The latest Chavez apologism comes from an article on Latino Rebels, which draws on excerpts from a few books addressing the union leader’s views on immigration. But even more than our need for heroes, we need a critical analysis of the past that can inform our current and future organizing. Of the countless people of color who have stood up for workers, all but a few have been written out of history. Us leftists have typically come to his defense.
Over the last couple of decades, the racist, xenophobic right has invoked Chavez’s unsavory history with immigration in their efforts to delegitimize the immigrant rights movement. He led his union to campaign for the deportation of undocumented workers and, at times, even green card holders became targets.
The irony is that during most of his tenure with the UFW, Chavez was virulently anti-immigrant in his public and private lives. Other groups organized Cesar Chavez Day events in San Antonio and Phoenix that shared the pro-immigration reform theme. The United Farm Workers, founded by Chavez in 1962, marked the occasion by organizing five pro-immigration reform marches throughout California.
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