1 00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of I Heart Radio, 2 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 1: Hey brain Stuff, Lauren bogebam here. More than fifty years ago, 3 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: a determined young woman stepped up and created the iconic 4 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: slogan see see which is Spanish four yes we can 5 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: that would lift up the voices of the voiceless and 6 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:22,560 Speaker 1: change the state of labor as we know it in 7 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: the United States. That woman, civil rights activist, Dolores Puerta, 8 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 1: would go on to co found the National farm Workers 9 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:34,479 Speaker 1: Association with Caesar Chavas in the nineteen sixties. During her 10 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 1: nearly forty years of work with that organization, Querta helped 11 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,599 Speaker 1: launch the first farm workers strike in the country, which 12 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:43,519 Speaker 1: kick started the fight for union rights and labor organizing 13 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: in the agricultural sector in the US and changed the 14 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: lives of farm workers forever. Querta was born on April 15 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: tenth of nineteen thirty in the town of Dawson, New Mexico. 16 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 1: That She was one of three children, and their parents 17 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: were activists. Her family had been in the US for 18 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: five generations, and her great grandfather fought in the Civil War. 19 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 1: Her father was a minor farm worker and union leader 20 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 1: who later went into state politics after her parents divorce, 21 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 1: Jortha moved with her mother to Stockton, California, where they've 22 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 1: lived in a community of Mexican, Filipino, and Japanese Americans. 23 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 1: According to the book Dolores Quortha Get to Know the 24 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 1: Voice of Migrant Workers, Porto was a talkative, inquisitive young girl, 25 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 1: and her grandfather nicknamed her cithe linguas Spanish for seven 26 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 1: tongues for the article this episode is based on How 27 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 1: Stuff Work. Spoke by email with Mario Garcia, author of 28 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 1: a Dolores Worth the Reader. He said, when her family 29 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: moved from New Mexico to Stockton, California, her brothers had 30 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 1: to work in the fields, and Jorta, as a teenager, 31 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 1: also wanted to join them. However, her mother forbade this 32 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: because she did not want her daughter to work in 33 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: the fields. Querta's mother did permit her daughter to work 34 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 1: in industrial packing sheds, where the working conditions weren't much better. 35 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: Garcia said, I think this early exposure to the harsh 36 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: working conditions of farm workers provided a context for Dolores 37 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: later working to organize these workers to do away with 38 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 1: the more exploitative aspects of farm labor. After graduating. Hrtha married, 39 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: had two children and began teaching elementary school. Many of 40 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 1: the students were the children of impoverished farm workers and 41 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:25,640 Speaker 1: came to school hungry or missing essential items like shoes. 42 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: Hostas Works also spoke by email with Sarah Warren, author 43 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: of the book Dolores Querta, A Hero to Migrant Workers. 44 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,239 Speaker 1: She said that Whetha quote was driven to do more 45 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 1: for the children she planned to serve when she found 46 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: out how their families were being abused. At age five, 47 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 1: Huerta became immersed in activism, joining a local group run 48 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 1: by Fred Ross and learning how to become a labor organizer. 49 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:54,239 Speaker 1: Garcia said as a young adult, she became involved with 50 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 1: the Community Service Organization or CSO, which was an organization 51 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: mobilizing Mexican Americans in civil rights work and voter registration 52 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 1: in the nineteen fifties. At the CSO, Quarte met Cesar Chavez, 53 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: who would go on to become one of the most 54 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 1: widely recognized Mexican American labor leaders in US history. Quarta 55 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:15,360 Speaker 1: and Chavez began to work together for improved working conditions 56 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: and wages for farm workers who earned as little as 57 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:22,639 Speaker 1: seventy cents an hour at the time. Garcia said, Cesar 58 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: recognized Dolores's talents as an organizer plus her own personal strength, 59 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 1: and so when he began to organize in the fields 60 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: by nineteen sixty two, he recruited Dolores to work with him, 61 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: and together, Chaves and Puerta founded the National farm Workers 62 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: Association in nineteen sixty two, which later became the United 63 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: farm Workers Union. Quarta remained vice president of the United 64 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 1: farm Workers until Chaves and Puerta had a complex relationship, 65 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: according to scholars. From one point of view, they were 66 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: comrades in the fields, working for better conditions for the 67 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 1: most marginalized workers in society. Hostuff Works also spoke by 68 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: email with Monica Brown, author of Side by Side The 69 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: Story of Dolores Puerta and Cesar Chavez. She said, as 70 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: Dolores once told me they were comrades. They spoke to 71 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:15,960 Speaker 1: farm workers on the backs of flatbed trucks. Garcia said, 72 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:19,479 Speaker 1: Dolores saw herself as equal to Cesar, and he accepted this. 73 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: Caesar didn't always agree with Dolores, but he learned from 74 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 1: her as she was one of the few persons in 75 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 1: the union who was not afraid to criticize the CESAR, 76 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: which he appreciated. Wuerta and Chavez became most well known 77 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:36,320 Speaker 1: for organizing the nineteen sixty five Delano Grape Strike and boycott. 78 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 1: Striking Filipino grape farm workers sought the help of the 79 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:45,239 Speaker 1: emerging National farm Workers Association, which largely represented Latino workers 80 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 1: at the time. Ahuerta marched along with Chavez for workers rights, 81 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: brought together the Filipino and Latino workers on the picket line, 82 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 1: and led a nationwide boycott of non union table grapes 83 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy. Their steadfast organized being paid off, resulting 84 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 1: in union contracts as well as better wages and working 85 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 1: conditions for the grape workers. How staff Works also spoke 86 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:11,720 Speaker 1: with Stacy Soward's author of c a Puite the rhetorical 87 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: legacy of dolors Wertha and the United farm Workers. She 88 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:18,360 Speaker 1: said dolors Porta played a big role in getting farm 89 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 1: workers to participate in union activities, to boycott grapes and 90 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:25,480 Speaker 1: other produce, to pickut farms, and become members of the union. 91 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 1: In President Barack Obama awarded Quarta the Presidential Medal of Freedom, 92 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:35,159 Speaker 1: recognizing her, not Chavez, as the original source of the 93 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:39,719 Speaker 1: phrase see s poe. Obama famously appropriated the slogan for 94 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 1: his own presidential campaign, but Querta's rallying cry had been 95 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: used for years to organize farm workers and inspire advocacy 96 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 1: for other civil rights issues. Brown said Dolores Wortha first 97 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 1: spoke the famous words see se poe while speaking to 98 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:58,479 Speaker 1: a group of workers who kept saying, we can't organize 99 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:04,599 Speaker 1: the workers here. We can't. Dolores responded, see see yes 100 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: you can. Quarta became an iconic activist and a source 101 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: of pride from Mexican Americans and others within the Latin 102 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:16,480 Speaker 1: American community. Her organizing helped bring about the Immigration Reform 103 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: and Control Act, which granted amnesty to one point three 104 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:25,400 Speaker 1: million undocumented workers. Quarta is approaching her ninety second birthday 105 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:28,719 Speaker 1: this April of two, and remains active on the front 106 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 1: lines as a civil rights advocate and labor organizer. She 107 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 1: holds media events and hosts TED talks on how to 108 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:39,600 Speaker 1: speak out and become empowered through activism. Soward said her 109 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:42,800 Speaker 1: legacy today is that she's become a social movement icon. 110 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:47,039 Speaker 1: She's demonstrated how one moves from individual action and concern 111 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:49,839 Speaker 1: for community to working with other people on those issues 112 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: to creating an entire social movement. A Quarta also founded 113 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 1: the Dolores Puerta Foundation in two thousand three. The nonprofit 114 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:02,360 Speaker 1: focuses on empowering and training grassroots organizers in lower income 115 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:06,720 Speaker 1: and disenfranchised communities in California, including work on lgbt q 116 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 1: i A issues. Although farm workers have more collective bargaining 117 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:14,000 Speaker 1: opportunities as a result of quart Does work, they still 118 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:19,120 Speaker 1: experience widespread exploitation, harsh working conditions, and wage theft. In 119 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 1: recent years, Quortha has been vocal in pushing for immigration 120 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 1: reform to provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, 121 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:28,600 Speaker 1: who constitute a large share of farm workers in the 122 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:33,720 Speaker 1: United States. Moreover, Quorta continues to boost the civic power 123 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 1: of the Latin American community, specifically through efforts to turn 124 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 1: out the vote. The community played an important role in 125 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 1: the election, turning out in record numbers. Soward said she's 126 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 1: been very active and registering people to vote and getting 127 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:50,600 Speaker 1: people to the polls. Her foundation works to get people 128 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:53,920 Speaker 1: more involved beyond voting, such as organizing voters to vote, 129 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:57,239 Speaker 1: but also to participate more fully on social justice issues 130 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 1: in their communities. Garcias said her legacy of taking on 131 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:04,680 Speaker 1: issues of social justice not only in the fields, but 132 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 1: in the fight for women's rights, civil rights, voting rights, 133 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 1: and for world peace are all part of her legacy. 134 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 1: Today's episode is based on the article Dolor's Bertha the 135 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 1: labor activists behind the slogan sees on how stuff works 136 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 1: dot Com, written by Terry R. Lagata A brain Stuff 137 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 1: is production of by Heart Radio in partnership with how 138 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:28,480 Speaker 1: stuff Works dot Com, and it's produced by Tyler Klang. 139 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 1: For more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the i heart 140 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:34,120 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 141 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:34,840 Speaker 1: favorite shows.