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.
Just then, Maria leans over to me and says, “Pancho hung Christmas lights on it last year.”
Smiling, Pancho replied, “I put the Christmas lights up. For me, it was an honor. I mean, I got to put lights on César Chávez's house,” he said. “That’s my claim to fame.”
Married for 39 years, the pair first began volunteering in 2025, after Maria completed an internship at the site for her studies in Public Policy Administration at California State University, Bakersfield.
“I was aware of César Chávez, but I wanted to learn more about him, so I did my last semester here as an internship,” Maria said. “The more I learned [and] the more time I spent here, I told them I’d always be here to help out because I really believe in what they do.”
Pancho agreed, adding that ever since they met while serving in the Marine Corps, they spend most of their time together.
“When she started to tell me how everything worked, and what they do for the kids, for school tours, I just wanted to go do it, too,” Pancho said. “And the legacy of this place. I mean, somebody needs to carry it. If we can help by volunteering, you know, to free somebody else up and have additional people here that can help.”
That legacy spanned not only across the country but worldwide.
“It’s that will to just keep going, even when you have nothing left, that was him,” Pancho said as we made our way to the visitor’s center and stood in front of a photo of César Chávez.
“You’d be surprised. We’ve had people from all over. We’ve had people from Europe, from Canada, from Mexico,” Maria said. “We have little papers [in the visitor’s center] where people can write messages about their visit here. Some of them, you know, make you want to cry. Some of them make you laugh. I like to read all those messages.”
During our conversation at the National Monument, Maria shared that she is local to Kern County, having grown up in Delano as the daughter of migrant farmworkers.
I asked her if her formative years in Delano added an extra layer of importance for her as a volunteer today at the Cesar Chavez National Monument.
She responded thoughtfully, saying, “Yes, it does. Because I was brought up, during the summer break, I didn’t go [on vacation]. My dad sent us out to work in the fields,” Maria said. “It’s important to me to get the word out. We–things weren’t always painted as pretty as they are now. There was always a struggle. A lot of our heritage came from people who struggled and worked hard to give us what we have today.” Maria and Pancho encourage their Kern County neighbors to travel to the César Cháve National Monument to learn more about the history of the site. Plus, they say they are looking for volunteers to help out around the property. If that sounds like something you’re interested in, the National Monument staff says to contact volunteer.gov or call (661) 823-6134.
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