July 28th, 2011
09:54 AM ET

Farm worker advocate Richard Chavez dies in California at 81

Richard Chavez, who dedicated more than three decades to the the farm worker movement, died Wednesday of complications from surgery in Bakersfield, California, the United Farm Workers union announced. He was 81.

The younger brother of UFW founder Cesar Chavez, Richard Chavez was the one who designed the black Aztec eagle that became the famous symbol for the organization.

The Chavez brothers grew up during the Depression outside of Yuma, Arizona, and when the family lost their farm, they became migrant farm workers in California fields, according to the UFW.

By the early 1960s, Richard Chavez began helping his brother create the foundation for the union, and by 1966 was working full-time for the movement, the UFW said on its website Wednesday.

FULL STORY
Post by:
Filed under: Immigration • Labor • U.S.
soundoff (26 Responses)
  1. ma & pa

    This from people who have seen the struggles of many generations to work to make an easier life for their children...never dreaming said children would denounce the protection built at the cost of long hours, hunger and lives. Cesar and Richard Chavez survived horrible times to improve the path of those who would follow in years to come. We appreciate their struggles and sacrifices. We also have read Rand, Nietzsche and Steinbeck. We do our own thinking. We are thankful for the UFW.

    July 28, 2011 at 10:29 pm | Report abuse |
  2. CSnSC

    @pa, hopefully another visionary like Chavez will emerge with a new idea for our time.

    July 29, 2011 at 12:11 am | Report abuse |
1 2
« Back to main