Primary History Labs Template: Grade 3

Name: ______Date: ______

Essential Question: Who is Cesar Chávez and why is he remembered?

Sources: How does this source answer the Primary and Main Idea and Details essential question? Secondary Source 1:

Source 2:

Source 1

Cesar Chávez

1 Source 1

Cesar Chávez

Cesar Chávez was born in Yuma, Arizona in 1927 to immigrant parents. As a twelve year old, he moved with his Mexican-American family to California. They had to move because the family home was lost during the Great Depression, a period of very hard economic times in the United States. The Chávez family members were migrant workers who worked in the fields picking crops. They moved throughout the state as the crops were ready to be harvested. In order to help support his family, he dropped out of school after the eighth grade to work. Later, he joined the Navy and did some traveling.

Cesar Chávez returned to field work after his time in the Navy. He believed that migrant workers needed better working conditions and decided to focus his efforts on this cause. In 1962, he formed the National Farm Workers Association to fight for better pay and fairer treatment of migrant workers. He organized strikes or

2 walkouts where workers stopped the work that they were doing. This made business leaders listen to what Chávez and others wanted for the migrant workers. He also led marches, hunger strikes and boycotts. Chávez believed that they should never use violence but have peaceful ways to bring attention to the cause of migrant workers.

Cesar Chávez dedicated 30 years of his life to improving the problems of poor migrant workers. Through his tireless work, he was successful in working to raise salaries and create better working conditions. The changes inspired by Chávez helped to improve the lives of farm workers in several states, including California, Texas, Arizona and Florida. Today, Cesar Chávez is still recognized as a great labor leader who helped the plight of farm workers in the United States.

Source 2

3 Source 2

Celebrating Cesar Chávez Day

4 “Sí, se puede” - This Spanish phrase means “Yes, it can be done.” These were the words of Cesar Chávez in 1972 while he fasted. He went without food as a way to bring attention to a cause. This Latino American leader fought for the rights of farm workers who toiled in the fields harvesting crops. He first said these words when he was protesting an Arizona law that took rights away from farm workers. The law said that the workers could not strike or boycott during harvest season.

Chávez was a tough fighter but he believed in doing this in peaceful ways. For many years he worked hard to bring attention to unfair labor practices that farm workers or crop pickers had to endure. He gave speeches, organized marches and labor strikes, met with government officials and did other things to help poor migrant workers. In time, his hard work paid off and these workers received better pay and had better working conditions.

Although Cesar Chávez died in 1993, today he is remembered and honored in different ways. Some cities have streets named after him. Articles and books have been written about his life and work. A statue in his honor stands in the University of Texas. In 2014, former President Obama declared March 31st as Cesar Chávez Day. In some U.S. states there are celebrations and marches where farm workers still chant the words - “Sí, se puede”.