[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 92 (Friday, June 10, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E881]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       IN MEMORY OF HELEN CHAVEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. TONY CARDENAS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 10, 2016

  Mr. CARDENAS. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise to 
honor the life and legacy of Helen Chavez, who passed away on Monday, 
June 6, 2016. Helen was a civil rights icon in her own right, and the 
widow of one of my heroes, Cesar Chavez.
  Throughout her life, Helen Chavez faced many challenges, yet she had 
a fierce determination and always kept moving forward.
  When she was just 12 years old, Helen's father passed away. In order 
to help her mother support her five siblings, Helen began working in 
the California fields. Later, Helen went on to meet the love of her 
life, Cesar, and became a caring mother to their eight children in East 
Los Angeles. However, it was her passion for Cesar's initiative to 
bring justice to farm workers that inspired her to return to Delano to 
work in the fields.
  Helen devoted her life to civil rights by bringing awareness to the 
cause. She inspired people to join the initiative to fight for 
farmworker rights. Helen and Cesar formed the United Farmworkers Union 
where Helen worked tirelessly running the credit union put in place for 
the workers. And when times were tough, Helen did not back down. She 
turned to her faith for words of encouragement. She never gave up.
  With Helen's encouragement and unconditional support, Cesar went on 
to inspire a labor movement of farmworkers that would go on to level 
the playing field in the conflict over the right to form a union. This 
led to the most powerful and significant alliance between unions and 
communities in the modern day labor movement.
  It is clear that Helen was more than a mother and a wife. She had an 
essential part in the accomplishments of her husband. Helen Chavez is 
one of this country's greatest advocates. She helped bring human rights 
to the forefront. Her quiet resiliency drove the heart of this 
movement.
  As the son of farmworkers from the Central Valley, her work and 
Cesar's initiative have made it possible for me to become a 
Congressman. The outcome of my life and the lives of millions of 
Americans who come from farmworkers and families in the labor industry 
are forever changed because of their fearless pursuit of justice.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating the life 
of Helen Chavez. Her legacy is a testament to the greatness that is 
these United States of America.

                          ____________________