Cesar Chavez: The Struggle for Justice / Cesar Chavez: La lucha por la justicia

by Richard Griswold del Castillo, Anthony Accardo (Illustrator), Jose Juan Colin (Translator)

A simple biography of the man who worked to win fairer treatment of the migrant farm workers in California in the 1960s and to establish the United Farm Workers union.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Tamika McIntosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a great biography discussing Cesar Chavez's fight for justice for Mexican workers. I love how this book was written in English and translated in Spanish at the bottom of each page. It is a book that both my Mexican students and English students could enjoy reading together. It teaches Mexicans that they also had to fight for civil rights and provides them with a great role model. African Americans were not alone at that time. Finding commonalities in history can bring different races closer together.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the only audiobook on Cesar Chavez available from the library. It was a succinct history targeted at young adults, and it has one section in English, then in Spanish.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

In “Cesar Chavez: The Struggle for Justice” by Richard Griswold del Castillo, we learn of the life and work of the Mexican-American workers’ rights activist. Told in simple, straightforward language, the book takes us through Chavez’ childhood when he faced discrimination for speaking Spanish, to his young adult life as a migrant worker in California, and on to his political awakening and subsequent struggle for the justice of the title. Importantly, this is a dual-language book. The text appears on the top of the page in English and at the bottom in Spanish. Throughout, the text is printed on the left page with colorful, realistic illustrations on the right by Anthony Accardo. For a book for young readers, Griswold del Castillo does not shy away from the ugly truths of Chavez’s life. Discrimination, violence and even murder are discussed, though never dwelt on. They are simply presented as facts along this man’s journey.

Told in chronological order, we learn of the influences that made Chavez the man he is remembered as. After a stint in the navy, Chavez moved with his wife to San Jose, where he met a priest who taught him about labor unions and introduced him to works about Mahatma Gandhi, an important influence in the following years. During the difficult and dangerous process of organizing the Farm Workers Association, and marching and striking for higher pay and better working conditions, Chavez always insisted on non-violent protest. Eventually, in the face of brutal attacks by thugs hired by farm owners, Chavez went on a hunger strike, gaining national attention and a visit from Bobby Kennedy, the president’s brother. Along the way, we learn of the victories won for the workers, including contracts with the farmers and the Agricultural Labor Relations Act of California. Posthumously, Chavez was awarded the Medal of Freedom for his “service to the principles of equality, justice and liberty.”

There are many ways a teacher could use this book in class. Since the text is written on both English and Spanish, it would be perfect for the classroom library of a dual-language or bilingual class. Combined with a text about Mahatma Gandhi, it could be used for a unit about social justice and non-violent protest. Children are exposed to so much violence through television, movies, video games and the news that it is very important for them to learn that lasting victories can also be achieved through non-violent means. Lastly, the book concludes with a timeline of Chavez’ life. Students can be taught to read this form of graphic information, delving back into the text to identify where and the how the events on the timeline are depicted in prose.