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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César E. Chávez burial site
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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 covers about 116 acres in Kern County, California. This monument is also known as Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz, which means "Our Lady Queen of Peace."
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. César Chávez was a very important leader who worked hard for the rights of farm workers. His burial site is in the peaceful gardens here, along with his wife, Helen Fabela Chávez. Before the UFW owned it, the property was a health center called Stony Brook Sanitorium in the early 1900s.
A Special Place for a Special Leader
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President Barack Obama created the César E. Chávez National Monument. He did this on October 8, 2012. The monument is located in the beautiful Tehachapi Mountains in Keene, California. It is about 32 miles southeast of Bakersfield.
The property is famously known as La Paz. It was also named a National Historic Landmark on the same day the monument was established. This means it is a very important historical site.
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The monument is part of the National Park System. It is managed by the National Park Service and the National Chavez Center. The Chávez family and the center 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. It also came from the America Latino Heritage Fund. Today, visitors can explore a visitor center and a memorial garden. This garden is where César Chávez is buried. Some areas of the monument are private. This is because the Chávez family still lives there. Also, UFW offices are still on the property.
Honoring César Chávez's Legacy
In October 2013, the National Park Service suggested a bigger plan. They wanted to create a new National Historical Park. This park would honor César Chávez's life and the farm worker movement. The César E. Chávez National Monument would be a key part of this larger park.
Other important places were also considered for this park. These included the Filipino Community Hall in Delano, California. This was where the Delano grape strike began. Another site was The Forty Acres, the first UFW headquarters. McDonnell Hall in San Jose and the Santa Rita Center in Phoenix, Arizona were also mentioned.
Legislation to make this site part of a larger park was brought up again in 2023. This shows how important César Chávez's work remains.
See also
In Spanish: Monumento Nacional Cesar E. Chavez para niños
