Cesar Chavez was born on this day in 1927.
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Quick Facts
- NAME: Cesar Chavez
- OCCUPATION: Activist
- BIRTH DATE: March 31, 1927
- DEATH DATE: April 23, 1993
- Did You Know?: Tha name of the town that Cesar Chavez and his family moved to in California when he was a child was Sal Si Puedes, which translates to "escape if you can."
- Did You Know?: At one point, Cesar Chavez fasted for 36 days for the rights of laborers.
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Yuma, Arizona
- PLACE OF DEATH: San Luis, Arizona
- Full Name: Cesar Estrada Chavez
- Full Name: Cesar Chavez
Synopsis
Born near Yuma, Arizona, on March 31, 1927, Cesar Chavez
employed nonviolent means to bring attention to the plight of
farmworkers, and formed both the National Farm Workers Association,
which later became United Farm Workers. As a labor leader, Chavez led
marches, called for boycotts and went on several hunger strikes. It is
believed that Chavez's hunger strikes contributed to his death on April
23, 1993, in San Luis, Arizona.
Quotes
"If you really want to make a friend, go to someone's house
and eat with him...The people who give you their food give you their
heart."
– Cesar Chavez
Early Life
Union leader and labor organizer Cesar Chavez was born
Cesario Estrada Chavez on March 31, 1927, near Yuma, Arizona. Chavez
dedicated his life to improving the treatment, pay and working
conditions for farm workers. He knew all too well the hardships farm
workers faced. When he was young, Chavez and his family toiled in the
fields as migrant farm workers.
Labor Leader
After working as a community and labor organizer in the
1950s, Chavez founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962.
This union joined with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee in
its first strike against grape growers in California in 1965. A year
later, the two unions merged, and the resulting union was renamed the
United Farm Workers in 1972. In early 1968, Chavez called for a
national boycott of California table grape growers. Chavez's battle
with the grape growers for improved compensation and labor conditions
would last for years. At the end, Chavez and his union won several
victories for the workers when many growers signed contracts with the
union. He faced more challenges through the years from other growers
and the Teamsters Union. All the while, he continued to oversee the
union and work to advance his cause.
As a labor leader, Chavez employed nonviolent means to bring
attention to the plight of farm workers. He led marches, called for
boycotts and went on several hunger strikes. He also brought the
national awareness to the dangers of pesticides to workers' health. His
dedication to his work earned him numerous friends and supporters,
including Robert Kennedy and Jesse Jackson.
It is believed that Chavez's hunger strikes contributed to his death: He died on April 23, 1993, in San Luis, Arizona.
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http://www.biography.com/people/cesar-chavez-9245781
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