Supporters say his work led to numerous improvements for union laborers. His birthday has become César Chávez Day, a state holiday in eight States. Many parks, cultural centers, libraries, schools, and streets have been named in his honor in cities across the United States.
-Wikipedia
While not exactly Gandhi or MLK he is the closest thing to a civil liberties icon that farm workers have. He was against the immigration of illegal workers, as he felt they took jobs from Americans. He was also against the use of pesticides.
Since he didn’t die a good dramatic death Oliver Stone and Sean Penn have not stepped forward to make blockbuster movies about him. The famed Texas Board of Education has removed good old Cesar from the history books. I don’t know much about Farms or Farming and I know very little about Cesar Chavez-I thought he was a protector of illegal immigrants, not a voice of reason against them. So it is kind of funny that he has been co-oped as a rallying point for illegal immigrants.
My dear of Dad was an American and very proud of it-but he bore a striking resemblance to Juan Valdez with dark skin and bushy mustache. He hated ‘wetbacks’ and cursed anyone he saw that he thought fit well into that broad category. Cesar Chavez was also an American and very proud of it and I think he would be more likely to have liked the idea of a big fence along the Mexican boarder than an open arms policy.
