Dolores Huerta: Sanders organizers shouted ‘English only’ at casino caucus site

By Dan Merica, CNN
Updated 10:54 PM EST, Sat February 20, 2016
Dolores Huerta is a labor leader and civil rights activist who co-founded the National Farmworkers Association with Cesar Chavez. Huerta is still active politically and continues to serve as a role model in the Latino community. Here Huerta poses for photographers at the Hispanic Heritage Awards on September 7, 2000, in Washington, D.C. Huerta won the award in the field of leadership.
Political activist Dolores Huerta —
Dolores Huerta is a labor leader and civil rights activist who co-founded the National Farmworkers Association with Cesar Chavez. Huerta is still active politically and continues to serve as a role model in the Latino community. Here Huerta poses for photographers at the Hispanic Heritage Awards on September 7, 2000, in Washington, D.C. Huerta won the award in the field of leadership.
Michael Smith/Newsmakers/Getty images
Huerta sits in 2003 with California first lady Sharon Davis, right, and Rep. Hilda L. Solis as democratic presidential hopeful the Rev. Al Sharpton speaks at a media conference at California State University in Los Angeles.
Political activist Dolores Huerta —
Huerta sits in 2003 with California first lady Sharon Davis, right, and Rep. Hilda L. Solis as democratic presidential hopeful the Rev. Al Sharpton speaks at a media conference at California State University in Los Angeles.
David McNew/Getty Images
California Gov. Gray Davis shares a moment with Huerta after thousands of immigrants, union members and supporters marched down Market Street in San Francisco during a send-off event for the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride, a national movement to build support for reform of U.S. immigration policy on September 20, 2003.
Political activist Dolores Huerta —
California Gov. Gray Davis shares a moment with Huerta after thousands of immigrants, union members and supporters marched down Market Street in San Francisco during a send-off event for the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride, a national movement to build support for reform of U.S. immigration policy on September 20, 2003.
David Paul Morris/Getty Images
Huerta gives a speech at the "Lift Ev'ry Vote" Hollywood fundraiser for Democratic presidential frontrunner John Kerry on May 22, 2004, at the home of Michael Keegan in Los Angeles.
Political activist Dolores Huerta —
Huerta gives a speech at the "Lift Ev'ry Vote" Hollywood fundraiser for Democratic presidential frontrunner John Kerry on May 22, 2004, at the home of Michael Keegan in Los Angeles.
Amanda Edwards/Getty Images/Getty Images
Huerta arrives at the 2005 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year tribute dinner at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel on November 1, 2005, in Beverly Hills.
Political activist Dolores Huerta —
Huerta arrives at the 2005 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year tribute dinner at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel on November 1, 2005, in Beverly Hills.
Vince Bucci/Getty Images
Huerta nominates Sen. Hillary Clinton for U.S. president during day three of the Democratic National Convention in 2008 in Denver. Barack Obama was officially nominated as the Democratic candidate on the last day of the four-day convention.
Political activist Dolores Huerta —
Huerta nominates Sen. Hillary Clinton for U.S. president during day three of the Democratic National Convention in 2008 in Denver. Barack Obama was officially nominated as the Democratic candidate on the last day of the four-day convention.
Mark Wilson/Getty Images
Huerta looks at a mural of the late Cesar Chavez during a 2008 dedication of the Cesar Chavez Monument on the San Jose State University campus in San Jose, California.
Political activist Dolores Huerta —
Huerta looks at a mural of the late Cesar Chavez during a 2008 dedication of the Cesar Chavez Monument on the San Jose State University campus in San Jose, California.
Paul Sakuma/AP
Huerta attends the 24th Annual IMAGEN Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on August 21, 2009, in Beverly Hills.
Political activist Dolores Huerta —
Huerta attends the 24th Annual IMAGEN Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on August 21, 2009, in Beverly Hills.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Image
Huerta poses with L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and actress Eva Longoria at the Hollywood Reporter's philanthropist of the year award reception on November 16, 2009, in Los Angeles.
Political activist Dolores Huerta —
Huerta poses with L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and actress Eva Longoria at the Hollywood Reporter's philanthropist of the year award reception on November 16, 2009, in Los Angeles.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Huerta speaks alongside United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez, as well as Fernando Chavez and Paul Chavez, sons of civil rights activist Cesar Chavez outside the White House on March 31, 2010. President Barack Obama signed a proclamation designating March 31 as Cesar Chavez Day
Political activist Dolores Huerta —
Huerta speaks alongside United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez, as well as Fernando Chavez and Paul Chavez, sons of civil rights activist Cesar Chavez outside the White House on March 31, 2010. President Barack Obama signed a proclamation designating March 31 as Cesar Chavez Day
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
President Obama presents Huerta with a Presidential Medal of Freedom in the East Room of the White House on May 29, 2012.
Political activist Dolores Huerta —
President Obama presents Huerta with a Presidential Medal of Freedom in the East Room of the White House on May 29, 2012.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Huerta poses with Tallahassee City Commissioner Andrew Gillum and People for the American Way President Michael Keegan at the DNC on September 4, 2012, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Political activist Dolores Huerta —
Huerta poses with Tallahassee City Commissioner Andrew Gillum and People for the American Way President Michael Keegan at the DNC on September 4, 2012, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Michael Strider/Getty Images
Huerta attends Voto Latino's Purple Carpet Bash at All American Pub on September 5, 2012, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Political activist Dolores Huerta —
Huerta attends Voto Latino's Purple Carpet Bash at All American Pub on September 5, 2012, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Ken Charnock/Getty Images
Huerta speaks at the National Women's History Museum during an event honoring Huerta and Jennifer Siebel Newson on October 25, 2012, in Los Angeles.
Political activist Dolores Huerta —
Huerta speaks at the National Women's History Museum during an event honoring Huerta and Jennifer Siebel Newson on October 25, 2012, in Los Angeles.
Todd Oren/Getty Images for NWHM
Huerta and former editor of Le Monde Diplomatique Ignacio Ramonet speak during a news conference about the Cuban Five at the National Press Club on May 30, 2013, in Washington. The news conference was the kickoff event for "5 Days for the Cuban Five in Washington, D.C." organized by the International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban 5 and the Institute for Policy Studies.
Political activist Dolores Huerta —
Huerta and former editor of Le Monde Diplomatique Ignacio Ramonet speak during a news conference about the Cuban Five at the National Press Club on May 30, 2013, in Washington. The news conference was the kickoff event for "5 Days for the Cuban Five in Washington, D.C." organized by the International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban 5 and the Institute for Policy Studies.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Political activist Dolores Huerta

Story highlights

Dolores Huerta is a civil rights leader and a Hillary Clinton supporter

Huerta says Bernie Sanders supporters chanted "English only" when she tried to translate at a Nevada caucus site

Las Vegas CNN  — 

Dolores Huerta, a civil rights leader and Hillary Clinton supporter, told CNN that when she tried to help translate at a casino caucus site Saturday, organizers from Bernie Sanders’ campaign began shouting “English only.”

CNN caught up with Huerta after Clinton’s victory party.

“What happened is the person who was running the caucus said we need a translator and he said the first person that comes to the stage can be the translator, so I walked up to the front and then some of the organizers, the Bernie organizers, decided to shout ‘no, no, no.’ Then a Bernie person stood up and said, I can also do translation. So then the person running the caucus said we won’t have a translator.”

She added, “Then some of the organizers were shouting ‘English only, English only.’ This is bad.”

Huerta clarified that exchange on Twitter.

“I offered to translate & Bernie supporters chanted English only! We fought too long & hard to be silenced,” Huerta tweeted.

When asked about the incident, Sanders campaign press secretary Symone Sanders said the campaign was about “bringing people together.”

“As the senator has said, this campaign is about bringing people together not dividing them,” she said. “We expect our supporters to be respectful of all people and don’t condone anything otherwise.”

Huerta said the chanting made her feel “bad” because she and other civil rights leaders “have fought for many decades so we that we can have bilingual translations and to have people’s rights respected.”

“It is kind of (a) crash-and-burn strategy,” she added about the Sanders organizers. “It is like if we can’t have it our way, we shouldn’t have it all and they weren’t respecting the rights of those workers.”

The chants went viral on Saturday after actress America Ferrera, another Clinton supporter, tweeted about them.

Clinton defeated Sanders in Saturday’s Nevada caucuses.

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