Historic Forty Acres near Delano would be part of farmworker leader national park

The historic Forty Acres site near Delano would become part of the César E. Chávez and the Farmworker Movement National Historical Park under proposed legislation by Sen. Alex Padilla and Rep. Raúl Ruiz of Palm Desert.

Forty Acres served as the headquarters of the United Farm Workers movement when it was purchased in 1966. The site hosted growers who signed a historic labor agreement with the UFW in 1970.

The proposal – which has the backing of Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Arizona Congressmen Raúl Grijalva and Rubén Gallegos – would add the César E. Chávez National Monument in Keene and the Santa Rita Center in Arizona to the historical park.

The legislation would add McDonnell Hall in San José upon a written agreement by the property owner.

The plan, which was announced in a press statement released on Thursday (June 9), would also designate the 300-mile march route that farmworkers took from Delano to Sacramento in 1966 as a National Historic Trail.

Establishing the park, said Padilla, “will pay proper homage to a Latino icon and civil rights leader who fought tirelessly for the dignity, respect, and equal treatment of farmworkers and to the movement he created that carries on today.”

“Our country is special because of our diversity and our never-ending endeavor for justice – yet our park system does not adequately preserve the full culture and diverse legacy of all Americans,” said Padilla.

Ruiz, who grew up the son of farmworkers in the Coachella Valley, said Chávez’s story “still inspires and motivates me even today.”

“It is crucial that we amplify the stories of communities whose history too often gets left untold,” said Ruiz.

The legislation, said Paul Chávez, son of the farmworker leader and president of the César Chávez Foundation, would be more than a tribute to his father.

“Just as important, it would recognize all the women and men who helped create and shape the movement,” said Chávez. “It would teach Americans from all walks of life about what transformational leaders and activists could achieve in their struggle for civil rights and justice.”

UFW President Teresa S. Romero called the effort “a small token of appreciation to the thousands of farmworkers who have harvested the foods on our table.”

“It is crucial that our national parks represent the diversity of America and respect the rich heritage of all of its people,” said Romero.

Gallego, the Arizona Congressman, praised the legislation.

“Throughout our nation’s history, farmworkers and immigrant communities have played vital roles in growing our country and building the prosperity we’ve come to know,” he said. “It is important that our National Park system reflect their important role and that Latino leaders like César Chávez are commemorated for their efforts.”