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Cesar Chavez

by Peter from Boca Raton

“The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people.”
On the cover of Time Magazine (http://btx3.wordpress.com/2009/07/19/new-jim-crow-conservative-try-to-remove-cesar-chavez-and-thurgood-marshall-from-history-books/)
On the cover of Time Magazine (http://btx3.wordpress.com/2009/07/19/new-jim-crow-conservative-try-to-remove-cesar-chavez-and-thurgood-marshall-from-history-books/)

There are many different expressions of discrimination in this world. Some examples of discrimination are racism towards minorities. One specific form of this discrimination is against poor migrant farm workers, which continues in the United States although the discrimination and conditions for migrant workers have been improved due to one man’s determination. Cesar Chavez was a migrant worker who fought for the rights of all the migrant farm workers that were discriminated against and had to work under harsh conditions.

Photo of Chavez during Cesar Chavez Day. ( http://laprensa-sandiego.org/archieve/march29-02/020329.html)
Photo of Chavez during Cesar Chavez Day. ( http://laprensa-sandiego.org/archieve/march29-02/020329.html)

Cesar Chavez was a great civil rights leader, although much of his childhood was spent as a poor migrant worker. Cesar Chavez was born March 31, 1927 in Arizona and his parents became migrant farm workers when he was 10. Cesar Chavez only got an eighth grade education, and he attended more than thirty elementary and middle schools as his parents moved from farm to farm for work. After eighth grade, he became a migrant farm worker to help support his family after his father lost his farm. Migrant farm workers are still the poorest workers in the United States. Farm owners pay the adult migrant farm workers so little that the migrant farm workers start their children working in the field at nine or ten years of age. The migrant workers have to move from farm to farm looking for work so their kids rarely can get an education. The farm owners do not provide any health care benefits and provide shacks for the migrant farm workers to live in.

Giving a speech for the Migrant workers. (http://laprensa-sandiego.org/archieve/march29-02/020329.html)
Giving a speech for the Migrant workers. (http://laprensa-sandiego.org/archieve/march29-02/020329.html)

Cesar Chavez was a great communicator who led the first successful migrant farm workers union in American history. Despite only getting an eighth grade education, he continued to educate himself by reading newspapers and books giving him great communication skills. His great communication skills inspired millions of Americans to seek civil rights for the poor Latino farm workers. His communication skills made him a great leader who kept the farm workers union together for thirty years.

boycotting with a crowd of farm workers. (http://www.judyflemingcoss.com/OilGallery.html)
boycotting with a crowd of farm workers. (http://www.judyflemingcoss.com/OilGallery.html)

Cesar Chavez used nonviolent methods to change society like Martin Luther King. Passive resistance is a method of nonviolent protest against laws or policies in order to force a change or secure concessions, and Cesar Chavez lived by passive resistance. He coordinated voter registration for poor Latino farm workers so they could gain political power. Cesar organized strikes to get poor farm workers higher wages. He went on a nonviolent hunger strike for thirty-six days to get poor Latino farm workers medical care benefits

In the fields full of the workers he protected. (http://www.judyflemingcoss.com/OilGallery.html)
In the fields full of the workers he protected. (http://www.judyflemingcoss.com/OilGallery.html)

Cesar Chavez’s hero was St. Francis of Assisi who believed every person on earth should have equal rights. Cesar Chavez believed that poor Latino farm workers should not be taken advantage of economically by rich farm owners. Farm workers were forced to work twelve hours days using toxic pesticides that can cause diseases. They were paid so little that many families were forced to live in their old cars. Cesar Chavez had the Latino farm workers refuse to work until basic safe working conditions and better wages were given to the poor farm workers. Cesar Chavez organized nationwide boycotts of poor workers worldwide would have worldwide equal rights for all human beings.

Cesar Chavez got the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in America because he fought against farm owners to end economic discrimination against poor farm workers. Because of Cesar Chavez, there is now federal law that makes it illegal for farm owners to exploit children under twelve as migrant workers. Migrant farm workers are still exploited within the United States and outside the United States so Cesar Chavez dream of fair treatment to all human beings has not come true yet.

Page created on 4/27/2010 11:44:06 AM

Last edited 4/27/2010 11:44:06 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.

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Recommeded books:
Remember Cesar: The Legacy Of Cesar Chavez Author: Ann Mcgregor