In honor of her 93 birthday, I put together these 10 fun facts about Dolores Huerta for you to share with your children and/or students.
Dolores Huerta is a civil rights activist and labor leader who has spent her life advocating for the rights of farmworkers, immigrants, and women. She is perhaps best known for co-founding the United Farm Workers (UFW) with Cesar Chavez and organizing the Delano grape strike in 1965.
Born in New Mexico in 1930, Dolores grew up in California and worked as a teacher before becoming an activist. Over the course of her career, she has fought for better working conditions, voting rights, and equality for all. Today, she is recognized as a pioneer in the fight for social justice and continues to inspire others to make a difference in their communities.
10 Fast Facts about Dolores Huerta
I thought it would be fun to put together a quick list of things that your students/children may not know about Dolores.
- Dolores Huerta was born on April 10, 1930, in the mining town of Dawson, New Mexico, USA. Her parents were Mexican-American farmworkers who taught her the value of hard work and education.
- She grew up in Stockton, California, and was the second of three children. Her parents, Juan and Alicia, were Mexican-American farmworkers who taught her the value of hard work and education. As a child, she helped her mother run a hotel and restaurant business.
- Dolores worked as an elementary school teacher in California for several years before she became an activist. She saw firsthand the poor living conditions and lack of resources that many farmworker children faced.
- In 1962, Dolores co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) with Cesar Chavez. Later, the organization merged with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee to become the United Farm Workers (UFW).
- One of Dolores' most famous accomplishments was organizing the Delano grape strike in 1965. The strike lasted for five years and involved grape pickers boycotting California grapes to demand better wages and working conditions.
- Dolores was a lifelong advocate for women's rights and co-founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962. She helped pass laws to protect women from discrimination in the workplace.
- In 2012, President Barack Obama presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. She was recognized for her tireless work on behalf of farmworkers, immigrants, and women.
- Dolores has received numerous other awards and honors throughout her life, including the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights in 1998 and the Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship in 2002.
- Dolores has 11 children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her children have also been involved in social justice causes and activism.
- Dolores is still active in social justice causes and continues to speak out on issues like immigration, education, and women's rights. She is an inspiration to many and a reminder that one person can make a difference.
2 Children's Books About Dolores Huerta
by Sarah Warren
