Dolores Huerta

Hello, my name is Dolores Huerta. My story begins on April 10th, 1930, when I was born in a small mining town called Dawson, New Mexico. When I was just a little girl, my family moved to Stockton, California. There, I was raised by my wonderful mother, Alicia. My mother was a businesswoman who owned a hotel, but it was much more than just a building. She made sure our hotel was a welcoming place for people from all backgrounds, including hardworking farmworker families. I saw people from different cultures living and working together, helping each other out. Watching my mother treat everyone with kindness and respect taught me a very important lesson early in life. It showed me how strong a community can be when people stand together. Seeing everyone treated fairly, no matter where they came from, planted a seed in my heart. I knew that when I grew up, I wanted to spend my life helping others.

As I grew up, I decided that the best way I could help people was by becoming a teacher. I worked hard, and in the 1950s, my dream came true. I loved teaching, but something started to trouble me deeply. Many of my students were the children of farmworkers. They would come to school so hungry that they couldn't focus on their lessons. Some didn't even have shoes to wear. It broke my heart to see them struggle. I realized that teaching them was important, but it wasn't enough. Their families needed help, too. I made a very big decision. I knew I had to do more, so I left my job as a teacher to fight for the rights of the farmworkers and their families. In 1955, I joined a group called the Community Service Organization, or CSO. It was there that I met a kind and determined man named César Chávez. He shared my passion for helping people, and together, we knew we could make a real difference.

César and I knew we had to create an organization dedicated to helping farmworkers. So, in 1962, we started the National Farm Workers Association. The lives of farmworkers back then were incredibly difficult. They worked for very long hours under the hot sun, doing back-breaking labor for very little pay. They didn't have basic things like clean water to drink or bathrooms in the fields. We wanted to change that. In 1965, we helped organize a very important event called the Delano Grape Strike. A 'strike' is when workers refuse to work until their bosses agree to give them better pay and safer conditions. To make the strike stronger, we also started a boycott. We asked people all across the country to help us by stopping their purchases of grapes from the farms that treated workers unfairly. It was a long and difficult fight. For five years, we traveled, marched, and spoke to people, asking for their support. Finally, our hard work paid off. In 1970, the farm owners agreed to our demands. It was a historic victory that showed what people can achieve when they work together.

During our fight, one of my most important jobs was being a lead negotiator. This meant I was the one who would sit down and speak directly with the powerful farm owners. It was my job to be strong and clearly demand better pay, clean water, and respect for the workers. It wasn't always easy, but I never gave up. I also spent a lot of time giving speeches and encouraging the workers to stay strong. I remember one day in 1972, during a rally in Arizona, I wanted to give everyone a burst of hope. Some people were feeling discouraged and saying, 'No, we can't do it.' I stood up and shouted, '¡Sí, se puede!' In English, that means 'Yes, we can!' Those simple words became our slogan. It was a powerful chant that reminded us that we had the strength to win our fight for justice. It gave hope not just to farmworkers, but to people everywhere who were fighting for what is right.

Even though we won many important victories, I knew my work was not finished. There are always more people who need help and new leaders who need to be trained. In 2002, I started the Dolores Huerta Foundation to help young people learn how to organize and make positive changes in their own communities. I believe that everyone has the power to be a leader. Ten years later, in 2012, I was very proud to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom for my life's work. My journey has taught me that one person can make a difference, but many people working together can change the world. I am still working today, and I hope you always remember: ¡Sí, se puede!