WHEREAS, César E. Chávez was born on March 31, 1927, on a small farm near Yuma, Arizona, the grandson of Mexican immigrants who moved to the United States in the 1880s; and
     WHEREAS, After his family lost their farm during the Great Depression, César E. Chávez moved to California where the entire family worked in the farms, often living in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions, and exposed to pesticides; and
     WHEREAS, After serving the nation in World War II, César E. Chávez returned to farm labor in California and began advocating for workers' rights; and
     WHEREAS, In 1962 César E. Chávez founded the National Farm Workers Association (later called the United Farm Workers of America) to protect the rights of migrant farm workers to fair pay and better working conditions; and
     WHEREAS, César E. Chávez rose from poverty and oppression to become a symbol of dignity and humanity throughout the world; and
     WHEREAS, César E. Chávez gave our nation and each of us a unique example to live our lives by, a selfless dedication to the rights of all workers, to economic justice, civil rights, environmental justice, peace, nonviolence, and empowerment of the poor and disenfranchised; and
     WHEREAS, César E. Chávez's motto, "sí se puede" (it can be done), embodies the entrepreneurial spirit that made America great, and continues to make our nation stronger every day; and
     WHEREAS, Although César E. Chávez labored to overcome tremendous obstacles, he is remembered not just for his grit and determination, but his optimism that those barriers could be surmounted; and
     WHEREAS, His death on April 23, 1993, brought the community together to continue his struggle to obtain justice and to secure a better life for workers; and
     WHEREAS, César E. Chávez left behind an enduring legacy of service and leadership; in 1994 he posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton, becoming the second Mexican-American to receive the award;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House of Representatives honor a man who devoted his life to improving the working conditions, safety, and dignity of many people, and that his legacy continues to promote these ideals.