Cesar Chavez

Cesar Chavez

Who is my hero? Well my hero is Cesar Chavez. He’s is my hero because he helped farm workers get rights. He wanted rights for the migrant farm workers that worked in grape plantations. He did things to help workers get benefits as they worked in the plantations. He did protest to get the benefits. He did a hunger strike that lasted weeks and he did the famous The Grape Boycott that was the longest protest in the American history. The president, John F. Kennedy, invited him to the White House to talk about the benefits that the farm workers should have.

He was born in Yuma, Arizona. His family owned a farm, shop and a pool hall. Hi father made a business deal with a neighbor who did not keep his promise and they lost their property. Then the Great Depression hit and there were no jobs. They moved to California for better work. He lived in many places because his parents moved from place to place looking for jobs so he didn’t stay in school that much. He didn’t stay in school only to the eight grades and left to work full time. He worked to keep what his family had. He had six sisters and two brothers.

He started to stand up for what he believed when the growers started spraying pesticides while the farm workers were getting he grapes. This angered Caesar and he would call out huelga, meaning "strike" in Spanish. He would do hunger strikes to get attention and other things to help farm workers live. Growers would pay less then minimum wages. He entered the navy in WW2. He was honorably discharged and went back home to Delano where he married Helen Fabela and they were happy. They had six children and were happy.

He started a group called CSO and became head director. Then he left because they refused to do nonviolent strikes and made NFWA. He founded it with 1 thousand dollars that he had in his account. He then convinced the AFL-CIO and made the largest union to make a strike. He went from Delano all the way to Sacramento. He used a cane all the way. Then a person who he never thought gave him his help. The current senator Robert F. Kennedy supported him. Caesar got a powerful ally.

Cesar Chavez died in his sleep at the age of 66, near Yuma, Arizona. He died a successful man. He always stood for what he believed and never fought back in a violent way, always in a peaceful way. He was a happy for what he did. That is why my hero is Caesar Chavez. When he died they buried him a pine coffin that his brother made. They had a nice funeral and he has buried.