In 1952, determined to earn protections for food and farmworkers, Chavez began organizing people to advocate for the reform of labor laws, so farmworkers could have basic human rights such as safe working conditions and living wages so they can provide for their families. While the newly enacted Labor Relations Act of 1935 gave employees the right to join unions to collectively address unfair labor practices, it excluded farm and domestic workers – positions predominately held by minorities. He witnessed firsthand the injustices, indignities, and discrimination that farmworkers suffered at the hands of growers. To help support his family, Chavez began working in the fields at the age of 11. During the Great Depression, his family lost their ranch and moved to California as migrant workers. Cesar Chavez Day allows us to recommit ourselves to honoring farmworkers and their many indispensable contributions to our nation.Īn American hero, Chavez led the non-violent movement in the mid-1900s that paved the way for better wages and working conditions which nearly 2.5 million farmworkers benefit from today.Ī Mexican American, Chavez grew up in a farming community in Yuma, AZ in the 1930s.

Cesar chavez and the ufw