Cesar Chavez

CESAR CHAVEZ

Note:

Red : Subject

Green : Verb

"He faced strong, often violent, opposition without violence. And he was victorious. Cesar Chavez left our world better than he found it. And his work encourages us still. He was, for his own people, a leader to freedom. Farm workers in the fields wanted to gain respect and support themselves. They looked for hope to this man. Cesar Chavez had faith and worked hard. With gentleness and amazing inner strength, he led a very courageous life."

These are the words of President Bill Clinton of the United States. He was speaking in 1994 about a man named Cesar Chavez. Clinton awarded Chavez the Presidential Medal of Freedom. By that time, Chavez had died. But his example continues to encourage thousands of people. Today’s Spotlight is on Cesar Chavez and his fight for farm worker’s r ights.

Cesar Estrada Chavez was born in Arizona in the United States in 1927. When Chavez was 10 years old, his family had to leave their farm and house. They became migrant farm workers in the state of California. There were many families like the Chavez family. Many of these farm workers were from Mexico. In California, they moved from farm to farm. They worked for a short time at each place. Cesar Chavez went to 37 different schools. And at age thirteen he left school completely. Instead, he worked like an adult on a farm, to make money for his family.

At that time, farm workers like Chavez were not treated well. Almost all of them were very poor. The employers who owned the farms did not pay them much money. Adults and children often worked many hours a day in very bad conditions. The workers’ homes had no electricity or running water. Some farm owners even used chemicals on the fields while the workers were there. This was very dangerous for the workers’ health.

Chavez wanted to better conditions for all farm workers. He began to work with more and more people. Chavez found that the way to make a change was to help people to work together. When workers came together as a group they had more power. Chavez said:

"I had a dream that the only reason the employers were so powerful was that we were weak. We could somehow begin to develop some strength among ourselves. Then we could begin to equal that, balancing their power in farming."

Chavez encouraged farm workers to demand rights such as fair pay and education for their children. He also wanted to change some laws. At this time it was illegal for farm workers to join a union. These groups work for better treatment of workers. Chavez fought very hard to form a farm workers union. But this fight was not violent. Chavez only used peaceful methods. Chavez said:

"Non-violence is a very powerful weapon. Most people do not understand the power of non-violence. Those who have been involved see the difference between violence and non-violence. We are deeply committed to a lifetime of non-violence. It is not easy, but it is an effective and very powerful way."

In 1962 Chavez formed the National Farm Workers Association. They did many non-violent actions such as demonstrating and marching. Because of these actions, many people learned about farm workers’ problems. Chavez became famous for his fasting. He would not eat for many days. Once Chavez went for over 30 days without food. This made people see that Chavez and the workers were serious about change.

One of the National Farm Workers Association’s most successful actions was a boycott. This is when people stop using a service or stop buying something. Boycotts often make business owners lose money. A boycott can force a business to make a change. In 1965 Chavez organized a boycott of grapes. Farm workers picked this round sweet fruit. But the workers wanted people to see their bad living conditions. They wanted the farm owners to pay and treat them fairly.

So they began to march and hold up signs. They told people about the poor conditions of the farm workers. They asked people to boycott, or stop buying, grapes. And many people joined them. This forced the farm owners to make a deal with the farm workers. The workers won the right to higher pay and other forms of protection. They also won their right to come together to form a union.

The grape boycott was a big success for Cesar Chavez. But he gave the credit to all the people who worked together. Chavez was encouraged by the farm workers who worked so hard.

                                            

My resume of Cesar Chavez :

Cesar Chavez was a farmers, civil right activist and co-founded from the national farm workers association in 1962. He was born in Arizona in US in 1927. President United States was Bill Clinton awarded Cesar Chaves the presidential medal of freedom. Chavez and his family had to leave their farm and house when he was 10 years old. In The State of California, Chavez’s family became migrant of the farm workers. Many family like Chavez’s family in there. Most of farm workers in there, come from Mexico. They moved farm to farm and worked for a short time at each place in California. When he was 13, he left his school completely. To make money for his family, he worked like an adult in the farm.

Most of all The farm workers like Chavez, they were very poor and not treated well. They didn’t given much money by their employers farm. Children and adult  worked in very bad condition and often worked for many hours a day. No electricity or running water in The worker’s home. When the workers were there, some the farm owners even used chemical on their field, and it wasn’t good and very dangerous for the workers’ health.

Better conditions for the all workers was Chavez wanted.  He began to work with more people and he make a change was to help the people to work together. The workers had a power when they work together as a group. He encouraged the workers to demand their right such as fair and education for their children. Chavez wanted to change laws because an illegal for the farm workers to join a union. He fought very hard to make a farm workers union without violent but use peaceful methods. The National Farm Workers Association was formed by Chavez in 1962. They did demonstrating and marching action and nothing violence. Many people learned farm workers’ problems cause of  these action. He wouldn’t eat food over 30 days. Because his fasting, he became famous. And many people see that Chavez and the workers were serious about the change.

The most successful action of The National Farm Workers Association was a boycott.  A boycott grapes was organized by Chavez in 1965. They told to everyone about the poor conditions of farm workers and asked to boycott or stop buying grapes.  So many people joined with them . And finally, the boycott was a success. The workers won the right to higher pay, right to come together to form a union, and other forms of protection.