SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 208
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas takes great pride
in paying tribute to the life and legacy of Cesar Chavez on the
occasion of Cesar Chavez Day on March 31, 2021; and
WHEREAS, Cesar Chavez was born on March 31, 1927, near
Yuma, Arizona; he grew up in a hardworking family of farmers, and
he learned about injustice at an early age through the
discrimination he experienced throughout much of his childhood;
he left school after completing the eighth grade to become a
migrant farmworker; and
WHEREAS, After serving in the United States Navy, he became
involved in the Community Service Organization and was soon
leading voter registration drives and helping to form new
chapters of the organization; he went on to serve as its national
director, and he was instrumental in making it the most effective
Latino civil rights group of its time; and
WHEREAS, In 1962, Cesar Chavez founded the National Farm
Workers Association, which would later become the United Farm
Workers of America; in 1965, the association joined in a strike
against California grape growers to protest low pay and poor
working conditions, and he led the organization in sustaining a
five-year strike and boycott that resulted in grape growers
signing contracts with the United Farm Workers; by 1973, grape
producers were working to undermine the agreements and the
organization's power, thus sparking the largest farm labor
strike in the country's history; and
WHEREAS, The boycott of grapes received the support of
millions of Americans, and California agricultural producers
were forced to support the state's historic 1975 collective
bargaining law that extended labor union protection to
farmworkers; and
WHEREAS, Cesar Chavez was inspired by the examples set by
Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and he embraced
the practices of nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience;
he achieved important victories for the rights of farmworkers and
and became one of the country's foremost civil rights leaders,
and his motto, "Si Se Puede," has continued to inspire
generations of activists; he was the recipient of the 1991 Aguila
Azteca Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Mexican
government to a person of Mexican heritage, and in 1994, he was
posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by
President Bill Clinton; and
WHEREAS, A true hero whose courage and determination
served as an inspiration to millions of people throughout the
world, Cesar Chavez left an indelible imprint on our country and
on the lives of its citizens; it is truly fitting that a day be
set aside to commemorate his remarkable life and to honor his
historic achievements; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 87th
Legislature, hereby recognize March 31, 2021, as Cesar Chavez Day
and encourage all Texans to celebrate his important legacy and
his invaluable contributions to our state and nation; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in
honor of Cesar Chavez Day.
Lucio
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on March 29, 2021.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate