Naji Daifullah

The Annual Naji Daifullah Award

SOMARTS ~ 934 BRANNAN ST. ~ SAN FRANCISCO
SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 2007 6:00-9:00PM

The Arab American Union Members Council (AAUMC) will be present the annual Nagi Daifullah Award during the 'PALESTINE/MEXICO: Unspoken Borders' event that is part of the larger 'Prophecy/Healing Time: Artists and Communities Respond to Global Crisis' show. This evening will features music, dance, spoken word, a slide show, food and more. We hope to see everyone there and really hope for a strong labor presence to honor the memory of Nagi Daifullah and carry on his legacy.
Arab American labor leader Nagi Daifullah and Cesar Chavez

"Non-Violence is our Strength..." Cesar Chavez

Twenty-nine years after his death at the hands of a local sheriff, labor organizer and farm worker Nagi Daifullah is being again memorialized by fellow Yemeni and Latino workers. Nagi was a farm worker who came from Yemen looking for a better life and arrived to the inhospitable grape fields in California's central valley where he rose to become a respected labor leader. Nagi overcame his own shyness to learn Spanish and English and served as a liaison between workers within the United Farm Workers Union. In the summer of 1973, thousands of grape workers struck for just wages and working conditions. In one protest, over 3,500 workers including men, women and children were beaten by local sheriffs. Nagi was among the strikers from El Rancho Farms, near Arvin, California. He marched the picket lines for many weeks along with other Arab workers. On the morning of August 15, 1973, Nagi, who was of slight build and barely 100 pounds, was among the picketers beaten by the sheriffs.