What You Need to Know for Cesar Chavez Day

In celebration of Cesar Chavez, a Latino labor leader who fought for the rights of migrant workers, March 31—his birthday—has been set aside in California as a day to recognize his contributions to labor and civil rights.

President Barack Obama issued a proclamation recognizing the day, saying:

One of our Nation's great civil rights leaders, Cesar Estrada Chavez came of age as a migrant farm worker, witnessing the injustice that pervaded fields and vineyards across California. Facing discrimination, poverty, and dangerous working conditions, laborers toiled for little pay and without access to even the most basic necessities. Yet amidst hardship and abuse, Cesar Chavez saw the promise of change—the unlimited potential of a community organized around a common purpose. Today, we celebrate his courage, reflect on his lifetime of advocacy, and recognize the power in each of us to lift up lives and pursue social justice.

With March 31 falling on Saturday this year, the holiday is being observed on Friday, March 30. 

Here's what that means for local services (full City of San Diego holiday schedule attached; see the county holiday schedule here):