I am a Mexican American, born in the United States to a Mexican father and Mexican American mother. My maternal grandparents are Mexicans who have legal permission to live in the United States; my paternal grandparents on the other hand do not. Half of my family live in Mexico and the other half live here in the states. Learning about the history of Mexicans in the United States and how it has shaped our country to how it is today, I came upon a strong Civil Rights’ Activist who was Mexican American, Cesar Chavez. Since I was not born yet in his era I couldn’t really describe what was happening nor write about it as a cultural experience. Luckily, there was a film over him and everything he did to shape our country and give Mexican, Mexican Americans, Latinos and Hispanics that voice and rights. His film is my cultural experience I got to experience in a theatre.
Born March 31, 1927 in Yuma, Arizona, Cesar Chavez grew up in the era where he pursued farm workers to register and vote in support of gaining workers’ rights. He was an American farm worker, labor leader, and Civil Rights’ Activist. As the movie began, I saw how Mexicans lived. They lived in small houses more like shacks with no room what so ever. Further into the movie, I noticed how during strikes they would hold up signs and march around in front of farm workers labors to encourage others to join their cause. Also allowing the chance the tell Anglos that they are fighting for their rights and respect. The groups that march are not small at all as well; they are crowds of people protesting. Cesar is surrounded by not only his wife but his friends and many women, men, and children of all ages surrounding him during his protests. They walk miles in farms, towns, from town to town in the heat protesting, yelling, and fighting for their rights. Throughout the film Anglo farmers, policemen and others would harass and instigate problems so that Cesar and his followers would get arrested. At one point of the movie policemen try to prohibit the word “huelga” in English it translates “strike.” That fight is won for a while by the Anglos because of the fact that Chavez did not want anyone to go to jail, but all that changes when Cesar’s wife says it and goes to jail. She said it on purpose to show they weren’t afraid and to push for further action, nonviolent action. Chavez advertised nonviolent protests but when an Anglo runs over one of his followers from his group, another man begins to beat the Anglo. Chavez interferes telling his follower he will not have any violence and anyone who does will be immediately kicked out of his group. Sure enough the man did not listen and Chavez is extremely upset and kicks him out. To promote nonviolence protest, well no violence at all he begins to fasten. He fasts for 25 days straight to point out violence is not the way and will not be practiced in his community.
The purpose of making this film was to show how Cesar Chavez fought for the rights of Mexicans, Latinos, Hispanics, farmers, everyone. To show how he gave Mexicans the voice, rights, respect and most importantly equality the/we well deserved. It/He was a mark in our history that changed everything to become the country it is today, just like Martin Luther King Jr. He fought for what was right, for equality, respect and his memory will forever be remembered for everything did.
What can I say; the film moved me, in good and bad ways. I felt anger and hope all throughout the film. The way Mexicans, farm workers and everyone else who were mistreated by Anglos brought anger to me. They were so cruel. I remember in one part of the film how Chavez was outside of a farm with several workers protesting when the owner of the farm and his friends threat Chavez to leave his land or else he would shoot them. They ignore his threat and continue to protest, as the continue policemen arrive and just stand there and watch what is going on. As the farm owner threatens them once more one of Chavez’s strikers walks closer the man and upsets him that he reaches for his gun and hits the man. The policemen return to their car and just pretend like nothing was happening. That angered me but what angered me even more was when Cesar’s son Fernando was being bullied at school and even in front of their home by teenagers. On the other hand, I loved the movie. It was very inspirational yet heartbreaking in a few sections of it. I thank him for what he did because my grandparents, mom, uncles and aunt would all do farm work when they were younger. They would go up north to different states and work. So this film shows all Cesar Chavez did for Hispanics, Latinos, Mexicans farm workers and their rights.
No comments:
Post a Comment