Let me preface this piece by saying that my parents boycotted grapes when I was a small child, and I even met Cesar Chavez when I was about six years old. Under the leadership of Cesar Chavez, the UFW was able to fight for better wages for farm workers and raise awareness about the conditions these laborers toiled in to bring food to our tables. Born in Arizona and a veteran of the US Navy, this self educated man went on to become one of our nation’s heroes.
Today schools throughout the Southwest are named after Cesar Chavez. In the 1070s, a fledgling college in Oregon was even named for him. My college alma mater has named it’s Chicano-Latino studies theme house after him. In Colorado, a federal building in Denver is named as a memorial to Chavez. The cities of Long Beach, Phoenix, Berkeley, San Diego and Sacramento have Cesar Chavez parks — and I’m probably leaving out countless other parks and centers. There is a Cesar Chavez holiday in at least ten states in addition to a push to give him a federal holiday.
This week the Secretary of the Navy named a new supply ship after the deceased labor leader. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-CA and an Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran, criticized the decision to name this ship after the UFW leader saying, “This decision shows the direction the Navy is heading. Naming a ship after Cesar Chavez goes right along with other recent decisions by the Navy that appear to be more about making a political statement than upholding the Navy’s history and tradition.” Hunter then suggested the names of some other Hispanics who have served the country bravely including a Medal of Honor winner, Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta.
It’s not often that I can agree with Duncan Hunter, but this time I do. We have to start recognizing other heroes and leaders in the Latino community. It’s cannot continually be “all about Cesar Chavez, all the time”. If he were alive today, I’m not so sure he would want his name on a Navy ship. As Hispanic Business explains, Chavez “served two years in the Navy, which he later was reported to have called ‘the two worst years of my life.’”
If Chavez did in fact feel that his two years in the Navy were among his worst, why honor him this way? I could think of a few better ways to honor Cesar Chavez, most notably fighting for decent wages and humane working conditions. Naming yet another “thing” after him doesn’t make me feel better about his legacy or Latino contributions to our country, and I doubt it does anything for our young men and women who are overly represented in the enlisted personnel. Should we start to look towards other Latinos who have served this country proudly, we may inspire those in our community who don’t necessarily identify with Cesar Chavez and his legacy. It’s time for our community to look more broadly to those who have been trailblazers and suggest that they be given some recognition too.
