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Emily Bernsteinsays
After hearing all about Cesar Chiavez from outside sources, it was very interesting to hear things directly from him. We got to hear about his family and hear his side of the strikes and the issues preparing the union and keeping it running. Chiavez worked nights for the Community Service Organization and while there he taught workers and eventually formed the National Farm Workers along with Dolorez Huerta. Workers put down their name, address, and how much they believed they should be paid, but I thought it was interesting how Cesar noted how surprised he was about how low the wages they put were because he felt they deserved to have more money than minimum wage. He organized every part of his union to be put to a vote for strikes and deal with protests and every other grievance with democracy because the union had people as its leaders, not anyone official. I didn’t know he rejected a gift of $50,000 so he could put it for the union and its organization and I thought that was something worth noting and remembering a year from now. I liked how the article included him laughing after being fired because they did the job not to the expectations of their boss. The article noted how Latinos who were bitter towards whites (with good reason) called them “scabs” and how they were dissatsified with the working conditions and wages and therefore took a vote to launch a strike. They made people strike who said they were going to strike because they had to keep their word. Cesar always felt bad when he couldn’t spare an organizer because he said it would hurt his pride and I didn’t realize how prideful of a man he was.
I also liked how confident everyone apart of the union was and how they were always looking for more ways to help others create change in their communities. The article also talked a little about the mass relocation of Mexicans during the Great Depression and how that greatly affected Latino Americans just like in the Latino America 5 video we watched.
I really enjoyed reading this testimonial from Chavez’s point of view. It’s really interesting reading the beginnings of a movement to help the Latino American community. I think it’s strange that the workers on the farms didn’t ask for much more money than what they were given. It seems like possibly they’re used to lower lifestyle and wages so they don’t want to ask for too much, they just need enough to have a lifestyle. I think it’s nice how Chavez obviously really cares about the people he’s trying to liberate. The people who put comments on the cards he sent out are the ones he went to visit. He even had to ask for food because he was poor and the union was only beginning. He brought in many new members to his cause in this way because “if people give you their food, they give you your hearts.” I think it’s really amazing that the National Farm Workers Association was really built from the ground up by two people. I think it shows the determination people can have if they create something just from one idea they have. They even constructed a flag to show that their cause is here to stay and it’s for the people.
The goal of the union was to really be with the workers and hear their problems. Him and Huerta turned down a $50,000 grant because outside money wasn’t going to organize people. Even when the union wasn’t running so smoothly, they fought. I thought it was admirable that Chavez quit his job to seriously devote 100% of his time to the union. Eventually, there were a thousand members and the union was well known. Him and Huerta became greatly involved on their first strike. I thought it was great that they really devoted the workers to the strike, by essentially forcing them not to go to work. Eventually, the workers got what they wanted, even if Chavez and Huerta believed that they could accomplish more. I think it’s amazing how the union became so well known that it eventually really helped the Latinos get their rights, they even started training other organizers and they received money from the Migrant Ministry. Chavez Huerta, and the new organizers have a very rough fight in this line of work, but I find it very commendable their efforts to acquire equal rights for all.
This excerpt from “The Organizer’s Tale”, proves that Cesar Chavez was motivated to form the union from the experiences that he had had as a farmworker growing up and by the conditions he had seen and endured throughout his lifetime. It is really evident that Chavez was willing to make great sacrifices so the union could continue, even when not having money for himself and attempting to raise a family. His writing really shows how crucial Mexican workers were for the farms and how poorly they were treated and paid. I found it very strange how many of the workers believed their hard work was worth a couple cents more of what they were actually being paid. I think it’s important to realize how vital Dolores Huerta’s role was in the union, and how she symbolizes power through her actions. When Dolores moved the truck to block the workers’ driveway so they wouldn’t go to work and keep their strike pledge, it showed me that she was a woman that was not afraid to take charge. I like how the excerpt went into detail of some of the struggles Chavez had to withstand and how determined he was to make everything happen despite any setbacks. Overall, what I got from this writing is that Cesar loved what he was doing and his work wasn’t just to help others but to also “settle a personal score”. His work taught me that social justice takes action, selflessness, and most importantly commitment. Coming from nothing he managed to inspire millions of people to stand up for what’s right.
The Organizer’s Tale proves that Cesar Chavez was so incredibly motivated to form a union and to take a stance on gaining rights he gave up numerous opportunities just to make a point. Something that stood out to me was the fact that Chavez gave up a 50,000 dollar grant just to make the point that he wanted to build this union from the ground up and only have the backbone of the supporters. This gives the union a more independent and culturally unified feeling, they are working together to obtain a single goal and they want to make a clear and precise point that they can do it without the help of big organizations because they are serious about the matter at hand. No matter what obstacle Chavez faced they never quit. They put a lot of their success on the strikes to hope that they would go well because of the minimal budget that they had. The fact that they ended up being productive and still showing what Chavez and the other Latinos had intended is shocking and impressive. It shows just how motivated and courageous the people in the union were and how they were willing to work through whatever circumstances for the outcome desired.
This testimony of Caesar Chavez was interesting but not surprising. There is this constant devotion seen throughout the Latinos’ stories that is admiring. Chavez explains his struggle with money but still continues to prosper with his mission and strikes. Whenever money did come around, he used it in ways that were necessary to upholding his life as a leader and a man in the mid-1960’s. His use of nonviolence was really detrimental with the success of the multiple strikes and movements. With him declining of $50,000 at a crucial time showed how serious he and his union was about getting justice for the farm workers. Monetary value wasn’t as important to him as the respect of big companies and the country, in general.
After hearing all about Cesar Chiavez from outside sources, it was very interesting to hear things directly from him. We got to hear about his family and hear his side of the strikes and the issues preparing the union and keeping it running. Chiavez worked nights for the Community Service Organization and while there he taught workers and eventually formed the National Farm Workers along with Dolorez Huerta. Workers put down their name, address, and how much they believed they should be paid, but I thought it was interesting how Cesar noted how surprised he was about how low the wages they put were because he felt they deserved to have more money than minimum wage. He organized every part of his union to be put to a vote for strikes and deal with protests and every other grievance with democracy because the union had people as its leaders, not anyone official. I didn’t know he rejected a gift of $50,000 so he could put it for the union and its organization and I thought that was something worth noting and remembering a year from now. I liked how the article included him laughing after being fired because they did the job not to the expectations of their boss. The article noted how Latinos who were bitter towards whites (with good reason) called them “scabs” and how they were dissatsified with the working conditions and wages and therefore took a vote to launch a strike. They made people strike who said they were going to strike because they had to keep their word. Cesar always felt bad when he couldn’t spare an organizer because he said it would hurt his pride and I didn’t realize how prideful of a man he was.
I also liked how confident everyone apart of the union was and how they were always looking for more ways to help others create change in their communities. The article also talked a little about the mass relocation of Mexicans during the Great Depression and how that greatly affected Latino Americans just like in the Latino America 5 video we watched.
I really enjoyed reading this testimonial from Chavez’s point of view. It’s really interesting reading the beginnings of a movement to help the Latino American community. I think it’s strange that the workers on the farms didn’t ask for much more money than what they were given. It seems like possibly they’re used to lower lifestyle and wages so they don’t want to ask for too much, they just need enough to have a lifestyle. I think it’s nice how Chavez obviously really cares about the people he’s trying to liberate. The people who put comments on the cards he sent out are the ones he went to visit. He even had to ask for food because he was poor and the union was only beginning. He brought in many new members to his cause in this way because “if people give you their food, they give you your hearts.” I think it’s really amazing that the National Farm Workers Association was really built from the ground up by two people. I think it shows the determination people can have if they create something just from one idea they have. They even constructed a flag to show that their cause is here to stay and it’s for the people.
The goal of the union was to really be with the workers and hear their problems. Him and Huerta turned down a $50,000 grant because outside money wasn’t going to organize people. Even when the union wasn’t running so smoothly, they fought. I thought it was admirable that Chavez quit his job to seriously devote 100% of his time to the union. Eventually, there were a thousand members and the union was well known. Him and Huerta became greatly involved on their first strike. I thought it was great that they really devoted the workers to the strike, by essentially forcing them not to go to work. Eventually, the workers got what they wanted, even if Chavez and Huerta believed that they could accomplish more. I think it’s amazing how the union became so well known that it eventually really helped the Latinos get their rights, they even started training other organizers and they received money from the Migrant Ministry. Chavez Huerta, and the new organizers have a very rough fight in this line of work, but I find it very commendable their efforts to acquire equal rights for all.
This excerpt from “The Organizer’s Tale”, proves that Cesar Chavez was motivated to form the union from the experiences that he had had as a farmworker growing up and by the conditions he had seen and endured throughout his lifetime. It is really evident that Chavez was willing to make great sacrifices so the union could continue, even when not having money for himself and attempting to raise a family. His writing really shows how crucial Mexican workers were for the farms and how poorly they were treated and paid. I found it very strange how many of the workers believed their hard work was worth a couple cents more of what they were actually being paid. I think it’s important to realize how vital Dolores Huerta’s role was in the union, and how she symbolizes power through her actions. When Dolores moved the truck to block the workers’ driveway so they wouldn’t go to work and keep their strike pledge, it showed me that she was a woman that was not afraid to take charge. I like how the excerpt went into detail of some of the struggles Chavez had to withstand and how determined he was to make everything happen despite any setbacks. Overall, what I got from this writing is that Cesar loved what he was doing and his work wasn’t just to help others but to also “settle a personal score”. His work taught me that social justice takes action, selflessness, and most importantly commitment. Coming from nothing he managed to inspire millions of people to stand up for what’s right.
The Organizer’s Tale proves that Cesar Chavez was so incredibly motivated to form a union and to take a stance on gaining rights he gave up numerous opportunities just to make a point. Something that stood out to me was the fact that Chavez gave up a 50,000 dollar grant just to make the point that he wanted to build this union from the ground up and only have the backbone of the supporters. This gives the union a more independent and culturally unified feeling, they are working together to obtain a single goal and they want to make a clear and precise point that they can do it without the help of big organizations because they are serious about the matter at hand. No matter what obstacle Chavez faced they never quit. They put a lot of their success on the strikes to hope that they would go well because of the minimal budget that they had. The fact that they ended up being productive and still showing what Chavez and the other Latinos had intended is shocking and impressive. It shows just how motivated and courageous the people in the union were and how they were willing to work through whatever circumstances for the outcome desired.
This testimony of Caesar Chavez was interesting but not surprising. There is this constant devotion seen throughout the Latinos’ stories that is admiring. Chavez explains his struggle with money but still continues to prosper with his mission and strikes. Whenever money did come around, he used it in ways that were necessary to upholding his life as a leader and a man in the mid-1960’s. His use of nonviolence was really detrimental with the success of the multiple strikes and movements. With him declining of $50,000 at a crucial time showed how serious he and his union was about getting justice for the farm workers. Monetary value wasn’t as important to him as the respect of big companies and the country, in general.