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Cesar Cavez DBQ

Cesar Chavez was an effective leader in unionizing farmers for several reasons: (1) As a former migrant farmer himself, he had personal connections with the struggles farmers faced; (2) He used multiple techniques like strikes, boycotts, and hunger strikes to bring attention to the issues and pressure growers; (3) He was deeply dedicated to the cause of farm worker rights, providing housing and food for union members despite having little money himself. Through non-violent action and grassroots organizing, Chavez succeeded in unionizing farmers where others had failed.

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403 views

Cesar Cavez DBQ

Cesar Chavez was an effective leader in unionizing farmers for several reasons: (1) As a former migrant farmer himself, he had personal connections with the struggles farmers faced; (2) He used multiple techniques like strikes, boycotts, and hunger strikes to bring attention to the issues and pressure growers; (3) He was deeply dedicated to the cause of farm worker rights, providing housing and food for union members despite having little money himself. Through non-violent action and grassroots organizing, Chavez succeeded in unionizing farmers where others had failed.

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Tyasia Pilgrim

Period 2

6/6/2018

What Made Cesar Chavez An Effective Leader?

Cesar Chavez was a Mexican American farmer who non-violently unionized

farmers and got them their much-deserved rights. A union is a coordinated alliance of

workers assembled to protect and extend worker rights. In the late 1930’s and early

1940’s, farmers were treated in a very inhumane manner. Migrant farm workers were

getting paid under minimum wage to work in excruciating weather conditions and had a

very low standard of living. Migrant farm workers often became very sick due to this.

Many people have tried to unionize farmers before and grant them their rights but, they

have all failed. However, Cesar Chavez was successful in doing so. He was a prosperous

leader because he had personal connections with migrant farmers, devotion and, he used

multiple techniques.

Cesar Chavez was a successful leader because, being a migrant farmer himself,

he personally connected with what the farmers were going through and, this made him

very dedicated. Because Cesar Chavez was a farmer himself, he knew what was needed
to be successful at unionizing other farmers. Document A states that,” Chavez grasped

the essential fact that farm workers had to organize themselves [creating what is called a

‘grassroots’ organization]. Outside organizers, however well intentioned could not do it.”

This shows how Chavez’s personal connections with farm workers made him successful

and, no person other than a farmer would be able to succeed. Along with personal

connections, Cesar Chavez was also very dedicated to gaining the farmers' rights all

while being non-violent. In the course of the revolution, Cesar Chavez also proved his

dedication by supporting the people in his union. He did this by yielding them a place to

live, and giving them money. In 1970 the minimum wage for Americans was $1.60.

According to Document B,”Housing was provided, but most people, Cesar included, got

$7.50 a week for food and, $5.00 for other expenses. As a result, the union was staffed

only by those with a strong and sincere interest in social justice.” This indicates how even

though Chavez did not have that much money, he was dedicated enough to get his union

workers a reasonable amount of pay.

Along with having personal connections with the farmers, Cesar Chavez was a

successful leader because he used more than one technique to help with unionizing the

farmers and, brought lots of attention to the problem with these techniques. In the course

of the revolution, Cesar Chavez hosted strikes, pickets, boycotts, marches and more.

Whilst doing this most of these events were successful. While Chavez was boycotting
grapes, “the drop in grape sales has been dramatic in some parts of the country,” as stated

in Document D. This information affirms how rewarding the boycott was to migrant

farmers and, really damaged the growers’ profits. At the time of the revolution, Cesar

Chavez proved his adherence and, diversity of techniques by going on a hunger strike.

Document C depicts Cesar Chavez during this twenty-five-day hunger strike alongside

U.S Senator, at the time, Robert Kennedy. At the end of his hunger strike, Chavez gave a

speech which stated,”I am convinced that the truest act of courage, the strongest act of

manliness, is to sacrifice ourselves for others in a totally nonviolent struggle for justice.

To be a man is to suffer others. God help us to be men.” This shows how Cesar Chavez

used a public figure to raise publicity of the event and, used multiple approaches to get

rights for migrant farm workers during the revolution.

All for all, Cesar Chavez was an effective leader because he because he had

personal connections with migrant farmers, used multiple techniques, and he was

devoted. Not only did Cesar Chavez unionize farmers but, he did it in a non-violent

fashion. As Chavez used to say, “Si se puede-it can be done.” And, he did, he

successfully unionized farmers even when everyone else failed to do so. And made the

UFW, United farm workers of America, before he passed away in 1993. But, even now,
migrant farm workers are being affected by his contributions and effective leadership

skills.

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