Tributes pour in for union leader Dolores Huerta: “She fought to the end for farm workers” | California

Following news of the death Wednesday at the age of 96 of Dolores Huerta – the civil rights icon who popularized the rallying cry “Sí, se puede!” » – activists, legislators and civil rights leaders paid tribute to Hureta’s long and lasting legacy.

In California – where Huerta helped found the United Farm Workers (UFW) union – his death was deeply felt. It was in California’s Central Valley that she laid the foundation for the United Farm Workers union and helped organize the 1965 Delano Grape Strike – a national boycott of table grapes that resulted in better wages and working conditions for grape pickers. Several schools in California are named after him, and murals across the state depict his likeness. And in 2018, California declared April 10 – her birthday – Dolores Huerta Day.

“From the fields of California to the halls of Congress and the White House, Dolores dedicated her life to ensuring that every voice – especially those too often silenced – was heard,” said Hector Sanchez Barba, president of the voter mobilization organization Mi Familia Vota. “His historic rallying cry, “Si, se puede,” is not just a slogan; it is a living call to action that continues to unite and inspire millions of people around the world. »

“Our greatest memorial to her is that the union she helped found continues to grow. Dolores fought for farm workers until the end of her life,” said UFW President Teresa Romero. “The greatest possible tribute to his life is that his organizing work continues.” »

Huerta’s legacy is national and international; his portrait hangs in some American embassies and schools in several American states bear his name. She helped negotiate national immigration policy and remained, until her death, intimately involved in promoting civil and labor rights in Washington, D.C. and the United States.

Tributes also came from some of California’s biggest political names, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Governor Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris.

“Dolores was a dear friend and we all responded to her rallying cry, ‘Sí se puede,’ which inspired generations of Americans to believe in the power of collective action,” Pelosi said. “May it be a comfort to his family and loved ones that so many people are mourning their loss and praying for them at this sad time.”

“I was fortunate to know Dolores for many years and am proud to organize alongside my dear friend to defend working families and immigrant rights,” Harris said. “I will always be grateful for his support and friendship. We will honor his legacy by continuing the fight for the dignity of every person.”

“Dolores Huerta represented the best of us,” Newsom said. “California – and the United States – would not be where we are today without his resolute spirit, his passion for justice and equity, and his commitment to those who are overlooked and forgotten. »

“The best tribute we can pay is to continue the work, which means standing with workers, defending civil rights and organizing for a fairer California,” echoed Alex Padilla, U.S. senator representing California.

“¡Adiós, Dolores! You were everywhere. You did everything,” said Xavier Becerra, a former California attorney general and former U.S. health secretary who is running for governor. “If you want to know where a leader will take you, know where they came from. Dolores never lets us forget where she came from. Si, se pudo (Yes, we did).”

Lawmakers across the United States, including New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, have also praised his pioneering legacy. “For decades after the Delano Grape strike, she continued to organize for the rights of workers, women and immigrants. She continued to fight for the idea that when ordinary people come together, they can change the course of history,” Ocasio Cortez said. “As we mourn his devastating loss, we will continue his fight to build a country where every worker, regardless of race, gender or economic status, is treated with dignity. »

Lawmakers thanked Huerta for her efforts to promote female candidates for public office.

Eloise Gómez Reyes, the state senator who introduced legislation in 2018 to mark April 10 as Dolores Huerta Day in California, said she was mourning “the loss of someone who profoundly shaped my own life.”

“Dolores Huerta taught generations of us that we didn’t have to accept the world as it was. That ordinary people, working together, could challenge powerful institutions, overcome injustice and build something better. She didn’t just open doors for women like me. She taught us that we had the power to open them for others,” Reyes said.

Hilda Solis, a former Democratic congresswoman who became the first Latina to hold a cabinet post as Barack Obama’s labor secretary, thanked Huerta for her mentorship. “Growing up in the San Gabriel Valley, I rarely saw Latinas in leadership positions. Dolores was one of the few women who showed me what was possible,” she said. “From the state legislature to Congress and my tenure in President Barack Obama’s Cabinet, Dolores remained a constant in my life. We participated in protests and rallies, stood with workers fighting for their rights, and demanded action when those in power looked the other way…Dolores understood the importance of showing up, testifying, and refusing to let women’s suffering be ignored.”

For years, Huerta was seen as number two to UFW co-founder César Chávez – and spoke about how she had to fight sexism within the movement and was often forced to cede credit to Chávez. Earlier this year, following a New York Times article After an investigation revealed Chávez’s sexual abuse of women and girls, Huerta revealed that Chávez had also raped her.

“I thought exposing the truth would harm the farmworker movement that I’ve fought for my whole life,” she said, explaining why she remained silent about his abuse for so long.

But after telling her story, she learned that her fear would not come true. Across the United States, authorities have sought to rename streets that once bore Chávez’s name to Huerta. Chávez-centered murals were replaced with Huerta’s image or images representing the farmworker movement as a whole.

“Her advice transcended generations, nationalities and borders. She touched so many people as she fought for justice, peace and equality. She never backed down,” said actress Rosario Dawson, who played Huerta in a César Chávez biopic in 2014. Dawson, co-founder of the Voto Latino organization, had worked with Huerta to rally voter turnout and had at times openly disagreed with her policies. He said the civil rights leader had been a “mentor and a beacon of light.”

“Sí, se puede, Dolores! May we carry your light and joy as we pave the way for new generations,” she added.