Caser Chavez: Leader or Migrant Worker?
“Non-violence really rest on the reservoir that you have to create in yourself of patience, not of being patient with the problems, but being patient with yourself to do the hard work.”
Cesar Chavez
What makes a society look at a man as a leader? Is it the
work that he does to help his community or is it the struggle
they endure during their lifetime? Cesar Chavez was born into a
migrant family and became one of the most recognized leaders for
migrant workers. From his early days of working in the fields to
his days in the US Navy and to his early days as a rights
activist, Cesar Chavez has fought to have equal rights for
Mexican-American migrant field workers.
One night in the 1880's, a man named Cesario Chavez crossed the border from Chihuahua, Mexico, to El Paso, Texas. He was fleeing the hardships of his homeland to make a better life in the United States for his family. Decades later, his grandson,
Cesar Chavez, would make a stand in the fields of California to fight for a better life for all farm workers. Cesario and his wife Dorotea worked very hard. Their children married and had children. The whole family lived in the Arizona desert near the town of Yuma and worked as farmers. One of Cesario's sons,
Librado, married Juana Estrada, a woman who had also come from
Chihuahua. Together they had six children. Cesar, was born in
1927, he was their second child and the eldest son. Librado
Chavez was a hardworking man, and he prospered. In addition to farming, he operated a general store and was elected the local postmaster. "I had more happy moments as a child than unhappy moments," Chavez later recalled. Librado was good to his children, he even made their toys, but he was too busy to spend much time with them. "My mom kept the family together," Chavez had said.
When Cesar was ten years old, disaster struck. Librado made a business deal with a neighbor who did not keep his part of the bargain. In the end, the Chavez family lost their farm and all their belongings. It was 1937, the period following the Stock
Market crash, the country had not yet recovered from the Great
Depression. There were very few jobs, and many people were homeless. To make matters worse, the Southwest was experiencing sever... ... middle of paper ...
...facilities, awards and scholarships in his honor, as well as enacting holidays on his birthday, March 31. In 1994 he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in America. Cesar Chavez-a common man with an uncommon vision for humankind-stood for equality, justice, and dignity for all Americans. His ecumenical principles remain relevant and inspiring today for all people. In 1993, his family and friends established the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation to educate people about the life and work of this great American civil rights leader, and to engage all, particularly youth, to carry on his values and timeless vision for a better world.
In the sixth decade of his life, he is as concerned as ever about dignity, justice, and fairness. He was ready to sacrifice for what he believes is right. "Fighting for social justice, it seems to me, is one of the profoundest ways in which man can say yes to man's dignity, and that really means sacrifice," Cesar has said. "There is no way on this earth in which you can say yes to man's dignity and know that you're going to be spared some
sacrifice."
Cesar Chavez, a civil rights activist, was a major proponent of workers’ rights in Hispanic history. Cesar was born in 1927, in Yuma, Arizona, as a Mexican- American. He grew up in a large family of ranchers and grocery store owners. His family lived in a small adobe house, which was taken away during the Great Depression. In order to receive ownership of the house, his father had to clear eighty acres. Unfortunately, after his father cleared the land, the agreement was broken, and the family was unable to purchase the house. Since Cesar’s family was homeless, they had to become migrant farmers. In order to find work, they relocated to California.
¬¬¬Though most American people claim to seek peace, the United States remains entwined with both love and hate for violence. Regardless of background or personal beliefs, the vast majority of Americans enjoy at least one activity that promotes violence whether it be professional fighting or simply playing gory video games. Everything is all well and good until this obsession with violence causes increased frequency of real world crimes. In the article, “Is American Nonviolence Possible” Todd May proposes a less standard, more ethical, fix to the problem at hand. The majority of the arguments brought up make an appeal to the pathos of the reader with a very philosophical overall tone.
The purpose of this memo is to compare the similarities and contrast the differences between Jimmy Hoffa Sr. and Cesar Chavez. Both Hoffa and Chavez were great charismatic labor organizers who had different methods of achieving their goals for their union. They had vastly different attitudes and personalities which aided them both in different ways. To fully understand each individual, a bit of background information is necessary.
In Fight in the Fields: Cesar Chavez, by Margo Sorenson, two teenagers were not paying attention in history class, and their teacher assigned them Saturday school, pulling weeds. Kenneth and Aleesa weren’t friends, they were caught passing a note to someone. After, they started to work on Saturday, they both drank from a blue water jug, that sent them back in time. To the year 1965, where Cesar Chavez was helping out the field workers get their own union. By putting on a strike against the Schenley Company, who grow grapes in Delano, California, and sold them around the world. While, the teenagers were in the past, they lived and worked with the Lopez’s, Juan, Rosa, and their son Luis. Luis helped Kenneth and Aleesa understand what was happening during that time with the NFWA- National Farm Workers Association and the strike to get the workers a union of their own, and they all joined the NFWA. Which ended in the year 1970 and they were able to go back to their time. Both Kenneth and Aleesa were able to experience the strike first hand, and when they went back home, they wished that they had paid a little bit more attention in class, and that they were going to from then on.
The Leadership of Cesar Chavez. An Examination of His Leadership Style. Accomplishments, and Contributions to Society. Cesario Estrada Chavez, or Cesar Chavez, as he is more commonly known, was an American farm worker, community organizer, and civil rights leader who co-founded the National United Farm Workers Association in 1962.
"Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot un-educate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. And you cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore."—From "Lessons of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." speech by César Chávez, January 12, 1990
“Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery.” ( Malcolm X, 1965)
In 1939, when Cesar Chavez was 12 years old, he and his family moved to a well known barrio (neighborhood) of East San Jose, CA known as “Sal Si Puede” (“Get Out If You Can”). Chavez described it as “dirtier and uglier than the rest.” The barrio consisted of Mexican and Mexican-American migrant field workers who had very limited education and money but a strong sense of pride and family.
Cesar Chavez a great man that changed the many injustices done to immigrate field workers, injustices like minimum wage, long work hours, and living conditions. We will learn how marches, strikes, and fasting help them conquer the changes they wanted. How he started the union. We will read what a great legacy he left behind, and how now a day his legacy lives on. What kind of legacy will we leave behind? That is why we have to help people we come in contact with, to show our children to help other, be humble and love each other.
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton proves the point that violence can be justified if necessary. To inflict change in their lives people often fight with violence instead of peace to evoke change. The world strives for change everyday whether or not you like it. How the people create a change in society whether they use peace or war, it is up to them to decide how to modify our ever changing world. Violence and fight between the Socs and Greasers tells us that both can be justified if it inflicts positive change in society. ‘
To say that immigrants in America have experienced discrimination would be an understatement. Ever since the country formed, they have been seen as inferior, such as African-Americans that were unwillingly brought to the 13 colonies in the 17th century with the intention to be used as slaves. However, post-1965, immigrants, mainly from Central and South America, came here by choice. Many came with their families, fleeing from their native land’s poverty; these immigrants were in search of new opportunities, and more importantly, a new life. They faced abuse and Cesar Chavez fought to help bring equality to minorities.
Throughout our lives we have been taught that the law is virtuous. Is it right when someone is above the law only because they’re wealthy, white, or have a government position? I strongly believe that Wilde's claims are valid not only because it's been proven, but because we have experienced rebellion and desobedince throughout history.
One of the greatest civil rights activists of our time; one who believed the ways of Gandhi and Martin Luther King that “violence can only hurt us and our cause” (Cesar Chavez); a quiet, devoted, small catholic man who had nothing just like those he help fight for; “one of America's most influential labor leaders of the late twentieth century” (Griswold del Castillo); and one “who became the most important Mexican-American leader in the history of the United States” (Ender). Cesar Chavez; an American farm worker, who would soon become the labor leader that led to numerous improvements for union workers; it is recorded that Chavez was born near Yuma, Arizona on March 31, 1927 and died on April 23, 1993 in San Luis, Arizona. (Wikipedia) His life affected many others as his unselfish deeds changed the labor union force forever. This essay will discuss the reasons Cesar Chavez became involved in Union rights, the immediate impact he had, and also the legacy he left behind with his actions that influenced American society.
Important civil rights movement leader During the 1960s there were many civil right movement activists such as Cesar Chavez. Cesar Chavez was born on March 31st in the North Gila River Valley outside Yuma. During his years, Chavez has accomplished many things that have changed farm laborers for the better. When he was young, his family lost their farm due to the Great Depression and they became migrant workers. They had to move to several different places so that they could find work, which meant that every time they moved, Chavez had to change schools.
During the 1960’s, many movements rose such as the counterculture movement, the hippie movement, the environmental movement, the SCLC, the SNCC, the Native American movement, Women’s civil rights, United Farm workers, etc. During the 1960’s the American culture would start to change because of these movements. The United Farm Workers movement for example fought for the rights of Mexican americans. Their goal during the 1960’s was to get decent working conditions and more job opportunities. The United Farm Workers movement was led primarily by Dolores Huerta, Gilbert Padilla, and Cesar Chavez. Cesar Chavez coordinated the protests, and was at the time the President of the United Farm workers movement. Like Martin Luther King, Cesar Chavez believed in peaceful protests, and found boycotts and strikes to be most effective. Cesar Chavez said, “there is no such thing as defeat in nonviolence”.Before the United Farm Workers movement, immigrants were not allowed to join unions and other programs which would provide benefits. The Bracero Program helped provide farm owners with Mexican farm workers. With the quality of the work environment, increase in pay, and other job opportunities Mexicans would feel more comfortable with living in the United States, and would feel as if moving to the United States would be more financially beneficial than remaining in Mexico. During the late 1960’s, 1970’s, and 1980’s the population of immigrants in the United States will grow exponentially because the UFW fought for an increase in pay, improved working conditions, and other job benefits to be offered to immigrants.