Huerta, Dolores (1930–)

American Chicana labor organizer. Born in Dawson, New Mexico, April 10, 1930; dau. of Juan Fernández (miner, union leader and member of New Mexico state legislature) and Alicia Chávez Fernández (hotelier and restaurant owner); graduated from college; m. Ralph Head (div.); m. Ventura Huerta (div.); companion, Richard Chávez; children: 11.

Major personality in world of American unionism and cofounder with Cesar Chávez of United Farm Workers of America, joined the Community Service Organization (CSO), a Mexican-American self-help association (1955); became a prominent CSO member, working as a lobbyist in the state capital; also became active with Agricultural Workers Association (AWA), a northern California group committed to improved labor conditions; with Chávez, intent on organizing a union for California's farmworkers, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), later United Farm Workers of America (UFW), and was one of the organization's vice presidents (1962); during grape pickers' strike (1965–70), which drew national media attention, was arrested numerous times and placed under FBI surveillance; by 1967, was chief negotiator of UFWOC and successfully hammered out several contracts with wine-grape growers; as a nonviolent tactic in the strike, was sent to NYC to coordinate a national boycott of all California table grapes (1968), one of the most successful boycotts in US history; has appeared at rallies coast to coast and served on boards of numerous organizations including California Labor Federation, Fund for the Feminist Majority and National Farm Workers Service Center; has also served as vice president of Coalition of Labor Union Women.

See also Women in World History.