I just want to wish everyone a happy Cesar Chavez Day and hope that you get the opportunity to participate in an event in your community. We will be sponsoring marches throughout the state of California, Washington and Texas to really mobilize and get the community behind the efforts of farm workers. There are many more marches happening around the country.
These marches are especially important this year as we are facing a severe crisis with ICE raiding rural communities and terrorizing the women and men that work in the fields. Their children are especially affected. They are so worried about their parents not coming home. It breaks my heart when I hear these stories about innocent children who worry every time their parents leave the house.
We are all grieving about the tragic death of Santos and Marcelina, who left their house in Delano, CA on March 14 to go work in the fields and were killed in a tragic accident after ICE agents followed them from their house thinking one of them was a previous resident they were targeting. This mother and father of six became so frightened and so scared of being pursued by ICE agents that they lost control of their car and were killed. I will be at their funeral on Monday.
In this time of hate, it is more urgent than ever that we do outreach to farm workers who are working as hard as possible to make sure that we have fruits and vegetables on our table. We must continue to have our organizers in the position to educate workers about their rights and how to protect themselves if stopped by ICE. This will continue to be a major part of our work, reaching out to workers in the fields, holding know your rights meetings in farm worker communities -- as well as reaching out to farm workers who are afraid to come out through virtual know your rights meetings -- and through our texting program.
Please visit our site UFW.org to get the most updated information on our marches as well as other breaking news and steps you can take to help farm workers. And if you can please make adonation to help commemorate Cesar Chavez – and to resist Trump’s racist policies that hurt and separate farm worker families.
Good supporters like you keep Cesar Chavez’ legacy going. Thank you so much for what you do to help farm workers.
Si Se Puede!
Arturo S. RodriguezUFW President
