"Sí Se Puede" sign at a Venezuelan sit-inTenerife demonstrators carrying『Sí se puede』signs
"Sí, se puede" (Spanish for "Yes, you can";[1]pronounced[ˈsiseˈpwe.ðe]) is the motto of the United Farm Workers of America, and has since been taken up by other activist groups. UFW co-founder Dolores Huerta created the phrase in 1972 during César Chávez's 25-day fast in Phoenix, Arizona.[1][2][3]『Sí se puede』has long been a UFW guiding principle that has inspired the accomplishment of goals. The phrase is a federally registered trademark of the UFW. It has been widely adopted by other labor unions and civil rights organizations, and drew widespread political and media attention as a rallying cry during the U.S. immigration reform protests.[4][5]
The slogan has also been used in other countries, such as Spain and Venezuela.
"Sí se puede" is usually translated in English as "It can be done", or "Yes you can". The more literal translation that the United Farm Workers uses is "Yes, it can be done!"[6][7]
After AeroMexico, a Mexican airline, had filed a trademark application for『Sí se puede』with the US Trademark Office, lawyers for the United Farm Workers defended the phrase as the intellectual property of the UFW. After litigation, AeroMexico agreed not to use the phrase and abandoned its trademark application.[1]
^"The earth is shaking as immigrants rise up around the country with their voices singing "Sí se puede"—Yes, we can. This uprising is in the best tradition of the American Dream and the civil rights struggle for freedom."
Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. (August 13, 2006). ""Sí Se Puede" Means "We Shall Overcome"". Motion Magazine.
