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This book tells how Mexican-American Cesar Chavez inspired millions and changed the lives of American farm workers.
A small, quiet, but determined man, Cesar overcame many odds in doing what people told him was impossible: creating an effective, lasting union of American farm workers.
The story begins with Cesar's shy but happy early childhood on a desert farm in Arizona. Losing everything in the Great Depression when Cesar was 11, the family began an odyssey of more than ten years with thousands of other seasonal workers in California. Forced out of school to work in the fields, Cesar lived the hard life of a migrant child worker.
Coming of age in the 1940s, Cesar became sharply aware of the second-class status accorded to many Mexican-Americans and other people of color. In his 20s, married with a growing family, he discovered his calling as an organizer. Eventually, he staked his life on the dream of creating the United Farm Workers union.
Besides portraying a marvelous hero, the Great Depression, and an epic struggle of the 1960s, this book tells a lot about the economics of daily life.
Guided Reading Level: L
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