César Chávez Day of Service is March 31st

March 31st is designated as César Chávez Day. Chávez was born on March 31st, 1927 in Arizona and became a prominent Latino civil rights leader and labor movement activist. As a farmer, Chávez advocated for more rights, fair treatment, and better wages for farmers and laborers in the United States.

In 2008, former President Barack Obama endorsed César Chávez Day of Service as a commemorative holiday to honor Chávez’s “legacy as an educator, environmentalist, and a civil rights leader.” Chávez’s legacy lives on through the United Farm Workers (UFW) labor union (formerly known as the National Farm Workers Association), which he co-founded with Dolores Huerta in 1962.

Resources

To learn more about Chávez, see the following resources:

Cesar Chavez – History.com
How César Chávez changed the labor movement – and became an icon – National Geographic