Cesar Chavez's Work as a Civil Rights Activist

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Cesar Chavez, a civil rights activist, was a major proponent of workers’ rights in Hispanic history. Cesar was born in 1927, in Yuma, Arizona, as a Mexican- American. He grew up in a large family of ranchers and grocery store owners. His family lived in a small adobe house, which was taken away during the Great Depression. In order to receive ownership of the house, his father had to clear eighty acres. Unfortunately, after his father cleared the land, the agreement was broken, and the family was unable to purchase the house. Since Cesar’s family was homeless, they had to become migrant farmers. In order to find work, they relocated to California. Life there was not any easier. They worked year round, harvesting different crops. Cesar grew up working hard. The life of migrant workers was filled with difficult physical work and long hours. In 1942, Cesar quit the seventh grade to help his mother in the fields. This was his last form of schooling; he became a full-time migrant farmer. However, in 1944, when Cesar was seventeen, he joined the United States Navy. He served...

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