others. Many of Dolores activities on behalf of 
the UFW have placed her in personal danger. She has been arrested more 
than 22 times for non-violent peaceful protest and in 1988 during a 
demonstration in San Francisco, she was severely injured by baton 
swinging police officers. She suffered two broken ribs and a ruptured 
spleen. However, this painful and life threatening experience did not 
stop her resolve. After recovering from her life-threatening injuries, 
Dolores resumed her work on behalf of farm workers in the 1990's and 
today at 72 years of age she continues to make appearances, lobby, and 
advocate on behalf of Latino workers. She has truly devoted her life to 
ensure that workers in this country are treated with dignity and 
justice.

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