One of the greatest civil rights activists of our time; one who believed in the ways of Gandhi and Martin Luther King that “violence can only hurt us and our cause” (Cesar Chavez); a quiet, devout, little Catholic man who had nothing just like those he helped fight for; “one of America's most influential labor leaders of the late twentieth century” (Griswold del Castillo); and one “who became the most important Mexican-American leader in the history of the United States” (Ender). Caesar Chavez; an American farm worker, who would soon become the union leader who led to numerous improvements for union workers; it is recorded that Chavez was born near Yuma, Arizona on March 31, 1927 and died on April 23, 1993 in San Luis, Arizona. (Wikipedia) His life influenced many others as his selfless actions changed the union force forever. This essay will discuss the reasons why Cesar Chavez became involved in Union rights, the immediate impact he had, and also the legacy he left with his actions that influenced American society. There are many reasons why Chavez joined the movement, but the main reason was his childhood. Note that Cesar Chavez was one of five children born to Librado Chavez and Juana Estrada who were farmers. As a child in Arizona, he grew up nurtured by the values ​​of his family and his rural Mexican-American community. His mother taught him the importance of non-violence and self-sacrifice and his grandmother passed on the values ​​of the Catholic faith to him. And as a child he suffered racial discrimination at school. (Griswold del Castillo) Chavez left school after eighth grade to work full time in the fields. His grandfather owned approximately 112 acres which the family soon lost to... middle of paper... Richard. "Cesar Estrada Chavez." The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Vol 3: 1991-1993. Charles Scribner's Sons, 2001. Reproduced in History Resource Center. San Antonio College Lib., San Antonio, TX. July 7, 2014Jusko, Adam. "Cesar Chávez." Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed. 17 vols. Gale Research, 1998. Reproduced in History Resource Center. San Antonio College Lib., San Antonio, TX. July 7, 2014Ramakrishnan, Karthick S. "Cesar Estrada Chavez." Civil rights in the United States. 2 vols. Macmillan Reference USA, 2000. Reproduced in the History Resource Center. San Antonio College Lib., San Antonio, TX. July 7, 2014Russell, Dennis. "Cesar Chávez." St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. 5 vols. St. James Press, 2010. Reproduced in History Resource Center. San Antonio College Lib., San Antonio, TX. July 7 2014