Good morning, Redwood City!
It's César Chávez Day. Today we honor the legacy of the labor and civil rights activist who dedicated his life to fighting for "La Causa" and the dignity of farmworkers. Chavez co-founded the United Farm Workers with Dolores Huerta (another personal hero!), and together they championed the most basic of human rights for farmworkers. As a county, we should strive to continue Chavez's efforts, especially after the recent mass shooting, which showed us the deplorable conditions in which the targeted farmworkers lived.
Since then, the county has created a task force to investigate the deplorable living conditions, invested hundreds of thousands of dollars toward housing the farmworkers and sought state grants, but is it enough? How did we get here? Why did it take a mass shooting –7 dead– for the county and the coastal region to do something?
My grandfather was a farmworker. We grew up hearing stories from his time living in California picking fruit. He had to leave my grandmother in Mexico and head to California, where he'd spend most of his day in the hot, unforgiving sun. He met many people the same as him. They didn't have houses or nice things. They were all trying to make their way in the world, sending money back home, whichever country that was.
Michelle
Photo of the Day caption: 'Mammalian Retina' / digital print and mixed media. Art by Neil Murphy (Art Bias). | To have your photo featured, send us an email.