But, in the end, his demands were fulfilled. Not all were able to make the long journey. His original march covered 300 miles of walking in the hot sun, and throughout the journey, the number of people supporting his work of representing the underdog grew to thousands.
All toil, it took five years of fasting, jail, marching and picketing until the grape growers bowed to the demands.Īlways advocating for the poor migrant workers, he then picketed for the lettace workers. He founded The National Farm Workers Association. Soon thousands of crops perished because of the workers strike. His march began with 78 people and grew as together they marched at least 15 miles a day.Īdvocating for better working conditions, it was the strike against harvesting the crops of grapes. Tired of the ugly treatment, the numbing work which provided very little money, as he grew older, he began to speak for better treatment and pay.įollowing in the way of Ghandi, he led a non-violent pilgrimage throughout California. Once, when he slipped and spoke Spanish instead of English is the classroom, the tmean spirited teacher made him wear a sign that said "I AM A CLOWN I SPEAK SPANISH The work was mind numbing, and back breaking.Ĭesar liked to learn, but even that opportunity was fraught with pain. When work was found, the wages were horrible, the treatment of the workers was on of being beaten down every day. No longer owning the land, they became migrant workers traveling from place to place in the hope of finding work. Seeing his mother cry because of all the changes, he vowed to help his family.
However, in 1937, the drought baked the land, hard as bricks it was impossible to coax any thing growing in this soil hard as rocks.Īt ten, his family packed up the truck and traveled to find a better life.
Cesar Chavez had an early childhood filled with family, enough to eat because there was plenty of food to harvest.
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