Celebrated by many in California on March 31 every year, Cesar Chavez Day honors the enduring legacy of Mexican-American human rights activist Cesar Chavez. In 2014, former U.S. President Barack Obama declared March 31 a national holiday while California recognized it as a state holiday. In the Golden State, schools, government offices, and courts are often closed in observance of Cesar Chavez Day, and some other states—including Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and Rhode Island—also observe the holiday. Cesar Chavez was born on March 31, 1927, in Arizona. At a young age, he and his family moved to California, working as migrant farmworkers. He later joined the U.S. Navy during World War II and returned home after two years. Later, he participated in a Latino civil rights group, the Community Service Organization (CSO), and helped workers register to vote. He left CSO and co-founded the United …