Senators Whitmer, Schuitmaker, Warren, Bieda, Hopgood, Hood, Jones, Young and Marleau offered the following resolution:

            Senate Resolution No. 131.

            A resolution to recognize March 31, 2014, as Cesar E. Chavez Day in the state of Michigan.

            Whereas, Cesar Estrada Chavez, was a heroic American of Mexican descent, a Chicano, a farm worker, a labor leader, a civil rights leader, and a religious and spiritual figure. He was also a community servant and social entrepreneur, a crusader for nonviolent social change, and an environmentalist and consumer advocate; and

            Whereas, Cesar E. Chavez began working in the fields of Arizona and California at the age of 10.  Profoundly influenced by these humble beginnings, Chavez embraced the nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to crusade against racial and economic discrimination, coordinate voter registration drives, and found the United Farm Workers of America; and

            Whereas, In 1991, Cesar E. Chavez received the Aguila Azteca (The Aztec Eagle), Mexico's highest award presented to people of Mexican ancestry or heritage who have made major contributions outside of Mexico. Then, on August 8, 1994, Cesar became the second Chicano in history to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. This award was presented posthumously by President Bill Clinton to Helen F. Chavez and her children at the White House; and

            Whereas, In 2003, the Michigan Legislature recognized the many contributions of Cesar E. Chavez made to this nation by declaring the calendar date of March 31 each year as Cesar E. Chavez Day in the state of Michigan; and

            Whereas, Cesar E. Chavez served honorably in the U.S. Navy during World War II. For his numerous contributions, on May 5, 2012 (El Cinco de Mayo), the USNS Cesar E. Chavez was christened and launched into San Diego Bay. It was the U.S. Navy’s latest Lewis and Clark-class noncombatant cargo ship, thereby becoming the first naval vessel named after a U.S. citizen of Mexican descent; and

            Whereas, Recently, the Michigan State Board of Education unanimously adopted a resolution on February 11, 2014, stating that it recognizes the life, legacy, and contributions of Cesar E. Chavez, and it, therefore, encourages the inclusion of lessons on Cesar E. Chavez as referenced in the Content Expectations for both Grade Level and High School in the Social Studies Standards; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the Senate, That we recognize the life, the leadership, and the legacy of Cesar E. Chavez as worthy of our state’s highest respect and honor. We encourage the President of the United States and Congress to honor the memory of Cesar E. Chavez by proclaiming his birthday of March 31 as a National Day of Service, so that all Americans in all 50 states can take part in meaningful public service activities in their own communities to commemorate the legacy of the Chicano known as Cesar E. Chavez; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.