Protestors
from the UFW march 300 miles from Delano to Sacramento
On September 8th of 1965
the AWOK, a largely Filipino farm workers group, walked out of their grape
fields in Delano, California in protest of years or low wages and poor working
conditions. That first walk out was the beginning of the Delano Grape Strike.
Eight days later, Cesar Chavez the leader of the then NFW would join the strike
as well. The grape strike lasted for five years.
The grape strike was set in motion
in order to make people outside the agriculture industry aware of the poor
conditions the workers have to go through. In 1966, Chavez along with his
supporters and leaders of the AWOK began a 300-mile march to Sacramento from
Delano which would be the first protest I analyze. Chavez wanted to publicize
the plight nationwide and he wanted to bring widespread attention to the
farmers’ cause. Improved working conditions, better pay and the ability to
unionize was what the farm workers were after. Shortly after the march took
place, the AWOK and the NFW joined forces and became known as the UFW.
Chavez and his supporters took part
in nonviolent protests because he felt that those were the ones that could have
the longest lasting results. Chavez was following in the footsteps of his idols
Mahatma Gandi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Another form of protest that Chavez
became known for was fasting. Chavez fasted on three separate occasions in
protests. The first time Chavez fasted was in 1968 when he went on a 25 day,
water only fast to show support and to stand in solidarity with farm working
families affected by previous years of poor treatment. When it came to fasting
Chavez thought about it more as a purification ritual. Chavez once said “a fast
for me is personal, it is a fast for the purification of my own soul, mind and
body” (Alarcon). Chavez would take on another fast in 1972 which lasted 24 days
in protests of similar issues affecting farm workers and their families.
Chavez would fast for the last time
in 1988 while protesting the use of pesticides on table grapes. Chavez gave a
speech in Tacoma, Washington warning people and farm workers about the effects
pesticides can have on an individual (pacific Lutheran). Even at an advanced
age, Chavez continued to show support for farm workers and anyone affected
within the industry, and at 67 years old Chavez still fasted for those he
fought for.
WORKS
CITED
UFW.org. “United Farm
Workers of America”. “Story of Cesar Chavez”. National headquarters Keene,
California. Press inquires Bakersfield, California.
Chavez, Cesar. “Speech at
Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington in 1989”. United Farm Workers
of America. Ufw.org. 1989. Speech.
Alarcon, Evelina. “Cesar
Chavez: A legacy for peace, justice and non-violence”. New York, NY. Long View
publishing. C2003. Peoplesworld.org. online publication.
