Cesar Chavez

1
Cesar Chavez

• Heroic Figure of Our Time

Photo by Caliosphere
2
Humble Beginnings

• Cesar Chavez was born March 31, 1927 in Yuma, AZ
  to Librado and Juana Chavez. He was the second
  oldest of 6 children.

Destiny by Leo Limon
Photo by Caliosphere
3
Family Suffers During the Depression

• The Chavez family owned a ranch but during the
  Depression they lost their land, and in 1937 they
  moved to California to find work in the fields.

A farm near Yuma, AZ
Photo by Caliosphere
4
Chavez Family Moves to California
The Chavez family worked very hard picking fruits
and vegetables. They moved from farm to farm,
and Cesar attended more than 30 schools before
leaving school at age 15.
Farm workers picking celery, Chula Vista Photo by
Caliosphere
5
World War II Veteran

• Cesar joined the military during World War II and
  fought for his country.

Some World War II soldiers.
Photo from Caliosphere
6
After World War II

• Cesar returned to California, married Helen
  Fabela in 1948, worked registering Mexican
  Americans to vote in San Jose in 1952. He moved
  to Oakland in 1954 while continuing his work with
  Community Service Organization (CSO).

Post-war Oakland, CA
Photo from Caliosphere
7
Birth of the NFWA

• While working for CSO, Cesars interest in the
  plight of Mexican American farm workers led him
  to organize them into the National Farm Workers
  Association, which had 1,000 members by 1964.

Cesar during a later strike
Photo from Caliosphere
8
Grape Boycotts

• Beginning in the 1960s, Cesar led boycotts
  against buying grapes to help improve working
  conditions and pay for workers. One boycott
  lasted 5 years.

Poster from Grape Boycott
Image from Caliosphere
9
California Labor Relations Act

• Cesars work led to the passage of legislation
  titled California Labor Relations Act, the first
  law to recognize the right of farm workers to
  organize into unions in 1975. It was signed by
  Governor Jerry Brown.

Gov. Jerry Brown 1970
Photo from Caliosphere
10
Peaceful Protests and Hunger Strikes

• Cesar continued his work during the 1970s and
  1980s urging consumers to boycott lettuce. He
  used non-violence and hunger strikes to counter
  violence. Grapes were boycotted in protest of
  pesticides harmful to workers.

Los de abajo by Tony Ortega
Image from Caliosphere
11
Cesar in Action
Chavez, Cesar United Farm Workers of America.
Video. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School
Edition. Web. 13  Oct.  2010  lthttp//school.eb.co
m/eb/art-127458gt.
12
One Mans Life Makes A World of Difference

• Cesar Chavez died April 23, 1993. Tens of
  thousands of people attended his funeral. He was
  awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the
  highest civilian honor in the United States, in
  1994.

Chavez in Day of the Dead Ofrenda
Image from Caliosphere