Supporters of US Immigration Reform Revive Cesar Chavez's Icon Status Erika L. Sanchez - NBC Latino
go to original March 30, 2013

American labor leader and co-founder of the United Farm Workers (formerly known as the National Farm Workers Association) Cesar Chavez (1927–1993) speaks at a rally, Coachella, California, mid to late 1970s. (Cathy Murphy/Getty Images)

The closest thing Latinos have to a national holiday is Cesar Chavez’s birthday on March 31st. Cesar Chavez’s birthday is already celebrated in ten states, and President Barack Obama not only has supported making it a national holiday, but recently named a national park on his behalf.

This week, children will be learning about the labor leader’s legacy in schools, and marches have been organized from California to Pennsylvania to honor the 86th anniversary of his birth and in support of immigration reform.

He has become the hero, the leader for Latinos pushing for immigration reform.

“He stood up and got people to believe in themselves,” says Paul Chavez, his son and president of the Cesar Chavez Foundation.

On March 23rd and 24th Chavez led marches in Yakima, Washington and several California cities. Thousands of people – families affected by immigration reform, farm workers, and social activists – participated.

Chavez believes his father’s memory is thriving because of the ongoing immigration debate and country’s changing demographics. “People look for someone who they can relate to,” he says. He points out that his father, like many undocumented immigrants, came from humble beginnings and struggled throughout his life. But despite his hardships, he was able to lead and inspire.

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