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Cesar Chavez

Cesar Chavez Quotes

Civil rights activist

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Famous Cesar Chavez Quotes

“There are vivid memories from my childhood-what we had to go through because of low wages and the conditions, basically because there was no union. I suppose if I wanted to be fair I could say that I'm trying to settle a personal score. I could dramatize it by saying that I want to bring social justice to farm workers. But the truth is that I went through a lot of hell, and a lot of people did. If we can even the score a little for the workers then we are doing something. Besides, I don't know any other work I like to do better than this. I really don't.”

PeopleIfsKnowsWantTryingLittlesWantedSocialMemoriesJusticeHellChildhoodConditionsTruth IsLowsCommitmentFairsSocial JusticeUnionsWorkersSettlingScoreFarmsWagesVividVivid Memories
Book:An Organizer's Tale: Speeches
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“I remember with strong feelings the families who joined our movement and paid dues long before there was any hope of winning contracts. Sometimes, fathers and mothers would take money out of their meager food budgets just because they believed that farm workers could and must build their own union. I remember thinking then that with spirit like that... we had to win. No force on earth could stop us.”

ThinkingLongSometimesFeelingsEarthRememberSpiritMotherFatherWinningStrongForceMovementCommitmentPaidUnionsWorkersDuesBudgetsContractsFarmsStrong Feeling
Book:An Organizer's Tale: Speeches
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“Farm workers everywhere are angry and worried that we cannot win without violence. We have proved it before through persistence, hard work, faith and willingness to sacrifice. We can win and keep our own self-respect and build a great union that will secure the spirit of all people if we do it through a re-dedication and re-commitment to the struggle for justice through non-violence.”

PeopleIfsSelfHardSpiritWinningJusticeStruggleViolenceSacrificeHard WorkCommitmentAngryUnionsWorkersSecureWorriedPersistenceSelf RespectWillingnessFarmsDedicationNon ViolenceWillingness To Sacrifice
Author:Cesar Chavez
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“"The life of the union depends upon more people getting to share the limelight, because with the limelight also comes responsibility and with the responsibility comes a little sharing of the load." "There isn't enough money to organize poor people. There never is enough money to organize anyone. If you put it on the basis of money, you're not going to succeed."”

PeopleIfsLittlesEnoughPoorResponsibilityShareDependsSucceedBasesUnionsLoadOrganizePoor PeopleLimelight
Author:Cesar Chavez
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“Until the chance for political participation is there, we who are poor will continue to attack the soft part of the American system - its economic structure. We will build power through boycotts, strikes, new union - whatever techniques we can develop. These attacks on the status quo will come, not because we hate, but because we know America can construct a humane society for all its citizens - and that if it does not, there will chaos.”

IfsKnowsDoeActionAmericaPoliticalHateChancePoorEconomicCitizensStructureUnionsChaosStrikesTechniqueParticipationConstructsStatus QuoHumaneBoycottHumane SocietyPolitical Participation
Book:An Organizer's Tale: Speeches
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