When I first moved to Washington, D.C. to serve in the U.S. Congress, I was shocked to find how many Americans were unaware of the life and work of Cesar Chavez. In fact, a lot of people I spoke with had never even heard of Cesar Chavez. This reaffirmed my belief that there should be a national holiday honoring the life and work of Cesar Chavez.

Here in California, we observe Cesar Chavez Day on March 31. Six other states do as well: Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico, Texas and Utah. California has celebrated Cesar Chavez Day since 2001.

Some of you may be thinking, how has Cesar Chavez affected my life? If you have ever eaten a grape, had a salad for lunch, or drank orange juice with your breakfast, you have been affected by Cesar Chavez and the farmworker movement.

This March I reintroduced H.Res. 127, urging the President and Congress to establish a national holiday in honor of Cesar Chavez. This holiday will be more than just a day off work. The holiday my bill proposes requires schools to educate students about the life and work of Cesar Chavez, as we do in California. All Americans should be aware of this chapter in our nation’s history.

Many people are opposed to creating new public holidays, arguing that the cost to businesses would be too high. Since the holiday my bill creates would be unpaid, there is no excuse not to support Cesar Chavez Day. The holiday will be a floating holiday, like in California.

Cesar Chavez touched the lives of millions with his nonviolent struggle for justice, education and equality. Cesar Chavez is a true hero of American civil rights. He is an inspiration to all people in America. He fought to ensure better conditions for farm workers and brought national attention to the labor movement. His work opened up opportunities for Hispanics throughout the nation.

Before Cesar Chavez, farmworkers were exposed to horrifying conditions, working long hours and being poisoned by pesticides. Cesar drew national attention to the plight of the farmworkers. Because of Cesar, farmworkers can no longer legally be treated in the inhumane manner they were before.

I want my children to know that any person, no matter their education or their job, can demand fair treatment at work. It took decades of protests, strikes and hard work.

The history of the farmworkers movement, is the same struggle of every person who has worked long hours and battled some injustice at work. Children need to appreciate that the world in which we live was built in part by millions.