美国名人 农场工人联盟领袖 凯萨·查维斯.docx

美国名人农场工人联盟领袖凯萨查维斯CesarChavez,1927-1993:HeOrganizedtheFirstSuccessfulFarmWorkersUnioninAmericaplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:43repeatByRobertBrumfield2009-9-5VOICEONE:mNicoleNichols.VOICETWO:AndI'mSteveEmberwiththeVOASpecialEnglishProgram,PeopleinAmerica.Todaywetellaboutoneofthegreatlaboractivists,CesarChavez.HeorganizedthefirstsuccessfulfarmworkersunioninAmericanhistory.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:CesarChavezCesarChavezwasbornonasmallfarmnearYUma,Arizonainnineteentwenty-seven.Inthelatenineteenthcentury,CesarioChavez,Cesar'sgrandfather,hadstartedtheChavezfamilyfarmafterescapingslaveryonaMexicanfarm.CesarChavezspenthisearliestyearsonthisfarm.Whenhewastenyearsold,however,theeconomicconditionsoftheGreatDepressionforcedhisparentstogiveupthefamilyfarm.Hethenbecameamigrantfarmworkeralongwiththerestofhisfamily.TheChavezfamilyjoinedthousandsofotherfarmworkerswhotraveledaroundthestateofCaliforniatoharvestcropsforfarmowners.Theytraveledfromplacetoplacetoharvestgrapes,lettuce,beetsandmanyothercrops.Theyworkedveryhardandreceivedlittlepay.Thesemigrantworkershadnopermanenthomes.Theylivedindirty,crowdedcamps.Theyhadnobathrooms,electricityorrunningwater.1.iketheChavezfamily;mostofthemcamefromMexico.VOICETWO:Becausehisfamilytraveledfromplacetoplace,CesarChavezattendedmorethanthirtyschoolsasachild.Helearnedtoreadandwritefromhisgrandmother.MamaTeliaalsotaughthimabouttheCatholicreligion.ReligionlaterbecameanimportanttoolforMisterChavez.HeusedreligiontoorganizeMexicanfarmworkerswhowereCatholic.Cesar'smother,Juana,taughthimmuchabouttheimportanceofleadinganon-violentlife.Hismotherwasoneofthegreatestinfluencesonhisuseofnon-violentmethodstoorganizefarmworkers.HisotherinfluencesweretheIndianactivistMahatmaGandhiandAmericancivilrightsleaderMartin1.utherKing,Junior.MisterChavezsaidhisrealeducationbeganwhenhemettheCatholicleaderFatherDonaldMcDonnell.CesarChavezlearnedabouttheeconomicsoffarmworkersfromthepriest.HealsolearnedaboutGandhi'snonviolentpoliticalactionsaswellasthoseofothergreatnonviolentleadersthroughouthistory.VOICEONE:Innineteenforty-eight,MisterChavezmarriedHelenaFabelawhomhemetwhileworkinginthegrapefieldsincentralCalifornia.TheysettledinSalSiPuedes.1.ater,whileMisterChavezworkedforlittleornomoneytoorganizefarmworkers,hiswifeharvestedcrops.Inordertosupporttheireightchildren,sheworkedunderthesamebadconditionsthatMisterChavezwasfightingagainst.Therewereotherimportantinfluencesinhislife.Innineteenfifty-two,MisterChavezmetFredRoss,anorganizerwithaworkers'rightsgroupcalledtheCommunityServiceOrganization.MisterChavezcalledMisterRossthebestorganizerheevermet.MisterRossexplainedhowpoorpeoplecouldbuildpower.MisterChavezagreedtoworkfortheCommunityServiceOrganization.VOICETWO:MisterChavezworkedfortheorganizationforabouttenyears.Duringthattime,hehelpedmorethanfivehundredthousand1.atinocitizenstovote.Healsogainedold-ageretirementmoneyforfiftythousandMexicanimmigrants.Heservedastheorganization'snationaldirector.However,innineteensixty-twozhelefttheorganization.Hewantedtodomoretohelpfarmworkersreceivehigherpayandbetterworkingconditions.Helefthiswellpaidjobtostartorganizingfarmworkersintoaunion.MisterChavez'sworkaffectedmanypeople.Forexample,thefatherofMexican-AmericanmusicianZackdeIaRochaspenttimeworkingasanartdirectorforMisterChavez.MuchofthepoliticalmusicofdeIaRocha'sgroup,RageAgainsttheMachine,wasaboutworkers'rights,likethissong,"BombTrack."(MUSIC)VOICEONE:IttookMisterChavezandDeloresHuerta,anotherformerCSOorganizer,threeyearsofhardworktobuildtheNationalFarmWorkersAssociation.MisterChaveztraveledfromtowntotowntobringinnewmembers.Heheldsmallmeetingsatworkers'housestobuildsupport.TheCalifornia-basedorganizationhelditsfirststrikeinnineteensixty-five.TheNationalFarmWorkersAssociationbecamenationallyknownwhenitsupportedastrikeagainstgrapegrowers.ThegroupjoinedastrikeorganizedbyFilipinoworkersoftheAgriculturalWorkersOrganizingCommittee.MisterChavezknewthatthosewhoactednon-violentlyagainstviolentactionwouldgainpopularsupport.MisterChavezaskedthatthestrikersremainnon-violenteventhoughthefarmownersandtheirsupporterssometimesusedviolence.VOICETWO:Onemonthafterthestrikebegan,thegroupbegantoboycottgrapes.Theydecidedtodirecttheiractionagainstonecompany,theSchenleyCorporation1Theunionfollowedgrapetrucksanddemonstratedwhereverthegrapesweretaken.1.ater;unionmembersandFilipinoworkersbeganatwenty-fivedaymarchfromDelanotoSacramentozCalifornia,togainsupportfortheboycott.SchenleylatersignedalaboragreementwiththeNationalFarmWorkersAssociation.ltwasthefirstsuchagreementbetweenfarmworkersandgrowersintheUnitedStates.VOICEONE:TheunionthenbegandemonstratingagainsttheDiGiorgioCorporation.ItwasoneofthelargestgrapegrowersinCalifornia.DiGiorgioheldavoteandtheInternationalBrotherhoodofTeamsterswaschosentorepresentthefarmworkers.ButaninvestigationprovedthatthecompanyandtheTeamstershadcheatedintheelection.Anothervotewasheld.CesarChavezagreedtocombinehisunionwithanotherandtheUnitedFarmWorkersOrganizingCommitteewasformed.ThefarmworkerselectedMisterChavez'suniontorepresentthem.DiGiorgiosoonsignedalaboragreementwiththeunion.VOICETWO:MisterChavezoftenwentforlongperiodswithoutfoodtoprotesttheconditionsunderwhichthefarmworkerswereforcedtodotheirjobs.MisterChavezwentonhisfirsthungerstrike,orfast,innineteensixty-eight.Hedidnoteatfortwenty-fivedays.Hewascalledaherofortakingthiskindofpersonalactiontosupportthefarmworkers.TheunionthentookactionagainstGiumarraVineyardsCorporation,thelargestproduceroftablegrapesintheUnitedStates.Itorganizedaboycottagainstthecompany'sproducts.TheboycottextendedtoallCaliforniatablegrapes.Bynineteenseventy,thecompanyagreedtosigncontracts.Anumberofothergrowersdidaswell.Bythistimethegrapestrikehadlastedforfiveyears.ItwasthelongeststrikeandboycottinUnitedStateslaborhistory.CesarChavezhadbuiltanationwidecoalitionofsupportamongunions,churchgroups,students,minoritiesandotherAmericans.VOICEONE:Bynineteenseventy-three,theunionhadchangeditsnametotheUnitedFarmWorkersofAmerica.Itcalledforanothernationalboycottagainstgrapegrowersasrelationsagainbecametense.Bynineteenseventy-five,areportedseventeenmillionAmericanswererefusingtobuynon-uniongrapes.Theunion'shardworkhelpedingettingtheAgricultural1.aborRelationsActpassedinCalifornia,underGovernorJerryBrown.Itwasthefirstlawinthenationthatprotectedtherightsoffarmworkers.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:Bythenineteeneighties,theUFWhadhelpedtensOfthousandsoffarmworkersgainhigherpay,medicalcare,retirementbenefitsandbetterworkingandlivingconditions.ButrelationsbetweenworkersandgrowersinCaliforniaworsenedunderanewstategovernment.Boycottswereagainorganizedagainstthegrapeindustry.lnnineteeneighty-eight,attheageofsixty-onezMisterChavezbegananotherhungerstrike.Thatfastlastedforthirty-sixdaysandalmostkilledhim.Thefastwastoprotestthepoisoningofgrapeworkersandtheirchildrenbythedangerouschemicalsgrowersusedtokillinsects.Innineteeneighty-fourCesarChavezmadethisspeech,predictingthefuturesuccessofhiseffortsfor1.atinos.CESARCHAVEZ:"1.iketheotherimmigrantgroups,thedaywillcomewhenwewintheeconomicandpoliticalrewardswhichareinkeepingwithournumbersinsociety.Thedaywillcomewhenthepoliticianswilldotherightthingforourpeopleoutofpoliticalnecessityandnotoutofcharityoridealism."VOICEONE:CesarChavezdiedinnineteenninety-threeattheageofsixty-six.Morethanfortythousandpeopleattendedhisfuneral.AyearIateoPresidentClintonawardedhimthePresidentialMedalofFreedom,thehighestcivilianhonorintheUnitedStates.TheUnitedFarmWorkersUnionstillfightsfortherightsoffarmworkersthroughouttheUnitedStates.Manyschools,streets,parks,librariesandotherpublicbuildingshavebeennamedafterCesarChavez.Thegreatlaborleaderalwaysbelievedinthewords"Sisepuede.""Itcanbedone."(MUSIC)VOICETWO:ThisSpecialEnglishProgramwaswrittenandproducedbyRobertBrumfield.mSteveEmber.VOICEONE:AndmNicoleNichoIsJoinusagainnextweekforanotherPeopleinAmericaProgramontheVoiceofAmerica.