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November 18, 2009
Legendary activist visits local students
After listening to a speech by legendary farmworker rights activist
Dolores Huerta, Santa Ynez Valley Union High School students surrounded
the 79-year-old, wanting autographs and the chance to ask more
questions.
The co-founder of the National Farmer Workers Association (later called
United Farm Workers of America) spoke at an assembly Friday morning on
campus.
“I have heard my mom speak of Mrs. Huerta and the work she’s done with
Cesar Chavez my whole life. She inspires people to do change and is
proof that women can be equal with men,” said student Raquel Rubio.
Huerta lectured about equality for all American citizens, the harsh
realities of racism, feminism and how young people have the power to
change the face of this nation.
“I call your generation the ‘fix-it generation’ because you will be the
leaders to clean up what mess we have left,” Huerta said.
The assembly was attended by several hundred students and made possible
by SYVUHS student Sarah Sanger, 16, who lobbied for two years to get
Huerta on campus. Sanger, with the help of the Human Rights group at
UCSB, hosted Huerta at both the high school and UCSB later that
afternoon.
Sarah said she became interested in farmworker rights because her
baby-sitter, a woman of Mexican descent, talked about the history of
migrant workers and taught her Spanish. The teen also learned about
Huerta and made it her goal to bring her on campus.
Huerta spoke mostly on health care and immigration issues, touching on
the history of the United States and that “unless you are
Native American, you came from somewhere else.”
“Even as high schoolers, you still have the power to create change by
voicing your opinions, getting involved and knocking on doors. People
told us we were crazy, and we convinced the workers they also had
power,” Huerta said.
She led the UFW’s national boycott against table grapes, succeeding in
publicizing to consumers the plight of farmworkers. The boycott ended
with table grape growers and farmworkers signing a three-year collective
bargaining agreement.
During her career she has lobbied in Sacramento and Washington D.C.,
organized field strikes, directed boycotts, and led farmworker campaigns
for political candidates.
In September 1988 in San Francisco, Huerta was severely beaten by police
officers during a peaceful protest. She sustained major injuries
including several broken ribs and had to have her spleen removed.
“We kept fighting even though some of us went to jail, or some of us
died. We only get one life, while we are here let’s make the world a
better place,” Huerta said.
Among the many honors bestowed on Huerta, she was inducted into the
National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993.
“I hope my fellow students will be inspired by her and to act,” Sarah
said. “She has seen and experienced racism and I want people to see how
lucky we are here in the Valley, and that we can help.”
The next project Sarah is working on is starting her own chapter of the
Human Rights group on the high school campus.
She also hopes to follow in her parents footsteps by becoming a criminal
defense lawyer and fighting for civil rights.
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