A Message on César Chávez Day

Today, we observe César Chávez Day, which honors the legendary labor organizer and civil rights activist. Leader of the United Farm Workers union, Chávez died in 1993 after decades of working to better the lives of exploited agricultural workers. Always aligned with ours, his messages of equality and progress reverberate throughout our King Hall community.

Last fall, we officially launched the UC Davis Community and Labor Center of the Greater Capital Region. Center Directors Professor Leticia Saucedo and Dr. Robyn Rodriguez are experts on race, labor migration and the law – topics central to the UFW’s work.

In 1966, Chávez famously led the march from Delano to the Capitol on behalf of farmworker rights. Today, Assemblywoman and UC Davis Law alum Esmeralda Soria ’11 -- a daughter of farmworkers -- advocates for the San Joaquin Valley’s working poor from within the Capitol.

Other halls of power – courthouses in Sacramento and Santa Ana – recently were named for two King Hall giants, retired Chief Justice of California Tani Cantil-Sakauye ’84 and late state Supreme Court Justice and Professor Cruz Reynoso. Both came from farmworker families and never forgot their roots.

Much has changed since Chávez first organized in the fields. The spirit of service he embodied has not. Thank you to the Latinx Law Students Association, Professor and Immigration Law Clinic Co-director Amagda Pérez, the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation and all who participated in the recent naturalization workshop at the Mexican Consulate as part of César Chávez Day of Service.

As we reflect on César Chávez’s legacy today, I hope we all consider how we, too, can improve the lives of vulnerable communities.