Governor Brown signs Cesar Chavez Day Proclamation

Oregon Governor Kate Brown declared March 31 as Cesar Chavez Day Thursday afternoon.

Dozens of Oregonians clad in orange shirts donning the word "causa," or cause, surrounded Brown as she signed her proclamation that celebrates Chavez's work in founding United Farm Workers, a farmworkers rights organization that advanced livable working conditions and fair pay for farmworkers in the 1960s.

"Today as we celebrate Cesar Chavez's life, we also reflect his legacy," said Alberto Moreno, chair of Oregon Commission on Hispanic Affairs. "It is easy to think of Cesar as liberator and emancipator, as the one person who could end the injustice that’s faced by farmworkers, but I don’t think that was his purpose."

Instead, Moreno said, Chavez used his position as a leader of the farmworkers rights movement to plant the seed of justice, and allowing future generations to sow that seed.

"You are his legacy in repose, you are his justice waiting," Moreno said, pointing at children and young adults standing in the Governor's Ceremonial Office.

Representative Teresa Alonso Leon said Chavez's legacy remains in Oregon and said she spent summers helping her family pick berries.

"By advocating for workers like my parents, Cesar Chavez ensured the children like me were able to go to school instead of working in the fields," Alonso Leon said. "Without Cesar Chavez, it is possible that I wouldn’t be standing here at all."

Chavez' legacy is found in a Salem-Keizer Public Schools elementary school in Salem, Chavez Elementary School, but Brown said his civil rights fight is far from over for farmworkers.

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The Department of Agriculture estimates there are roughly 160,000 farmworkers in Oregon, a number of whom earn minimum wage for their work contributing to roughly $5.7 billion annually to the state's agricultural economy.

Brown said this is an "uncertain time for immigrant families" in Oregon, referring to targeted sweeps by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Brown asked people in the room who consider themselves to be civil rights advocates to raise their hands, urging even the youngest children to raise their hands.

"Your work is absolutely critical in this effort," Brown said. "Whether it's educating the community on our rights or making sure that Latino farmworkers voices are heard at the policy table, we can't do this without you."

Before signing the proclamation, Brown yelled "si se puede" — the rallying cry of United Farm Workers campaign for farmworkers rights.