At the end of this month in which we reflect on Latino history, we observe the 40th anniversary of the now legendary “huelga de las uvas” initiated by the United Farm Workers, made up of the masses of exploited Mexicano and Filipino farmers in California’s Central Valley, Cesar Chavez at the helm in, 1965. So much has changed, yet so much remains the same. From VOA News:

In August, state officials approved emergency rules to prevent heat illness. Temperatures in the Central Valley often rise above thirty-eight Celsius. The heat may have led to the deaths of several farm workers in the past year.

The new rules require employers to provide about one liter of drinking water per worker per hour. Employers must also provide an area where workers can go for at least five minutes to recover from the heat. State legislators will consider more extensive measures.

UFW recently ended another boycott of Gallo Winery.

After so many years of lucha, conditions haven’t changed all that much. There’s still a lot more to fight for so people can have una vida digna, which is the legacy of Cesar.