Dolores Huerta Huerta Research Paper

Dolores Clara Fernandez Huerta was born on April 10, 1930 in Dawson, New Mexico. Huerta is an American labor leader, civil rights activists, and was the co-founder of the National Farmworkers Association. Huerta’s father, Juan Fernandez, was a miner and a farm worker and later became the State Assemblyman of New Mexico. At an early age her parents divorced. Huerta lived most of her years with her mother, Alicia Chavez, and two brothers in Stockton, California. Huerta’s mother worked two jobs to provide for her family. Huerta would take music lessons and dance lessons. She was also a Girl Scout and won second place in a national essay contest. At school, Huerta encountered racism because of her background. She was accused numerous times of stealing other student’s work due to the teacher believing she was

In 1965, the AWA and NFWA joined forces and became known as the United Farm Workers. That year the organization took on the Coachella Valley grape growers. On July 29, 1970, after five years of strike after strike the United Farm Workers signed an agreement with twenty-six grape growers. They would go on to agree to make working conditions for farm workers better and reduce the usage of harmful pesticides. During the 1980s, Huerta was the Vice President of the United Farm Workers. Huerta continued to speak out on issues such as; improving health conditions for farm workers. Dolores Huerta almost lost her life when she was beaten by San Francisco police at a rally protesting the policies of then presidential candidate George H. W. Bush. Huerta suffered six broken ribs and her spleen had to be removed to save her life. Huerta received the Ellis Island Medal of Freedom Award. She would later go on to be inducted in the in the National Women’s Hall of Fame. Huerta eventually stepped down from her position at the United Farm Workers. Today she continues to speak on issues such as; immigration and income