11 Things You May Not Know About Cesar Chavez

Cesar Chavez was one of the 20th century's most dynamic American social activists, waging an aggressive but nonviolent campaign for farm workers' rights that drew widespread support and gave people across the country a new appreciation of their food's origins.

This issue came naturally to Chavez, who was 10 years old when his parents lost their Arizona farm amid the Great Depression, moved to California, and took up migrant farm labor. Chavez had a front-row seat for the rampant prejudice and injustice on American farms during the 1940s and '50s, but instead of feeling bitter or downtrodden, he saw adversity as a source of inspiration.

"We draw our strength from the very despair in which we have been forced to live," Chavez once said.

After 14 years of farm labor, Chavez took a job in 1952 as an organizer for the Community Service Organization, a California civil rights group, and by 1958 he was its national director. He left four years later to join Dolores Huerta in founding the National Farm Workers Association, now United Farm Workers of America (UFW), the first successful farm-labor union in United States history. That led to his most famous work, a series of strikes and boycotts that won unprecedented protections for farm workers.

Chavez died in 1993, but his legacy is remembered annually on his birthday, March 31. Cesar Chavez Day is now an official holiday in several states, and although it's not a federal holiday, President Obama proclaimed it a day of "service, community, and education." Cesar Chavez Day was also marked in 2014 with the release of a biography film, "Cesar Chavez."

In honor of Chavez's legacy, here are 10 interesting facts you may not know about him:

1. He Inspired Obama's "Yes, We Can" Line

During a 25-day fast in 1972, Chavez and Huerta coined the slogan "Si, se puede," Spanish for "Yes, it can be done." This slogan became the UFW's official motto and a rallying cry for Latino civil rights in general, and it later inspired the phrase, "Yes, we can" for former President Barack Obama's 2008 election campaign.

2. One of His 31 Grandchildren Is a Pro Golfer

Chavez and his wife, Helen Fabela, had eight children and 31 grandchildren. Professional golfer Sam Chavez—who plays on the PGA Tour—is one of their grandchildren.

3. A U.S. Navy Cargo Ship Is Named After Him

An array of American streets and schools are named after Cesar Chavez, as is a national monument. Since he spent two years in the U.S. Navy, and because Lewis and Clark-class cargo ships are named after "American pioneers and visionaries," the USNS Cesar Chavez debuted in 2011.

4. He Attended 38 Different Schools Before 8th Grade

As migrant farm workers, Chavez's family moved often when he was young. That meant Chavez had to change schools 38 times before finally dropping out to help support his parents. But, despite his limited schooling, Chavez later advocated education as a means for social improvement.

5. He View of Immigration Was Complex

Chavez opposed illegal immigration since the beginning of UFW, arguing that employers could use undocumented workers as strikebreakers and undermine the pay for legal workers. He eventually softened his stance, though, as public opinion about amnesty shifted over time.

6. He Lost Support for Meeting With a Dictator

Chavez was widely criticized for accepting a 1977 invitation to Manila by Ferdinand Marcos, a 20-year president of the Philippines accused of human rights abuses and corruption. Chavez hoped to win support from Filipino-American farm workers but by endorsing the regime, he also lost some allies.

7. He Was Interested in the Anti-Drug Cult Synanon

In his later years, Chavez studied modern management techniques and group dynamics. He became interested in a strange drug rehab program, an "alternative lifestyle community," and a religious cult called Synanon. The extent of his involvement in the cult isn't entirely clear, and Synanon was defunct by the 1990s. But, according to biographer Miriam Pawel, Chavez's interest in Synanon caused more conflict within UFW.

8. He Rejected JFK

Former president John F. Kennedy reportedly offered to make Chavez head of the Peace Corps for part of Latin America in 1962. But, Chavez declined so he could continue trying to organize farm workers. That was the same year he and Huerta co-founded the National Farm Workers Association.

9. He Was Inspired By Leaders

Chavez was reportedly inspired by the nonviolent activism of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. He also found inspiration in St. Francis of Assisi, a 13th-century Italian nobleman who gave up his wealth to work on behalf of the underprivileged.

10. He Fasted for 36 Days to Protest Pesticides

Under Chavez, the UFW helped secure union contracts that prohibited the use of DDT, required protective clothing to reduce workers' exposure to other pesticides, and prevented spraying while workers were in the fields. He also fasted for 36 days in 1988 to protest pesticide use on grapes.

11. He Was a Vegetarian

"I became a vegetarian after realizing that animals feel afraid, cold, hungry, and unhappy like we do," Chavez once said. "I feel very deeply about vegetarianism and the animal kingdom. It was my dog Boycott who led me to question the right of humans to eat other sentient beings."