How to overcome apathy and find your power | Dolores Huerta

Translator: Iris Otero Leal Reviewer: Xosé María Moreno

I want to start out with quoting Helen Keller,

Quero empezar citando a Hellen Keller,

that great woman that we all admire.

esa gran muller que todos admiramos.

And she had a statement that is very profound,

E ela fixo unha declaración que é moi profunda,

and this statement is

o que dixo é

that science has been able to find cures for many evils,

que a ciencia foi capaz de atopar curas para moitos demos,

but never the greatest evil of all in human beings,

pero nunca para o maior demo de todos dentro dos seres humanos,

and that evil is apathy.

e ese demo é a apatía.

So, we know that apathy really costs us a lot,

Sabemos que a apatía abofé que nos supón un gran custo,

especially in our democracy.

especialmente na nosa democracia.

And when we think of why people do not get involved,

E cando pensamos en por que a xente non se compromete,

why they do not become activists,

por que non se converten en activistas,

it's often that people are so worn down with their own familial responsibilities,

a miúdo é que a xente está tan esgotada coas súas responsabilidades familiares,

and women especially.

e as mulleres especialmente.

You know, women, they have so many inhibitions.

Sabedes, as mulleres, teñen tantas inhibicións.

Many of them have suffered so much trauma in their lives,

Moitas delas teñen sufrido tantos traumas nas súas vidas,

so many aggressions in their lives.

tantas agresións nas súas vidas.

And so it's very hard for them to realize that they have leadership capacities.

Por iso élles moi difícil darse conta de que teñen capacidades de liderado.

That they can get out there, and they could change the world.

De que poden saír aí fóra e cambiar o mundo.

Another thing that many women --

Outra cousa que moitas mulleres...

we think that we have to do everything.

pensamos que temos que facer todo.

That we are the only ones responsible for our families,

Que somos as únicas responsables das nosas familias,

and it is so hard for us to delegate

e para nós é moi difícil delegar

and just get others to help us do the duties that we are responsible for.

e conseguir que outros nos axuden coas nosas responsabilidades.

We feel embarrassed or we feel guilty.

Sentímonos avergoñadas ou culpables.

But we know that we have to make this happen,

Pero sabemos que temos que acadar isto,

because if not, we will never have time to be able to volunteer

porque se non, nunca teremos tempo para facer voluntariado

to help on these many causes that are now facing us.

para axudar nas moitas causas que temos diante.

One of the areas that women can give up a little bit of time

Unha das áreas á que as mulleres podemos quitar algo de tempo

and that is in shopping, OK?

é ir de compras, non si?

(Laughter)

(Risadas)

And especially when we go out there

E especialmente cando saímos

shopping for things that we don't even need.

comprar cousas que nin sequera precisamos.

(Laughter)

(Risadas)

You know, you never saw a hearse with a U-Haul behind it.

Sabedes, nunca vistes un coche fúnebre cun camión de mudanzas detrás.

(Laughter)

(Risadas)

We have to live simply, so that others can simply live.

Temos que vivir simplemente, para que outros poidan simplemente vivir.

And when we think of the kind of inheritance

E cando pensemos no tipo de herdanza

that we want to leave to our children or our grandchildren,

que queremos deixar ós nosos fillos ou netos,

think of leaving them a legacy of justice.

pensemos deixarlles un legado de xustiza.

This is a legacy that they can not only imitate,

Este é un legado que poden, non só imitar,

but they can be proud of for the rest of their lives.

senón que tamén os fará sentir orgullosos o resto das súas vidas

If we leave them a lot of material goods, all they're going to do is fight,

Se lles deixamos moitos bens materiais, o único que van facer é pelexar,

and they're going to hate each other.

e vanse odiar uns ós outros.

Just remember that, when we think about what we're doing.

Só lembrade iso, cando pensemos no que estamos facendo.

The other thing that we have to do to liberate our women, eventually,

A outra cousa que temos que facer para liberar as nosas mulleres, algún día,

so that we can do the kind of volunteer work that we need to do

para que poidamos facer o traballo desinteresado que precisamos facer

to change this world,

para cambiar este mundo,

is we have to have a different kind of an education for our young women.

é que temos que ter un tipo de educación diferente para as nosas nenas.

Unfortunately, in our societies around the world,

Desgraciadamente, nas sociedades do noso mundo,

women are taught to be victims.

apréndennos ás mulleres a sermos víctimas.

Women are not taught that they are going to have to defend themselves,

Non nos aprenden que imos ter que defendernos nós mesmas,

that they're going to have to support themselves

que imos ter que apoiarse entre nós mesmas

and they have to protect themselves.

e que temos que protexernos a nós mesmas.

Because, you know, when we actually look at the animal kingdom,

Porque, sabedes, certamente cando miramos ó reino animal,

and we see who are the most ferocious, the male or the female?

e vemos quen son os máis feros, os machos ou as femias?

We know it's the female, right?

Sabemos que son as femias, verdade?

So something went wrong with us at the top of that animal kingdom as women.

Entón algo nos saíu mal ás mulleres na cima dese reino animal.

(Laughter)

(Risadas)

So I want to give you an example of how I found my voice.

Entón, quero darvos un exemplo de como eu atopei a miña voz.

And I was very fortunate in that, when I was 25 years old,

E fun moi afortunada niso, cando eu tiña 25 anos,

I met a gentleman named Fred Ross Sr.,

coñecín un señor chamado Fred Ross Sr.,

who organized a chapter of a group called the Community Service Organization

que organizou unha etapa dun grupo chamado Organización do Servizo á Comunidade

in my hometown of Stockton, California.

na miña terra Stockton, California.

This was a grassroots organization, and I was recruited to be a volunteer.

Era unha organización popular, e eu fun reclutada como voluntaria.

So, one day, while we were sitting in the office,

Así que, un día, mentres estabamos sentados na oficina,

a farm worker comes in.

entra un traballador dunha granxa.

And he's paralyzed, he can hardly walk, he has a crutch.

Estaba paralizado, case non podía andar, levaba unha muleta.

And he needs help.

E precisaba axuda.

He needs someone to help him go down to the welfare office

Precisaba que o axudasen a baixar á oficina de asistencia

and make an application.

e facer unha solicitude.

So, I volunteered to do that.

Así que, me ofrecín voluntaria para facelo.

But when I got to the welfare office,

Pero cando cheguei á oficina de asistencia,

they would not let me make an application for this gentleman.

non me deixaron facer unha solicitude para este señor.

So I didn't know what to do, I was at a loss.

Eu non sabía que facer, estaba perdida.

So I went back to the office, and I told Mr. Ross,

Así que volvín á oficina, e díxenlle a Mr. Ross,

"They won't let me make an application."

"Non me van deixar facer a solicitude"

And he said to me, very sternly,

E el díxome, moi serio,

"You go right back down to that welfare office,

"Ti volve baixar a esa oficina de asistencia,

and you demand to see a supervisor.

e pide ver un supervisor.

And you demand that they let him make an application."

E esixe que lle deixen facer a el a solicitude."

And I thought, "Wow, I can do that?"

E eu pensei, "Vaites, podo facer eu iso?"

(Laughter)

(Risadas)

Entón pensei niso,

So I thought about it,

and I kind of overcame my anxieties and my fears.

e foi como se me sobrepuxese ás miñas ansiedades e medos.

I went down to the welfare office and I demanded to see the supervisor.

Baixei á oficina de asistencia e esixin ver o supervisor.

Sure enough, he came out,

Efectivamente, el saíu,

and they had to let Mr. Ruiz make an application for welfare.

e tiveron que deixar a Mr. Ruiz facer unha solicitude de asistencia.

And he got his disability for himself and his family.

E obtivo a discapacidade para si e para a súa familia.

But that taught me a lesson.

Pero iso aprendeume unha lección.

That taught me that I had a voice.

Iso aprendeume que eu tiña voz.

Well, Mr. Ross also taught many of us many other things, including Cesar Chavez

Ben, Mr. Ross tamén nos aprendeu a moitos outras cousas, incluíndo a Cesar Chavez

and many other volunteers.

e a moitos outros voluntarios.

And he taught us not only that we can make demands of people,

E aprendeunos non só que podíamos esixir cousas á xente,

especially our public officials.

especialmente ós nosos funcionarios.

And this is something we should always keep in mind:

E isto é algo que sempre debemos ter presente:

every public official -- guess what -- they work for us.

cada funcionario púbico -- sabedes que? -- traballa para nós.

Because we pay their salaries with out taxes.

Porque nós pagamos os seus soldos cos nosos impostos.

And they are actually our servants.

E eles son en realidade serventes nosos.

Some of them turn out to be leaders, but not all of them.

Algúns deles convértense en líderes, pero non todos eles.

(Laughter)

(Risadas)

Once in a while we get a leader out of there.

De vez en cando conseguimos sacar algún lider de alí.

The other thing that Mr. Ross taught us is that voting is extremely important.

A outra cousa que Mr. Ross nos aprendeu é que votar é de extrema importancia.

And not just voting,

E non só votar,

but going out there and getting other people to vote.

senón sair aí fóra e conseguir que outra xente vote.

Going door to door.

Indo de porta a porta.

Phone banking, talking to voters,

Facendo chamadas teléfonicas, falando cos votantes

because many voters have a lot of doubts and they don't know how to vote.

porque moitos votantes teñen moitas dúbidas e non saben como votar.

And unfortunately,

E por desgraza,

we know that in many countries people are not allowed to vote

sabemos que en moitos países non se lle permite votar á xente

because we have voter suppression in other countries,

porque temos supresión do voto noutros países,

like we do here in the United States of America.

como temos aquí nos Estados Unidos de América.

But the thing is, if we can get out there as individuals

Pero o caso é se podemos saír aí fóra como individuos

and talk to people, so we can remove their apathy

e falar coa xente, para acabar coa súa apatía

and make sure that they can vote.

e asegurarnos de que poidan votar.

So, I want to give you an example of a woman in our foundation,

Quero darvos un exemplo dunha muller na nosa fundación,

the Dolores Huerta Foundation,

a Fundación Dolores Huerta,

and just to show you that sometimes people have power,

e só para amosarvos que ás veces a xente ten poder,

but they don't know it.

pero non o sabe.

But once they find it, they do miraculous things.

Pero cando o encontran, fan cousas milagrosas.

So, Leticia Prado is an immigrant from Mexico,

Leticia Prado é unha inmigrante de México,

only has a sixth-grade education

só foi á escola ata sexto grao

and speaks very limited English.

e falaba moi pouco inglés.

But she was very concerned

Pero estaba moi preocupada

because the children at the middle school in their town called Weedpatch --

porque os nenos na primaria no seu pobo Weedpatch-

this is in California, Central Valley --

isto é en California, Central Valley --

they couldn't go out and play in the schoolyard,

eles non podían saír e xogar no patio da escola,

because the air quality is so bad

porque a calidade do aire era moi mala

in the southern part of Kern County, California

na parte sur de Kern County, California

in our United States of America.

nos nosos Estados Unidos de América.

So she and her husband went out there, and they passed a bond issue

Entón ela e o seu home saíron, e aprobaron unha emisión de bonos

to build a brand new, state-of-the-art gymnasium

para construír un novo ximnasio con todos os adiantos

for the kids at their middle school.

para os nenos na escola primaria.

That was a big success.

Foi un gran éxito.

Then she heard a rumor

Despois ela oíu un rumor

that the principal was going to end the breakfast program

de que o director ía poñer fin ó programa de almorzos

for the farm worker children,

para os fillos dos granxeiros,

because the principal thought it was just too much paperwork.

porque o director simplemente pensou que era moito papelorio,

So, Leticia got herself elected to the school board.

Así que Leticia conseguiu ser elixida para o consello escolar.

And they kept the breakfast program, and she got rid of the principal.

E mantívose o programa de almorzos, e librouse do director.

(Laughter)

(risadas)

(Applause)

(Aplausos)

So there were other rumors

Entón houbo outros rumores.

about some corruption in the local water district.

sobre certa corrupción nos distritos de auga locais.

So, Leticia got herself elected to the water district.

Así que Leticia conseguiu ser elixida para o distrito de auga.

Then she looked into all of the finances of the water district

Logo revisou todas as finanzas do distrito de auga

and found there was 250,000 dollars missing from their bank account.

e atopou que faltaban 250.000 dólares da conta bancaria.

So, Leticia called in the grand jury, and several arrests have been made.

Así que Leticia avisou ó gran xurado, e tiveron lugar varios arrestos.

And this is just an example of a woman who never went to high school,

E isto é só un exemplo dunha muller que nunca foi ó instituto,

never went to college,

nunca foi á universidade,

but she found her power.

pero que atopou o seu poder.

And in addition, she has recruited other people in the community

E ademais, reclutou outras persoas na comunidade

to also run for public office,

para presentarse tamén a cargos públicos,

and guess what -- they've all gotten themselves elected.

e adiviña que pasou -- todos eles conseguiron ser elixidos.

So, I take that Leticia really embodies

Eu creo que Leticia realmente representa

something that Coretta Scott King said.

algo que Coretta Scott King dixo.

And I want to share this with you. Coretta Scott King said,

E quero compartir isto con vós. Coretta Scott King dixo,

"We will never have peace in the world until women take power."

"Nunca teremos paz neste mundo ata que as mulleres tomen o poder."

(Applause)

(Aplausos)

Now, I have amended that statement to say

Agora, eu modifico esa cita para dicir

that we will never have peace in the world until feminists take power.

que nunca teremos paz neste mundo ata que os feministas tomen o poder.

(Laughter)

(Risadas)

Because we know there is a difference, right?

Porque sabemos que hai unha diferenza, verdade?

Not only that, but if we want to define what is a feminist --

Non só iso, senón que se queremos definir que é ser feminista --

a person who stands up for reproductive rights,

unha persoa que loita polos dereitos reprodutivos,

for immigrants' rights, for the environment,

polos dereitos dos inmigrantes, polo medio ambiente,

for LGBT rights and also for labor unions and working people.

polos dereitos LGBT e tamén polos sindicatos e a xente traballadora

(Applause)

(Aplausos)

Which also means that men can also be feminists.

O cal significa que os homes tamén poden ser feministas.

(Applause)

(Aplausos)

So when we think of feminization,

Así que cando pensemos en feminización,

we should also think of how can we feminize the policies,

tamén debemos pensar en como podemos feminizar as políticas,

and not only of our major countries,

e non só as dos nosos principais países,

the wealthy countries like the United States,

os países ricos como os Estados Unidos,

but all over the world,

senón as de todo o mundo,

our domestic and foreign policy.

as políticas domésticas e exteriores.

And one of the things that we can do to stop wars and to have peace

E unha das cousas que podemos facer para parar as guerras e ter paz

is to make sure that the wealthiest countries in the world

é asegurármosnos de que os países máis ricos do mundo

also help the developing countries.

tamén axuden ós países en desenvolvemento.

Now, we did this in the past.

Agora, fixemos isto no pasado.

After World War II,

Despois da II Guerra Mundial,

when Japan and Germany were devastated after the war,

cando Xapón e Alemaña foron devastados trala guerra,

United States of America gave many tax dollars to those two countries,

Os Estados Unidos de América deron moitos cartos dos impostos a estes dous países,

para que puidesen reconstruír as súas economías e as súas empresas.

so that they can rebuild their economies and rebuild their corporations.

And we can do that again.

E podemos facelo outra vez.

E se somos quen de pensar en como podemos axudar a estoutros países.

And if we can think about how we can help these other countries.

E quero dar un exemplo

And I want to give an example

of issues that we are facing in the United States of America,

de problemas que estamos enfrontando nos Estados Unidos de América,

for instance.

por exemplo.

We know that right now

Sabemos que agora

temos moitos refuxiados de América Central

we have a lot of refugees from Central America

that are at the border of the United States.

que están na fronteira dos Estados Unidos.

Why do people leave their homes,

Por que a xente abandona os seus fogares,

their beautiful homes that we go to as tourists?

os seus fermosos fogares ós que nós imos como turistas?

Because they don't have opportunities there.

Porque non teñen oportunidades alí.

And then we think, "Hm, bananas."

E despois nós pensamos, "Mmh, plátanos."

How many jillions of bananas do we consume in the United States every single day?

Cantos millóns de plátanos consumimos nos Estados Unidos cada día?

And throughout the world.

E en todo o mundo.

Now, do the people in Central America

Agora ben, a xente de América Central

get the profits from the bananas that we consume?

consegue os beneficios dos plátanos que nós consumimos?

No, they don't.

Non.

The profits go to corporations from the United States of America.

Os beneficios van a empresas dos Estados Unidos de América.

And we think that this is wrong.

E nós pensamos que isto está mal.

Now, if the people in Central America were to be able to get some of that money

Agora ben, se a xente en América Central fose capaz de conseguir algo deses cartos

that we pay for bananas,

que nós pagamos polos plátanos,

then they wouldn't have to leave their homes.

entón eles non terían que deixar os seus fogares.

They wouldn't have to come as asylum seekers

Non terían que vir pedindo asilo.

to the borders of the United States of America.

ata as fronteiras dos Estados Unidos de América.

And then maybe, many children would not have to be separated from their parents.

E quizáis entón, moitos nenos non terían que ser separados dos seus pais.

Now, we know that there are countries in the world

Agora, sabemos que hai países no mundo

that actually have free education and have free health care

que teñen ensino gratuíto e sanidade gratuíta

for all of the people in their country.

para todas as persoas no país.

And that country is Cuba.

E ese país é Cuba.

Cuba has health care for every one of their citizens,

Cuba ten sanidade para cada un dos seus cidadáns,

and they have a free college education for every one of their citizens.

e teñen educación universitaria gratuíta para cada un dos seus cidadáns.

They're 11 million citizens.

Son 11 millóns de cidadáns.

Now, we think, if a poor country like Cuba

Agora pensemos, se un país pobre como Cuba

can have these kind of resources, and we know that they're a poor country,

pode ter este tipo de recursos, e sabemos que é un país pobre,

then why can't some of the other wealthier countries,

entón por que non pode algún dos outros países máis ricos,

like the United States of America,

como os Estados Unidos de América,

do the same?

facer o mesmo?

I think that we can make that happen.

Eu penso que podemos facer que iso pase.

(Applause)

(Aplausos)

Pero sabemos que non vai pasar

But we know it's not going to happen

until we, the people of the United States of America,

ata que nós, a xente dos Estados Unidos de América,

and people throughout the world,

e a xente de todo o mundo,

start making sure that they get public officials elected to their governments

empecemos a asegurar que nos seus gobernos sexan elixidos representantes

that really care about the constituents, they care about people,

que realmente se preocupen polos votantes, pola xente,

they will commit to make sure that the resources that they have

que se comprometan a asegurar que os recursos que teñen

are going to be used for their citizens, and not to be used for war.

van ser usados polos cidadáns, e non para a guerra.

So, how do we make this happen?

Entón, como facemos que isto suceda?

We have to get rid of the apathy,

Temos que librarnos da apatía,

we have to get more people involved.

temos que implicarnos máis.

We know that if we can't have a democracy in the United States,

Sabemos que se non podemos ter unha democracia nos Estados Unidos,

we can't have democracies throughout the world,

non podemos ter democracias no mundo,

unless people participate.

a non ser que a xente participe.

So it is imperative that all of us get out there and we say,

Así que é imperativo que todos nós saiamos aí fóra e digamos,

"Get rid of the apathy, get off of the sidewalk,

"Liberádevos da apatía, saíde da beirarrúa,

vide e unídevos á manifestación pola paz e a xustiza,

come and join the march for peace and justice,

let's make Coretta Scott's vision a reality,

fagamos da visión de Coretta Scott unha realidade,

to have peace in the world."

para ter paz no mundo."

We recently had midterm elections in the United States of America.

Recentemente tivemos eleccións intermedias en EEUU.

And what did we see?

E que vimos?

We saw that so many more women,

Vimos que moitísimas máis mulleres,

young people, people of color, LGBT folks,

xente nova, xente de cor, xente LGBT,

were all elected to public office.

foron todos elixidos para cargos públicos.

And we know this happened -- why?

E sabemos que isto pasou -- por que?

Because so many women were on the march.

Porque moitas mulleres se manifestaron.

We had the Women's March in the United States.

Tivemos a Marcha das Mulleres nos Estados Unidos.

They had the Women's Marches all over the world.

Houbo Marchas de Mulleres por todo o mundo.

And so we now see that we have this potential.

Agora vemos que temos este potencial.

We have this potential to get rid of the apathy.

Temos este potencial para librarnos da apatía.

And if we get everyone involved, get everyone committed,

E se conseguimos que todos se involucren, que todos se comprometan,

then, I think, we can make Coretta Scott's vision come true.

entón, eu penso, que podemos facer realidade a visión de Coretta Scott.

So, I want to just remind everybody,

Daquela, só quero recordar a todos,

throughout the world, one of the things is,

en todo o mundo, unha das cousas é que,

we have power,

nós temos poder,

poor people have power,

a xente pobre ten poder,

every citizen has power.

cada cidadán ten poder.

But in order to achieve the peace that we all yearn for,

Pero para acadar a paz que todos desexamos,

then we've all got to get involved.

temos que implicarnos todos.

So, what do we say?

Entón, que dicimos?

Can we do it?

Podemos facelo?

Nós dicimos, "Si, nós podemos!"

We say, "Yes, we can!"

And in Spanish, we say, "Sí, se puede."

E en Español, nós dicimos, "Sí, se puede."

Thank you very much.

Moitas grazas.

(Applause)

(Aplausos)