Cesar E. Chavez Impact on Society

Cesar Chavez: Impact on Society

The story of Cesar Chavez is that of Latin Americans who worked as migrant pickers and farmers in the United States. He is regarded as the most prominent Latino union organizer in the U.S. And he tried to make conditions better for his Hispanic brethren. The main reason for this activism was the problems he saw his family endure as they had to turn to migrant farm work in California during the Great Depression (United Farm Workers). This paper looks at the personal story of Chavez and how that life has continued to impact the lives of others.

Biography

Chavez was born in Yuma, AZ to an immigrant family in 1927. The house was very small and made of adobe as most of the houses in the area were so that the family could remain relatively cool during the intense summer days. The family owned a small store and some land which they farmed to add to their income, but it was not to remain theirs for very long. During the depression Chavez's father was not able to maintain the tax payments on either property and the family was evicted (United Farm Workers).

In order to feed his family Chavez's father moved the family to California, and that is where the young man began to learn about the conditions under which the migrant farm workers were forced to work. According to a story from Biography "These were difficult years, sleeping by the side of the road, moving from farm to farm, from harvest to harvest. Cesar would attend 38 different schools until he finally gave up after finishing the 8th grade." The family was concerned with the education of the children and so Cesar went to school until the eighth grade. At that time his father was in an accident and could no longer work in the fields, so Chavez left school and went to work in the fields.

His story could have ended with his being an anonymous farm worker, but because of his ready brain and a desire to improve the lot of farm workers he "began working as a community and labor organizer in the 1950's" (Tejada-Flores). In 1962 Chavez formed the National Farm Workers Organization which would eventually become United Farm Workers (UFW) (United Farm Workers). As a symbol of the organization he and his brother designed the eagle that is a signature for the organization to this day. He said "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" (United Farm Workers). Chavez died due to complications from a hunger strike in 1993 (Tejada-Flores).

Legacy

The UFW organization has come to be a symbol of fairness to farm workers all over the United States. The primary legacy he left in his native country were those of "honesty, respect, integrity, humility, courage, vision, and change" (Cesar Chavez Legacy). During his lifetime he worked tirelessly to make the lives of migrant farm workers better and tried to help them make their adopted country also.

Chavez knew that the migrant workers were doing jobs that most Americans would never do. Because of this fact it seemed that the farmers and others whom the migrants worked for did not believe that they should be treated the same or dealt with as fairly as others. As his biography proves, Chavez was not someone who stood on the side lines and looked for an opportunity to form a union for his own gain. He was a farm worker himself, and he had to start working in the fields at 13. He knew the deprivation that they faced; he understood the forced poverty and the disdain they received as pay for their efforts. Chavez worked to end all of this and give these people the same life that all workers in America can receive if they work hard.

His legacy is simple to ascertain. He was, like most of the other farm workers, subjected to harsh treatment and exposure to potential deadly chemicals (Jarrett). His willingness to face the danger he knew would come as a result of his fight for the workers was not unprecedented at the time, but he was able to use peaceful techniques to help the people see that they could do this without the usual bloodshed. He was able to end violence, and save the lives of many workers and farmers.

The peaceful protests he organized and the power he began to wield as an activist proved that change occurs when people are brave enough to stand up to conventional wisdom. As stated by President Obama, he knew;

"that lasting change does not come from the top down, but rather, it comes from the bottom up, and he has encouraged all Americans to answer the call to public service -- whether that means tutoring a child, creating a community garden, or helping needy residents to access necessary health care" (Jarrett).

Because of the organization that Chavez started, migrant workers were able to organize and realize the benefits of being a worker in the United States. Just because these people move with the crops, Chavez did not believe that they should be committed to second citizen status. The people who worked the jobs that many in America were unwilling to do, still provided, and continue to provide, a vital service to the United States.