Chávez, César (1927–1993)

Karen S. Boyd

Born on March 31, 1927, on his family's farm near Yuma, Arizona, future labor activist César Chávez had a challenging life, beginning with his family losing their home and business during the Great Depression and then their years of hard living as migrant farmworkers. Learning hard work from his father, coupled with compassion for others and a disdain for violence learned from his mother, Chávez became known as a passionate advocate for farmworkers. He is most famous for founding the United Farm Workers Union (UFW) with the assistance of longtime friend and colleague Dolores Huerta. His work on behalf of others began long before the UFW and had a reach that affected many, including workers in other industries as well as national leaders, such as Robert F. Kennedy, President Bill Clinton, and, most recently, the majority leader for the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi. In 1993, Chávez came full circle, ...

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