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Do not romanticize the poor. We are all people, human beings subject to the same temptations and faults as all others. Our poverty damages our dignity.

Cesar Chavez

The first principle of non-violent action is that of non-cooperation with everything humiliating.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Principle Violence
When the man who feeds the world by toiling in the fields is himself deprived of the basic rights of feeding, sheltering, and caring for his own family, the whole community of man is sick.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Community Family Himself Man Sick World
In 1968, I became a vegetarian after realizing that animals feel afraid, cold, hungry, and unhappy like we do.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Animal Cold Feeling Happiness Myself
Because we have suffered, and we are not afraid to suffer in order to survive, we are ready to give up everything – even our lives – in our struggle for justice.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Give Up Justice Struggle Suffering Survive
If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with him… the people who give you their food give you their heart.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Eat Food Friendship Heart Home Yourself
You are never strong enough that you don’t need help.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Enough Help Need Strong Yourself
The love for justice that is in us is not only the best part of our being but it is also the most true to our nature.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Justice Love Nature Ourselves True
A symbol is an important thing. That is why we chose an Aztec eagle. It gives pride. When people see it they know it means dignity.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Choice Important People Pride See
We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community. Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Achievement Ambition Community Enough Need Ourselves Prosperity See
There are many reasons for why a man does what he does. To be himself he must be able to give it all. If a leader cannot give it all he cannot expect his people to give anything.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Expectation Himself Leadership Man People Reason
Do not romanticize the poor. We are all people, human beings subject to the same temptations and faults as all others. Our poverty damages our dignity.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Dignity Human Ourselves People Poor
Non-violence is not inaction. It is not discussion. It is not for the timid or weak. Non-violence is hard work.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Action Violence Weakness
In this world it is possible to achieve great material wealth, to live an opulent life. But a life built upon those things alone leaves a shallow legacy. In the end, we will be judged by other standards.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Achievement Alone Judgement Live Material Possible Wealth World
Talk is cheap. It is the way we organize and use our lives everyday that tells what we believe in.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Believe Live Talk
We are suffering. We have suffered. And we are not afraid to suffer in order to win our cause.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Fear Ourselves Suffering Win
In some cases non-violence requires more militancy than violence.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Deep Violence
Non-violence has suffered its biggest defeat in the hands of people who most want to talk about it.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Defeat Hands People Suffering Talk Violence
Violence just hurts those who are already hurt. Instead of exposing the brutality of the oppressor, it justifies it.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Hurt Oppression Violence
To make a great dream come true, the first requirement is a great capacity to dream; the second is persistence.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Dreams Greatness Persistence True
Only when we have become nonviolent towards all life will we have learned to live well with others.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Learning Life Live Violence
When workers fall back on violence, they are lost. Oh, they might win some of their demands and might end a strike a little earlier, but they give up their imagination, their creativity, their will to work hard and to suffer for what they believe is right.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Believe Creation Fall Give Up Imagination Lost Suffering Violence Win
It takes a lot of punishment to be able to do anything to change the social order.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Change Punishment
We draw our strength from the very despair in which we have been forced to live. We shall endure.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Difference Endurance Force Live Myself
There’s no turning back. We will win. We are winning because ours is a revolution of mind and heart.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Heart Mind Ourselves Revolution Win
We need to help students and parents cherish and preserve the ethnic and cultural diversity that nourishes and strengthens this community – and this nation.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Community Help Nation Need Parents Strength Student
Self dedication is a spiritual experience.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Dedication Experience Spiritual
There’s no reason to be non-violent. There’s no challenge unless you are living for people.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Challenge Live People Reason Violence Yourself

Do not romanticize the poor. We are all people, human beings subject to the same temptations and faults as all others. Our poverty damages our dignity.

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Do not romanticize the poor. We are all people, human beings subject to the same temptations and faults as all others. Our poverty damages our dignity.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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