How Did Cesar Chavez Contribute To The Labor Rights Movement

Jailynn Paz
Mr. Labs
U.S. History Period 5
25 January 2023

Cesar Chavez’s Significance to the Labor Rights Movement Marching across 300 miles under the scorching hot sun, 5,000 agricultural workers followed the restless Cesar Chavez, who was determined to make a change. Born in Yuma, Arizona, Cesar Chavez was a Mexican-American who worked as a farm worker in the U.S. during the 1950s. Having experienced the oppression faced by migrant workers due to the labor system at the time, Cesar Chavez became a labor rights movement leader and civil rights activist. In fact, Cesar Chavez worked to redefine the migrant labor system and provide migrant field workers with proper rights. Granted, considering his contributions to the UFW, his leading through

To be exact, “...September 8, 1965, Filipino American grape workers…walked out on strike…protesting years of poor pay and conditions,” (Kim, 1). Meaning, these laborers began to protest by refusing to work in order to receive better payments and working conditions. Following this, the grape workers sought out help from Cesar Chavez. Consequently, “Cesar’s union voted to join the Filipino workers’ walkouts on…September 16, 1965,” (Kim, 2). While leading this strike, Cesar Chavez “...asked strikers to take a solemn vow to remain non-violent,” (Kim, 4). To emphasize, Cesar Chavez encouraged the use of non-violence throughout his entire career as a labor rights movement leader and civil rights activist. As this strike “...from Delano to Sacramento…” progressed, they gathered “...support from outside the Central Valley, from other unions, church activists, students, Latinos and other minorities, and civil rights groups,” (Kim, 5-6). Despite the growing support gained by this movement, a few years into the strike, from 1967 to 1968, many strikers had become impatient and considered using violence. However, Cesar Chavez “...believed nonviolence is more powerful than violence…,” (Kim,

For starters, Dolores Huerta was “Born on April 10, 1930, in Dawson, New Mexico…,” and she faced great discrimination growing up, (Michals, 2). During this time, the Hispanic community in the U.S. was very oppressed. To illustrate, Dolores Huerta was “accused” by a “schoolteacher, prejudiced against Hispanics…because her papers were too well-written,” (Michals, 3). Despite the mistreatment Dolores Huerta experienced during her childhood, she was determined to pursue her dreams and get a good education. In fact, “Huerta received an associate teaching degree from the University of the Pacific’s Delta College,” (Michals, 4). Initially, while teaching in the 1950s, Dolores Huerta wanted to help organize “...farmers and farm workers…” after “...seeing so many hungry farm children coming to school…,” (Michals, 4). As a result, Dolores Huerta became an activist in 1955 “...when she co-founded the Stockton chapter of the Community Service Organization...She also founded the Agricultural Workers Association,” (Michals, 5). Therefore, Dolores Huerta took action and was set on making a change in the migrant farm-working community right off the bat. Years later, “In 1962, Huerta and Chávez founded the National Farm Workers Association…,” (Michals, 5). In fact, Dolores Huerta worked behind the scenes of many