"Si, Se Puede"

(March 31, 1927 - April 23, 1993)

http://chavez.cde.ca.gov (all pictures)

Family Life:

Cesar Chavez was born in Saint Louis, Arizona on a farm that had been in his family since his grandfather migrated to the US from Mexico.  In Chaves's youth, he worked on his family's farm and in their store while attending school.  Once the Great Depression hit, they lost the farm and Chavez had to work as a migrant farmer to help support his family.  His support became crucial after his father was seriously injured in a car accident sortly after Chavez finished the 8th grade.  Once Chavez was 18, he joined the US Navy in order to serve his country in World War II.  When He returned from the war, he marriend Helen Fabela and eventually had eight children who went on to bless them with thrity-one grandchildren.

Education:

Cesar Chaves's parents knew the importance of a good education.  They sent him to a school that only spoke English so that he was forced to become bilingual.  The classes and teachers were firm with Cesar about speaking Spanish at school.  Eventually he learned to speak, read, and write in English.  His uncle then taught him to write in Spanish.  Cesar Finished the 8th grade before having to quit school to help support his family.  Cesar's Grandmother Tella gave him and his siblings a strict religious upbringing.  She taught them the importance of faith and how to keep it in tough times.

Early Activism:

Chavez and his wife taught immigrants how to read, write, and speak English.  They taught this with the hopes of helping to gain more voters from the migrant farm population.  In order to make these dreams a reality, they held voter registration drives from new American citizens.  During this time, he joined the Community Service Organization.  This group helped farm works of the time battle racial and economical discrimination against Chicano residents.  Once he joined this organization, Chavez met Dolores Huerta, another prominent figure in the civil rights reform of migrant farm workers.

BoyCotts and Strikes:

Once allied with Dolores Huerta, the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) was born.  This organization fought for better working conditions and wages for farm workers.  They then worked together to illustrate a boycott of lettuce and grapes because of the use of harmful pesticides.  These pesticides were causing the farm workers many different health issues and the companies were refusing to acknowledge and help fund the families.  Bumper stickers were issued out around California that said "No Grapes" or "No Uvas" to show support of the protest.  The grape boycott lasted five years.  In that time, many of Chavez's constituants, along with himself, were thrown in jail for disobeying a judical order that portained to the boycott.  Even though Chavez preached non-violence like the man he admired, Gandhi, some of the protest became bloody.  To prove his intent to keep these protests non-violent, Chavez fasted for twenty-five days in February of 1968.  This gets investigators attention and full scale investigation of the harmfull pesticides begins.

Other interesting facts:

• 1973- US Supreme Court  ruled that the short-handed hoe was unlawful
• 1973- United Farm Workers held first convention
• 1992- Chavez directed a march of over 10,000 workers through the Salinas Vally for better working conditions
• 1993- After fasting for a few days, Chavez past away in his sleep
• 2000- California Legislature made March 31 Cesar Chavez day, a paid holiday

 Named in His Honor:

• 2006- Governor Schwarzenegger inducted Chavez into the California Hall of Fame , Robinson, Jackie was also inducted in 2007·
• 2005- Grand Rapids, Michigan I-196 Highway renamed “Cesar E Chavez Blvd”
• 2005- AFSC nominated Chavez three times for the Nobel Peace Prize
• 2003- Honored with a Postage Stamp                                                                           http://www.enchantedlearning.com/history/us/hispanicamerican/chavez/                                
• 1994- Awarded Medal of Freedom by Bill Clinton, highest award given to civilians                                   www.medaloffreedom.com
• 1992- Awarded the 'Pacem in Terris' Award by Pope John XXIII
• March 31, Chavez’s birthday,  is a state holiday in California

Cesar Chavez Sources and WorkSheet QuestionsBack to List of Prominent Individuals

Page created by:  Alex S

Avon High School, Avon, Indiana

Date created: 4-3-2008

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