Cesar Estrada Chavez (1927-1993) devoted his life to organizing migrant farm workers, particularly in the Chicano community. After his own family was
forced off of their farm during the depression, they joined the growing population of migrant workers in California. This sparked Chavez's radicalism. He began organizing with the Community service Organization (CSO) but he left when labor organizing was not made a priority. He then started the United Farm Workers (UFW) which organized Mexican, Filipino, and other migrant farm laborers. Using nonviolent civil disobedience, Chavez and the UFW fought for and won contracts with many growers. They also fought against the use of highly toxic pesticides on the vineyards. Cesar Chavez has been an inspiration for both the labor and Chicano movements, and supporters of peace and justice everywhere.
Fought for the rights of migrant farm workers in California.