In Yuma, Arizona on the date of 1927 on March 31st Librado and Juana Chavez would have never imagined that their second born Cesar Estrada Chavez would become one of the most recognized figures in the United States in years to come. The first decade of Cesar's young life was spent on the family farm and around the small grocery store owned by the family.
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| Rita and Cesar Chavez during their first communion |
However that life would be short lived when the
Great Depression struck the US forcing Cesar's family to pack up their belongings after losing their farm and store. Soon after losing everything and packing up the Chavez family becoming farm workers moving all over the country from farm to farm. After attending many schools while working with his parents on farms in California he stopped going to school after 8th grade.
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| Chavez Family in front of car |
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| Migrant workers picking lettuce |
Migrant farm workers would move all over picking peas during the winter months, cherries in the spring, grapes in the summer and cotton during the fall. Housing was horrible due to moving around families would sometimes live in rundown cardboard shacks or even in their cars that they had one. The wages earned by each migrant worker were low and conditions to work weren't as safe as one would like.
Cesar left school in 8th grade after his father suffered an accident and not wanting his mother to work he set out as a migrant worker. During his life Cesar's father had opened his eyes to the world that many migrant workers faced such as poor working conditions and prejudice, his father also taught him to value hard work. While working alongside some of his brothers and sisters as a full-time worker he noticed how workers were being exploited by those in charge. Not wanting to stay quiet Chavez let his voice be heard however others too afraid to be fired stayed quiet. This could be thought of the start his journey to acquire freedom for labor workers.
When Cesar was 17 he enlisted in the US Navy and served as a deckhand in 1944.
World War 2 was over in 1945, he was discharged the following year and went back to being a migrant worker.
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| Chavez (second from left)shown with buddies |
After coming back from being in the US Navy, Cesar married his high school sweetheart Helen Fabela. Helen was a great support for him during his life as an activist. They had 8 children over the years. The Community Service Organization(CSO) was the start of Chavez's mission to achieve better wages and work conditions for migrant workers. Fred Ross was a great influence for Chavez after he arrived looking to recruit people to help with immigration and tax problems alongside the CSO. Chavez soon became president of CSO but resigned in 1962 when his request to organize farm workers was turned down. He then started his own union called National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) becoming its president and Dolores Huerta and Gilbert Padilla as it's vice-presidents. He visited many farms and talked to the farm workers there, listening to their problems in the fields.
The first meeting was held in Fresno, California with 300 members where the NFWA flag was chosen as well as their motto. Their flag was red with a white circle and an Aztec eagle in it's center. The eagle helped those of Latino decent identify themselves with their roots and to symbolize pride. their motto was Viva La Causa or Long live the Cause.
In 1965 the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee went on strike when Filipino workers started to demand higher wages and living conditions for grape growers. On September 16, eight days later the NFWA joined the AWOC strike against grape growers. Together these two unions started strikes against the buying of grapes. Later on the AWOC signed contracts with the NFWA who would join together to form the United Farmworkers Union (UFW). Strikers took a pledge of nonviolence during demonstrations and marches. A march was held from Delano to Sacramento in 1966 for the strike against grapes.
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| Last day of Cesar's 36 day fast from left: Helen Chavez, Sen. Robert Kennedy, and Cesar Chavez |
Cesar made many fasts to ensure that farmworkers wouldn't use violence in demonstrations. His first fast was in 1968 for 25 days only drinking water, later in 1972 for 24 days. In 1973, Chavez called off a strike after many were shot, beaten, and killed he then called for a nationwide strike on grapes forcing grape owners to support the 1975 Agricultural Labor Relations Act. In 1984 another strike was held against the use of pesticides poisoning on workers and children. Again Cesar fasted for 36 days in 1988 Ethel Reagan and many other celebrities joined him with supporters on his last day of fasting. He then handed over a wooden cross to Rev. Jesse Jackson who continued Cesar's fast for 3 more days and passed the fast onto others.
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| Propaganda to protest buying lettuce and grapes |
Cesar continued doing many things for farmworkers especially Mexican American farmworkers. In 1990 he signed an agreement with the Mexican government letting migrant workers in the US provide medical benefits for family in Mexico. In 1992, he led walk outs from vineyards that led to industry wide increase in wages. On November 12,1990 Cesar received the highest civilian award from the president of Mexico, the Aguila Azteca(Aztec Eagle).
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| Cesar's casket was made from plain pine |
Cesar Chavez died peacefully in his sleep on April 23, 1993 however his legacy still lives on roughly a decade after his death. Thanks to his commitment and hard work farmworkers now receive good pay, affordable health insurance, and they don't face harsh work discrimination.
