In 1962, Cesar Chavez quit working to pursue something greater than himself. Chavez became frustrated with the Community Service Organization’s (CSO) reluctance to take on issues related to farm workers, whom he saw as among the most unfairly treated groups in society. Instead, he felt that he would have a more significant impact if he focused his efforts on organizing them. He was mostly relieved to be able to devote all his energy and attention to the cause of farm workers. So, in 1962, the same year he resigned from the CSO, he created the United Farm Workers (UFW) in the city of Delano, California.¹ Four years later, on March 17, 1966, Chavez made his voice heard by kicking off a march that held seventy workers and supporters looking to make a change. “El Plan de Delano” was a manifesto read to the group before the farm workers left for Sacramento. It explains the reason for the strike and the union’s goals by highlighting how “the Mexican race has sacrificed itself for the last hundred years. Our sweat and our blood have fallen on this land to make other men rich.” This was read at each stop along the march.²

As Cesar Chavez began organizing the United Farm Workers (UFW), his goal was to improve the working conditions, wages, and rights of farm workers, particularly those of Mexican and Filipino descent who were often exploited.³ In 1937, Chavez’s parents lost their farm due to the Great Depression, and they began to work as migrant laborers when they moved to California. He saw firsthand the problematic and dangerous working conditions that farm workers faced, including exposure to pesticides and other hazards.⁴ He believed they deserved fair treatment and respect. 

Chavez understood the struggles of farm workers and saw the need to fight for them when they needed a voice and someone to believe in them. So, Chavez did that by organizing farm workers and using nonviolent resistance tactics, such as boycotts and strikes. He would empower farm workers and give them a voice in their own struggles for a better life. He worked hard to build solidarity among workers and to mobilize broader public support through boycotts and other actions. The UFW could create lasting change that would benefit not just farm workers but all working-class people. This meant so much to many farm workers, fighting for everything they could to live better lives. The UFW inspired all kinds of people after seeing everything that farm workers suffered, from things such as poverty, labor conditions, discrimination, and skin problems from sun radiation, especially knowing that they had all the resources that they wished they could give to farm workers at home. The more people that followed Cesar Chavez, the closer they were to gaining the appreciation farm workers deserved. He felt a deep connection with the workers and was committed to fighting for their rights and dignity. “Cesar cared a lot for us, until the last hour of his life. His concern was looking after his people,” said Mary Magana, a McFarland farmworker who had worked for years under a UFW contract at a San Joaquin Valley rose company.⁵

The UFW and Cesar Chavez organized several strikes, like the one in 1965, where they began a strike on grape growers in Delano. Their struggle lasted over five years and went through many phases, such as from not buying grapes, to turning off their own water, to even going on a hunger strike. They also organized consumer boycotts of products produced by companies that mistreated their workers or refused to negotiate with their unions. They were mistreated so much as to getting sprayed with pesticides in the vineyard by white farmers directly into their faces when anyone would stand up for themselves. The marches and protests were to draw attention to the issues facing farm workers and to demand better treatment and rights. The culmination of years of organizing and activism by Chavez and the UFW is what sparked the march to Sacramento. They lobbied politicians and government officials to pass laws and regulations that would protect the rights of farm workers. Lastly, they engaged in community organizing, building solidarity among farm workers, and empowering them to advocate for their rights. He wanted them to have access to healthcare and other benefits to protect them from exploitation and discrimination.⁶

One of their biggest marches was the 1966 Delano March, which was a 340-mile-long protest march led by Cesar Chavez and the UFW from Delano to Sacramento, California. They started their journey up Highway 99, achieving about fifteen miles a day. The march was a major turning point in the farm labor movement and helped to bring attention to the working and living conditions of farm workers. It began on March 17, 1966, with about seventy farm workers leaving Delano, California. They faced challenges, such as scorching heat, blisters, and police harassment. That same year, a week before arriving in Sacramento, Cesar received news that the vineyard that sprayed farm workers with pesticide was willing to negotiate a union contract. This was the first time farm workers were noticed by any kind of farming corporation willing to work with them toward a solution. On April 11, they arrived in Sacramento, where thousands of supporters met them.

The marchers then held a rally at the State Capitol, where they presented a list of demands to the governor, including the right to collectively bargain, the abolition of the “short-handled hoe” (a tool that was causing severe health problems for farm workers), and the improvement of working and living conditions. While the governor did not approve their demands immediately, the march helped raise public awareness of farm workers’ issues, and pressured growers and politicians to act. This marks a significant moment in the history of the struggle for worker’s rights in the United States. This gave hope to many farm workers looking to make a change after all the work they had accomplished, because now their story was being heard.

During the march and at the rally in Sacramento, Chavez spoke passionately about the challenges facing farm workers. In one famous speech during the Delano march, Chavez said, “The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people.”⁷ Cesar Chavez clearly saw these moments as critical opportunities to communicate his message and mobilize support for the farm labor movement. He was so proud of how far they had come in pursuing the cause of farm workers’ rights. At times, Chavez felt frustration and despair over trying to achieve the fair treatment farm workers deserved. It was sometimes slow and challenging when he faced resistance from powerful agricultural interests, and even from the workers themselves, who were divided along ethnic and cultural lines.

After the Delano march, Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers (UFW) continued their efforts to improve conditions for farm workers and to push for laws to protect their rights. They focused on organizing farm workers and building a solid and effective labor movement. Chavez and the UFW also continued to engage in strikes, boycotts, and other forms of direct action to pressure growers and other powerful interests to improve conditions for farm workers by organizing major boycotts of grapes and lettuce, calling on consumers to support their cause by refusing to purchase these products.

Despite the challenges, Chavez remained committed to the cause of farm workers’ rights. The inspiration he carried from his Catholic faith taught him the values of social justice and the compassion to keep going. It took from the 1960s to 1975 for the Agricultural Labor Relations Act to be passed. It was a major victory for the UFW and Chavez, where the law granted collective bargaining rights to farm workers in California. Chavez himself felt a deep sense of satisfaction and pride when the ALRA was signed into law. He had dedicated his life to fighting for the rights of farm workers, and the passage of the ALRA represented a major step forward in this struggle. Many of his followers were touched by all the hard work he put in for these farm workers. It not only expanded awareness but also contribute to the UFW mission. Chavez always believed that there was more to life than just money, and that we were just focused on the wrong things. He saw farm workers for who they were, even if he didn’t know them personally. He wanted to fight for them when they couldn’t and do good for his people. 

However, the struggle for farm workers’ rights did not end with the passage of this law, and both Chavez and the UFW continued to work for many years to improve conditions for farm workers. While there were many challenges along the way, Chavez’s tireless efforts helped to build a stronger labor movement and to raise public awareness about the need for greater protections and rights for all workers. His dedication to farm workers was inspired by leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr and Gandhi themselves. One of the most notable awards he received was the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest civilian honor in the United States. Chavez’s legacy and impact continue to be recognized and celebrated to this day, as he is seen as one of the most influential and inspiring figures in the history of the labor movement and the struggle for social justice in the United States. His fight still continues and has not been forgotten. We continue to stand up for the rights of farm workers, as we say, si se puede!⁸

I would like to thank Dr. Whitener for working with me on my topic. He believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. Without his help I would not have gotten to where I am now with a published article. He worked with me especially on the article proposal, which was one of my biggest challenges. And now I see what a story really is. I would also like to thank Jose Chaman Alvarez, one of my tutors, for helping me understand how to actually write the article. I would also like to thank Diane Duesterhoeft, the librarian here at St. Mary’s for helping me find the resources I needed. Finally, I would like to thank my family members, loved ones, and my boyfriend, who never gave up on me and told me to achieve the impossible.