[Congressional Bills 111th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. Res. 477 Introduced in Senate (IS)] 111th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 477 Honoring the accomplishments and legacy of Cesar Estrada Chavez. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 12, 2010 Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Reid, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Udall of Colorado, Mr. Schumer, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. Udall of New Mexico, and Mr. Wyden) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary _______________________________________________________________________ RESOLUTION Honoring the accomplishments and legacy of Cesar Estrada Chavez. Whereas Cesar Estrada Chavez was born on March 31, 1927, near Yuma, Arizona; Whereas Cesar Estrada Chavez spent his early years on a family farm; Whereas, at the age of 10, Cesar Estrada Chavez joined the thousands of migrant farmworkers laboring in fields and vineyards throughout the Southwest, when a bank foreclosure resulted in the loss of the family farm; Whereas Cesar Estrada Chavez, after attending more than 30 elementary and middle schools and achieving an 8th grade education, left school to work full- time as a farmworker to help support his family; Whereas, at the age of 17, Cesar Estrada Chavez entered the United States Navy and served the United States with distinction for 2 years; Whereas, in 1948, Cesar Estrada Chavez returned from military service to marry Helen Fabela, whom he had met while working in the vineyards of central California; Whereas Cesar Estrada Chavez and Helen Fabela had 8 children; Whereas, as early as 1949, Cesar Estrada Chavez was committed to organizing farmworkers to campaign for-- (1) safe and fair working conditions; (2) reasonable wages; (3) livable housing; and (4) the outlawing of child labor; Whereas, in 1952, Cesar Estrada Chavez joined the Community Service Organization, a prominent Latino civil rights group, and worked with the organization-- (1) to coordinate voter registration drives; and (2) to conduct campaigns against discrimination in East Los Angeles; Whereas Cesar Estrada Chavez served as the national director of the Community Service Organization; Whereas, in 1962, Cesar Estrada Chavez left the Community Service Organization to found the National Farm Workers Association, which eventually became the United Farm Workers of America; Whereas Cesar Estrada Chavez was a strong believer in the principles of nonviolence practiced by Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Whereas Cesar Estrada Chavez effectively used peaceful tactics that included fasting for 25 days in 1968, 25 days in 1972, and 38 days in 1988, to call attention to the terrible working and living conditions of farmworkers in the United States; Whereas under the leadership of Cesar Estrada Chavez, the United Farm Workers of America organized thousands of migrant farmworkers to fight for-- (1) fair wages; (2) health care coverage; (3) pension benefits; (4) livable housing; and (5) respect; Whereas, through his commitment to nonviolence, Cesar Estrada Chavez-- (1) brought dignity and respect to the organized farmworkers; and (2) became an inspiration and a resource to individuals engaged in human rights struggles throughout the world; Whereas the influence of Cesar Estrada Chavez extends far beyond agriculture and provides inspiration for those working-- (1) to better human rights; (2) to empower workers; and (3) to advance the American Dream that includes all inhabitants of the United States; Whereas Cesar Estrada Chavez died on April 23, 1993, at the age of 66 in San Luis, Arizona, only miles from his birthplace; Whereas more than 50,000 people attended the funeral services of Cesar Estrada Chavez in Delano, California; Whereas Cesar Estrada Chavez was laid to rest at the headquarters of the United Farm Workers of America, known as Nuestra Senora de La Paz, located in the Tehachapi Mountains at Keene, California; Whereas since the death of Cesar Estrada Chavez, schools, parks, streets, libraries, and other public facilities, as well as awards and scholarships, have been named in his honor; Whereas since the death of Cesar Estrada Chavez, 10 States and dozens of communities across the United States honor the life and legacy of Cesar Estrada Chavez on March 31 of each year; Whereas Cesar Estrada Chavez was a recipient of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Prize during his lifetime; Whereas, on August 8, 1994, Cesar Estrada Chavez was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom; and Whereas the United States should continue efforts to ensure equality, justice, and dignity for all people of the United States: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) recognizes the accomplishments and example of Cesar Estrada Chavez, a great hero of the United States; (2) pledges to promote the legacy of Cesar Estrada Chavez; and (3) encourages the people of the United States to commemorate the legacy of Cesar Estrada Chavez and to always remember his great rallying cry, ``Si, se puede!''. <all>