Cesar Chavez was a Mexican-American labor leader who championed for the rights of farm workers in the United States. He coined the term “Si, se puede” (Yes, it can be done) and he is celebrated for his unwavering commitment to social justice and respect for human dignity. Below are some of his most popular quotes:
- “The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people.”
- “We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community… Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.”
- “Preservation of one’s own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures.”
- “Real education should consist of drawing the goodness and the best out of our own students. What better books can there be than the book of humanity?”
- “The end of all education should surely be service to others.”
- “In some cases non-violence requires more militancy than violence.”
- “Non-violence is not inaction. It is not discussion. It is not for the timid or weak… Non-violence is hard work.”
- “It is possible to become discouraged about the injustice we see everywhere. But God did not promise us that the world would be humane and just. He gives us the gift of life and allows us to choose the way we will use our limited time on earth. It is an awesome opportunity.”
- “You and your fellow workers have a right to a safe and healthy workplace.”
- “Our job as organizers is to convince people there is inherent value in them being the solution.”
- “It’s ironic that those who till the soil, cultivate and harvest the fruits, vegetables, and other foods that fill your tables with abundance have nothing left for themselves.”
- “Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride.”
- “You are never strong enough that you don’t need help.”
- “In giving of yourself, you will discover a whole new life full of meaning and love.”
- “The first principle of non-violent action is that of non-cooperation with everything humiliating.”
- “We draw our strength from the very despair in which we have been forced to live. We shall endure.”
- “When the man who feeds the world by toiling in the fields is himself deprived of the basic rights of feeding, sheltering, and caring for his own family, the whole community of man is sick.”
- “When we are really honest with ourselves we must admit our lives are all that really belong to us. So it is how we use our lives that determines the kind of men we are.”
- “Non-violence exacts a very high price, a price that I don’t think many people are willing to pay.”
- “There is no such thing as defeat in non-violence.”
These quotes from Cesar Chavez embody his passionate commitment to social justice, labor rights and dignity of all workers. His spirit and legacy continue to inspire various movements that advocate for the rights and welfare of workers around the world.