[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13836]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING THE LIFE OF CESAR CHAVEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 4, 2003

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember and pay, tribute to 
Cesar Chavez, a human rights advocate and a man of justice and peace 
who worked tirelessly to end the oppressive conditions of so many 
American farm workers. Founder of the United Farm Workers of America, 
Mr. Chavez sacrificed his life to those who suffered hardship without 
any voice of support. Although the ten-year anniversary of his death 
passed on April 23, 2003, the legacy of this great man and the 
inspiration of his mission carries on.
  Cesar Chavez was born in 1927 as the son of a poor farm worker and 
general store owner. The loss of his family's land during the 
Depression forced him to quit school and work in the fields, where he 
gained a first-hand understanding for the dingy, overcrowded quarters 
that these workers must endure--often without electricity, bathrooms, 
or running water. Although he never owned a house or earned more then 
$6,000 a year, he moved to California in the early 1960s with his 
family and began his lifelong mission to advocate an end to such 
conditions.
  Mr. Chavez once said, ``We can choose to use our lives for others to 
bring about a better and more just world for our children . . . and in 
giving of yourself you will discover a whole new life full of meaning 
and love.'' This great man was a selflessly giving leader who should 
inspire and motivate us all. Through the United Farm Workers of America 
his life was used for the benefit of future generations, proving that 
there can be strength and power in unity, no matter how hopeless the 
situation.
  Cesar Chavez must not be forgotten, and neither can his work. In 
focusing on our treatment of farm workers, and teaching us how to care 
for fellow Americans, he also showed that there is much work still to 
be done. We must remember that there are still too many below-poverty 
wages, unsafe working conditions, and individuals who suffer from sub-
standard living standards without proper benefits. We must use this 
ten-year anniversary to respond to the continued injustice that exists 
for farm workers that Mr. Chavez would not tolerate. By continuing the 
work of this fine man, the mission he had for human rights will carry 
on and the spirit of his great life will most directly be remembered.

                          ____________________