Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Monterey County honors 50th anniversary of El Cortito ban; recognizes Luis Valdez, Sierra LA and Los Tigres del Norte
Summary
The Monterey County Board of Supervisors held a special presentation marking 50 years since the California legal campaign that led to the ban on the short-handled hoe known as El Cortito, honoring attorneys, farmworker plaintiffs, California Rural Legal Assistance leaders and performers including Luis Valdez and Los Tigres del Norte.
The Monterey County Board of Supervisors held a special presentation in Salinas on June 10 to mark the 50th anniversary of the legal fight that ended use of the short-handled hoe known as El Cortito and to honor those who led that campaign, including attorneys and farmworker plaintiffs, the legal aid organization California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA), playwright Luis Valdez and the band Los Tigres del Norte.
The ceremony opened with remarks from Supervisor John L. Alejo and Chair Chris Lopez and included a keynote by playwright and activist Luis Valdez, a speech from historian Ignacio Ornelas Rodriguez, and remarks by Dolores Huerta. The board approved ceremonial resolutions recognizing Luis Valdez, CRLA/Sierra LA and other individual champions; several honorees and family members accepted the recognition onstage.
Why it matters: Advocates and legal counsel argued that El Cortito—the short-handled hoe used for close weeding—caused severe and often…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
