César E. Chávez National Monument facts for kids
Quick facts for kids César E. Chávez National Monument(Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz) |
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IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
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The National Chavez Center in Keene, California
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 César E. Chávez National Monument
(Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz) Location in California
César E. Chávez National Monument
(Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz) Location in the United States
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| Location | Kern County, California, USA |
| Nearest city | Bakersfield, CA |
| Area | 116 acres (47 ha) |
| Authorized | October 8, 2012 |
| Visitors | 15,472 (in 2017) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | Cesar E. Chavez National Monument |
The César E. Chávez National Monument is a special place in Keene, California. It is also known as Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz. This monument covers about 116 acres. It is located in Kern County, California, not far from Bakersfield, California.
This site was once the main office for the United Farm Workers (UFW). It was also the home of César Chávez from the early 1970s until he passed away in 1993. You can find Chávez's gravesite here, along with his wife, Helen Fabela Chávez. Before the UFW owned it, the property was a place for a quarry. In the early 1900s, it was a hospital for people with tuberculosis.
Contents
What is the History of the Monument?
How Was the Monument Created?
The César E. Chávez National Monument was created by President Barack Obama. He made it a national monument on October 8, 2012. He used a special law called the Antiquities Act to do this.
The monument is in the Tehachapi Mountains in Keene, California. It is about 32 miles southeast of Bakersfield. The property is called Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz, or La Paz for short. It was also named a National Historic Landmark on the same day.
Who Manages the Monument?
This monument is the 398th unit in the National Park System. The National Park Service and the National Chavez Center work together to manage it. The Chavez Center and the Chávez family gave parts of La Paz to the government. This helped create the national monument.
Money to start the monument came from the National Park Foundation and the America Latino Heritage Fund. Some parts of the monument are still being developed. However, a visitor center and a memorial garden are open to everyone. This is where César Chávez is buried. Some areas are closed because the Chávez family still lives there. Also, members of the UFW still work in their offices on the property.
Future Plans for the Monument
Could the Monument Become Part of a Larger Park?
In October 2013, there was a plan to make this site part of a new National Historical Park. This new park would honor the life and work of César Chávez. It would also remember the important farm worker movement.
This idea needs approval from the United States Congress. Other places that might be part of this new park include:
- The Filipino Community Hall in Delano, California. This was the main place for the Delano grape strike.
- The Forty Acres, which was the first UFW headquarters in Delano.
- McDonnell Hall in San Jose.
- The Santa Rita Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
See also
- In Spanish: Monumento nacional Cesar E. Chavez para niños
