Dolores Clara Fernandez Huerta born April 10, 1930 in Dawson, New Mexico is an American labor leader and civil rights activist who was co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association, and later the United Farm workers. Huerta has received many award and accolades and has remained a role model and voice to many in the Latino community. Huerta was born to Juan Fernandez and Alicia Chavez, they divorced when Huerta was just three years old. Both Huerta’s parents were active in the rights of people and the community itself. Huerta’s father was a field worker, miner, as well as a union activist. Huerta’s mother was a business woman who owned a restaurant and a 70-room hotel where she helped low wage workers. A lot of Huerta’s humanitarianism …show more content…
She was involved in several school programs and was even a dedicated Girl Scout till she was eighteen. High school wasn’t the easiest for her though, in a time when racial times were tough she recalls a situation where a teacher accused her of plagiarism and gave her an unfair grade, she believes this was due to racism. She soon went off to study at the University of the Pacific’s Stockton College. While studying there she was able to gain a temporary teaching license where she began teaching grammar school, it wasn’t long after she left teaching to pursue her fight against injustice. Huerta stated, “I couldn’t tolerate seeing kids come to class hungry and needing shoes. I thought I could do more by organizing farm workers than by trying to teach their hungry …show more content…
Huerta has been arrested a total of twenty-two times because she was involved in non-violent peaceful protests and strikes. In September 1988, Huerta was severely beaten by San Francisco Police Officers during a protest for candidate George H.W. Bush who later on became president. The beating was caught on tape and broadcast widely showing officers clearly using the end of the baton into Huerta’s torso causing several broken ribs and later a necessary surgery to remove her spleen. Fortunately, Huerta won against the San Francisco Police Department for an undisclosed amount of money, which proceeds later, went to farm workers. Huerta took a long time to recover but during her absence decided to dedicate some time to focus on woman’s rights. On behalf of the Feminist Majority’s Feminizations of Power: 50/50 by the year 200 Campaign to encourage Latinas to run for office. Her run was successful as census shows that by 1992 woman made up fifty-two percent of the parties