On March 31, students in California, Oregon, Texas and Colorado honored civil rights leader Cesar Chavez with marches and speeches and by advocating for public policies continuing Chavez’s legacy.  Cesar Chavez Day is state holiday in California, where high school and college students held rallies and hosted speakers across the state.  At the University of California, Berkeley, students used the holiday to advocate for the state and federal DREAM Acts, which would help undocumented students attend college and attain citizenship.  Various Mexican-American cultural groups held educational events at Mesa State College, in Colorado, and the University of Texas at Austin.  UT Austin students also hosted speaker Arturo Rodriguez, president of the United Farm Workers, the organization Chavez founded to fight for farm workers’ rights.  The United Farm Workers is currently working to make Cesar Chavez Day a national holiday (link).

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