Cesar Chavez's Pre-Progressive Life

Cesar Estrada Chavez was born on March 31, 1927. He was born near Yuma, Arizona. He was named after his farm working grandfather Cesario. When Cesar was a child he learned about injustice. Someone had made a deal with his father that if he would clear 80 acres of land he would get 40 acres of land in return. Cesar's father did the job and the agreement was broken. Cesar's father got a lawyer and still was not able to get the the land he was promised. When Cesar was older he stated,"The love for justice that is in us is not only the best part of our being but it is also the most true to our our nature." I think that this event in his life started his drive to make things better for farm workers. Cesar and his family moved to California in 1939 and worked in agricultural fields to make a living. He hated school as a child. The schools were racist towards hispanics and other races. Cesar said once that he remembers getting called names and getting made fun of. Although he hated school as a child, education was his passion when he grew up. He quoted,"The end of all education should surely be service to others." At the age of 19 Cesar joined the Navy which was also segregated at the time. He served for two years which seemed like a long time to me for someone who was a different race in a segregated area. After leaving the Navy when he was 21 he married a woman named Helen Fabela in 1948. Cesar Chavez's early life is the foundation of his yet-to-come progressive life.