KEENE, Calif. (KERO) — Monday the tradition of hosting immigrants from all over the world to become citizens at the Cesar Chavez monument continued with a special visit from First Lady Dr. Jill Biden.
The First Lady celebrated Cesar Chavez Day three days early and this isn't the first time she has come to Kern County to honor him. March 31st, Cesar Chavez's birthday, is now a federal holiday celebrating his work.
While greeting some of the newest citizens in the country, on Monday First Lady Dr. Jill Biden honored Chavez’s tireless work.
"United Farm Workers continues to be a voice of justice and humanity for the hardworking people who put food on our tables," said First Lady Dr. Jill Biden before the ceremony.
- READ ALSO: Living the Dream: From fieldworker to Superintendent of the César E. Chávez National Monument
For Romero, now following in the footsteps of Chavez and other labor leaders as the current president of the United Farm Workers, this moment brings a lot of pride.
"Cesar Chavez is the first modern-day Latino recognized. What better way of recognizing him than having the First Lady come to the Cesar Chavez Foundation, the national monument, to be part of this naturalization on Cesar Chavez month," said Romero. "That his work, his dedication, his teachings to all of us. His sacrifices are getting people to get their citizenship here on this soil when he first acquired this land he was organizing. And where we are today, I think he would be very proud."
Through strikes, the march from Delano to Sacramento, and boycotts, Cesar Chavez helped organize hundreds of farmworkers. A group that has been historically composed of immigrants. And that struggle is not over.
"It takes a lot of legislative work and we have spent a lot of time on that because we need to change the law. Farmworkers were explicitly excluded in the 1930s from most protection workers in this country enjoy," said Romero.
But little by little, they are making a change. On Monday, a United Farm Workers member was one of those waving their flags and becoming a citizen.
"I started from zero to now be at this point. They did tell me it would be special but I did not imagine how special it was until now," said Claudia Campos.
Aside from attending the naturalization event in honor of Cesar Chavez Day, the First Lady paid her respects to the labor rights leader by visiting his grave at La Paz. The celebrations are not over, on Thursday the United Farm Workers Foundation is also preparing to commemorate his birthday by hosting a human billboard event demanding action from the state to help farmworkers.
