DELANO, CA – Today, Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) and Senator Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) met with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden. Dr. Biden visited Forty Acres in Delano to meet with farmworkers and recognize César Chávez Day. 

“I appreciate the First Lady's visit to the Southern Central Valley, her visit will help restore the soul of our region,” said Senator Hurtado. “The First Lady’s visit to Forty Acres, a place which has great historical significance, highlights that the health and well-being of our farmworkers is of national importance. Farmworkers have worked nonstop throughout the pandemic to ensure we are fed, and have also been one of the communities hardest hit by COVID19. The First Lady and President understand that our families provide the bread and butter for many Americans across the Nation, I look forward to future discussions with the Administration, and will continue to work to ensure the Central Valley has a voice at the table.”

“Being at the historic Forty Acres on the birthday of Cesar Chavez is surreal. For many of us, the farmworker movement is what inspired us to choose lives in the service of others,” said Senator Caballero. “Having the First Lady visit the birthplace of the movement on this special day, not only validates our experiences, but sends a message of hope. Cesar said it best when he declared that once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. I think today was proof that he was right.”

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden visited Forty Acres today, and met with local elected officials. She celebrated the legacy of César Chávez, who held his first public fast at Forty Acres in Delano, California. Chávez’s fast brought the farm workers movement to national attention, allowing the United Farm Workers of America to successfully bargain contracts to protect farmworkers. 

Contact: Michelle.Sherwood@sen.ca.gov

About Senator Melissa Hurtado

Senator Melissa Hurtado represents a new generation of Latina leaders as the youngest woman ever elected to the California State Senate and a product of immigrant parents. Senator Hurtado represents the 14th Senate District and focuses on rural community issues that often go unheard — access to clean air and water, food insecurity and poverty, inequities in environmental policies, agriculture and access to health care. In July 2020, she was appointed to the national Biden Latino Leadership Committee alongside former Labor Secretary and current Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis – the only two California Latinas on the Committee.

For more information, visit Senator Hurtado’s Website here or find her on Twitter at @Senator_Hurtado

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