Gen Z’s brainwash over this federal holiday September 6, 2021 Surfers dotted the rolling horizon and couples and college friends spread along the Malibu sand on the first Monday of September. Some reclined under striped umbrellas with cracked beer cans while others played beach volleyball. They were enjoying the final day of Labor Day weekend.
Many students see the holiday as a day off from school but do not recognize it as an opportunity to honor the nation’s workers. The standards of living such as the eight-hour work day and quality of education are taken for granted.
“I know my parents, aunts, and uncles didn’t have to work,” said Juliana Angel, an LMU sophomore majoring in political science, on a trip with her roommates to Malibu Creek Rock Pools and Malibu Beach. “It was nice that they got a day off, but I know that there are people who work in agriculture and factories who don’t get the day off even though we are supposed to be celebrating the efforts of everyone.”
Angel addressed whether or not her activities carried out the purpose of Labor Day. “If the purpose of the day is to celebrate people who work, I did not celebrate them.” Younger generations have less to say about the holiday since by the time they are mature enough to appreciate its significance, classroom learning objectives do not include discussion of Labor Day.
“I probably learned about Labor Day in elementary school,” said Angel, “but if I did, I forgot the story.” Labor Day is one of the few federal holidays that does not associate with any rituals like Thanksgiving or Christmas Day, which could be part of the reason why young Americans have a minimal or confused perception of it. Labor Day is meant to recognize the achievements of workers and leaders who keep the country strong.
According to New York City’s Central Labor Union, who celebrated the first Labor Day in 1882, the purpose of the celebration was for different types of American workers to gather and recognize their common interests. Organizers not only battled for more days off, but also for shorter eight-hour workdays. They demanded to raise the safety standards of factories and address their tribulations. One way the working class would utilize their day off was to use their wages to buy services and products of other businesses.
For the ones swimming in money and time, they may use Labor Day to run errands or take a vacation which both rely on labor of people the holiday was originally meant to celebrate.
The spirit of Labor Day has diminished as the issues the working class sought to end have returned. Professional and managerial workers are highly connected to their work and drive themselves toward financial success. These money-hungry workers will pass on a day off on which they could be making money. Generation Z blindly accepts this brainwash that people should keep working to get this bread, to support a living.
Perhaps if schools recall and emphasize the foundations of Labor Day in the classroom, students could observe their day off mindfully.
Maria Hernandez is a communications organizer from Unite Here! Local 11, a labor union that represents over 32,000 workers in hotels, restaurants, airports, sports arenas, and convention centers across Southern California and Arizona. Hernandez was 19 when she became involved in the union and previously didn’t know what a union was.
Hernandez expressed, in order to appreciate the concepts and ideals of Labor Day, “It doesn’t just come down to the day. On the day there are events you can go to to honor workers and what labor has done for our country, but [young people] can get involved right now. Our union has a lot of things students can get involved in. They could learn what they could do to make a better workforce so that when they enter, it’s not all bad.”
Union involvement could unlock the opportunity for younger people to develop themselves and others into leaders in the workplace and the community.
Hernandez stated that labor is relevant to students even without work experience because, “If you eat at the cafeteria and see the people that serve or cook your food, or the drivers that shuttle you around campus, you see how you are affected by labor.” She concluded, “When service workers are treated well and have what they need, they can better provide service to students.”
By learning the stories of laborers who serve them, the younger generation can recognize labor rights and continue the movement to fight for them.
“Storytelling is a crucial part of our society and I get to share the stories of our members with the world,” said Hernandez. “Having people for a moment really pay attention and care about [our workers] is great, because our country cannot survive without labor.”
Juliana Angel – [email protected]
Maria Hernandez – [email protected]