Thursday, March 31, 2011 1:37:21 PM by Aishwarya Bhatt
New York, Mar 31 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Cesar Chavez is being honored throughout the United States for his contribution to the cause of the minority in the United States and his work in helping create the United Farm Workers.
Chaves who was born in Arizona grew up with his migrant family working in the farms. He dropped out of school after the eighth grade but he eventually overcame his lack of higher education to become an iconic figure in civil advocacy.
He famously spearheaded the grape boycott in the later part of the 1960s which eventually led to the recognition of the work of farm workers and caused their wages to be increased. On the civil advocacy front, he joined the Community Service Organization in 1952 and used the medium to urge his fellow Latinos to register to vote in the United States.
He formed the National Farm Workers Association with Dolores Huerta in 1962 and it later became known as United Farm Workers.
Chavez died at the age of 66 in 1993. His birthday, 31st of March, was made a state holiday in California in 2000 by then Governor Gray Davis. President Obama on Wednesday proclaimed the day “Cesar Chavez Day” urging Americans to observe the day with hard work and “appropriate services.”