César Chávez Day celebrates the birth and legacy of the civil rights and labor movement hero  on March 31 every year.

Born to migrant laborers March 31, 1927, Chávez's early life experiences shaped his ideology and made him the face of the labor movement. In 1952, Chávez was working at a lumberyard when he became a grassroots organizer for Latino civil rights. Over the next decade, he worked to register new voters and fight racial and economic discrimination and rose to become an iconic leader of civil and human rights. 

During his involvement, the black eagle became a powerful symbol for the farm workers and their supporters who proudly carried the black eagle flags and banners, sometimes with the words "huelga" (strike), or "viva la causa" (long live the cause) or simply "UFW AFL-CIO" (for the United Farm Workers, American Federation of Labor, and Congress of Industrial Organizations) added to the basic design within the circle of hope.

Chávez’s story has roots in San Jose, where he lived and organized work in the Mayfair community in San Jose. Later in Delano, California Chávez used his own life savings to create the National Farm Workers Association (NFW) along with Dolores Huerta. They established collective bargaining rights for farm workers as well as securing medical benefits, disability, pension, and unemployment.

César Chávez died April 23, 1993.  In recognition of his nonviolent activism and support of working people, Chavez was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994 by President Clinton.

Continuing to influence modern day leaders, President Obama’s 2008 campaign slogan of “Yes We Can!” was a direct translation of rallying cries of the farm workers movement led by César E. Chávez.

On March 28, 2014, President Obama proclaimed March 31 as César Chávez Day.

César E. Chávez’s motto, “¡Si se puede!” (Yes, it can be done!), embodies the uncommon legacy he left for people around the world. This holiday is intended to promote service to the community, take inspiration from and celebrate the honor of, Chávez's life and decades of selfless service to workers in the United States.

Things to do on César Chávez Day:

Hop on VTA and take a tour of San Jose to learn more about César E. Chávez.