Cesar Chavez

“Heroic Figure of Our Time”

Photo by Caliosphere

Humble Beginnings

• Cesar Chavez was born March 31, 1927 in Yuma, AZ to Librado and Juana Chavez. He was the second oldest of 6 children.

“Destiny” by Leo Limon

Photo by Caliosphere

Family Suffers During the Depression

• The Chavez family owned a ranch but during the Depression they lost their land, and in 1937 they moved to California to find work in the fields.

• Migrant farm workers are people who travel around to find work.

• Cesar’s family worked on farms in California.

• They moved often.

Chavez Family Moves to California

The Chavez family worked very hard picking fruits and vegetables. They moved from farm to farm, and Cesar attended more than 30 schools before leaving school at age 15.

Farm workers picking celery, Chula Vista Photo by Caliosphere

World War II

• Cesar joined the navy in 1944. When he returned to California he began working in the fields again.

• The conditions for farm workers were very poor.

• The work was very hard and the pay was low.

After World War II • Cesar returned to California, married Helen

Fabela in 1948, worked registering Mexican Americans to vote in San Jose in 1952. He moved to Oakland in 1954 while continuing his work with Community Service Organization (CSO).

Post-war Oakland, CA

Photo from Caliosphere

Early Career

• Cesar tried to get better conditions for his fellow workers.

• Cesar began to travel around and give speeches.

• He tried to unite the farm workers.

Birth of the NFWA

• While working for CSO, Cesar’s interest in the plight of Mexican American farm workers led him to organize them into the National Farm Workers Association, which had 1,000 members by 1964.

• The United Farm Workers went on strike to try to get better pay and better working conditions.

• The strike lasted 5 years.

Grape Boycotts • Beginning in the 1960s, Cesar led boycotts

against buying grapes to help improve working conditions and pay for workers. One boycott lasted 5 years.

Poster from Grape Boycott

Image from Caliosphere

California Labor Relations Act • Cesar’s work led to the passage of legislation

titled California Labor Relations Act, the first law to recognize the right of farm workers to organize into unions in 1975. It was signed by Governor Jerry Brown.

Gov. Jerry Brown 1970

Photo from Caliosphere

Hunger Strike

• In 1968 Cesar Chavez went on a fast to call attention to the farm workers problems.

• A fast is when someone doesn’t eat.

• He fasted for 25 days.

• He wanted to show the workers that they could make a change without using violence.

• In the early 1970’s the United Farm Workers organized strikes and boycotts.

• These strikes and boycotts led to better working conditions and better pay for many migrant workers.

Cesar in Action

Chavez, Cesar: United Farm Workers of America. Video. Encyclopædia Britannica

Online School Edition. Web. 13 Oct. 2010 <http://school.eb.com/eb/art-127458>.

One Man’s Life Makes A World of Difference

• Cesar Chavez died April 23, 1993. Tens of thousands of people attended his funeral. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, in 1994.

Chavez in Day of the Dead Ofrenda

Image from Caliosphere