March 29, 2024

Dear Colleagues,

On Monday, April 1, 2024, Santa Rosa Junior College will officially observe César Chávez and Dolores Huerta Day for the first time with a District closure. 

César Chávez and Dolores Huerta were civil rights activists dedicated to advocating for farmworkers’ labor rights. They drew national attention to working conditions and unlivable wages that many agricultural workers experienced. Together, they co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers (UFW). Established in 1962, UFW became the nation’s first enduring agricultural labor union, playing a pivotal role in achieving safer working conditions and fair wages for farmworkers. 

I am committed to upholding the values that Chávez lived by, and Huerta continuously embraces in her activism today. Through self-sacrifice, a commitment to nonviolence, and determination, Chávez and Huerta changed a nation, including my own family. 

Growing up in the Central Valley, I watched my mother, aunts, and uncles work in the fields picking grapes, which were laid out to dry in the sun and then packaged as raisins. These memories are part of what drives me to advocate for equitable access to education and ensure the efforts by Chávez and Huerta are remembered.  It is also important to recognize that Latino families in the fields worked and organized alongside Larry Itliong and Filipino families. I witnessed the essential contributions of farmworkers and, like Chávez, Huerta, Itliong, and so many others, believe they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. 

Chávez and Huerta’s legacies serve as an inspiration for each of us to advocate for justice and equality. On April 1, I hope you will join me in honoring these community leaders and organizers, as well as other local and national champions for social justice throughout history. Chávez Huerta Day recognizes the contributions of workers and promotes civic engagement and volunteerism in our communities. I encourage you to honor their impact on Monday through acts of service to advance the cause of social justice for our community.  

“Si se puede!” 

In community,

Angélica Garcia, Ed.D. 
Superintendent/President 
707-527-4431, angelicagarcia@santarosa.edu