Cesar Chavez, Ruben Salazar, and Labor Day
In today’s Daily Chela newsletter….
Spotlight: Cesar Chavez
Story: Ruben Salazar
History: The Border
Support: Chicano Media
Stories: Migrants
More News and Links
Remembering Chicano Workers!
In light of Labor Day, we want to recognize the efforts of workers who help keep our communities thriving, and express thanks to all of our hardworking newsletter subscribers!
Labor Day dates back to the late 19th century, a period marked by significant industrial change and growing tension between employers and laborers. The holiday was first observed in New York City, and spearheaded by the Central Labor Union.
The holiday initially emerged in response to the Pullman Strike. However, the concept quickly gained momentum, and became a designated federal holiday in 1894.
During the 20th century, a number of workers’ rights advocates emerged. One of them was Cesar Chavez. Born in 1927, Chavez went on to become a central figure in the American labor movement. Not only did he devote his life to advocating on behalf of farmworkers, but he rallied for better wages and safer working conditions, among other things.
In 1962, Chavez co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW). Influenced by figures such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., Chavez organized strikes and marches to spotlight the hardships faced by farmworkers, and advocate for improved labor standards.
One of the UFW’s most significant successes happened during the 1960s and 1970s. By encouraging consumers to avoid grapes from non-union farms, Chavez pressured growers into negotiating better agreements with the union. This campaign not only improved wages and conditions for workers, but demonstrated the impact of action.
Chavez’s leadership left a profound legacy in the workers’ rights movement, raising awareness about agricultural workers' struggles and shaping labor movements across the nation. His influence continues to inspire workers and civil rights activists alike today.
In celebration of Labor Day, below are some of our favorite columns from the past year about workers, immigrants, and advocates. Here’s to celebrating the hard work of Chicanos/Latinos!
Daily Chela Team
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The Powerful Legacy Of Ruben Salazar
For Chicanos, the 1970s was also defined by change and the opportunity for new possibilities. The Chicano Power Movement was in full swing, and a new generation of young Chicano leaders and activists were increasingly expressing their political autonomy, cultural pride, and awareness, as well as challenging the assimilationist past values of the Mexican American identity.
New political organizations such as the Raza Unida Party were attempting to build electoral participation among Chicanos in the Southwest. Chicano students in East L.A. organized mass student walkouts, protesting the quality of education and unsatisfactory conditions in their schools, and self-defense groups like Brown Berets, inspired by Black Liberation groups like the Black Panthers brought attention to police brutality taking place in barrios throughout the country.
While the era marked a time of great change, one of its greatest champions covering these events at the time was Ruben Salazar. More importantly, he was one of the first Mexican American journalists from mainstream media to seriously cover the plight and struggles of the Chicano community.
A Brief History Of The U.S.-Mexican Border
In 1942, the U.S, went from mass deportation to official request of Mexican workers. With World War II, the army and the fields demanded more personnel, and the farms required men to replace the lost arms.
California farmers voiced their concern that there would be a shortage of labor for the harvest of 1942 and they requested the US government to bring in 100,000 Mexican workers.
This was the beginning of the Bracero Program.
In the first year, 4,200 full-service Mexican workers entered the states. Three years later the number increased to 62,000. But the program was too beneficial for the economy of the American farmers, who demanded that it continued for a few more years. In 1956 the number of legal “braceros” reached a historical maximum of 450,000 migrant workers, until it was finally canceled in 1964.
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Migrants Face Increasing Environmental And Political Dangers
Although the number of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border has steadily increased since 2020, they have sharply spiked since President Joe Biden took office. When the frequency of crossings increases, so too do migrant deaths.
In 2021, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) documented 557 migrant deaths along the southern border. Twenty twenty-two proved to be far more deadly, with 853 documented deaths. The numbers are undoubtedly much higher since Border Patrol only includes deaths reported to authorities, and figures don’t account for migrants who go missing.
For organizations like Border Kindness-Bondad Frontera, the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border isn’t merely a political talking point, it is a daily reality where countless people are caught in the United States’ antiquated and increasingly exclusionary immigration system.
Opinion: L.A. Should Openly Welcome Immigrants and Migrants Alike
Democratic leaders are too quick to whine about the problems their cities face and about the antics of migrant-shipping politicians. This only plays into the GOP’s hands and makes them look like wizards of the political pawning game. Dems are fond of bemoaning the complicated policy problems their cities face, how everything takes time to fix, etc.
But you know what’s not difficult or complicated? Welcoming more migrants and negating the right’s ability to play these types of games for clicks and press coverage. And it’s not particularly difficult to assimilate migrants into the fabric of a huge, wildly diverse city like Los Angeles. It’s time for liberal leaders to call the bluff of the likes of DeSantis and Abbott and show what America is really about.
Watch now: American Homeboy Movie
American Homeboy explores the complex origins of pachuco and cholo culture which sprouted from American soil more than 100 years ago in response to wartime sentiment, social alienation, and government discrimination only to become a pop culture phenomenon.
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