Monterey County honors 50th anniversary of El Cortito ban; recognizes Luis Valdez, Sierra LA 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 long-term back injuries for field workers and that banning its use was a public‑health and labor‑rights milestone. The 1975 legal victory grew out of litigation and administrative petitions that culminated in a California Supreme Court and State action that CRLA and farmworker plaintiffs pursued over multiple years.

The program traced the fight from farmworker complaints in Soledad through litigation and administrative hearings. Ignacio Ornelas Rodriguez, a historian at Stanford University, outlined the case’s arc and noted the April 7, 1975 decision as a turning point. He said the case and its aftermath demonstrated what can occur when workers, lawyers and local leaders unite to challenge unsafe working conditions.

Lead counsel Maurice “Mo” Jourdain and co‑counsel Marty Glick recounted organizing medical testimony and hearings across California; Glick described witnesses and doctors who presented X‑rays showing spinal deterioration in relatively young farmworkers. Jessica Manriquez Jewell, executive director of the nonprofit formerly referred to in the meeting as CLA/Sierra LA and here identified as California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA), accepted a resolution on behalf of the organization and urged attendees to continue telling the history of the case.

Family members of plaintiffs Sebastian Carmona and community worker Héctor de la Rosa accepted recognitions on behalf of their relatives, describing decades of community advocacy and legal work in Monterey County. Dolores Huerta, who joined the program, emphasized nonviolence and the importance of respecting farmworkers’ contributions, saying they feed the nation and deserve dignity and protection.

The board also recognized Mexican‑American cultural contributions tied to the movement, honoring Los Tigres del Norte with a county proclamation and the symbolic presentation of a “Key to the County.” Board members said the band’s music had amplified immigrant and worker stories and noted the group’s long career, the band’s 1968 performance in Soledad and recent honors such as a named street in New York.

The Board recessed to allow photos and a reception; staff provided links to event photos via QR codes at the reception.

Quotes (selected): "This victory represented more than just a ban on an unsafe tool. It was a breakthrough and represented a new era in the farm worker rights movement," historian Ignacio Ornelas Rodriguez said.

"We just told their story to the court," Marty Glick said of the litigation record that included medical testimony.

"Farm workers are very proud of the work that they do because they know that they are feeding the nation," Dolores Huerta said.

Ending: The board’s ceremonial resolutions and recognitions were approved by unanimous voice/roll call earlier in the meeting; honorees and families received certificates from state and federal offices and invited the public to a post‑event reception in the lobby.