Cries of "s se puede" and "viva" rang out in Dartmouth Hall as Dolores Huerta, social activist and co-founder of United Farm Workers of America, spoke about her efforts to promote the rights of agricultural laborers in her lecture Wednesday night.
"If you were stranded on a desert island and you could only take one person with you," Huerta said, "who would you take: a farm worker or an attorney?"
According to Huerta, farm workers are the most important members of society because they produce the food that allows Americans to survive. However, these migrant workers endure long hours, work under miserable conditions, and lack basic necessities.
"Workers had to follow the crops to be able to eat and take the children with them. So many farm worker children were denied an education," Huerta said.
Together with Csar Chavez, Huerta organized protests, demonstrations and boycotts to secure the rights of agricultural laborers despite fierce and often violent opposition. Eventually, she succeeded in gaining protections for agricultural workers, which include the right to organize. She also helped improve work conditions by ensuring that migrant laborers have access to toilets and sanitation facilities while working in the fields. Despite these reforms, Huerta emphasized that there are still improvements to be made.
In addition, she discussed issues such as gender equality and the plight of undocumented workers. In a condemnation of current government efforts, she referred to President Bush's proposed guest worker program as a form of "indentured servitude" and to the North American Free Trade Agreement as "economic colonization." Huerta correlated the government's current actions to combat illegal immigration to racism.
"Now we are the big problem. Let's attack the immigrants. Of course that feeds right into the xenophobia and the racism in our country," Huerta said.
Huerta also highlighted other social problems in America, such as discrimination against homosexuals, women and African Americans.
"From the time that we're little girls, we are taught that somebody is going to protect us. Don't you go get that white dress dirty. Don't you go play in the mud. We are taught to become victims," Huerta said.
Huerta urged students to actively combat racism and discrimination through social activism. She emphasized the importance of voting to cause change.
"Let's talk to each other. Let's get energized. Go out there, volunteer and [elect] progressive people that are going to work for us so we can stop that stupid wall," Huerta said.
She stressed the upcoming congressional elections as an opportunity for students to become actively engaged in the political process.
"[Huerta's] message is very clear," Eric Espinoza '10 said. "We should definitely start something. Since we have the opportunity at college, we should use that power to do some good."
Huerta's speech was met with an enthusiastic reception by the crowd.
"I love the way she talked about women's rights and minority rights. It is our responsibility as Americans to come together and realize that racism isn't going to go away unless we all work together," Alexandra Araiza '09 said.
The Latin American, Latino and Caribbean Studies Program, the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding, the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and Social Sciences, the Spanish and Portuguese department and the William Jewett Tucker Foundation sponsored the event.
