To 16-year-old Jose Lopez, walking with his parents in a labor union march Saturday, the point of Cesar Chavez Day is to honor laborers who worked in the fields.
To marcher Dan King, the holiday celebrates someone who stood up for all working people.
And to Iggy Ponce De Leon, holding a sign bearing Chavez’s face, it is a “grateful day.” He has worked as a union grocery clerk for 34 years and sees Chavez as the father of the labor movement.
California passed legislation in 2000 to recognize the birthday of Chavez, the Mexican-American union leader who in 1962 co-founded what became the United Farm Workers and brought attention to the plight of agriculture workers.
Chavez died in 1993 at age 66 and is buried at the National Chavez Center in Kern County.
This year, the legal holiday was Friday, but events will continue through April. From Monday through Apr. 30, the University of California San Diego will host a photography exhibit, in addition to other activities. That calendar is here.
At least nine other states celebrate Chavez’s memory with optional or commemorative days on March 31.
On May 5, a new Navy dry cargo ship will be christened and named for Cesar Chavez in a San Diego ceremony. Built at the General Dynamics-NASSCO shipyard on San Diego Bay, the ship belongs to a class traditionally named for famous American explorers, pioneers and visionaries.
On Saturday, the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council organized a march from Cesar Chavez Park in Barrio Logan to downtown San Diego. An estimated 1,000 people participated, most affiliated with local labor unions.
The group walked down Harbor Drive at about 11 a.m., closing northbound lanes. Signs carried by the marchers bore messages such as “Reclaim the American Dream” and “People Before Profits.” They shouted chants including, “Who has the power? We have the power.”
They swarmed in and out of the Marriott Marquis hotel on Harbor Drive, without incident. They also planned to go to eateries in the Gaslamp to hand out cards protesting the common practice of not providing paid sick days for restaurant workers.
Marcher Michelle Wise of El Cajon said she sees parallels between Chavez’s fight for field laborers and today’s workplace.
A member of the United Domestic Workers, Wise toils as an in-home caregiver. The state has proposed to reduce spending on in-home support services.
“All they need is a fair break,” she said, speaking of today’s workers. “They need fair wages for a day’s work.”
Young Jose Lopez’s mother is in the janitors union, and he is interested in seeing that they get fair treatment. “People see them as less than other people,” Jose said.
What does he want to do when he grows up? Computers.
