California Legislators Propose National Park Honoring César Chávez And Farm Worker Movement

CBS Bay Area

April 1, 2025

Two California legislators on Monday introduced a bill that would create the César E. Chávez and the Farmworker Movement National Historical Park, preserving multiple sites associated with the civil rights icon and the movement he led.

Presented by U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Representative Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.-25), the bicameral legislation would establish the national park, incorporating the existing Cesar E. Chávez National Monument in Keene, Calif., as well as additional sites in California (Forty Acres in Delano and McDonnell Hall in San Jose) and Arizona (the Santa Rita Center in Phoenix). The announcement was made to coincide with the César Chávez Day national holiday. U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) is the legislation's co-sponsor.

Chávez is an iconic Latino labor leader and community organizer with a legacy that is intertwined with modern California history and the history of the farm worker movement. Chávez led the fight for farm workers to demand fair wages, health care coverage, pension benefits, and housing improvements along with other rights and protections.

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