The National Park Service (NPS) has begun a “special resource study” of sites that are significant to the life of Cesar E. Chavez and the farm labor movement in the western United States.

Cesar Chavez is recognized as the most important U.S. Latino leader of the twentieth century. During the 1960s, Chavez led a movement of thousands of farmworker families and their supporters as they created the nation’s first permanent agricultural labor union. Chavez’s advocacy helped secure the passage of the first law in the U.S. that specifically recognized farmworkers’ rights to organize unions and engage in collective bargaining. In 2008, Congress directed the National Park Service to conduct this study under P.L. 110-229.

The NPS study will identify sites that were significant to Chavez and the farm labor movement, evaluate a range of options for preservation and public visitation, explore ideas for using these sites to help tell important aspects of farm labor movement history, and determine whether there is an appropriate role for the NPS in preserving these sites or telling these stories. The study has just started, and is planned for completion later this year. The work will:

  • Study sites in the State of Arizona, the State of California, and other states that are significant to the life of Cesar E.Chavez and the farm labor movement in the western United States;
  • Determine whether any of the sites meet the criteria for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, designation as a national historic landmark, or inclusion in the national park system;
  • Determine appropriate methods for preserving and interpreting the sites;
  • Consult with the Cesar Chavez Foundation, the United Farm Workers Union, and state and local historical associations and societies, including state historic preservation offices; and
  • Submit a report to Congress on the study’s findings and recommendations.

The first newsletter prepared by the NPS can be downloaded from here.

The NPS has set up a facebook page here. Martha Crusius of the NPS Oakland office is Project Manager.

Cesar E. Chavez affiliated sites

Location of Sites Affiliated with Cesar E. Chavez