ipl-logo

How Did Cesar Chavez Influence The Civil Rights Movement

1033 Words5 Pages

Cesar Estrada Chavez was born on March 31, 1927. He was a Mexican- American civil rights activist during the American Civil Rights Movement. He was a union leader and labor organizer. Cesar founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962. Throughout the Civil Rights Movement, Cesar Chavez gave people the hope they needed. On April 23, 1993, Cesar died of natural causes.

The National Farm Workers Association joined with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee to form the United Farm Workers. Together, they worked to fight for improved working conditions for farmers. Chavez used nonviolent methods such as marches, boycotts, and strikes to fight for the cause. Chavez persevered through conflict with the Teamsters union and also through …show more content…

These two men convinced Cesar to join the Community Service Organization. In 1962, Cesar resigned from his position in the organization. He did this to pursue his goal of making a labor union for farmers.

In September of 1965, the Farm Workers Association joined a strike started by Delano’s grape farmers. Cesar Chavez and his labor union became known all over the country within months. Chavez’s efforts made the grape boycott reach a national level. The boycott made the grape growers recognize and learn the power of the United Farm Workers. In 1968, Cesar Chavez went on a twenty five day fast to protest the increased support for violence among the members of the union. On July 29th, 1970, twenty six Delano grape growers signed a contract to bring peace to the fields and vineyards.

In 1970, the Teamsters labor union challenged the United Farm Workers by signing peace contracts with Salinas Valley farmers. This started a bloody conflict that lasted for four years. In 1973, the Teamsters Union signed a jurisdictional agreement that ended the conflict …show more content…

These factors included dangerous pesticides and other chemicals, terrible workers rights, and the denial of free elections. Chavez claimed that the fast was to purify his soul, body, and mind. He also claimed that “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.” Chavez completed his thirty six day fast on August 21, 1988. He called it the Fast for Life. This fast inspired many famous actors and politicians to fast for civil rights

Show More
Related
813 Words | 4 Pages

There were contracts signed in 1966 but the strikes still went on for a few more years. Chaves argument with grape growers for better pay grades and working conditions lasted for 4 years. Many growers signed contracts that agreed to these terms. Chavez used nonviolent means to bring attention to the bad working conditions of farmers. These strikes won public relations battles but winning winning the labor relations fight proved to be more difficult.

Read More
346 Words | 2 Pages

Cesar Chavez gave Hispanics many rights, and benefits. Cesar Chavez was a symbol for farm workers everywhere. He founded the UFW, and spoke about all the accomplishments the union had in his Commonweath Club Address. Chavez got farm workers better working conditions, and gave all Hispanics hope which made the farm workers able to rise in the social ladder.

Read More
1069 Words | 5 Pages

Chavez’s great sacrifices strengthened the movement and gave so much more that what any one man could have imagined. Chavez continued with protests and boycotts throughout the rest of the 60’s and continued well into the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. While drawing influence from Gandhi, Cesar knew that non-violence would gain the most support from the general public, which it did, and strongly encouraged that the movement should stay that

Read More
278 Words | 2 Pages

Cesar Chavez was a civil rights activist, Latino, farm worker, and a leader for non-violent social change. He was born on March 31, 1927 after his family lost their farm during the Great Depression. When he was young, Chavez traveled the southwest, while working in fields and vineyards. Cesar knew what hardships migrant workers went through everyday. In 1962, Chavez founded an organization known as the UFWA, or the United Farm Workers of America.

Read More
609 Words | 3 Pages

Cesar went on a 25 hunger strike to encourage others in his movement against grape growers.. In Document C there is a photograph of Robert Kennedy sitting next to Cesar, the reason for this was having his support would give Chavez more attention about what he was doing. Chavez was willing to sacrifice and die of starvation to prove his point across the world. He began to boycott against California table grapes. In Document D it shows that Cesar “signed a contract with 26 major grape growers in the area, an act that meant some 75 per cent of the state’s growers have now been organized by the UFW.”

Read More
2218 Words | 9 Pages

Both associations later came together and formed the United Farm Workers which is still around and currently attempting to recognize a day of service in memory of Cesar Chavez. A couple of strategies Chavez would use to draw attention towards the farmer’s rights included: boycotts, strikes and marches. Chavez was also similar to Martin Luther King Jr. in the way of supporting nonviolent strikes and believing nonviolence was more powerful than violence

Read More
1309 Words | 6 Pages

One of Chavez’s most well-known protests is the Delano Grape Strike. Chavez is well known for this individual strike because he was specifically asked from the Filipinos, who were the peoples that were affected so they started the strike because of bad pay (90 cents an hour) and horrible working conditions. Cesar accepted the invitation from the Filipinos because he felt as though this strike could have been helpful towards his protesting causes. This strike focused on the pay, working conditions, and the land owner’s violent actions towards the farm workers. Cesar new the fight for these rights was not going to end anytime soon.

Read More
366 Words | 2 Pages

Chavez acquire most of his success by striking and using nonviolent acts. Many acknowledge that Chavez did a great job in fighting for the rights of farmworkers however many criticize his character. Matt Garcia a journalist for the University of California points out that during the victory of the grape strike of 1970 which passed the Agricultural Labor Relations Act Chavez “failed to adapt his strategy to fit the demands of a dynamic situation” (Garcia ; para5). Garcia demonstrates how after acquiring the ALRA act Chavez failed not pursuing contracts with growers and had a strong stubborn, and abusive character with others. To emphasize, although many criticize his strong personal character, his character lead, Chavez to fight for the rights

Read More
582 Words | 3 Pages

He started a farm workers’ union to help migrant farm workers be treated equally and fairly in a good working environment. In the end, he made his dream a reality. As stated, “Under Cesar, the UFW achieved unprecedented gains for farm workers…” (CCF,24) He got farm workers civil rights and now they are treated just like all other

Read More
403 Words | 2 Pages

“Non-violence is more powerful than violence” Cesar Chavez. Cesar Chavez was the first Mexican-American labor leader during the 20th century who wanted to fight for better working conditions for farmworkers and a better pay. Cesar Chavez was a great leader who put his parents and labors needs above his very own needs and strongly considered that there was a considerable change that needed to happen for migrant farmworkers. Chavez was born on March 31, 1927 in Yuma, Arizona. Before the Great Depression in 1937, Chavez’s parents owned a family farm, but during the Great Depression they lost their farm because they couldn’t pay taxes and became migrant farm workers.

Read More
1032 Words | 5 Pages

So that’s why now he was known for being a great labor leader. Chavez saw how fast did twenty-five days past to protest the increasing advocacy of violence within the union. Ever since then he had all the farm workers on his side and always had a chance to show them what was right and what wasn’t. Also he had become a Civil rights leader Chavez had always went against the people that were mean and also rude and had no heart how they would treat every single farm workers just because they didn’t know how to defend themselves doesn’t give any right for them to treat them like animals. Chavez also had promised to end the cycle of misery and exploitation and ensure justice for the workers.

Read More
555 Words | 3 Pages

As he worked as a migrant laborer, he was inspired by the teaching of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian Independence Movement and Martin Luther King JR., who was leading his own Civil Rights Movement in the 60s. Their non-violent methods helped Chavez form his own organization later. Instead of becoming angry and bitter due to all the injustices against him, he took out that anger peacefully in strikes and marches. He joined a farm workers union called the ¨National Workers Agricultural Union but dropped out. He then joined the Community Service Organizations, where he became the director of.

Read More
1331 Words | 6 Pages

Mexican-American Cesar Chavez (1927-1993) is known as an American farm worker, a prominent union leader, labor organizer, and a civil rights activist. By having much experience since he was a migrant worker when he was very young, Chavez with another co-founder created The National Farm Workers Association in 1962 that later became United Farm Workers. As a union leader, his union and the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee made their first strike against grape growers in California. Having been through many hardships as a migrant farm worker, the Latino American civil rights activist led marches, called for boycotts, and made strikes to raise and recover conditions for farm workers. His contributions led to numerous improvements for

Read More
577 Words | 3 Pages

Cesar Chavez help Mexicans and Chicano’s make progress in economic rights for themselves. “Believing that the only permanent solution to the problems of farm workers lay in legislation, Chavez supported the passage

Read More
972 Words | 4 Pages

In 1962, Cesar Chavez, an organizer for the Community Service Organization and the son of Chicano farm workers, formed the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA). Chavez left the CSO because it refused to focus its efforts on organizing farm workers. Chavez wanted to organize workers and create an effective union to fight for farm worker rights. Chavez and his co-founder, Dolores Huerta, attempted to organize workers through strikes that proved effective but did not lead to a union

Read More

More about How Did Cesar Chavez Influence The Civil Rights Movement

Related Topics

Open Document