Cesar+Chavez


 * by LeAnn, Grade 4 **



Cesar Chavez made a change for migratory workers’ freedom, and their rights for better conditions. The farm workers had very low wages to support themselves. Cesar Chavez organized protests, meetings and boycotts until the landowners recognized what the farm workers wanted.

Cesar Chavez was nine years old when all of his family lived together in Arizona. They had owned a ranch. Every night they had fiesta. They told stories and laughed about their life in Mexico. There were mosquitoes everywhere so, Cesar slept under a net to keep the mosquitoes away.

Cesar’s grandfather built an adobe for them to live in. It took a lot of work, but he got it done. Next to the adobe, there was a river formed by the rain. Cesar and his brother always went to the pool. They did everything together. They swam, walked, even slept together.

In the year 1937, the Chavez family left Arizona. The land began to be dry. No food would grow, so they decided to move to California and be farm workers. The family knew it would be hard for them to earn money. They sold the farm and went off to California.

Life in California was different than Arizona. Cesar loved school but he accidentally broke a rule about speaking English only. So his teacher put a sign on him that said: “I am a clown. I speak Spanish.” Then he started to hate school. He was happy to graduate eighth grade.

Cesar, his sister, and brother worked picking grapes for extra money. They found a shed to sleep and sit in for breaks. The shed was dirty and had garbage all over the floors, but they had to work with what they had.

Cesar worked when he was sick. His lungs would wheeze and his eyes stung. Workers usually wouldn’t work if they were sick, but Cesar did; he needed the working money. He would work day and night. The pay was thirty-cents a day. He needed as much as he could get to buy the ranch back. He wanted to take responsibility. He wanted to put food on his family’s table.

Landowners treated workers like garden tools. They worked them to death. The workers didn’t have any clean water. They needed access to the bathroom, and didn’t have rest periods. If you complained, you would get fired, beaten up or even murdered. It was dangerous for children.

In his early twenties, Cesar had an epiphany about how people were treated. Cesar wanted a change. He went around the valley to ask for support, but one out of one- hundred people agreed with him. He had an idea of a meeting to see if anyone would change their mind and agree. At his first meeting a dozen women gathered in the shed. Cesar sat in a corner because he was shy, but he finally came out. They planned and planned about how to get more people to come and volunteer.

In the year, 1962, 150 people gathered in a abandoned theater in Fresno. Cesar told everyone: “ Non-violence takes guts. Fightin’ isn’t worth it.” Cesar chose a name for his organization. It was called: “The National Farm-workers Association.” Then, he showed the people the flag. It had a bald eagle, the sacred bird of the Aztec Indians. It was the symbol for their boldness.

In 1965, landowners cut the wages down to twenty cents a day. It wasn’t enough to survive. Many people fought back with everything they had. Some people didn’t follow Cesar’s nonviolent policy. Supporters and Cesar marched more than 15 miles. They marched from Delano to the city of Sacramento. They wanted help from the state government.

Each and everyday, they marched. This time they walked to San Joaquin Valley. The grapes started to mold because no one picked them because of the boycott. Along the way, farm-workers were offered food and drink.

Every morning, the line of people swelled. The ninth day, hundreds of people marched through Fresno. The public officials, religious leaders and citizens offered to help. As they marched, the grapes continued to rot. On the fifteenth day, everyone celebrated Cesar’s thirty-eighth birthday. Two days later, 5 thousand people met supporters in Stockton with flowers, guitars, and accordions.

Cesar received a message that he thought was a prank. The National Farm-workers Association was promised a contract for more money and better conditions. When everyone heard about it, everyone was glad to know that they had accomplished something through the days.

On Easter Sunday, ten thousand people gathered around the State Capital. Cesar signed the first farm-workers' contract. Everyone was excited and proud of what they did. They had a giant fiesta. People danced, ate, and sang with glory. They also honored the 57 people who walked the entire journey! That’s the story of Cesar Chavez’s victory!!!