Statement Commemorating the Birthday of Cesar Chavez

Today, on what would have been his 82d birthday, Cesar Chavez's legacy as an educator, environmentalist, and as a civil rights leader who struggled for fair treatment and fair wages for America's workers is important for every American to remember.

Having begun as a farm worker, Cesar Chavez eventually cofounded the United Farm Workers and struggled to provide hundreds of thousands of people with better working conditions and the chance to live a better life. The cause of fair treatment and fair wages for America's workers lives on today through the work of countless others.

Chavez's rallying cry, "Si se puede"--"Yes we can," was more than a slogan, it was an expression of hope and a rejection of those who said farm workers could not organize and could not take on the growers. Through his courage, Cesar Chavez taught us that a single voice could change our country, and that together, we could make America a stronger, more just, and more prosperous nation.