In 1965, Huerta and her fellow organizers began a series of strikes and boycotts against various California grape growers that lasted for five years and eventually spread to lettuce growers.
Her mother had instilled a spirit of activism in her daughter from an early age. Reflecting on her career transition in a past interview, Huerta noted that she felt she could achieve more by organizing farmworkers than by trying to teach their hungry children.
Huerta left her early career as a schoolteacher to dedicate her life to organizing farmworkers, pushing for changes in immigration laws, voter registration, women's rights, and healthcare reform.
Huerta was into her second marriage when she became a schoolteacher. Both of her early encounters resulted in pregnancies, and Huerta said she arranged for the babies to be raised by others, stating that Chavez had pressured her into having sex one time and raped her on another occasion. Dolores Huerta, US civil rights icon credited with coining the enduring"Si, se puede!"rallying cry, died at the age of 96.
In an interview with PBS in 2012, before the assault accusations against Chavez came to light, Huerta said she had been fine with him taking the spotlight as she wanted to focus on helping people rather than gaining fame.
Huerta was into her second marriage when she became a schoolteacher, but that career did not last long.
Both encounters resulted in pregnancies, and Huerta said she arranged for the babies to be raised by others.