Marina Gaytan / The Collegian

Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers Union (UFW), spoke to California State University, Fresno students Friday about her life̢۪s work and the importance of universal health care.

McLane Hall room 121 fell silent as the diminutive Huerta, 79, descended the stairs leading to the front of the classroom̢۪s stage. However, the audience quickly rose to a standing ovation as she was introduced.

Huerta was the counterpart to Cesar Chavez and continues to advocate for farm laborers and women through the Dolores Huerta Foundation. She has numerous awards to her name and nine honorary doctorates from universities across the United States, according to her foundation̢۪s Web site.

In her speech, Huerta urged students to get involved in the effort to usher in a public option for health care.

“We don’t have a lot of time if we’re going to save it – if we’re going to get this national health care with a public option,â€Â she said.

Huerta said that this might be the only chance to pass national health care into law.

“When change comes from the bottom to the top, it’s always been done by the young people,â€Â she said.

She wanted students to write their congressman and to stay visible.

“You only need what they call the militant few,â€Â Huerta said.

Huerta, who is a mother of 11, urged mothers to take their children along when demonstrating. She went on to say that students should not become economically hindered after graduation, but should be willing to make change while making less money.

Huerta’s appearance correlated with a showing of “Viva la Causa,â€Â a film from the Southern Poverty Law Center that documented the struggle of farm workers in California and the boycott of California Table grapes in the late 1960s.

Farm workers at that time organized a march from Delano to Sacramento. They left Delano with a crowd of 70 and by the time they reached Sacramento they numbered 10,000.

Eventually, the growers signed a contract with the farm laborers.

Huerta said, “This film has a happy ending, but it’s not there anymore.â€Â

She said that most of the agreements have since been repealed.

“We need to respect the people that work with their hands,â€Â Huerta said.

For Cesar Sanchez, a senior business administration and economics double major whose uncle marched with Cesar Chavez, the night was a direct connection to his family.

“It was quite inspiring to see the lady that my parents talked about,â€Â he said in an interview with The Collegian.

Hector Cerda, a Master̢۪s student in social work, was motivated by Huerta̢۪s dialogue on staying economically unhindered.

Cerda said, “[People think that] in order to make change we have to graduate and become this great, knowledgeable thinker.â€Â

Cerda cited the fact that Chavez and Huerta̢۪s achievements came without prestigious educations.

Huerta̢۪s foundation works within small communities to teach people how to be their own advocates. She reminded students that people have power, and they don̢۪t have to have money and assets to be powerful.

“We are the ones that have the power to change things,â€Â Huerta said.