Sixth Grade
Worksheets
César Chávez
What's your favorite food? Think of a food you simply couldn't live without - a food you eat every day. Do you know where it comes from? If it's a fruit or vegetable - or has fruits or vegetables in it - someone had to grow those fruits or vegetables. Someone also had to pick those fruits and vegetables.
What if the person who picked those fruits and vegetables was being treated unfairly? What if he wasn't paid well or at all? What if he was always being hurt on the job? What if he asked you to stop eating your favorite food until he was treated fairly at his job? Would you do it?
In 1927, in Yuma, Arizona, César Chávez was born. When he was ten years old, his family moved to California to become farm workers. The family had lost everything because of the Great Depression. César learned many things about life as a farm worker. He learned that it's very hard work. He also learned that many people didn't like him because he was Mexican-American. He was punished in school for speaking Spanish even though he couldn't yet speak English.
