Dolores Clara Fernandez Huert An American Labor Leader And Civil Rights Activist

Dolores Huerta is a Mexican-American woman whose struggles and activist heart led her to help improve the lives of farm workers, immigrants and women. Her father was an inspiration as an activist, while her mother encouraged the development of her education and extra-curricular activities. Although she was a great student, she like many Mexican Americans, experienced racism. Rather than give up on her dreams, her struggles encouraged her to fight an unjust system.

Dolores met a man named César Chávez, another Hispanic activist. She had a major interest in

Her father, Juan Fernandez, was a farm worker, miner, union activist, and a state assemblyman (Ruiz & Sanchez, 2005; Dolores Huerta Foundation, 2014). Her mother, Alicia Chavez, was a big inspiration for Huerta and one of the primary reasons she became a feminist (Dolores Huerta Foundation, 2014). Alicia Chavez owned a restaurant and a 70-room hotel where she welcomed low-wage workers and their families for affordable prices. Huerta and her brother worked at the restaurant and Huerta noticed that the poor farm workers who stayed there were working very long hours for very little pay; she got motivated to improve their lives (Mendoza, 2004; Ruiz & Sanchez, 2005). Her mother was also an active member in the community as she was involved in numerous civic organizations and church activities (Garcia, 2008; Dolores Huerta Foundation, 2014). Huerta’s mother encouraged diversity and made culture a big part of her upbringing (Garcia, 2008; Dolores Huerta Foundation, 2014) Huerta was raised in Stockton, California; an agricultural community made up of diverse working families (Garcia, 2008; Dolores Huerta Foundation, 2014). Through participation in various school clubs and girl scouts, Huerta reflected her mother’s activism with her involvement at Stockton High School (Dolores Huerta Foundation, 2014). After high school, Huerta continued her education and earned a provisional teaching credential from University of Pacific’s Delta College in Stockton (Garcia, 2008; Dolores Huerta Foundation, 2014). Teaching did not last very long for Huerta because she was unable to continuously see kids (mostly children of farm workers) come to school hungry and without basic necessities, such as shoes and proper clothing (Mendoza, 2004; Garcia, 2008; Dolores Huerta Foundation, 2014). This experience sparked the activist in her and she began working towards correcting economic injustice

In 1961, she won the best supporting actress in the Academy Award for her role in the West Side Story. Another example that lead to the main claim of the movie was the story of Herman Badillo. He was an orphan from Puerto Rico that arrived in New York by 1941, because his parents died from tuberculosis. He went to Haaron High and graduated from there. He became Bronx Borough President in 1966, and he made a friend with President Kennedy. He became extremely important person for the Latino society, especially Puerto Ricans, because he helped them to vote in an election. He paved a way for many Puerto Ricans to vote and he also fought against discrimination. Later in his life, he became a Congressman and he opened up a way so that all races can vote. Another evidence that support the main claim of the movie was the story of Manuel Capo. He was an immigrant from Cuba, that leave the country because of Fidel Castro. Him and his sons moved to Miami to start a small business. However, they didn’t know how to speak English, so it was hard for them at

Sotomayor was born in Bronx, New York, on June 25, 1954 to parents whom emigrated from Puerto Rico. The family, including her brother, survived on a very moderate income while living in government public housing or “the projects.” Juan, Sonia’s father, whom had only a third-grade education, was employed as tool-and die worker and her mother, Celina, worked as a telephone operator until beginning her employment as a nurse at methadone clinic. Sonia was the eldest of the two children, raised by their single mother after Juan died when Sonia was only nine years of age.

Imagine a world where the social and economic conditions for the farm workers and immigrants get worst year by year, where the discrimination among these people growth and never decline. What would happen to farm workers if Dolores Huerta shouldn’t have made any action to change their situation? This same question should be in the mind of many Americans who don’t appreciate all the effort and work that Huerta put in to change our nation. Persistent, powerful, brave, strong, simply a heroin are the best words to describe Dolores Huerta, who is one of the most important women who contributed to the creation of an equal and fair society in the United States because, she founded the Agricultural Workers Association (AWA) and also she helped create the National United Farm Workers Association (UFWA) with Cesar Chavez, she helped organize a nationwide boycott of abusive grape growers, and she founded the Dolores Huerta Foundation.

As a child, Thelma Mothershed Wair suffered many setbacks such as being diagnosed with an illness called rheumatic fever and facing racial discrimination because of the color of her skin. Though she faced so much injustice in her life, Thelma grew up in a supportive family that taught key morals and values; one such as “education is key”. The care and support from her family gave her inner strength and compassion for education, which then led her to enroll as a junior at Central High School, Arkansas. In a place with people who straight up hated the thought of her near them, Thelma stood strong, and even though she had a debilitating illness that left her with a weak frame and structure, she “ towered over all of her white student peers by

Humanitarian, community advocate and aid to immigrants, Caroline Chisholm spent her life in the service of others. Her legacy of good will and economic empowerment spans several continents and several decades. Mrs. Chisholm advocated for immigrant women and girls in India, England and Australia. Because of her faith, Mrs. Chisholm was met with much opposition. As a Catholic in a time where Catholicism was viewed with mistrust and disdain, she had to overcome barriers simply because of her belief system even though if anything, her beliefs helped to motivate her to do all the great work she did for immigrant women and girls.

For thousands of years’ immigration to the United States has been considered one of the biggest problems and has been one of the topics most talked about, especially in this year, being one of the favorite topics to talk about in the presidential debates. Yet, due to speeches given by President Donald Trump little is known and talked about the problems immigrants, especially Latinos face day by day, socially and economically. By being a minority in the United States it has been very difficult for immigrant farm workers’ to get where they are now and have more opportunities than before the 1970s. Fortunately, there have been organizations and leaders that have helped immigrants through the years, one of these being Dolores Huerta.

Marian Wright Edelman was born on June 6, 1939. Edelman is an American activist for the rights of children. Edelman’s mother and father who was a Baptist minister taught her and her siblings that serving in their community was life’s duty. Edelman’s parents also taught her and her siblings that poverty nor racism should ever get in their way of trying to achieve something. The way Edelman was raised was an inspiration to her and she knew she wanted to make a change for the better in this country. In 1973 Edelman founded the Children’s Defense Fund. The purpose of the organization is to “to ensure every child a healthy start, a head start, a fair start, a safe start, and a moral start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.” (Wikipedia)

Alongside her father, Dolores at 11 years old, sold pots and pans door to door and watched him as he was constantly slaving for long periods of time in the heat continually harvesting beats, a little at a time to earn a couple dollars, and those dollars which were most likely going to be spent on her. As he faced the dreadful working conditions, he became a labor activist and accomplished getting on the board of the CIO local at the Terrero Camp of the American Medals Company as the secretary-treasurer. Yet Dolores’s father was only on the committee for a brief amount of time due to how blunt and outspoken he was (Novas 160). He wanted to get his point across and explained his point in very rash tones, but even with his rash tones, Dolores Huerta admired her father in attempting to help the union and labor workers, which were the reasons Dolores Huerta pursued activist roles in the community. When teaching for a brief amount of time at an elementary school, she suffered seeing her students come to class with the face of hunger and in need of shoes, she believed that rather than trying to teach peoples hungry kids, a greater impact could result from organizing a union filled with the participation of farm workers, to petition in order to enforce better rights in regarding the way they were being mistreated.(Doak 34). Through experiencing and visually seeing what occurs due to families not having the advantage or

What means Nara Rodriguez a hero is that she helps immigrants with their immigrations paper to the united state, she also extends her service to all immigrants, regardless of the nationality. When Nara Rodriguezwas getting her immigration papers she knew how workers take advantage of it making it them pay more money, that experience motivated her to offer the same immigration services but at a lower cost. Other immigrations offices dont help immigration with out the necesscery paper work but Rodriguez helps obtain the right paper work . Nara Rodriguez protest about all the things that immigrants go through, she wants immigrants to have a voice. As she qoutes "if you dont do not go out and expose your problem she says nobody is going to know

She was involved in a community-organized health clinic, recruited for VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America; a branch of Americorps dedicated to fighting poverty), gave legal aid to residents in her area, provided social work at Bayside Settlement Housing Project, and was the court artist for the trial of Los Siete de la Raza, a group of seven young Latino men who were involved in a police altercation that ended in the death of a police officer. Her work as the court artist exemplifies her application of art to both the political and social spheres of

Jane Addams was an upper class woman who thought it was her job to help others. Addams was an advocate of immigrants, the poor, women, and peace. In 1889, she created the hull house. The Hull house was created to help female immigrants become assimilated to the American life style by helping get them a job, learn the language, and receive an education. So it was no surprise that in in 1915, Jane Addams wrote the life-changing article “Why Women Should Vote”.

Sonia Sotomayor had a somewhat typical Puerto Rican childhood. She was born in New York to her parents Juan Luis Sotomayor and Celina Baez de Sotomayor. Her only sibling was her younger brother, Juan Luis Sotomayor Jr. who was born when she was three years old. She grew up reading Nancy Drew books and dreamed of being a police detective. (Bernier,) At age eight, she was diagnosed with diabetes. The doctor told her that her diabetes would prevent her from being what she wanted to be when she grew up, because her diabetes was so hard to treat at the time (“The Last”, 33). Not wanting to depend on her parents to keep herself alive, she learned to give herself insulin shots every day in her belly as well as boiling the water to sterilize a syringe and needle. Sonia had a strong desire for a good education and to get there she had to learn the English language, but her parents only spoke Spanish and she strongly disliked the English language (Barnes).