Who was Cesar Chavez? - activist.
In February 1939, when the family
was pushed off their land, they set off for California as many other families
did from Midwest due to the Dust Bowl.
The Chavez family settled in San
Jose. There, families of farmworkers crowded into small, run-down houses.
Young Cesar worked alongside his
family to help make money.
Cesar and his brother often had to
go to school without shoes, often wearing mismatched socks, and being teased.
The mother who never learned how to read and write pushed the children to go to
school as much as possible.
Many of the schools were
segregated, and there was no accountability for teachers how they acted toward
segregated children. Because of the racist remarks, Cesar didn’t like going to
school. He was happier earning some money.
Even though, the family was often
desperate to make money, the parents still had the courage to fight for their
dignity by refusing to take abuse from employers. These were Cesar’s first
exposure of protest. If what they wanted wasn’t corrected, then they’d leave,
which took great courage.
When his father had a car accident,
Cesar didn’t want his mother to work. So after finishing eighth grade, he
became full-time farmworker.
In 1944, at seventeen, he enlisted
in the US Navy. He worked as a deckhand. He hated the strictness. He called his
two years in the navy the worst of his life.
The strictness of the navy pushed
him to explore freedom. One day, despite being very frightened, he refused to
sit in a section reserved for Mexicans at a movie theater.
After returning from the navy, he
married his girlfriend, Helen Fabela. After their honeymoon, they moved to
different places in search of work.
When they returned to San Jose,
they met a Catholic priest Father Donald McDonnell who introduced Cesar to
important books about justice, worker’s rights, nonviolence, and historical
figures who fought for justice. Cesar became fascinated with Gandhi’s
philosophy of nonviolence. Gandhi’s work had enormous impact on his life.
Cesar was also approached to join
an activist group that wanted fair treatment for all. Cesar got involved and
that was beginning of his journey as an activist. He later joined forces with
another activist Dolores Huerta to focus on rallying farmworkers. They started
a union National Farm Workers Association. They both took a risk of leaving
paid positions. Many times they hardly had any money for food or gas.
Cesar led many strikes but he made
it clear that violence was not an option. At some point, he also went on hunger
strikes, catching attention of Martin Luther King Jr., among others, who
expressed his support for the farmworker movement.
Cesar passed away in his sleep. He
certainly made a difference in many people’s lives. He dedicated his life to
humanity which often came at a cost of his private life.
I found the second part of the book
slower. It was overwhelmed with his activism. The first part had a good flow
and good information without overwhelming a young reader in details.
This biography exemplifies a man
who received a valuable wisdom as a child, and carried it throughout his life.
It was reinforced even more with wisdom of others that crossed his path
physically or through their work echoing throughout the world. He lacked formal
education but he carried with him something much more valuable - wisdom. It is
up to an individual what limitations one accepts or doesn’t. Some imposed by
family, school, society. Cesar spent a lot of time in nature and was well
connected with his natural instincts which whispered wisdom as well.
Source: Roaring Brook Press,
MacMillan
TRENDING INSPIRATION: “The fight is never about grape or lettuce. It is always about people.” – Cesar Chaves
“True wealth is not measured in
money or status or power. It is measured by the legacy we leave behind for
those we love and those we inspire.” – Cesar Chaves
Traits:
·
Cesar came from a place
where parents made the best effort to create a stable home despite poverty.
·
His mother couldn’t
read or write but she was a woman full of wisdom, passing it on to her
children.
·
During his childhood,
he experienced racist remarks at school which made him dislike school. But the
wisdom he gained throughout his life carried toward serving humanity.
·
His family was often
desperate to make money, but the parents still had the courage to fight for
their dignity by refusing to take abuse from employers. These were Cesar’s
first exposure of protest.
·
The strictness of the
navy pushed him to explore freedom by refusing to sit in a section reserved for
Mexicans at a movie theater.
·
Catholic priest introduced
Cesar to important books about justice, worker’s rights, nonviolence, and
historical figures that fought for justice.
·
Cesar became fascinated
with Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolence. Gandhi’s work had enormous impact on
his life.
·
When Cesar was approached
to join an activist group that wanted fair treatment for all, he got involved
and that was beginning of his journey as an activist.
·
He later joined forces
with another activist Dolores Huerta to focus on rallying farmworkers. They
started a union National Farm Workers Association. They both took a risk of
leaving paid positions. Many times they hardly had any money for food or gas.
·
Cesar led many strikes
but he made it clear that violence was not an option.
FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATION:
She was a science-trained sceptic accompanying her husband on his spiritual journey to India. On the way to India, she just reminded herself to be open to the experience. And she was caught by surprise when she went through awakening by Ganges River. Her awakening shattered her old identity and opened her to a universal realization: everything is connected through unconditional love. She herself became a spiritual teacher living in the Himalayas, leaving behind the strict scientific education.
She became a global spiritual leader and
bestselling author of Come Home to Yourself: Wisdom for Life from the Parmarth
Niketan Ashram, and Hollywood to the Himalayas.
Breakdown Mayim Bialik’s interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUDl_SInWv0
No comments:
Post a Comment