Dolores Huerta
Dolores Huerta
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Full Name and Common Aliases
Dolores Clara Fernández Huerta is commonly known as "La Llorona" (The Weeping Woman), a nickname earned for her tireless advocacy work.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on April 10, 1930, in Dawson, New Mexico. Still living as of this writing.
Nationality and Profession(s)
American labor leader, civil rights activist, and feminist.
Early Life
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Dolores Huerta was born to Juan Fernández, a farmworker from Jalisco, Mexico, and Elsie Huerta, a schoolteacher of Mexican-American descent. She grew up in Stockton, California, where she attended Catholic schools and developed strong ties to her community. As a child, Dolores witnessed the harsh realities of migrant workers' lives, including poverty, exploitation, and racism.
Huerta's parents instilled in her a sense of social justice and activism from an early age. She began speaking out against inequality and advocating for workers' rights during high school. After graduating, she attended San Jose State University but dropped out to focus on community organizing.
Major Accomplishments
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Dolores Huerta's life has been marked by numerous significant achievements:
Co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) with César Chávez in 1962, using nonviolent tactics like boycotts and strikes to advocate for farmworkers' rights.
Led the Delano grape strike, which inspired the nationwide movement that led to the passage of the Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975.
Was a key figure in the passage of the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act (1969) and the National Farm Workers Service Center (1968).
Has been instrumental in organizing labor movements for women, farmworkers, and other marginalized groups.
Notable Works or Actions
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Some notable actions and works by Dolores Huerta include:
Organizing a 300-mile march from Delano to Sacramento with César Chávez to protest the California State Legislature's lack of action on agricultural labor laws.
Negotiating with large corporations, including grape growers and lettuce producers, to improve working conditions for farmworkers.
Working alongside other prominent activists, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy.Impact and Legacy
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Dolores Huerta's impact extends far beyond her specific accomplishments:
She has inspired countless individuals to pursue careers in social justice and activism.
Her tireless advocacy work has led to lasting improvements in working conditions, wages, and access to healthcare for farmworkers.
Her unwavering commitment to social justice has made her an icon of the labor movement.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Dolores Huerta's powerful speeches, quotes, and actions have earned her a lasting place in American history:
Her quote "Sí se puede" (Yes We Can) became synonymous with the UFW's mission and has inspired generations of activists.
Her determination and courage in the face of adversity have made her an enduring symbol of resilience and strength.
As a testament to her ongoing influence, Dolores Huerta continues to be celebrated for her unwavering commitment to social justice.
Quotes by Dolores Huerta
Dolores Huerta's insights on:
I always saw my role as getting LGBT to support the immigrant rights movement - which they did - and getting Latino organizations to support the women's movement, for reproductive rights. So that's kind of the work that I've always been doing.
I think that's something that all mothers have to deal with, especially single mothers. We work, and we have to leave the kids behind. And I think that's one of the reasons that we, not only as women but as families, we have to advocate for early childhood education for all of our children.
I wish I could say to all those people who consider themselves anarchists or radicals: Please join the nonviolent movement. This is how Gandhi freed India. If Gandhi freed India, we can certainly free the United States from our racism, misogyny, and bigotry.
The conditions were terrible. The farmworkers were only earning about 70 cents an hour at that time - 90 cents was the highest wage that they were earning. They didn't have toilets in the fields; they didn't have cold drinking water. They didn't have rest periods. People worked from sunup to sundown. It was really atrocious.
People were asleep, but I think they're waking up now. Trump has given everybody a good kick, and people are waking up and realizing they've got to get involved.
We had violence directed at us by the growers themselves, trying to run us down by cars, pointing rifles at us, spraying the people when they were on the picket line with sulfur.
The leaders come up from the volunteers that do the work, and it's amazing because then they do these incredible things in their community that they never thought they had the power to make that happen.
I started really noticing, more and more, how men will plagiarize and take credit for women's work... I've noticed that it just happens a lot.
It was really hard for them to intimidate me. They felt I was intimidating. One of the growers had a name for me: I think it was 'dragon lady' or something like it.