UnitedStatesHistoryResearchProject:

DoloresHuerta

EmilyCampuzano
U.SHistory
Mr.Munoz
May15,2016


DoloresHuerta

DoloresHuerta,fullnameDoloresClaraFernndezHuerta,wasawomenwhofoughtto

improvesocialandeconomicConditionsforfarmworkers.NotonlydidHuertafighttoimprove
socialandeconomicconditionsforfarmworkers,butshealsofoughtfordiscrimination.Dolores
wasabrightandwelleducatedwomenwhofoughtforwhatshebelievedwasrightinhereyes.
DoloreswasnotaloneasshefoughtalongsideanotheractivistknownasCesarChavez,an
AmericanLaborleaderandCivilrightsactivist.Theybothfoughtalongsideeachotherboth
CofoundingtheNationalFarmWorkersAssociationbackin1962.ThismakesDoloresHuerta
oneoftheverymanyInfluentialpeopleinAmericanhistorytoday.

th
DoloresFernandezHuertawasborninDawsonNewMexicoonApril10
,1930,being

thesecondchildborninherfamily.Huertahadaroughtimegrowingup,bythetimesheturned
threeherparentsundergoneadivorcecausingHuertasmomtorelocatetoStockton,California.
AlthoughDoloreshadleftherfatherbackinNewMexicoafterherparentsdivorce,shestill
keptintouchwithherfatherwholateronbecameaunionactivistandassemblymanforNew
Mexico.DoloresgainedherinspirationfromherfatherJuanseeingthathehadpoliticaland
laboractivism.

WhenDoloresandhermomAliciaarrivedtoStocktonCaliforniaDoloressmomhadtowork
andmaintaintwojobstotakecareandhaveenoughmoneytoprovideforherfamily.While
Doloressmomwasawayatworkhergrandfather,HerculanoChavez,servedasDoloressadult
fatherlyfigure.
Seeinghowhardhermomworked,Doloreslookeduptohermother.Hermotheralways
motivatedherchildrentogetinvolvedinextracurricularactivitiessothatonedaytheycould
possiblybecomesomethinggreat.AlthoughDoloressmotherstruggledwithmaintainingtwo

jobstoprovideforherfamily,shepushedDoloresandhersiblingstotrynewthings.She
providedmusiclessonsforbothDoloresandherbrothers.Doloreswasengagedinmany
activities,shelearnedtoplaytheviolin,thepiano,andeventookupdancinglessons.

NotonlywasDoloresgoodatplayingmusicalinstruments,butshewasalsoagood

studentinschool.Shealwaysstayedontopofhereducation,totakeherselffarinlife.According
toBiography.com,Doloreswasagirlscoutupuntiltheageof18andalsowonasecondplace
awardinanationalessaycontest.ThismeansthatDoloreswasontopofherworkandwasvery
skilledatwritingessays.Shealwayswasayounggirlwhodideverythingshecouldtotakeherto
thatstepinachievinghergoal.Shelookeduptobothherparentswhohadsufferedalotintheir
childhoodandadulthood.

Assaidbefore,Doloreshadahardtimegrowingup.AccordingtoBiography.com.She

experiencedracismfirsthandwhichplentyofMexicanandMexicanAmericanshadalso
experienced.ManyoftheMexicanandMexicanAmericanpeoplewhoexperiencedracismwere
almostallfarmworkers.AccordingtoBiography.com,itstatesthatShewasonceaccusedbya
teacherofstealinganotherstudentsworkbecausetheteacherwasconvincedthatDoloreswas
incapable,duetoherethnicorigin.ThismeansthattheonlyreasonDoloreswasaccusedof
stealinganotherstudent'swork,wasbecauseoffherethnicbackgroundandthatnotonlyone
racesufferedracism.

In1947DoloresgraduatedfromStocktonCollege.Atthispointshewasgoingthrougha

roughtimeinherlifeassheundergonemarriageandeventuallydivorcebeingleftwithtwo
children.Shealsohadaroughtimewithmanyjobsthatwereunsatisfyingtohermakingher
continuehereducationandgraduatewithateachingdegreefromStocktonCollege.Workingasa
teachershenoticedmanythingsaboutherstudents.Shenoticedthatherstudentshadpoorliving
conditionsastheywealmostallchildrenoffarmworkers.AccordingtoWikipedia.org,in1955

sheofficiallybeganhercareerasanactivist.In1960shestartedtoAWAalsoknownasthe
AgriculturalWorkersAssociation.Inthisassociationshesetupvoterregistrationdrives,and
convincedpoliticianstoallownonUScitizenstoacquirepensions,Spanishlanguagevoting
ballotsanddriver'stests.DoloresworkedalongsideamannamedFrankRossstartingthe
CommunityServiceOrganizationalsoknownastheCSO.TheCSOfoughtforeconomic
improvementsforLatinos.HoweverDoloreswasnotapartofthiscompanyforlong.Dolores
resignedfromtheCSOwithanewlymadefriendCesarChavezafterheturneddownforbeing
presidentofthecompanybutlittledidDoloresknowthattheywouldstartgreatthingstogether.

NottolongafterstartingtheCSO,DolorescofoundedtheNationalFarmWorkers

AssociationalongwithCesarChavez.CesarChavezwasanAmericanLaborleaderandcivil
rightsactivistaccordingtoWikipedia.com.Theybothhelpedcofoundthisassociationwhich
laterbecametheUnitedAgriculturalWorkersOrganizingCommittee.Whenreferringto
Wikipedia.com,issaysthattheorganizationhelpedChampionfortherightsofworkersin
agriculturalfieldstoensuretheywerewellremuneratedandworkedinbetterconditions.Some
oftheworkingconditionssheaskedforaccordingtoAmericacomesalive.comwastohaveclean
drinkingwater,toiletsinthefields,sanctionedrestperiods,andprovisionsforworkrelated
disability.Itwasalsostatedthatshewastheleaderofacampaigntopreventtoxicpesticides
frombeingusedinthefieldsduetothefactthattheyarehazardoustotheworkers,consumers,
andenvironment.AlsowhenreferringtoAmericacomesalive.comissaysthatin1970athree
yearcollectivebargainingagreementwassignedbytheCaliforniagrapeindustrydueto17
millionpeoplewhostoppedbuyinggrapes.

AlthoughwehearaboutviolentprotestersonT.V,notallprotestersareviolent.

AccordingtoAmericacomesalive.com,Doloreswasinvolvedinpeacefulandlawfulprotest
whereshewasbrutallybeatenbyauthorities.Thearticleexplainsthatthebeatingwassobadthat

itleftherwithseveralbrokenribsandwashospitalizedforemergencysurgery.Shereceived
moneyafteravideoleakedshowingHuertabeingattackedbyauthorities.Themoneyshe
receivedfromtheincidentwasusedtobenefitfarmworkers.Aftertherecoveringfromincident
accordingtowomenshistory.about.com,shereturnedtoworkingforthefarmersunion.

DoloresHuertawasalsoafeminist,accordingtodoloreshuerta.org,itstatesthat
While

Doloreswasbusybreakingdownonegenderbarrierafteranother,shewasseeminglyunawareof
thetremendousimpactshewashavingon,notonlyfarmworkerwomanbutalsoyoungwomen
everywhere.Meaningthatshewasaveryinfluentialpersontonotonlythepeopleshewas
helpingbutthewomenwholookeduptoherwhenshemadeherspeechesonwhatwasbestfor
womenlaws.
shefoughtforwomen'srightsandempowermentinfeministcampaigns.
AccordingtoWikipedia.comwhatDoloresHuertawantsisaworldoffairopportunity.She
traveledtheworldencouragingwomentovote.
Accordingtodoloreshuerta.org,itstatesthat
Throughouttheyearsshehasworkedto
electnumerouscandidatesincludingPresidentClinton,CongressmanRonDellums,Governor
JerryBrown,CongresswomanHildaSolisandHillaryClinton.WomensLiberation.This
meansthatnomatterhowinfluentialshewasinhertimeandshestillinfluencespeopletillthis
day.Shetriestoencouragetheminstrivingandworkinghardertoachievetheirgoal.
SomemightfeelthatitwastherightwaytohandleapeacefulprotestbybeatingHuerta
brutally,butsomemightopposethesituationbysayingitwasthewrongthingstodo.Huerta
wasseentosomepeopleasthemostinfluentialpersonever.Shewasalwaysfindingawayto
fightforwhatshebelievedin.Thepeoplewhothoughtitwastherightthingtodobybeating
Doloreswouldntlikeofitwasdonetothem.SomemightalsosaythatDoloreswasnotoneof
themostinfluentialpeopleinAmericanhistorybuti'dsaythey'rewrongbecauseDolorespushed
peopletofightforwhattheybelievedinandchangedtheywayfarmworkersweretreatedwhile

working.Shefoughtfortherightsofwomenandgavenoncitizenfarmworkerstheabilityto
voteonpaperswrittenintheirlanguageanddriver'stestsaswell.TillthisdayDolorestirelessly
workshardtobeadevelopingleaderandadvocatefortheworkingpoorwomenandchildren.
Shealsotravelsaroundtheworldtoinfluenceandencouragemorewomenrightandequality
aroundtheworld.
InconclusionDoloresHuertawasthemostinfluentialpersoninAmericanhistory.
HuertachangedthegameforMexicanandMexicanAmericanfarmworkersandmadethe
workingconditionsmoresuitableforthefarmworkersgivingthemfreshdrinkingwaterand
restroomstosheoutinthefields.WithouttheworkofDoloresHuertaandherothercompanions,
farmworkerswouldbeworkinginpoorconditionsandwomenwouldn'thavethecertainrights
theyhavetoday.
ThroughoutmyresearchDoloresHuertawasseentobeoneofthemostinfluentialpeople
forwomenandtheirrights.Shetriedherbestwhengoingaroundtheworldtotalktopeoplein
gettingfarmworkersbetterworkingconditionsandwomentherightstovoteandspeaktheir
opinions.Huertawasahardworkingwomenwhoalwaystriedherbestineverythingthatshehad
doneforeveryonearoundtheworldandherself.Shemayhavepoliticalissuesinthistimenow
butshedoesn'tletitbringherdown.Shejustkeepsonfightingforwhatshefeelsisbestfor
womenandmenaroundtheworld.