Cesar Chavez has been known as one of Venezuela’s brightest stars and over the years he has worked hard and assiduously to create a country which is not constantly exploited by barons and international oligarchies (California Department of Education, 2009).
He founded a broad coalition of civil rights called the Community Service Organization which eventually became the United Farm Workers movement. His work with the CSo demonstrated his strong commitment to civil rights and to the betterment of his fellow co workers who were being constantly and consistently exploited.
He was consistent in the upholding of the rights of workers particularly in US states with large Hispanic communities such as Florida and California where workers were continually and consistently exploited especially on large farms and plantations.
Chavez was strong in the creation of the American Farm union and his tactics of non violent protests and strikes worked consistently to create a situation where the same Mexican-Americans were not exploited. However the situation turned consistently bad for several farm workers in the 1970’s who experienced lockouts and other forms of abuse and it was up to Chavez to organize proceedings.
Chavez, who was a Mexican American worked quite hard and assiduously to create the National farmers Union and was very much an iconic figure amongst the Mexican American Community. He adopted strong arm tactics in certain situations but was mostly focused on non violence and was also an iconic figure for the American labor movement as a whole.
United Farm Workers
The Delano Grape Strike which took place on September 8 1965 was an important event which put Cesar Chavez on the American labor map. He used the United Farmers Union to work as much as possible to encourage Americans to boycott as much table grapes as possible thus creating a situation where the workers could earn a better pay packet and also improve their rather horrific working conditions.
Other important events where movements in Southern Texas in 1966 as well as the Salad bowl strike in the early 1970’s which was touted as the largest strike in US farm history and which succeeded in winning higher wages for grape and lettuce growers in the United States. Chavez was instrumental in organizing the strike and protest movements and through all his actions he managed to secure a better deal for several of the striking workers. He even won the support of major political figures such as Robert Kennedy who also supported the striking workers during the campaign for President.
Chavez was however also controversial on certain issues such as his support for the Filippino President Marcos which even caused a rift in his own organization which led to some resignations and the subsequent weakening of the American Farmers Union.
Legacy:
Cesar Chavez is still seen as an important and iconic figure for the Latino American community and will continue to be seen as so as he has left a consistent legacy. Chavez worked hard to better the living conditions of all Latino Americans and through his work in the Community service Organization and the American Farmers Union he managed to change the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals who otherwise did not have much of a chance in life (PBS, 2009). He will be consistently be seen as an individual who worked tirelessly for the betterment of his fellow men.
Works Cited:
"Cesar Chavez Grows Up". America's Library
Quinones, Sam (2011-07-28). "Richard Chavez dies at 81; brother of Cesar Chavez". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011-07-30.
"The Story of Cesar Chavez". United Farm Workers. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
"An American Hero – The Biography of César E. Chávez". California Department of Education. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
Haugen, Brenda. Cesar Chavez: Crusader for Social Change. Compass Point Books. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
Tejada-Flores, Rick. "The Fight in the Fields – Cesar Chávez and the Farmworkers Struggle". Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
Linda Chavez Rodriguez http://www.lasculturas.com/lib/newsUFWLindaChavez.htm
U.S. Department of Labor - Labor Hall of Fame - Cesar Chavez
"People & Events: Cesar Chavez (1927–1993)". American Experience, RFK. Public Broadcasting System. July 1, 2004. Retrieved March 31, 2009.
