H.R. No. 324
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Americans across the country will pause on March 31,
2010, Cesar Chavez Day, to pay tribute to the inspiring life and
achievements of the founder and longtime leader of the United Farm
Workers of America (UFW), AFL-CIO, on the anniversary of his birth;
and
WHEREAS, Born in 1927 near Yuma, Arizona, and later raised in
California, Mr. Chavez spent much of his youth as a migrant laborer;
as a Latino and a farmworker, he learned firsthand about the
indignities of second-class citizenship and the unhealthy working
and living conditions endured by those who tended the fields; and
WHEREAS, After serving in the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1946,
Cesar Chavez returned to California, and in 1948 he married Helen
Fabela; four years later he became a community organizer for the
Community Service Organization (CSO), a Latino civil rights group
that focused most of its work in urban areas, and by the late 1950s
he had become its national director; and
WHEREAS, When in 1962 the CSO declined to organize California
farmworkers, Mr. Chavez and his colleague Dolores Huerta left the
organization to found the National Farm Workers Association, a
forerunner of the UFW; their fledgling union gained national
prominence just three years later when it came to the support of
workers who were striking against California's grape growers; in
addition to assuming leadership of the strike, Mr. Chavez launched
a successful, nationwide consumers' boycott of nonunion grapes; and
WHEREAS, By the end of the five-year-long strike, the UFW had
organized all of the California table-grape industry and negotiated
the first collective bargaining agreements between American
farmworkers and corporations; in 1975 Cesar Chavez and the UFW
further succeeded in securing the passage of California's
Agricultural Labor Relations Act, the first law in U.S. history
granting farmworkers the right to unionize and bargain
collectively; numerous other gains achieved under his leadership
included the establishment of a farmworkers' medical plan, pension
plan, and credit union, as well as the National Farm Workers Service
Center, Inc., whose projects include the development of affordable
housing, health clinics, cooperatives, and a retirement home; and
WHEREAS, Over the course of his life, Cesar Chavez sought to
advance La Causa, the movement, through nonviolent means--through
strikes, pickets, and boycotts; on several occasions he also
undertook lengthy fasts to draw public attention to the
farmworkers' struggle; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Chavez continued to lead the UFW until his death
on April 23, 1993; more than 50,000 people from throughout the
nation gathered to mourn him at his funeral, indicative of the
far-reaching impact he had made on American society; and
WHEREAS, Since that time, numerous schools, streets,
scholarships, monuments, buildings, and parks have been named in
his memory, a number of U.S. cities have initiated annual
celebrations in tribute to his life, and several states, including
Texas, have declared his birthday, March 31, a state holiday; in
1994 Mr. Chavez was posthumously awarded the nation's highest
honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom; and
WHEREAS, Cesar Chavez chose to devote his life to the pursuit
of social and economic justice through nonviolent means, and his
courage and steadfastness in this great work brought improved
health, greater security, and hope for a brighter future to
countless people; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby honor the life of Cesar E. Chavez and join the
citizens of the Lone Star State in commemorating the birth of this
revered American.
Alonzo
Straus Gattis Menendez Straus Gattis Menendez
Straus Gattis Menendez
Allen Geren Merritt Allen Geren Merritt
Allen Geren Merritt
Alonzo Giddings Miklos Alonzo Giddings Miklos
Alonzo Giddings Miklos
Alvarado Gonzales Miller of Comal Alvarado Gonzales Miller of Comal
Alvarado Gonzales Miller of Comal
Anchia Gonzalez Toureilles Miller of Erath Anchia Gonzalez Toureilles Miller of Erath
Anchia Gonzalez Toureilles Miller of Erath
Anderson Guillen Moody Anderson Guillen Moody
Anderson Guillen Moody
Aycock Gutierrez Morrison Aycock Gutierrez Morrison
Aycock Gutierrez Morrison
Berman Hamilton Naishtat Berman Hamilton Naishtat
Berman Hamilton Naishtat
Bohac Hancock Oliveira Bohac Hancock Oliveira
Bohac Hancock Oliveira
Bolton Hardcastle Olivo Bolton Hardcastle Olivo
Bolton Hardcastle Olivo
Bonnen Harless Orr Bonnen Harless Orr
Bonnen Harless Orr
Branch Harper-Brown Ortiz, Jr. Branch Harper-Brown Ortiz, Jr.
Branch Harper-Brown Ortiz, Jr.
Brown of Kaufman Hartnett Otto Brown of Kaufman Hartnett Otto
Brown of Kaufman Hartnett Otto
Brown of Brazos Heflin Parker Brown of Brazos Heflin Parker
Brown of Brazos Heflin Parker
Burnam Hernandez Patrick Burnam Hernandez Patrick
Burnam Hernandez Patrick
Button Herrero Paxton Button Herrero Paxton
Button Herrero Paxton
Callegari Hilderbran Pea Callegari Hilderbran Pea
Callegari Hilderbran Pea
Castro Hochberg Phillips Castro Hochberg Phillips
Castro Hochberg Phillips
Chavez Hodge Pickett Chavez Hodge Pickett
Chavez Hodge Pickett
Chisum Homer Pierson Chisum Homer Pierson
Chisum Homer Pierson
Christian Hopson Pitts Christian Hopson Pitts
Christian Hopson Pitts
Cohen Howard of Fort Bend Quintanilla Cohen Howard of Fort Bend Quintanilla
Cohen Howard of Fort Bend Quintanilla
Coleman Howard of Travis Raymond Coleman Howard of Travis Raymond
Coleman Howard of Travis Raymond
Cook Hughes Riddle Cook Hughes Riddle
Cook Hughes Riddle
Corte Hunter Rios Ybarra Corte Hunter Rios Ybarra
Corte Hunter Rios Ybarra
Crabb Isett Ritter Crabb Isett Ritter
Crabb Isett Ritter
Craddick Jackson Rodriguez Craddick Jackson Rodriguez
Craddick Jackson Rodriguez
Creighton Jones Rose Creighton Jones Rose
Creighton Jones Rose
Crownover Keffer Sheffield Crownover Keffer Sheffield
Crownover Keffer Sheffield
Darby Kent Shelton Darby Kent Shelton
Darby Kent Shelton
Davis of Harris King of Parker Smith of Tarrant Davis of Harris King of Parker Smith of Tarrant
Davis of Harris King of Parker Smith of Tarrant
Davis of Dallas King of Taylor Smith of Harris Davis of Dallas King of Taylor Smith of Harris
Davis of Dallas King of Taylor Smith of Harris
Deshotel King of Zavala Smithee Deshotel King of Zavala Smithee
Deshotel King of Zavala Smithee
Driver Kleinschmidt Solomons Driver Kleinschmidt Solomons
Driver Kleinschmidt Solomons
Dukes Kolkhorst Strama Dukes Kolkhorst Strama
Dukes Kolkhorst Strama
Dunnam Kuempel Swinford Dunnam Kuempel Swinford
Dunnam Kuempel Swinford
Dutton Laubenberg Taylor Dutton Laubenberg Taylor
Dutton Laubenberg Taylor
Edwards Legler Thibaut Edwards Legler Thibaut
Edwards Legler Thibaut
Eiland Leibowitz Thompson Eiland Leibowitz Thompson
Eiland Leibowitz Thompson
Eissler Lewis Truitt Eissler Lewis Truitt
Eissler Lewis Truitt
Elkins Lucio III Turner of Tarrant Elkins Lucio III Turner of Tarrant
Elkins Lucio III Turner of Tarrant
England Madden Turner of Harris England Madden Turner of Harris
England Madden Turner of Harris
Farabee Maldonado Vaught Farabee Maldonado Vaught
Farabee Maldonado Vaught
Farias Mallory Caraway Veasey Farias Mallory Caraway Veasey
Farias Mallory Caraway Veasey
Farrar Marquez Villarreal Farrar Marquez Villarreal
Farrar Marquez Villarreal
Fletcher Martinez Vo Fletcher Martinez Vo
Fletcher Martinez Vo
Flores Martinez Fischer Walle Flores Martinez Fischer Walle
Flores Martinez Fischer Walle
Flynn McCall Weber Flynn McCall Weber
Flynn McCall Weber
Frost McClendon Woolley Frost McClendon Woolley
Frost McClendon Woolley
Gallego McReynolds Zerwas Gallego McReynolds Zerwas
Gallego McReynolds Zerwas
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 324 was adopted by the House on
February 26, 2009, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Straus Gattis Menendez
Allen Geren Merritt
Alonzo Giddings Miklos
Alvarado Gonzales Miller of Comal
Anchia Gonzalez Toureilles Miller of Erath
Anderson Guillen Moody
Aycock Gutierrez Morrison
Berman Hamilton Naishtat
Bohac Hancock Oliveira
Bolton Hardcastle Olivo
Bonnen Harless Orr
Branch Harper-Brown Ortiz, Jr.
Brown of Kaufman Hartnett Otto
Brown of Brazos Heflin Parker
Burnam Hernandez Patrick
Button Herrero Paxton
Callegari Hilderbran Pea
Castro Hochberg Phillips
Chavez Hodge Pickett
Chisum Homer Pierson
Christian Hopson Pitts
Cohen Howard of Fort Bend Quintanilla
Coleman Howard of Travis Raymond
Cook Hughes Riddle
Corte Hunter Rios Ybarra
Crabb Isett Ritter
Craddick Jackson Rodriguez
Creighton Jones Rose
Crownover Keffer Sheffield
Darby Kent Shelton
Davis of Harris King of Parker Smith of Tarrant
Davis of Dallas King of Taylor Smith of Harris
Deshotel King of Zavala Smithee
Driver Kleinschmidt Solomons
Dukes Kolkhorst Strama
Dunnam Kuempel Swinford
Dutton Laubenberg Taylor
Edwards Legler Thibaut
Eiland Leibowitz Thompson
Eissler Lewis Truitt
Elkins Lucio III Turner of Tarrant
England Madden Turner of Harris
Farabee Maldonado Vaught
Farias Mallory Caraway Veasey
Farrar Marquez Villarreal
Fletcher Martinez Vo
Flores Martinez Fischer Walle
Flynn McCall Weber
Frost McClendon Woolley
Gallego McReynolds Zerwas