Cervantes 1

Gabriela Cervantes
Professor Gifford
English 114B
Cesar Estrada Chavez
Chavez Estrada Cesar has had a great impact in many lives throughout California as well
as being famous for being successful in leading and helping out his people. Chavez was born on
March 31, 1927 near a city called Yuma in Arizona State. Chavez was born into a family of six
and survived his teenage life in the agricultural fields helping out his parents in picking up
different items in different times. He is seen and is a Mexican American. In order for his family
and him to be able to have food for that day they would have to work real hard throughout the
fields with little of pay. Chavez had to quit school in the 7
th
grade and begin working in the fields
to help his parents out becoming a full time migrant worker. He then joined the navy in 1944 at
the age of seventeen to go in with the mentality that he will gain some in the military for his
civilian life coming back to marry his high school sweetheart and moving to San Jose, California
to start a life . Cesar Chavez made great changes for the Hispanic laborers in the agricultural
field and was a part of the Chicano movement that is still taking place today. He did this through
creating the United Farm Workers (UFM) union, protesting peacefully, and fighting for Hispanic
rights.
Before Cesar was born and when Cesar and his family began to work as farm workers the
environment in the fields wasnt the best place or conditions to be in. The lands own by the farm
owner had really big plantations which workers had to work in everyday the whole day and
under the sun. They werent always token right care of by the plantation owners. Instead they
Cervantes 2

were mistreated and put into an environment that risked their everyday lives. Many people had
to depend on these jobs for their living as well as involving their children to work as well for
more pay. These migrant farm workers had to live in throughout this experience. A place in
where all Mexicans and Mexicans Americans were treated unequally and unfairly. The migrant
workers had to work all day under the sun for a little pay. They werent paid the right amount of
salary for them to be standing outside all day in their backs. Some of the owner didnt even
allowed them sometimes to take brakes throughout the day because the only thing the owner
cared about is having his crops be picked out. With little of pay and no food there were many
complications and hard livings throughout the farming life. Not only were they being paid a very
low amount of cash they were also putting their childs as well as their life in danger every day.
These farm owners didnt really care much for their workers. Theyd leave them outside all day
besides the fact that these plants or vegetables there picking out have pesticides on them in where
the migrant workers are having full contact with it. The pesticide can be a really strong liquid
which is put in the plants to prevent from animals eating whats being farmed. Having the
migrant workers be in full contact with this type of substance is really dangerous, especially
when these migrant workers have their children working around in the fields as well. These are
the conditions in which American or Mexican workers had to work in everyday as well as Cesar
Chavez and his family when losing their house in the Great Depression. Cesar Chavez grew in
between this environment and wanted change for not only the environment but as well as his
people. He knew all too well the hardships and rough treatment farm workers faced as well as his
family when working in agricultural fields. Having such a harsh experience as growing up in the
fields is what brought awareness to Chavez and thought to him that there can be changes made
and is where he began his path to success.
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Being aware of the harsh conditions and little pay towards the Mexican or Mexican Americans in
the agricultural field is what inspired Cesar Chavez to begin fighting for what he believed they
only deserved, which was fair treatment and well as well paid salary.