On August 18 of 2000 state legislation was signed to establish Cesar Chavez Day in
For me however, it is one out of 365 days, in which I remember a woman, who like Cesar, had motivation sufficient to act. She had “ganas.” A woman who thought of others. A woman who fought for the rights of others in the fields in injustice. A woman who led a strike with her co-workers, marched in on the boss and demanded that cold water, toilet paper and paper towels be provided at all times or they would walk. A woman who got what she wanted because Don Pedro knew that although he could get others to do the work they would not be as dedicated, hard-working, and honest as a woman named Adela Cardona Muñoz Escamilla, lovingly called Doña Adela by my four brothers and three sisters.
It’s another day to honor Adela, my father, and my seven siblings who laid the foundation for us to have a better life. It’s a day to honor those who worked hard in the ninety plus degree weather with the sun scorching down on them while donning long sleeved shirts and hats to protect themselves from being sunburned or worse yet getting skin cancer. It’s another day to honor my family for doing the back breaking work that would put food on the table, keep a humble one bedroom roof over our heads and help my family work towards having a better life.
I remember at the young age of four I would slowly wake up at 4:00 a.m. to the amazing smell of homemade flour tortillas being made. I could hear the rolling and light pounding of the “home made” rolling pin that had been cut by my father, Rafael, and given to my mother for making homemade tortillas for the family. The rolling pin was made from a piece of metal pipe that had been cut and filed so the edges would be smooth. A rolling pin those days might only cost a dollar or two, but that money could be used to buy beans, rice, or flour, so it was not something we could afford. Doña Adela could easily pound out a few dozen at 4:00 a.m. She loved to joke that if anyone ever broke into our home they would have not only the family to deal with, but they would have the “palote” to deal with too. I actually slept with “the palote” in my lap while sleeping at rest stops as I drove alone from
At 4:00 a.m. my mother wasn’t just making the tortillas for herself, she was making them for her co-workers who worked in the fields with her, for the neighbors, and others whom she knew were struggling to make ends meet. I would ask her, “why not get a little more sleep mom?” She would always say, “There’s no time to sleep. People are struggling to make ends meet and if we can help them it might make their day better. We must think of others Ceci not just ourselves.” It’s not as if we weren’t struggling ourselves. But, you would never know it. Well, she knew it, and I’m sure my brothers and sisters knew it, but as a young girl, with a loving family all around me I felt that I had everything I needed.
Cesar once said, “We can choose to use our lives for others to bring about a better and more just world for our children.” We have accomplished many things in the last fifty years or so. We have progressed greatly, but every year on Cesear Chavez day, we are reminded not only of how much we have accomplished, but how far we have to go. There are still people who toil in very harsh conditions. There are people who work very hard without receiving an honest day’s pay. And, there are people who work very hard and do not have access to health care. It is for these people who we remember Cesar Chavez and continue to fight for a better tomorrow.
—Cecilia Escamilla Greenwald, aka “Mrs. Doug Paul Davis” reporting
Cecilia Escamilla Greenwald is a 17 year resident of Davis, California, she graduated from UC Davis in 1997, and is the former chair of the Human Relations Commission that was disbanded last year because she dared to speak the truth. She is the youngest of eight children.
…a powerful, moving commentary, Cecilia. Thanks for reminding us what IT is all about.
…a powerful, moving commentary, Cecilia. Thanks for reminding us what IT is all about.
…a powerful, moving commentary, Cecilia. Thanks for reminding us what IT is all about.
…a powerful, moving commentary, Cecilia. Thanks for reminding us what IT is all about.
Dear Cecilia,
Thank you for sharing this story with a wider audience. For those of us who are close to you we knew of this extraordinary woman, Adela, your mother.
I had the privilege of meeting Adela who had come to live with you here in Davis. It was shortly after that she was diagnosed with the cancer that killed her. The doctors were certain her death was caused by the many years of work in the fields with exposure to pesticides.
I know you hold the memory of your mother close to you as a guide when you struggle to help others by advocating for the less fortunate among us and helping those who are not being treated fairly. You are your mother’s daughter in so many ways and our community is richer for your sincerity and the selfless work you do.
You have my respect and admiration.
Dear Cecilia,
Thank you for sharing this story with a wider audience. For those of us who are close to you we knew of this extraordinary woman, Adela, your mother.
I had the privilege of meeting Adela who had come to live with you here in Davis. It was shortly after that she was diagnosed with the cancer that killed her. The doctors were certain her death was caused by the many years of work in the fields with exposure to pesticides.
I know you hold the memory of your mother close to you as a guide when you struggle to help others by advocating for the less fortunate among us and helping those who are not being treated fairly. You are your mother’s daughter in so many ways and our community is richer for your sincerity and the selfless work you do.
You have my respect and admiration.
Dear Cecilia,
Thank you for sharing this story with a wider audience. For those of us who are close to you we knew of this extraordinary woman, Adela, your mother.
I had the privilege of meeting Adela who had come to live with you here in Davis. It was shortly after that she was diagnosed with the cancer that killed her. The doctors were certain her death was caused by the many years of work in the fields with exposure to pesticides.
I know you hold the memory of your mother close to you as a guide when you struggle to help others by advocating for the less fortunate among us and helping those who are not being treated fairly. You are your mother’s daughter in so many ways and our community is richer for your sincerity and the selfless work you do.
You have my respect and admiration.
Dear Cecilia,
Thank you for sharing this story with a wider audience. For those of us who are close to you we knew of this extraordinary woman, Adela, your mother.
I had the privilege of meeting Adela who had come to live with you here in Davis. It was shortly after that she was diagnosed with the cancer that killed her. The doctors were certain her death was caused by the many years of work in the fields with exposure to pesticides.
I know you hold the memory of your mother close to you as a guide when you struggle to help others by advocating for the less fortunate among us and helping those who are not being treated fairly. You are your mother’s daughter in so many ways and our community is richer for your sincerity and the selfless work you do.
You have my respect and admiration.
beautiful.
beautiful.
beautiful.
beautiful.
Thanks very much for this, Cecilia. I always used to wonder about all the ‘fuss’ about farmworker exposure to pesticides. Surely nobody would spray fields with workers in them? Then we drove through the Salinas Valley, watching as workers were hoeing weeds in a field while pesticides were being sprayed only dozens of yards away. Having been a PCO, I recognized the distinctive smell of organophosphate spray — the kind for which I routinely wore protective gear during application. The only gear the workers had was their bandannas.
This wasn’t the 1960’s; it was only about 10 years ago.
There are laws to protect workers, and pesticides are tested. Probably the worst materials (the ones used in Adela’s day) are no longer routinely sprayed on workers. There are re-entry intervals, and other regulations in place. But there isn’t sufficient outreach to the migrant workers to make them aware of what is and isn’t legal. There are very few to advocate on their behalf — and they have little means to do so themselves.
So for those who believe in limiting the role of government, or advocate against regulation, I would say that regulation of pesticide use is an example of reasonable government protection of the public.
Thanks again for posting this.
Thanks very much for this, Cecilia. I always used to wonder about all the ‘fuss’ about farmworker exposure to pesticides. Surely nobody would spray fields with workers in them? Then we drove through the Salinas Valley, watching as workers were hoeing weeds in a field while pesticides were being sprayed only dozens of yards away. Having been a PCO, I recognized the distinctive smell of organophosphate spray — the kind for which I routinely wore protective gear during application. The only gear the workers had was their bandannas.
This wasn’t the 1960’s; it was only about 10 years ago.
There are laws to protect workers, and pesticides are tested. Probably the worst materials (the ones used in Adela’s day) are no longer routinely sprayed on workers. There are re-entry intervals, and other regulations in place. But there isn’t sufficient outreach to the migrant workers to make them aware of what is and isn’t legal. There are very few to advocate on their behalf — and they have little means to do so themselves.
So for those who believe in limiting the role of government, or advocate against regulation, I would say that regulation of pesticide use is an example of reasonable government protection of the public.
Thanks again for posting this.
Thanks very much for this, Cecilia. I always used to wonder about all the ‘fuss’ about farmworker exposure to pesticides. Surely nobody would spray fields with workers in them? Then we drove through the Salinas Valley, watching as workers were hoeing weeds in a field while pesticides were being sprayed only dozens of yards away. Having been a PCO, I recognized the distinctive smell of organophosphate spray — the kind for which I routinely wore protective gear during application. The only gear the workers had was their bandannas.
This wasn’t the 1960’s; it was only about 10 years ago.
There are laws to protect workers, and pesticides are tested. Probably the worst materials (the ones used in Adela’s day) are no longer routinely sprayed on workers. There are re-entry intervals, and other regulations in place. But there isn’t sufficient outreach to the migrant workers to make them aware of what is and isn’t legal. There are very few to advocate on their behalf — and they have little means to do so themselves.
So for those who believe in limiting the role of government, or advocate against regulation, I would say that regulation of pesticide use is an example of reasonable government protection of the public.
Thanks again for posting this.
Thanks very much for this, Cecilia. I always used to wonder about all the ‘fuss’ about farmworker exposure to pesticides. Surely nobody would spray fields with workers in them? Then we drove through the Salinas Valley, watching as workers were hoeing weeds in a field while pesticides were being sprayed only dozens of yards away. Having been a PCO, I recognized the distinctive smell of organophosphate spray — the kind for which I routinely wore protective gear during application. The only gear the workers had was their bandannas.
This wasn’t the 1960’s; it was only about 10 years ago.
There are laws to protect workers, and pesticides are tested. Probably the worst materials (the ones used in Adela’s day) are no longer routinely sprayed on workers. There are re-entry intervals, and other regulations in place. But there isn’t sufficient outreach to the migrant workers to make them aware of what is and isn’t legal. There are very few to advocate on their behalf — and they have little means to do so themselves.
So for those who believe in limiting the role of government, or advocate against regulation, I would say that regulation of pesticide use is an example of reasonable government protection of the public.
Thanks again for posting this.
The most important reform to protect the rights of farm workers currently (in my opinion) is to devise a legal way for immigrant laborers to get to the farms where they are needed. There might be a better proposal out there, but I would favor giving itinerant farm workers a work and residency permit, that would allow them to enter the U.S. legally, work under our labor laws and return home as they wished. I would add that for any farm worker who entered on such a program and wanted to become a U.S. citizen, he should be so permitted, if he can prove (through paychecks or other documentation) that he’s been a lawful farm worker for 10 or more years.
When I used to work up in the fishing industry in Alaska, I met a lot of cannery workers who were itinerant laborers. They’d work the salmon season in Alaska, the apple season in Washington, the strawberry season in Oregon and then return home to Mexico for a short vacation each year. Generally, they made good money. However, if they were illegal — they could work in the canneries easily with forged IDs — they had to waste a lot of money each year crossing over the border. Nothing stopped them from getting to work. But the absence of a sensible guest-worker program just made a huge black market for coyotes in Mexico; and it often kept families apart needlessly.
The most important reform to protect the rights of farm workers currently (in my opinion) is to devise a legal way for immigrant laborers to get to the farms where they are needed. There might be a better proposal out there, but I would favor giving itinerant farm workers a work and residency permit, that would allow them to enter the U.S. legally, work under our labor laws and return home as they wished. I would add that for any farm worker who entered on such a program and wanted to become a U.S. citizen, he should be so permitted, if he can prove (through paychecks or other documentation) that he’s been a lawful farm worker for 10 or more years.
When I used to work up in the fishing industry in Alaska, I met a lot of cannery workers who were itinerant laborers. They’d work the salmon season in Alaska, the apple season in Washington, the strawberry season in Oregon and then return home to Mexico for a short vacation each year. Generally, they made good money. However, if they were illegal — they could work in the canneries easily with forged IDs — they had to waste a lot of money each year crossing over the border. Nothing stopped them from getting to work. But the absence of a sensible guest-worker program just made a huge black market for coyotes in Mexico; and it often kept families apart needlessly.
The most important reform to protect the rights of farm workers currently (in my opinion) is to devise a legal way for immigrant laborers to get to the farms where they are needed. There might be a better proposal out there, but I would favor giving itinerant farm workers a work and residency permit, that would allow them to enter the U.S. legally, work under our labor laws and return home as they wished. I would add that for any farm worker who entered on such a program and wanted to become a U.S. citizen, he should be so permitted, if he can prove (through paychecks or other documentation) that he’s been a lawful farm worker for 10 or more years.
When I used to work up in the fishing industry in Alaska, I met a lot of cannery workers who were itinerant laborers. They’d work the salmon season in Alaska, the apple season in Washington, the strawberry season in Oregon and then return home to Mexico for a short vacation each year. Generally, they made good money. However, if they were illegal — they could work in the canneries easily with forged IDs — they had to waste a lot of money each year crossing over the border. Nothing stopped them from getting to work. But the absence of a sensible guest-worker program just made a huge black market for coyotes in Mexico; and it often kept families apart needlessly.
The most important reform to protect the rights of farm workers currently (in my opinion) is to devise a legal way for immigrant laborers to get to the farms where they are needed. There might be a better proposal out there, but I would favor giving itinerant farm workers a work and residency permit, that would allow them to enter the U.S. legally, work under our labor laws and return home as they wished. I would add that for any farm worker who entered on such a program and wanted to become a U.S. citizen, he should be so permitted, if he can prove (through paychecks or other documentation) that he’s been a lawful farm worker for 10 or more years.
When I used to work up in the fishing industry in Alaska, I met a lot of cannery workers who were itinerant laborers. They’d work the salmon season in Alaska, the apple season in Washington, the strawberry season in Oregon and then return home to Mexico for a short vacation each year. Generally, they made good money. However, if they were illegal — they could work in the canneries easily with forged IDs — they had to waste a lot of money each year crossing over the border. Nothing stopped them from getting to work. But the absence of a sensible guest-worker program just made a huge black market for coyotes in Mexico; and it often kept families apart needlessly.
Thank you all for your comments. Adela was a very kind, caring, and forgiving human being.
I’m glad that you had the opportunity to meet her Bill. I’m sorry that my husband David did not have a chance to meet her. I know they would have liked each other a lot since they hold some of the same values and are very similar in many ways.
Don Shor I agree with you that regulation of pesticide use is an example of reasonable government protection of the public. My sister Gloria tells me often of how they would spray while they (my family)and others were working in the fields. It’s as if they didn’t matter. All they had to protect them were the bandannas they wore around their faces. My mom spoke up on this issue too.
Other requests are very reasonable. Having water, paper towels, soap, etc. Think about news stories we’ve heard regarding the contamination with both spinach and green onions. Obviously veggies and fruit need to be washed, but was the contamination due to having hands not washed properly? I have to wonder.
We’ve made a lot of progress, but there is still so much to be done. Sad to say that until it begins to affect the general public, or until some elected officials decide to champion the issue…changes may continue to be slow.
Thank you all for your comments. Adela was a very kind, caring, and forgiving human being.
I’m glad that you had the opportunity to meet her Bill. I’m sorry that my husband David did not have a chance to meet her. I know they would have liked each other a lot since they hold some of the same values and are very similar in many ways.
Don Shor I agree with you that regulation of pesticide use is an example of reasonable government protection of the public. My sister Gloria tells me often of how they would spray while they (my family)and others were working in the fields. It’s as if they didn’t matter. All they had to protect them were the bandannas they wore around their faces. My mom spoke up on this issue too.
Other requests are very reasonable. Having water, paper towels, soap, etc. Think about news stories we’ve heard regarding the contamination with both spinach and green onions. Obviously veggies and fruit need to be washed, but was the contamination due to having hands not washed properly? I have to wonder.
We’ve made a lot of progress, but there is still so much to be done. Sad to say that until it begins to affect the general public, or until some elected officials decide to champion the issue…changes may continue to be slow.
Thank you all for your comments. Adela was a very kind, caring, and forgiving human being.
I’m glad that you had the opportunity to meet her Bill. I’m sorry that my husband David did not have a chance to meet her. I know they would have liked each other a lot since they hold some of the same values and are very similar in many ways.
Don Shor I agree with you that regulation of pesticide use is an example of reasonable government protection of the public. My sister Gloria tells me often of how they would spray while they (my family)and others were working in the fields. It’s as if they didn’t matter. All they had to protect them were the bandannas they wore around their faces. My mom spoke up on this issue too.
Other requests are very reasonable. Having water, paper towels, soap, etc. Think about news stories we’ve heard regarding the contamination with both spinach and green onions. Obviously veggies and fruit need to be washed, but was the contamination due to having hands not washed properly? I have to wonder.
We’ve made a lot of progress, but there is still so much to be done. Sad to say that until it begins to affect the general public, or until some elected officials decide to champion the issue…changes may continue to be slow.
Thank you all for your comments. Adela was a very kind, caring, and forgiving human being.
I’m glad that you had the opportunity to meet her Bill. I’m sorry that my husband David did not have a chance to meet her. I know they would have liked each other a lot since they hold some of the same values and are very similar in many ways.
Don Shor I agree with you that regulation of pesticide use is an example of reasonable government protection of the public. My sister Gloria tells me often of how they would spray while they (my family)and others were working in the fields. It’s as if they didn’t matter. All they had to protect them were the bandannas they wore around their faces. My mom spoke up on this issue too.
Other requests are very reasonable. Having water, paper towels, soap, etc. Think about news stories we’ve heard regarding the contamination with both spinach and green onions. Obviously veggies and fruit need to be washed, but was the contamination due to having hands not washed properly? I have to wonder.
We’ve made a lot of progress, but there is still so much to be done. Sad to say that until it begins to affect the general public, or until some elected officials decide to champion the issue…changes may continue to be slow.
[QUOTE]that was disbanded last year because she dared to speak the truth[/QUOTE]
You really have a lot of nerve accusing Bob Dunning of making statements without evidence to back them up when you print this kind of baloney.
If I base my assessment of the HRC’s ability to tell the “truth” on the report they issued on racial profiling last year, for example, the HRC failed quite miserably to understand truth or objectivity.
The only question for me is whether the HRC should have been disbanded entirely or whether it would have been more appropriate to target only the members who waged such a one-sided and distorted campaign.
[QUOTE]that was disbanded last year because she dared to speak the truth[/QUOTE]
You really have a lot of nerve accusing Bob Dunning of making statements without evidence to back them up when you print this kind of baloney.
If I base my assessment of the HRC’s ability to tell the “truth” on the report they issued on racial profiling last year, for example, the HRC failed quite miserably to understand truth or objectivity.
The only question for me is whether the HRC should have been disbanded entirely or whether it would have been more appropriate to target only the members who waged such a one-sided and distorted campaign.
[QUOTE]that was disbanded last year because she dared to speak the truth[/QUOTE]
You really have a lot of nerve accusing Bob Dunning of making statements without evidence to back them up when you print this kind of baloney.
If I base my assessment of the HRC’s ability to tell the “truth” on the report they issued on racial profiling last year, for example, the HRC failed quite miserably to understand truth or objectivity.
The only question for me is whether the HRC should have been disbanded entirely or whether it would have been more appropriate to target only the members who waged such a one-sided and distorted campaign.
[QUOTE]that was disbanded last year because she dared to speak the truth[/QUOTE]
You really have a lot of nerve accusing Bob Dunning of making statements without evidence to back them up when you print this kind of baloney.
If I base my assessment of the HRC’s ability to tell the “truth” on the report they issued on racial profiling last year, for example, the HRC failed quite miserably to understand truth or objectivity.
The only question for me is whether the HRC should have been disbanded entirely or whether it would have been more appropriate to target only the members who waged such a one-sided and distorted campaign.