Demonstrators Invoke César Chávez in Fight Against the Arizona Law

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EL PASO, Texas — Waving signs that read “La Lucha Continúa” and “Thank a Farm Worker Today,” hundreds of people marched in honor of the late civil rights activist César Chávez and in protest of the recent Arizona immigration law.

“Farm workers rights should be respected, because they are the ones bringing food to the tables,” said 60-year-old Silvestre Galván, who fought alongside Chávez, the founder of the United Farm Workers, during the 1973 grape strikes in Delano, California.

Carlos Marentes, director of the Border Farm Workers Center said the annual income of a field worker is about $6,000, far below the federal poverty guidelines of an annual income of $10,000 per person.

Marentes pointed out the hazardous working conditions such as exposure to pesticides that harm the health of agriculture workers.

Marcha en homenaje a César Chávez. (Mireya Toy/Borderzine.com)

“In the crops of chile, particularly in the Luna County, New Mexico, where many of these laborers go to work, more and more toxic chemicals are being used and as a result they have more diseases, especially in the skin of workers,” Marentes said.

“Since last year we are fighting against the state of New Mexico so that farm workers health problems are covered.”

Joining the farm workers plight, demonstrators also rallied the downtown streets of El Paso in response to the Arizona Senate Bill 1070 which makes a state crime to be in the country illegally and will require anyone who police suspect of being in the country illegally to show proof of their legal residency.

Slogans of “Will Jesus ask to see our green card too?” “Justicia y Derechos Humanos” and “Boycott Arizona,” were carried as the drums of the traditional Matachines tempo paced the dancing and chants of the participants.

Marentes said the law, which criminalizes human beings because they lack papers, outraged the demonstrators. “If this aggression is materialized against the working people of Arizona, sooner or later it can pass in New Mexico, Texas and California,” added Marentes.

“This march is in dedication of César Chávez, and also as a reaction and protest against the Arizona legislation, that allows racial profiling,” said UTEP student Eric Murillo.

ldelfonso Castañeda, a farmer for more than 20 years, said it was important for farm workers to join together and support each other. He said marching would be good for “us” and to say what is going on out in the fields.

(Mireya Toy/Borderzine.com)

(Mireya Toy/Borderzine.com)

Farm workers and health advocates filed a petition on César Chávez day, asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to prohibit carcinogenic pesticides that are used in several states.

“The fight is not over, there’s still a road to walk in order to ensure justice for the workers, especially in this region,” said Marentes.

Chávez, an Arizona native who died on April 23, 1993, is known for his efforts to organize farm laborers for higher wages and his struggle for the rights of laborers.

“In Texas and Arizona wages are still not respected. We want workers to have wages as those of construction workers,” said Galván while holding an old flag of the Vírgen de Guadalupe that he has always carried in his 45 years of demonstrations.

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