lesson 60 Dolores Huerta- American Labor Leader and Civil Rights Activist

 

Dolores Clara Fernandez Huerta born April 10, 1930 in Dawson, New Mexico, is an American 

labor leader and civil rights activist who with Cesar Chavez is the co-founder of the United Farm 

Workers Association which later became the Agriculture Workers Organizing Committee and is 

now known as UFW -United Farm Workers.

1. What is Dolores Huerta best known for?

-Dolores was the co-founder with Cesar Chavez of the National Farmworkers Association which

became the United Farm Workers of America.

-Dolores is a tireless advocate for the rights of farmworkers, Mexican American immigrants,

women, and LGBTQ populations.

2. Why do we celebrate Dolores?

-April 10 is Dolores Huerta Day, and it is also her birthday born in 1930.  Dolores has spent her 

entire adult life working to advance the rights of farmworkers and to empore women.

3. What did Dolores do for aid  for dependent families?

- Dolores secured state-backed "aid for dependent families" and disability insurance for injured

California farm workers.

-Dolores directed a national grape boycott to protest the dangers of pesticides on grape pickers,

which resulted in the enitre California table grape industry changing its practices.

4. What did Dolores do in school?

-Dolores was active in numerous Stockton High School clubs and was a dedicated member of

the girl scouts unitl the age of 18.

-Dolores continued her education at the University of the Pacific's Stockton College, which 

later became San Joaquin Delta College, earning her provisional teaching credential.

5. What three things did Dolores do?

-Throughout her work with the UFW, Dolores organized workers, negotiated contracts, 

advocated for safer working conditions including the elimination of harmful pesticides.

- Dolores also fought for unemployment and healthcare benefits for agricultural workers.

6. How did Dolores fight for women's rights?

-Dolores was one of the few female leaders in the UFW  movement. As a result she played a 

critical role  in advocating for women laborers.

-Dolores spoke up for gender equality and reminded the mostly male leadership of the UFW,  that

 women workers faced unique problems.  She and Cesar Chavez often fought over these issues.

7. Was Dolores married to Cesar Chavez' brother?

-While they never married, Dolores did have a romantic relationship with Richard Chavez, the 

brother of Cesar Chavez, with whom she had four children.

-Dolores married her first husband, Ralph Head, while in college.  She later divorced him and 

married Ventura Huerta.

8. What are two quotes by Dolores Huerta?

-"Every moment is an organizing opportunity, every person a potential activist, every minute a

chance to change the world.

-"If you haven't forgiven yourself something , how can you forgive others."

-"We do need women in civic life."

9. What motivated Dolores Huerta?

- A series of unsatisfying jobs led her to seek a teaching credential, but her teaching career

lasted only a few months.

-Dolores decided that she could do more for the hungry and barefoot farmworker's children in 

her class  by helping their parents win more equitable working conditions.

10. Why does Dolores say "si se puede"?

- Dolores created this phrase in 1972 during Cesar Chavez's 25 day fast in Phoenix, Arizona.

It became the motto of the United Farm Workers and has been taken up by other activist 

groups.

11. What challenges did Dolores face?

-Dolores committment to social justice has caused her 11 children to endure long absences

of their mother.  Many of the children have become activists themselves.

-Dolores suffered threats of violence and was viciously beaten by a San Francisco police during

a peaceful demonstration.

12. How many kids does Dolores have?

-Dolores has 11 children many of whom are active in the struggle for civil rights.  She was

able to raise these sons and daughters with the help of the community she built around

the farmworkers movement.

13. Why was Dolores criticized?

-Dolores said that she was rewarded for her sacrifices but also was criticized for not following

the traditional family role of taking care of her 11 children.

14. Does Dolores have grandchildren?

 Dolorex  has 11 children and many grand and great grand children.  Most

of her children have dedicated themselves to public service.

15. What did Cesar Chavez say about Dolores Huerta?

Chavez described Dolores as " fearless, both mentally and physically."  Dolores met feminist

Gloria Steinem, who made her aware of the emerging women's movement.

16.  Is Dolores chicano?

Co-founder of the United Farm Workers Association, Dolores is one of the most influential

labor activists of the 20th Century and a leader of the Chicano civil rights movement.

17. Was Dolores discriminated against?

Discrimination also helped shape Dolores.  A school teacher, prejudiced agains Hispanics, accused

Dolores of cheating because her papers were to well-written.

18. What are three interesting facts about Dolores? 

Dolores is an avid Jazz enthusiast, she has championed for Gay rights and is a recipient of the 

Presidential Medal of Freedom.

19. Did Dolores have siblings?  

Dolores' parents divorced and Alicia Fernandez, mother, eventually relocated her three 

children, John, Dolores, Marshall to Stockton, California to make a new start with her

family.

Dolores' mother was employed as a waitress and cannery worker.  Dolores' mother had a 

difficult time making ends meet during the Depression decade.

Dolores' grandfather helped to raise her and her two brothers while her mother juggled jobs

until she could buy a small hotel and restaurant.

20.  Who was Dolores' father?

Dolores' father Juan Fernandez, a farm worker and miner, was a union activist who ran for 

political office and won a seat in the New Mexico legislature in 1938.

21. What did Dolores win in 2012?

In 2012, President Obama awarded Dolores the Presidential Medal of Freedom-the nation's

highest civilian honor-for her lifetime of advocacy on behalf of the underserved.

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