Cesar Chavez was a Mexican American civil rights and labor leader who fought for better working conditions for migrant farm workers. He organized the United Farm Workers union and led a nationwide grape boycott and strikes that lasted for years. Though the workers faced hardships and oppression, their efforts improved wages and rights for migrant laborers. Chavez became a prominent advocate for social justice and remained dedicated to the farm worker cause until his death in 1993, where over 40,000 people mourned the loss of his leadership.

1. Cesar Chavez
Worker’s Rights Advocate

2. Standard
• SS3H2 The student will discuss the lives of
Americans who expanded people's rights
and freedoms in a democracy.
– a. Paul Revere (independence), Frederick Douglass
(civil rights), Susan B. Anthony (women's rights),
Mary McLeod Bethune (education), Franklin D.
Roosevelt (New Deal and World War II), Eleanor
Roosevelt (United Nations and human rights),
Thurgood Marshall (civil rights), Lyndon B. Johnson
(Great Society and voting rights), and Cesar Chavez
(workers' rights).

3. Early Years
• Cesar Chavez was born in 1927 near
Yuma, Arizona.
• Grandfather was a runaway slave who
emigrated from Mexico to Texas.
• He wanted a better life for his family and
soon bought a farm.
• Cesar’s whole family worked hard on the
100 acre family farm.

5. Losing the Farm
• Cesar’s family lost their farm during The
Great Depression, which was a time of
economic poverty in America.
• Cesar was 10 years old.
• The family left to find work to survive.
• Widespread droughts in the Southwest
forced The Chavez family to move to another
state.
• Everything had changed for Cesar and his
life was very hard.
• The family had to leave most everything they
owned behind in Arizona.

6. Migrant Workers
• Cesar’s family became migrant workers
who followed crops to find work.
• They traveled to pick the fruit or
vegetables in season for Californian farm
owners.
• Migrant workers could not own permanent
homes.
• Families carried their few belongings in
their trucks and sometimes slept there.
• Some lived in crowned public houses
without running waster, electricity, or
bathrooms.

7. Going to School
• Migrant children attended many different
school because their families moved a lot.
• Cesar attended 65 different elementary
schools.
• Some teachers discriminated against
Spanish speaking students by physically
punishing them for speaking Spanish at
school.
• Cesar kept working hard and graduated
from 8th grade.
• Most children did not make it that far.

8. After School
• After school Cesar worked all day in the
field with his family.
• He watched farm owners take advantage
of their workers.
• Cesar asked for higher wages and safety
rules for his fellow migrant workers.
• He was just one voice and although the
workers agreed with Cesar, most were
silent.
• They were silent because they were afraid
of losing their jobs.

9. Marriage
• While working in the vineyards, Cesar met
a Mexican lady named Helen Fabela.
• They got married in 1948.
• She shared his concern for the migrant
worker conditions.

10. American Citizens
• In order to become an American citizen,
foreigners must take an English test about
America.
• Cesar and Helen taught Mexican migrant
workers how to read and write.
• Then they could become American
citizens with rights.

11. Community Service Organization
• Cesar was asked to help the Community
Service Organization (CSO) in 1952.
• This group told farm workers about their
rights.
• Cesar picked fruit all day and registered
Mexican workers to vote at night.
• He wanted to help workers more than farm
owners.
• Cesar joined CSO full time.
• He asked farm workers around California
to stand up for their rights.

12. Organizing a Farm Union
• Then Cesar left CSO to organize a farm
union.
• In 6 months there were 300 members in
the United Farm Workers of America.
• When farm owners ignored their requests
for better pay and safe working conditions,
the union held a 5 year strike and nation-
wide grape boycott.

13. Definitions
• Strike– to stop working in
order to force an employer
to meet demands.
• Boycott– refusing to buy
a product to show
disapproval of a company.
• Fast– to not eat food and
only drink water for a set
time.

14. On Strike
• Strikers lost their jobs, were
beaten, and even thrown in
jail.
• Union members fasted and
marched miles to make
demands known to citizens.
• Grape growers lost millions
of dollars as the boycott
spread across America.
• Soon lawmakers supported the farm worker
union struggle.
• Laws changed and working conditions
improved.
• The union keeps fighting for their rights today.

15. Death of Cesar Chavez
• Cesar Chavez died in 1993 near the
Arizona family farm where he was born.
• More than 40,000 mourners from around
the country attended his funeral.

16. Review
• Born in 1927.
• Famous for working
for the rights of migrant
workers.
• Attended 65 Elementary
schools while he was
growing up.
• Organized a farm union that held a 5 year
strike and grape boycott because of unfair
treatment of workers.
• Over 40,000 people paid their last
respects at Cesar’s funeral.
• Died in 1993.

18. Activity
• Create an electronic picket sign that you would have
carried during the time of protests with Cesar Chavez.
• Upload it to VoiceThread.
• Make a comment on it that includes why you chose the
words you chose for your sign.
• Post your link so others can comment on your
VoiceThread.