Cesar Chavez was born in Yuma, Arizona on March 31, 1927, according to United Farm Workers. Growing up, Chavez experienced the feeling of unfairness. In United Farm Workers, Chavez’ father agreed to clear a piece of land that was 80 acres. According to the agreement, in return, Chavez’ father would get 40 acres of land. The United Farm Workers website stated that the agreement was infringed. Because of this, Chavez’ father came to the conclusion that he should hire a lawyer. As stated in United Farm Workers, Chavez’ lawyer suggested that he take out a loan. Unfortunately, things did not go as expected for Chavez’ father. In United Farm Workers, the father could not afford to pay back the money. Around the late 1930s, Chavez and his family moved to San Jose, California. There, they lived in a poor neighborhood called Sal Si Puedes (Get Out If You Can), according to United Farm Workers. Chavez then wanted to get an education in order to escape poverty, but this soon enough did not work out as expected, as stated in United Farm Workers. Chavez’ father had gotten in a car accident, but at the same time Chavez did not want his
This article gave us a rough idea about the public 's response to Cesar Chavez 's actions. It tried to report all sides of the conflict. The public had mixed views. Some supported Chavez 's cause and offered to do anything to support him. Others were angry with Chavez because they didn 't feel he had a just cause, and they hated paying more for their produce. This article also gave Bishop Donelly 's views on Chavez. This was a valuable resource in that it better described both sides of the issue. Giving both sides created balance in the information offered and allowed me to make an informed decision.
The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. devastated a large majority of people around the world. His works of nonviolent acts against racism motivated many, including civil rights activist Cesar Chavez, to solve matters without resorting to inhumane behaviors. Inspired by Dr. King Jr.’s work, Chavez and his union of labor workers devoted themselves to helping those in need through peaceful protests. Similar methods are proven to be successful; Mahatma Gandhi, for instance, gained a great deal of supporters because of his pacifism and tranquil methods of boycotting against British domination. Despite brutal and savage methods of persuasion slowly gaining support, Chavez proves that nonviolent actions are superior; he does so by using ethos in order to uphold moral standards, logos (in reference to the past), and pathos to appeal to the emotions of his audience.
One of Chavez’s most well-known protests is the Delano Grape Strike. Chavez is well known for this individual strike because he was specifically asked from the Filipinos, who were the peoples that were affected so they started the strike because of bad pay (90 cents an hour) and horrible working conditions. Cesar accepted the invitation from the Filipinos because he felt as though this strike could have been helpful towards his protesting causes. This strike focused on the pay, working conditions, and the land owner’s violent actions towards the farm workers. Cesar new the fight for these rights was not going to end anytime soon. The most challenging factor in this strike was keeping all the other farm workers fighting for their right as Mexican American farm workers. Some of the supporting men on the strike were starting to resort to the same violence they received from their employers. Cesar devoted this thought from his head as well as the men who came up with it, because he believed that nonviolent actions forced you to be more creative, in other words, it lets you keep control of the offensive, which is highly important in winning any contest, or in this case protest,
Cesar Chavez explained nonviolence as a form of bringing awareness to not only the wages, working conditions and treatment of farm workers, but also the overall treatment of marginalized people in the United States. However, growing up with the perspective of the farmworker’s inspired him to spread the word of resistance against the growers and the government as a whole. Cesar Chavez purpose of La Causa not only inspired people to become a part of something so great, but to inflict change individually by encouraging his brothers and sisters to become mentally and physically strong. Which I believe is the backbone to a non-violence protest. It’s also the mentality a social worker should inhibit because dealing with change, it requires many of
In the first paragraph Chavez mentions Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, stating that Dr. King’s “entire life was an example of power that nonviolence brings…” This reference to Dr. King causes those who know of his impact to realize that he lead a strong historical example of what nonviolence could achieve. By using Dr. King as an example it indicates that Chavez thinks that if nonviolence had heavily impacted the past, then it would most likely do the same in the present and future. Chavez also makes a reference to Gandhi and his nonviolent boycott in India, claiming that what he taught “is the most nearly perfect instrument of nonviolent change.” By using the word perfect to describe Gandhi’s teachings of nonviolence, it further supports Chavez’s stance for nonviolent resistance. The two allusions to historical figures develop Chavez’s argument as they remind him and the audience of how large of an impact nonviolence had on the world in the past and how it could be applied to the
The audience that Chavez is addressing is very familiar with Dr. King, and the troubles he went through so it is not hard at all to relate to the audience with ideas of Martin Luther King. “ Nonviolence provides the opportunity to stay on the offensive, and that is a crucial importance to win any contest.” With subject of violent an nonviolent means is so important to almost everyone that it makes almost everyone stand on their toes. With the subject Chavez does a good job of stating “we” instead of “I” because of
To begin with, Chavez uses logos in his speech through a rhetorical question, “Who gets killed in the case of violent revolution? The poor, the workers.” The people who are arguing for violent revolutions are mostly poor workers whom Chavez refers to. Chavez uses logic to show these people that if they use violent revolts, they are most likely the ones going to be killed which for the most part will deter the people who are aiming for this. Another appeal Chavez uses is ethos to show everyone as people we are expected to do the right thing. In the speech he says, “We are convinced that when people are faced with a direct appeal from the poor struggling nonviolently against great odds, they will react positively.” This appeals to peoples’ morals by saying people are expected to react in a positive way when dealing with struggling
Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most influential African-American activists in American History and was a key participant in the Civil Rights movement, the goal of which was to provide full civil rights to all rights in America. MLK has written many, many speeches and letters in favor of the Civil Rights movement in America, the most famous of them being his legendary “I Have a Dream” Speech and the monumental “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. To attempt to gain support for his cause, MLK employs the use of emotional appeals, also known as pathos, and logical appeals, also known as logos, which aid to stir emotion and reasoning in the listener. It is more than obvious that MLK tends to tug at the heartstrings of his listeners with his emotionally charged language essential to his success. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. uses more powerful and plentiful examples of pathos in his literature, examples of which being his “I Have a Dream” speech and his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, than logos due to the more powerful emotional connection they carry which can convince his listeners to sympathize with his civil rights movement.
Throughout his speech there is a determined and insistent tone. Chavez asserts repeatedly that nonviolence is the only way for change to happen. The repeated use of “we”, “us” and “our” conveys the message to the audience that he is one of them. Chavez can relate to the farm workers based on his credibility (ethos) because of his past. Chavez went to work on the farm fields at a young age and knew exactly how the frustrated workers felt. In addition, referencing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the text further established Cesar Chavez’s ethos. King was someone who was revered by proponents of civil rights. Associating an audience with a prominent figure such as Dr. King adds to the credibility in the rhetor.
The story says that “The Association was a group of people who helped farm workers have better rights and better pay.” Chavez and his supporters successfully improved the lives of farmers and farm workers. The story states, “Through boycotts, hunger strikes, and marches, they made a difference for everyone.”These days he still inspires community activists and politicians. The story states, “His speeches about justice, community, and education still resonate…” In 2008 Barack Obama adopted Chavez’s motto “Si, Se Puede.”The story says, “Barack Obama adopted it as his campaign slogan.” Obama used it because he wanted to inspire people like Chavez. Senator Robert F. Kennedy described him as one of the best heroic figures of all time.”
Research on Cesar Chavez helps me because it gives me information about his life and what amazing things he did to help his people. Cesar Chavez was important to me because of the way he talked to bring his people up and make them stronger, he said “We draw strength from the very despair in which we have been forced to lired” ().. To me he was a hero because he made his people feel like humans and he always speaked up for them and made them feel equal, Cesar Chavez said “The fight is never about grapes or lettuce, It is always about people.”
but the question is how should one fight? Most would resort to violence to kill off injustice, but this leads to even more violence and chaos in most cases than intended. If someone is going to be shot the first reaction is to fight off the killer. However, Cesar Chavez implies in his powerful essay the weakness of violence in a unjust situation and instead the power of nonviolence. Cesar Chavez, in his excerpt He showed us the Way, utilizes strong pathos, ethos and logos statements, precise diction, and valuable patterns of development to convey the power nonviolence has in fights for freedoms and rights.
Cesar Chavez was a great role model and activist for farmers with bad working conditions. He stood up to large fruit-growing organizations who would not provide well-paying jobs to local citizens. For his actions, he was given numerous awards.