Teach entire story

Did you know that Cesar Chavez was not a supporter of illegal immigration? Did you know that Cesar Chavez, whose name has become synonymous with La Raza and other radical elements, was philosophically quite similar to our modern day Minutemen? That's right! Chavez's opinions on illegal immigration were nearly the same as the Minutemen that have taken on the task of trying to protect our borders from illegal immigration.

Schools in California teach that Cesar Chavez spent a good portion of his life advocating for the rights of farm workers throughout California and the United States. While that's true, what the schools fail to mention is that Cesar Chavez was a vocal opponent of illegal immigration.

On the one hand, he was trying to raise the pay and benefits for farm workers in the United States, but on the other hand, there was a massive influx of illegal immigrants streaming across the southern border of the United States, thus undermining and more or less defeating everything he fought to achieve.

Evidence of Chavez's opposition to illegal immigration abounds in the historical record, such as in his testimony before Congress in 1979 when he blamed the federal government for failing to secure the border.

Ten years earlier, Chavez protested against illegal immigration at the Mexican border, reportedly accompanied by Senator Walter Mondale and Ralph Abernathy, head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Chavez believed that illegal immigration would directly impact the prosperity of U.S. farm workers. He was right. Yet, his vision of the effects of illegal immigration didn't even begin to scratch the surface. I'm sure he would have never predicted the dramatic social and economic impact illegal immigration would have on America in general and California in particular.

Wouldn't it be nice if our schools would teach the entire story about Cesar Chavez and not sugarcoat the history lessons that are taught to our kids?