03/31/2026
Statement on March 31 and the Fight for Farmworker Justice
March 25–31 marks National Farmworker Awareness Week, a time to honor the essential contributions of farmworkers across the United States and to reflect on the challenges they continue to face. For many years, March 31 has been observed as César Chávez Day—a moment tied to the history of the farmworker movement.
The recent allegations regarding CĂ©sar Chávez demand accountability and careful attention. We affirm that harassment, abuse, and violence in any form must be taken seriously, and that all who have experienced it, including Dolores Huerta, Ana MurguĂa, and Debra Rojas, deserve to be heard, respected, and supported without fear or hesitation. Accountability and due process are essential, and justice must remain at the center of this moment.
At the same time, we must be clear: the farmworker movement has never been about one individual.
It has always been about farmworkers, the millions of skilled, dedicated workers whose labor feeds this country, yet who continue to face unsafe conditions, low wages, and systemic inequities. Their dignity, safety, and rights are the true foundation of our movement.
Farmworker Justice was established in 1981 to advance those very principles. For 45 years, our mission has remained steadfast and unchanged: to fight for the well-being, protection, and empowerment of farmworkers, their families, and the U.S. food system.
This moment does not diminish that mission—it underscores it.
That is why we are making a deliberate and values-driven decision: moving forward, we will recognize March 31 as Farmworkers Day.
A day not centered on any one individual, but on the millions of farmworkers whose labor, humanity, and dignity are the true foundation of this movement.
This is not about erasing history. It is about honoring the full truth of it and ensuring that our focus remains on those who have always been at the heart of the struggle.
During National Farmworker Awareness Week and beyond, we ask our partners, friends, and communities to stand with us. To not lose sight of the people who still need us. To continue the work, not just in words, but in action.
Because the fight for farmworker justice is not in the past, it is the present.
It’s here, it's ongoing, and it’s now...belonging to all of us!
