Cesar Chavez: Mexican American Civil Rights Activist

In the 20th century, American societal norms and culture were beginning to change. Women were beginning to achieve higher education and a broader array of occupations that previously was unavailable to them, the government began to crack down hard on unsafe and unsanitary working conditions in industrial companies, the recent development of a new, exciting genre of music called rock and roll had swept the nation. Another prevalent occurrence during this period would be the rise of the fight for Civil Rights. Across the nation, people of colour were discriminated against and held at a lower tier than their Caucasian counterpart, and seen as inferior to them. This had continued for many years, until brave advocates decided to speak out against
Cesar Chavez, up until his death, dedicated his life to making certain that farm workers received better treatment, respect, dignity, justice, and fairness, and spoke fiercely for his
Chavez secured raises, and improved conditions for farm workers in California, Texas, Arizona, and Florida, even despite tension that lingered revolving around another union, the Teamsters, and legal barriers. He raised attention to his cause via boycotts, marches, and hunger strikes to bring further support to his passion of helping farm workers. The late Senator Robert F. Kennedy proclaimed Chavez was “One of the heroic figures of our time.” He was praised and admired for his nonviolent ways of seeking justice, which included Chavez' twenty-five day fast to rededicate and recommit his self to the struggle for justice. Chavez also had established the first comprehensive union medical benefits for farm workers and their families through a joint union-employer health and welfare fund, the Robert F Kennedy Medical Plan, which paid out more than $250 million in benefits, later including dental and