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César E. Chávez National Monument, genki travel, keene california, things to do near lancaster, things to do near mojave, things to do near palmdale, things to do near tehachapi
¡Si, Se Puede!
Yes, we can!
It has shocked me America’s largest non-violent movement has been tossed aside and left forgotten, a movement that changed the way the treatment of farm workers in this free country. Those in charge of cultivation and production of fresh produce to feed our suburban families, yet, many of us have not heard of César E. Chávez. He was the leader of the Latino farm labor movement, cultivating not only the land but the nation’s first permanent agricultural union. He not only lead the farm workers through the struggles of racism but also earned them the right to higher wages and a safer place to work. How is it such a powerful man, one that had connections with Martin Luther King, Jr., could have been hidden, layered under dust, from the eyes of the public for so long?
On March 30, 2015, President Barak Obama proclaimed National CÉSAR CHÁVEZ DAY, in 2015, bringing awareness to the eyes of us citizens whom did not live through the struggles of this movement. Growing up on the eastern coast, my life has been sheltered from the struggles of immigrant farmers, being most of the communities in my area were mainly suffering from large production farm houses instead of immigration injustice. While both are struggles still today, one story was left behind and that was that of injustice to Mexican immigrants working the fields under harsh conditions.
When we moved to the area, we were instructed by a few older residents to visit the memorial up in the mountains, about 2 hours from Los Angeles. It is a drive by the scenery is unbelievable, every second it changes into something one might see when traveling through England. The drive is definitely worth the high cost of petrol. That is all one has to pay for at this memorial/museum; parking and admission is free to all. We turned the small museum looking at the photos of the times and watching the short video explaining the life of the Chávez family. It was time spent learning a little of the struggles and seeing the faces behind those that fought for the right to equality. Our only complaint is the lack of information behind the struggles and conflict, to those of us not knowing any background information. So read up and learn the stories behind struggles before going to the memorial to get the full grasp of the situation.
Here are some free informative videos that will clue you in on the background and provide enough to understand the impact of the situation that arose during the times of the movement.
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Director U. Roberto Romano’s 2011 film, The Harvest/La Cosecha: The Story of the Children who Feed America, follows Zulema, Perla, and Victor, child migrant workers age 12, 14, and 16 respectively. According to theharvestfilm.com,
“Every year there are more than 400,000 American children who are torn away from their friends, schools and homes to pick the food we all eat. Zulema, Perla and Victor labor as migrant farm workers, sacrificing their own childhoods to help their families survive. The Harvest/La Cosecha profiles these three as they journey from the scorching heat of Texas’ onion fields to the winter snows of the Michigan apple orchards and back south to the humidity of Florida’s tomato fields to follow the harvest.”
Given the current shift in demographics (and insane political climate), Chavez’s efforts are as relevant as ever. Thank you for spreading the word.
It’s true stories spread by films that help us “unknowing” citizens to realize what is going on in this country. That’s for the caring comment.