César Chávez

Early Life and Family

- March 31, 1927 - Born in Yuma, Arizona, to Librado Chávez and Juana Estrada Chávez.

- 1937 - Chávez's family lost their farm during the Great Depression and became migrant workers, moving to California. He attended over 38 schools before leaving formal education after the eighth grade to work full-time in the fields to help support his family.

National Farm Workers Association and Activism

- 1962 - Chávez co-founded the National Farm Workers Association NFWA with Dolores Huerta, which later became the United Farm Workers UFW.

- 1965 - The NFWA joined the predominantly Filipino Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee AWOC in a strike against grape growers in Delano, California, which became known as the Delano Grape Strike. The strike lasted for five years and involved a nationwide boycott of table grapes, garnering significant public support.

- 1970 - The Delano Grape Strike ended in victory for the farmworkers, with grape growers signing contracts that granted better pay, benefits, and working conditions.

- Chávez's leadership and use of nonviolent tactics, such as boycotts, marches, and hunger strikes, were instrumental in bringing attention to the plight of farmworkers.

Legacy

- April 23, 1993 - Chávez died at age 66.

- He is remembered as a champion of labor rights, a civil rights icon, and a symbol of Latino empowerment.

- His birthday, March 31st, is celebrated as César Chávez Day in several states and is a U. S. federal holiday. The UFW continues to advocate for farmworker rights and social justice.

- The Fight in the Fields: César Chávez and the Farmworkers' Struggle - This documentary provides a comprehensive overview of Chávez's life and the farmworker movement.