Hours after word spread of Dolores Huerta’s death at age 96, a community ofrenda was erected in Albuquerque’s Old Town Plaza, offering residents a place to mourn and reflect on the New Mexico‑born labor leader’s impact.
According to KOAT, the tribute featured marigolds, photographs and candles, and was organized by New Mexico leaders including U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and House Speaker Javier Martinez. “It’s an incredible loss for us, not only in New Mexico, but for the world,” said Alicia Romero, curator of history at the Albuquerque Museum.
Huerta, born April 10, 1930, in Dawson, New Mexico, was the daughter of a miner and union activist who later served in the state Legislature. After her parents divorced, she moved with her mother to California, where she co‑founded the National Farm Workers Association, later the United Farm Workers Union, alongside Cesar Chavez. Through walkouts, boycotts and years of organizing, she helped secure the 1975 Agricultural Relations Act, allowing farmworkers to bargain for better wages and conditions.
In a 2022 CBS interview, Huerta told KOAT, “I hope that my legacy is one of an activist, one of being an organizer, one that inspires people to take time out of their life, to do the civic work that we need to do.” She also shared personal pride in her heritage, noting a recent Ancestry DNA test revealed a 14th‑generation Pueblo Indian great‑great‑great‑great‑great‑great‑great grandmother, a lineage she said fills her with pride.
Albuquerque previously honored Huerta with a park dedication in April 2017, a space that now hosts a growers’ market connecting the city to the agricultural workers she championed. As Hispanic Heritage Month begins on Sept. 15, KOAT’s Project Community will highlight Hispanic culture throughout the coming weeks, underscoring the relevance of Huerta’s lifelong fight against racism and for workers’ rights to today’s residents.
What’s next: Community groups plan additional remembrance events during Hispanic Heritage Month, and local organizers encourage residents to volunteer at the park’s growers’ market and support ongoing labor‑rights initiatives.
