[Grovenet] Cesar Chavez and streets

[Katie Allnutt]

Interesting.
The thing that I remember most from my history lessons is that he was  
an advocate of safer farm practices. For example, at one time it was  
considered acceptable (by some farmers, not all) to spray crops with  
fertilizer and pesticides while the workers were in the fields.   
Thanks to Chavez and people like him, that is one of the practices  
that is no longer acceptable.

Katie


On Nov 12, 2007, at 8:06 PM, David Morelli wrote:

> Portland is having a fine time arguing over the merits of renaming
> Interstate Avenue after Cesar Chavez.
>
> I was asked if Cesar was a U. S. citizen.  I didn't know and did some
> research.  The heavy reading is available at
>
> http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/chavez.htm
>
> Where the FBI determined that he was not a Communist, and they didn't
> relate him to any illegal activity.
>
> Wikipedia provides a better read.  It claims that he was born in Yuma
> on land that had been settled by his grandfather.  He was arrested
> once for violating a "whites only" rule at a theater, and he served
> in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific during World War II.  Both qualify
> for heroic actions.
>
> One thing that deserves comment, I believe, is that he was in favor
> of proper treatment of migrant workers while he was opposed to both
> illegal immigration and braceros programs of legal immigration.  He
> was in favor of a living wage for farm workers, which meant that he
> opposed bringing in cheap labor to drive wages down.
>
> There are quite a few Presidential candidates who would agree with
> his stand on the border.  I wonder if any will catch the connection?
>
> David
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