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Written by Xiuhcoatl
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Nov 28, 2005 at 01:39 AM |
The Story of Cesar Chavez
Source: UFW.org
THE BEGINNING
The story of Cesar Estrada Chavez begins near Yuma, Arizona. Cesar was
born on March 31, 1927. He was named after his grandfather, Cesario.
Regrettably, the story of Cesar Estrada Chavez also ends near Yuma,
Arizona. He passed away on April 23, 1993, in San Luis, a small village
near Yuma, Arizona.
He learned about justice or rather injustice early in his life. Cesar
grew up in Arizona; the small adobe home, where Cesar was born was
swindled from them by dishonest Anglos. Cesar's father agreed to clear
eighty acres of land and in exchange he would receive the deed to forty
acres of land that adjoined the home. The agreement was broken and the
land sold to a man named Justus Jackson. Cesar's dad went to a lawyer
who advised him to borrow money and buy the land. Later when Cesar's
father could not pay the interest on the loan the lawyer bought back
the land and sold it to the original owner. Cesar learned a lesson
about injustice that he would never forget. Later, he would say, The
love for justice that is in us is not only the best part of our being
but it is also the most true to our nature.
In 1938 he and his family moved to California. He lived in La Colonia
Barrio in Oxnard for a short period, returning to Arizona several
months later. They returned to California in June 1939 and this time
settled in San Jose. They lived in the barrio called Sal Si Puedes
"Get Out If You Can." Cesar thought the only way to get out of the
circle of poverty was to work his way up and send the kids to college.
He and his family worked in the fields of California from Brawley to
Oxnard, Atascadero, Gonzales, King City, Salinas, McFarland, Delano,
Wasco, Selma, Kingsburg, and Mendota.
He did not like school as a child, probably because he spoke only
Spanish at home. The teachers were mostly Anglo and only spoke English.
Spanish was forbidden in school. He remembers being punished with a
ruler to his knuckles for violating the rule. He also remembers that
some schools were segregated and he felt that in the integrated schools
he was like a monkey in a cage. He remembers having to listen to a lot
of racist remarks. He remembers seeing signs that read whites only. He
and his brother, Richard, attended thirtyseven schools. He felt that
education had nothing to do with his farm worker/migrant way of life.
In 1942 he graduated from the eighth grade. Because his father,
Librado, had been in an accident and because he did not want his
mother, Juana, to work in the fields, he could not to go to high
school, and instead became a migrant farm worker.
While his childhood school education was not the best, later in life,
education was his passion. The walls of his office in La Paz (United
Farm Worker Headquarters ) are lined with hundreds of books ranging
from philosophy, economics, cooperatives, and unions, to biographies on
Gandhi and the Kennedys'. He believed that, "The end of all education
should surely be service to others," a belief that he practiced until
his untimely death.
In 1944 he joined the Navy at the age of seventeen. He served two years
and in addition to discrimination, he experienced strict regimentation.
In 1948 Cesar married Helen Fabela. They honeymooned in California by
visiting all the California Missions from Sonoma to San Diego (again
the influence of education). They settled in Delano and started their
family. First Fernando, then Sylvia, then Linda, and five more children
were to follow.
Cesar returned to San Jose where he met and was influenced by Father
Donald McDonnell. They talked about farm workers and strikes. Cesar
began reading about St. Francis and Gandhi and nonviolence. After
Father McDonnell came another very influential person, Fred Ross.
Cesar became an organizer for Ross' organization, the Community Service
Organization CSO. His first task was voter registration.
THE UNITED FARM WORKERS IS BORN
In 1962 Cesar founded the National Farm Workers Association, later to
become the United Farm Workers the UFW. He was joined by Dolores
Huerta and the union was born. That same year Richard Chavez designed
the UFW Eagle and Cesar chose the black and red colors. Cesar told the
story of the birth of the eagle. He asked Richard to design the flag,
but Richard could not make an eagle that he liked. Finally he sketched
one on a piece of brown wrapping paper. He then squared off the wing
edges so that the eagle would be easier for union members to draw on
the handmade red flags that would give courage to the farm workers with
their own powerful symbol. Cesar made reference to the flag by stating,
"A symbol is an important thing. That is why we chose an Aztec eagle.
It gives pride . . . When people see it they know it means dignity."
For a long time in 1962, there were very few union dues paying members.
By 1970 the UFW got grape growers to accept union contracts and had
effectively organized most of that industry, at one point in time
claiming 50,000 dues paying members. The reason was Cesar Chavez's
tireless leadership and nonviolent tactics that included the Delano
grape strike, his fasts that focused national attention on farm workers
problems, and the 340-mile march from Delano to Sacramento in 1966. The
farm workers and supporters carried banners with the black eagle with
HUELGA (strike) and VIVA LA CAUSA (Long live our cause). The marchers
wanted the state government to pass laws which would permit farm
workers to organize into a union and allow collective bargaining
agreements. Cesar made people aware of the struggles of farm workers
for better pay and safer working conditions. He succeeded through
nonviolent tactics (boycotts, pickets, and strikes). Cesar Chavez and
the union sought recognition of the importance and dignity of all farm
workers.
It was the beginning of La Causa a cause that was supported by
organized labor, religious groups, minorities, and students. Cesar
Chavez had the foresight to train his union workers and then to send
many of them into the cities where they were to use the boycott and
picket as their weapon.
Cesar was willing to sacrifice his own life so that the union would
continue and that violence was not used. Cesar fasted many times. In
1968 Cesar went on a water only, 25 day fast. He repeated the fast in
1972 for 24 days, and again in 1988, this time for 36 days. What
motivated him to do this? He said, Farm workers everywhere are angry
and worried that we cannot win without violence. We have proved it
before through persistence, hard work, faith and willingness to
sacrifice. We can win and keep our own selfrespect and build a great
union that will secure the spirit of all people if we do it through a
rededication and recommitment to the struggle for justice through
nonviolence.
THE FAST
Many events precipitated the fast, especially the terrible suffering of
the farm workers and their children, the crushing of farm worker
rights, the dangers of pesticides, and the denial of fair and free
elections.
Cesar said about the fast, " A fast is first and foremost personal. It
is a fast for the purification of my own body, mind, and soul. The fast
is also a heartfelt prayer for purification and strengthening for all
those who work beside me in the farm worker movement. The fast is
alsoan act of penance for those in positions of moral authority and for
all men and women activists who know what is right and just, who know
that they could and should do more. The fast is finally a declaration
of noncooperation with supermarkets who promote and sell and profit
fromCalifornia table grapes. During the past few years I have been
studying the plague of pesticides on our land and our food," Cesar
continued "The evil is far greater than even I had thought it to be, it
threatens to choke out the life of our people and also the life system
that supports us all. This solution to this deadly crisis will not be
found in the arrogance of the powerful, but in solidarity with the weak
and helpless. I pray to God that this fast will be a preparation for a
multitude of simple deeds for justice. Carried out by men and women
whose hearts are focused on the suffering of the poor and who yearn,
with us, for a better world. Together, all things are possible."
Cesar Chavez completed his 36-day Fast for Life on August 21, 1988. The
Reverend Jesse Jackson took up where Cesar left off, fasting on water
for three days before passing on the fast to celebrities and leaders.
The fast was passed to Martin Sheen, actor; the Reverend J. Lowery,
President SCLC; Edward Olmos, actor; Emilio Estevez, actor; Kerry
Kennedy, daughter of Robert Kennedy, Peter Chacon, legislator, Julie
Carmen, actress; Danny Glover, actor; Carly Simon, singer; and Whoopi
Goldberg, actress.
THE DEATH OF CESAR CHAVEZ
Cesar Estrada Chavez died peacefully in his sleep on April 23, 1993
near Yuma, Arizona, a short distance from the small family farm in the
Gila River Valley where he was born more than 66 years before.
The founder and president of the United Farm Workers of America,
AFLCIO was in Yuma helping UFW attorneys defend the union against a
lawsuit brought by Bruce Church Inc., a giant Salinas, Calif.based
lettuce and vegetable producer. Church demanded that the farm workers
pay millions of dollars in damages resulting from a UFW boycott of its
lettuce during the 1980's. Rather than bring the legal action in a
state where the boycott actually took place, such as California or New
York, Church "shopped around" for a friendly court in conservative,
agribusinessdominated Arizonawhere there had been no boycott activity.
"Cesar gave his last ounce of strength defending the farm workers in
this case," stated his successor, UFW President Arturo Rodriguez, who
was with him in Arizona during the trial. He died standing up for their
First Amendment right to speak out for themselves. He believed in his
heart that the farm workers were right in boycotting Bruce Church Inc.
lettuce during the l980's and he was determined to prove that in
court." (When the second multimillion dollar judgement for Church was
later thrown out by an appeal's court, the company signed a UFW
contract in May 1996.
After the trial recessed at about 3 p.m. on Thursday, April 22, Cesar
spent part of the afternoon driving through Latino neighborhoods in
Yuma that he knew as a child. Many Chavezes still live in the area.
He arrived about 6 p.m. in San Luis, Arizonaabout 20 miles from Yuma,
at the modest concreteblock home of Dofla Maria Hau, a former farm
worker and longtime friend. Cesar and eight other UFW leaders and staff
were staying at her house in a poor farm worker neighborhood not far
from the Mexican border.
Cesar ate dinner at around 9 p.m. and presided over a brief meeting to
review the day's events. He had just finished two days of often
grueling examination by attorneys for Bruce Church Inc.
He talked to his colleagues about taking care of themselvesa recent
recurring theme with Cesar because he was well aware of the long hours
required from him and other union officers and staff. Still, he was in
good spirits despite being exhausted after prolonged questioning on the
witness stand; he complained about feeling some weakness when doing his
evening exercises.
The UFW founder went to bed at about 10 or 10:30 p.m. A union staff
member said he later saw a reading light shining from Cesar's room.
The light was still on at 6 a.m. the next morning. That was not seen as
unusual. Cesar usually woke up in the early hours of the morning well
before dawn to read, write or meditate.
When he had not come out by 9 a.m., his colleagues entered his bedroom
found that Cesar had died apparently, according to authorities, at
night in his sleep.
He was found lying on his back with his head turned to the left. His
shoes were off and he still wore his clothes from the day before. In
his right hand was a book on Native American crafts. There was a
peaceful smile on his face.
THE LAST MARCH WITH CESAR CHAVEZ
On April 29, 1993, Cesar Estrada Chavez was honored in death by those
he led in life. More than 50,000 mourners came to honor the charismatic
labor leader at the site of his first public fast in 1968 and his last
in 1988, the United Farm Workers Delano Field Office at "Forty Acres."
It was the largest funeral of any labor leader in the history of the
U.S. They came in caravans from Florida to California to pay respect to
a man whose strength was in his simplicity.
Farm workers, family members, friends and union staff took turns
standing vigil over the plain pine coffin which held the body of Cesar
Chavez. Among the honor guard were many celebrities who had supported
Chavez throughout his years of struggle to better the lot of
farmworkers throughout America.
Many of the mourners had marched side by side with Chavez during his
tumultuous years in the vineyards and farms of America. For the last
time, they came to march by the side of the man who had taught them to
stand up for their rights, through nonviolent protest and collective
bargaining.
Cardinal Roger M. Mahoney, who celebrated the funeral mass, called
Chavez "a special prophet for the worlds' farm workers." Pall bearers,
including crews of these workers, Chavez children and grandchildren,
then carried their fallen leader, resting at last, from the Memorial
Park to Forty Acres.
The death of Chavez marked an era of dramatic changes in American
agriculture. His contributions would be eroded, and others would have
to shoulder the burden of his work. But, Cesar Chavez, who insisted
that those who labor in the earth were entitled to share fairly in the
rewards of their toil, would never be forgotten.
As Luis Valdez said, "Cesar, we have come to plant your heart like a
seed . . . the farm workers shall harvest in the seed of your memory."
FINAL RESTING PLACE/FINAL RECOGNITION
The body of Cesar Chavez was taken to La Paz, the UFW's California
headquarters, by his family and UFW leadership. He was laid to rest
near a bed of roses, in front of his office.
On August 8, 1994, at a White House ceremony, Helen Chavez, Cesar's
widow, accepted the Medal of Freedom for her late husband from
President Clinton. In the citation accompanying America's highest
civilian honor which was awarded posthumously, the President lauded
Chavez for having "faced formidable, often violent opposition with
dignity and nonviolence.
And he was victorious. Cesar Chavez left our world better than he found
it, and his legacy inspires us still. He was for his own people a Moses
figure," the President declared. "The farm workers who labored in the
fields and yearned for respect and selfsufficiency pinned their hopes
on this remarkable man who, with faith and discipline, soft spoken
humility and amazing inner strength, led a very courageous life"
The citation accompanying the award noted how Chavez was a farm worker
from childhood who "possessed a deep personal understanding of the
plight of migrant workers, and he labored all his years to lift their
lives." During his lifetime, Chavez never earned more than $5,000 a
year. The late Senator Robert Kennedy called him "one of the heroic
figures of our time."
Chavez's successor, UFW President Arturo Rodriguez, thanked the
president on behalf of the United Farm Workers and said, "Every day in
California and in other states where farm workers are organizing, Cesar
Chavez lives in their hearts. Cesar lives wherever Americans' he
inspired work nonviolently for social change." |
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Last Updated ( Nov 28, 2005 at 01:40 AM )
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