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• Cesar Estrada Chavez was a Mexican-American civil rights activist and labor leader who founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers. He helped to organize several strikes and boycotts that led to higher wages for farm workers in the 1970s. His birthday is celebrated as a holiday in 10 U.S. states.New America Media: ...Calling For National Holiday (March 31, 2009)

• Fast Facts:

  1. Born: March 31, 1927
  2. Place of Birth: Yuma, Arizona
  3. Occupation: Farm Worker, Labor Leader, Civil Rights Activist
  4. Organization: United Farm Workers
  5. Died: April 23, 1993
  6. He left school and became a migrant worker after the eight grade
  7. Served two years in the Navy
  8. Wife: Helen Fabela
  9. Eight children
  10. Never earned yearly wages over $5 thousand
  11. In 1994, a year after his death, he was given the Medal of Freedom by then President Bill Clinton

• Cesar Chavez Day

  On each March 31, the day Cesar Chavez was born, Chavez is honored for his work and activism by ten states which include; California, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico, Utah, Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska.New America Media: ...Calling For National Holiday (March 31, 2009)

• Timeline

  • 1942: Works on a farm picking lettuce and beets
  • 1946: Joins the National Agricultural Workers Union
  • 1948: Joins the National Farm Workers Labor Union
  • 1952: Joins Saul Alirsky's CSO
  • 1958: Organized strikes in Oxnard
  • 1962: Founds the Farm Workers Association
  • 1965: Beginning of the grape boycott
  • 1966: March on Sacramento
  • 1968: Began a 25 day fast
  • 1969: UFW established National Grape Boycott Day
  • 1970: Chavez imprisoned for challenging boycott injunction
  • 1973: First UFW convention
  • 1988: Began a 36 day fast protesting pesticides

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Gloria Steinem | Jane Fonda | Dolores Huerta | Robert F. Kennedy | Martin Luther King Jr.

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