César Estrada Chávez was born in Yuma, Arizona on March 31, 1927. The family home and property was lost during the Great Depression, so they moved to California to become migrant farm workers. In 1942, Chávez dropped out of seventh grade to work in the fields full time so that his mother wouldn’t have to. He enlisted in the Navy in 1946 and served for two years. Chávez married Helen Fabela in 1948, and moved to San Jose to work as agricultural laborer. In 1952, he became an organizer for a Latino civil rights group, the Community Service Organization (CSO). He became the national director in 1958. In 1962, Chávez moved to Delano, California and co-founded the National Farm Workers Association with Dolores Huerta.
In 1965, the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee voted to strike against grape growers in Delano, California. The head of the largely Filipino workers union Larry Itliong, sought Chávez’s participation in the strike which was set for September. The strike proved to be largely successful because of Chávez’s cooperation. Soon after, both unions merged to become the United Farm Workers (UFW). By the late 1970s, Chávez’s non-violent boycotts and strikes compelled growers to recognize the UFW as the bargaining agent for 50,000 field workers in both California and Florida.
César Chávez died at the age of 66 on April 23, 1993. He received numerous awards and honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom (posthumously), and his birth date March 31, is a state holiday in California, Colorado, and Texas. President Obama declared the date “César Chávez Day” and urged Americans to “…observe this day with appropriate service, community, and educational programs to honor César Chávez’s enduring legacy.” The historic plaza on Market Street in San Jose was renamed Plaza de César Chávez in 1993, and hosts concerts, festivals, and the annual Christmas in the Park.
New Community Center (Update - March 2023)
As we prepare to celebrate César Chávez's birthday on March 31, we might also celebrate the purchase of the family home by the local Amigos de Guadalupe Center for Justice and Empowerment. The city landmark at 53 Scharff Avenue (above) was purchased by the non-profit last year with the assistance of the City of San Jose and several foundations. Plans are currently underway to utilize the former home as a community center.
Titles Available in the California Room
- The Crusades of Cesar Chavez: a Biography, by Miriam Pawel
- Cesar Chavez: a Triumph of Spirit, by Richard Griswold
- Remembering Cesar: the Legacy of Cesar Chavez, by Ann McGregor
- The Fight in the Fields: Cesar Chavez and the Farmworkers Movement, by Susan Ferriss and Ricardo Sandoval
- More materials on César Chávez from the San Jose Public Library catalog
- César Chávez in the California Room Index
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