what did cesar chavez fight for

Cesar Chavez was a Mexican-American farmworker, labor leader, civil rights activist, and champion of human rights. He dedicated his life to winning recognition for the rights of agricultural workers, inspiring and organizing them into the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers. Chavez fought for better conditions for agricultural workers, who were routinely exploited by their employers, often unpaid, living in shacks in exchange for their labor, with no medical or other basic facilities. Through marches, strikes, and boycotts, Chavez forced employers to pay adequate wages and provide other benefits and was responsible for legislation enacting the first Bill of Rights for agricultural workers. Chavez emphasized direct nonviolent tactics, including pickets and boycotts, to pressure farm owners into granting strikers demands. He also imbued his campaigns with Roman Catholic symbolism, including public processions, Masses, and fasts. Chavez was a strong believer in the principles of nonviolence practiced by Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and effectively employed peaceful tactics such as fasts, boycotts, strikes, and pilgrimages. For his commitment to social justice and his lifelong dedication to bettering the lives of others, Chavez was posthumously recognized with the highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.