Still fighting: Activist, icon and New Mexico native Dolores Huerta keeps civil rights at the forefront

Apr. 12—Dolores Huerta took a stroll around the National Hispanic Cultural Center on Friday during a break from a string of interviews.

At Fourth Street SW, Avenida César Chávez gives way to Avenida Dolores Huerta before becoming Bridge Boulevard going west.

Huerta, a New Mexico native, smiled at the fact that the street is adorned with her name.

This comes after Dolores Huerta Day was recognized in Los Angeles on Wednesday — her 94th birthday.

"When I get the recognition from so many areas, it's on the backs of so many other people that did all of the work," Huerta says. "I'm kind of the symbol of farmworkers and other people in low income communities. There were many, many people that were involved in the farmworkers movement. We had five people that were killed just fighting for those basic human rights upon what they deserved to have a representative. That was great work, but I couldn't do it by myself. It was many, many people that were involved."

Huerta returned to New Mexico to prepare for Recuerda a César Chávez Committee's 31st annual César Chávez and Dolores Huerta March and Celebration. The event takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the NHCC.

There will be a Marcha de la Justicia/March of Justice taking place beginning at 10 a.m., which Huerta will also participate in.

According to the RCCC, the event is family friendly with a Kids Corner, food trucks, car show, many community nonprofits representing and educating the public on their services, the Si Se Puede Awards Ceremony, live entertainment and a keynote address by Huerta.

Chávez and Huerta were the driving force behind the United Farm Workers of America, the activist group that fought to make change for farmworkers. More than 50 years later, the work hasn't stopped for Huerta, who continues the civil rights fight.

Huerta says that when she and Chávez organized farmworkers, it was to empower them.

"With all of the sacrifice that was made in the work, we were able to basically get the fundamental rights like rest periods," she says. "There are benefits that the farmworkers still do not have until this day. There are only three states that have unemployment insurance for farmworkers. That is California, Hawaii and in New York — they have unemployment insurance, but only for the year-round workers, not for the temporary workers. It's all needed. So all the other states in the country do not have this and it remains difficult."

Dolores Clara Fernández was born on April 10, 1930, in Dawson, a small mining town in the mountains of northern New Mexico.

Her father Juan Fernández, a farmworker and miner by trade, was an activist who ran for political office and won a seat in the New Mexico Legislature in 1938.

She was raised by her grandfather and lived with her mother in California after her parents divorced.

From a young age, the seed for activism was planted. She could look to her father and his service as a state representative.

"Our family, we were always aware of what was going on in the world," she says. "Families are just so focused on what they need that they don't realize how much things that are going on around them are going to affect their lives. Then I was also a Girl Scout, which helped make me very aware."

At 94, Huerta gives a platform to the voiceless.

She's started the Dolores Huerta Foundation, which continues to lead the fight for rights. Huerta says the foundation still meets with people in their homes and helps them work to improve their living conditions.

She is also an advocate for overhauling the educational system.

"We need to ensure that in every single school, they learn about civic participation and learn about labor studies that have contributed to our society, with the benefits that we enjoy," she says. "(Students need to) learn about gender studies and about the contributions of women."

Huerta resides in Bakersfield, California, and returns to New Mexico a few times a year. She feels at peace when she's in the state.

"It's always very special to come back to New Mexico," she says. "I'm really grateful because Albuquerque has held the event. It's such a great homage for what it stands for."

The NHCC has been host to the event since 2007.

"We are honored to continue to host Dolores Huerta and our familia for this exciting annual celebration," says Zack Quintero, NHCC executive director. "The work Dolores has done continues to be a guiding beacon for us in celebrating our community, identity, history and culture."