She worked beside Cesar Chavez

Like a scarred veteran of countless wars, her spleen was damaged by a policeman at a demonstration, she has many stories to tell of victories won and of those still yet to be won. Her youthful eyes twinkle and her smile radiates hope.

Her words have inspired generations: "Si Se Puede!" ("It can be done!") was coined by Huerta, used in civil rights demonstrations through the years and has even been used recently by presidential candidates running for office.

These are the words that many in the Yuba-Sutter communities will hear when Dolores Huerta comes to Yuba College on Thursday as part of the independent cultural series Crossing Borders Building Bridges.

Huerta has won numerous national awards, presidential honors, honorary doctorates and recognition globally, but she says her greatest rewards have come from dedicating her life to fighting injustice — and winning.

From her birth in a dusty mining town in northern New Mexico, where the climate withered the workers of the fields and the putrid air of the mines consumed the lungs of miners, she saw first hand how the injustices of low pay and discrimination were cruel realities for Mexican families.

Later moving to Stockton with her family, Huerta continued to witness abuses that not only impacted Latinos, but other races as well.

"My life experiences growing up in a multicultural neighborhood in Stockton (with blacks, Filipinos, Mexicans and Japanese), we all lived together and got along. But our needs were pretty much the same. We all had to work hard to make ends meet and fight discrimination," she said. Witnessing attacks against immigrants and seeing children come to school hungry and with no shoes ignited a flame within her.

This fire has burned for more than seven decades and even now glows brightly as Huerta approaches her 80th birthday. With many new causes left to fight, she has no time to slow down. She has dedicated her recent years to doing numerous presentations at colleges and organizations across America.

Neelam Canto-Lugo, Yuba College professor and director of Crossing Borders Building Bridges series, which is funded primarily by donations, scored a major coup when she and her assistant, Yesenia Torres, signed Huerta to appear, who is much in demand.

"I am honored that Dolores Huerta has chosen to come to Yuba College.

"Everyone, particularly the young, need to hear her story — a story of hope and tremendous courage under seemingly insurmountable odds. Her triumph is a triumph for us all. We should all strive to help others in any way we can and alleviate suffering, like Dolores did, with the plight of farm workers," Canto-Lugo said.

Huerta is also a professor at the University of Southern California, teaching classes in community organizing, which is the major tactic the civil rights activist used to bring major companies like Gallo Wines and Safeway to their knees.

Community organizing experience came early to Huerta, working with the Community Service Organization during the 1950s. But when she joined forces with Cesar Chavez, she made great strides toward bringing national attention to the cause of farm workers in the 1960s. Both leaders honed their skills at CSO and used their combined knowledge to inspire disenfranchised workers toward a better life.

Their collaboration eventually led to the birth of the United Farm Workers organization, where Huerta held the offices of vice-president and later vice-president emeritus upon her retirement, having worked alongside Chavez, UFW president.

"Cesar was humble and listened to peoples' ideas. He was self-educated and kept calm during difficult situations He was a great teacher," Huerta said.

Along with good organizing skills, the Latina leader was also an astute contracts negotiator with major companies, winning benefits and better wages for farm laborers. But the battles that were lost bring the sensitive Huerta to tears even today — not for herself, but for the weatherbeaten farm workers she carries in her heart.

"Many farm workers sacrificed so much and did not benefit from the contracts negotiated with the companies, because they were blacklisted and not able to return to the fields to work," she said.

But Huerta is at peace with her life now and the fruits of her labor, which included, after all the marches, protest and boycotts, legislation that benefited countless farm workers over the years. And all of this she accomplished while raising 11 children.

She remains optimistic, and it is perhaps this view of the world as full of light instead of darkness that spurs her forward to new causes.

"My thing has always been organizing. This is a tool that can accomplish anything. Bringing communities together, education, etc. I have started my own organization, The Dolores Huerta Foundation, that is committed to community organizing, inspiring others to become leaders and ownership of their own neighborhoods, cities. It is hard work, and results take time, but in the long run, it is worth it," she said.

KNOW AND GO

What: Dolores Huerta

When: 5:30 p.m. Thursday

Where: Yuba College, 2088 N. Beale Road, Linda, Room 201

Cost: $8.00 donation

Call: 741-6880

Part of Crossing Borders Building Bridges