Tucked away off Hwy-58 in Keene is a spot that draws visitors not just from California, but all over the country and world, to learn about the people behind the farm workers’ movement right here in Kern County. For two volunteers who spend hours a week at the national monument, they say giving back has given them a new perspective on the place they’ve called home for decades.
On a calm, sunny day in the mountains, Maria Colon and her husband, Ildefonso, or Pancho, walk me along the path local students take during field trips to the property at the César E. Chávez National Monument.
As we round the corner, we see a white building to our left. Pancho points and says the humble home was where Cesar Chavez lived with his family…