Here’s how California civil rights icon Dolores Huerta wants you to celebrate her birthday
Dolores Huerta doesn’t have a secret for her longevity but said “the lord gave me some good genes. So that’s why I’ve been able to live a long life.”
The civil rights icon celebrates her 94th birthday on April 10.
In fact, Huerta didn’t expect to live this long. Her mother, Alicia Chávez, died at age 51 and her father, Juan Fernández, was in his 70s when he died.
“So, the fact that I’ve been able to live this long is just a blessing. So, I’m thankful to the good Lord, you know, for keeping me around this long,” said Huerta who has dedicated her life as an organizer.
Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers with César Chávez in 1962, feels lucky to keep working as a nonagenarian.
“We have so much work to do,” Huerta said. “We have the issues of climate change. We’re trying to get the Equal Rights Amendment passed for women. So, we have so much work to do. Still, there’s no way that we can stop.”
Knowing that there is so much work to do, she said, is what keeps her going.
Huerta asks everybody to celebrate her birthday by getting involved in the upcoming elections.
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Fresno resident Venancio Gaona, 85, said Huerta is a strong woman with strong convictions who has made a big impact in the community.
“This has given her life. She has a good reason to live, because she has a decent and honest cause to help mankind or the human beings around her,” said Gaona, who helped the UFW back in the late 1960s.
“She’s been a role model for many. Appreciating that she opened the road up for us. And has continued to fight for justice, equality and equity,” said 70-year-old Gloria Hernández, of Fresno.
Hernández has known Huerta since she was about 19 when she started volunteering for the union cooking for farmworkers at events, later becoming one of the capitanas during the strike.
“I call her the Jefa (the boss),” said longtime UFW supporter Roberto Bustos, 80, the organizer of the historic 1966 march from Delano to Sacramento. “I know, she continues what she has to do. And I’m glad that, you know, she’s out there.”
Celebrating her birthday
Huerta started an early birthday celebration Tuesday in Los Ángeles when the all-female Los Ángeles County Board of Supervisors declared Dolores Huerta Day with a resolution introduced by Supervisor Hilda Solis.
“Today is one of the days I’m celebrating here at the L.A. County Board of Supervisors,” Huerta said.
The state Legislature has declared Dolores Huerta Day.
“But I don’t think we’ll see too many people in the Valley doing the same thing.”
Huerta said if people want to celebrate her birthday, a way to do it is to “go out there and talk to somebody about voting, about registering to vote.”
“And people that haven’t become citizens, please become a citizen because unless you vote, then your voice is not heard and it’s like you’re invisible. And right now, we cannot afford to be invisible, especially as people of color, as women, our voices need to be heard,” Huerta added.
Things to know about Huerta
▪ Born on April 10, 1930, in the mining town of Dawson, New Mexico. Her family goes back 14 generations in New Mexico.
“My family has always been very politically active. My father was a legislator. He was an assemblyman in the state of New México. And I had cousins that were judges. And so, my family has always been very active in civic and political life,” Huerta said.
▪ Huerta is working on her own book – a memoir and maybe part of a biography – with her daughter Juanita Chávez. Since the book is still in progress it will be awhile before it gets published, Huerta said.
▪ As a little girl, Huerta took dancing, doing ballet, tap, Hawaiian and flamenco, which was her favorite.
▪ She grew up in Stockton and was a teacher before becoming an activist.
▪ Dolores coined the phrase “!Sí, se puede!” (Yes, we can!)
▪ In the early 1990s, the activist appeared in a full-page advertisement for Ben & Jerry’s Smooth selection of ice cream which was introducing 8 new flavors in 1994. Huerta was featured eating ‘Deep Dark Chocolate’ flavor along with fellow activists Dr. Timothy Leary, Carlos Santana, Spike Lee, Pete Seeger, Michelle Shocked, Buffy Sainte Marie, Bobby Seale, and Daniel Berrigan.
“I don’t know if I ever got one named after me or not, but it was fun to be in with that group of people,” Huerta said.
▪ While Huerta doesn’t have a lot of time to cook. When she does, it is usually something very simple. She loves Mediterranean food, as well as Indian and Asian and, of course, Mexican food.
▪ In 1998 Huerta received the Ohtlí award, which is awarded by the Mexican government to individuals who devote their work to the advancement of the Mexican community.
▪ Last September, the civil rights icon celebrated Chicano art with tequila shots in downtown Fresno with friends from the Chicano movement.
▪ The $32 million Dolores Huerta Peace and Justice Cultural Center will break ground later this year in downtown Bakersfield. The center will also include an interactive hologram exhibit of Dolores Huerta.
“The hologram is pretty much completed at this point. That will be interesting because people can ask the hologram questions. And even after I’m gone, the hologram will still be here to answer questions,” Huerta said.
