Cesar Chavez Quotes

Our struggle is not easy. Those who oppose our cause are rich and powerful and they have many allies in high places. We are poor. Our allies are few. But we have something the rich do not own. We have our bodies and spirits and the justice of our cause as our weapons.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Body Justice Ourselves Poor Powerful Rich Spirit Struggle Weapon
You know, if people are not pacifists, it’s not their fault. It’s because society puts them in that spot. You’ve got to change it. You don’t just change a man – you’ve got to change his environment as you do it.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Change Deep Man People Yourself
It is possible to become discouraged about the injustice we see everywhere. But God did not promise us that the world would be humane and just. He gives us the gift of life and allows us to choose the way we will use our limited time on earth. It is an awesome opportunity.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Courage Gift God Human Justice Life Limitation Opportunity Possible Promise Time World
In the final analysis it doesn’t really matter what the political system is. We don’t need perfect political systems; we need perfect participation.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Need Perfection Politics
If you are interested in preventing animal suffering, the first thing you should give up is eggs and milk, because the animals who produce those foods lead the most unhappy lives. You would do better to eat meat and stop eating eggs and dairy products.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Animal Food Happiness Live Suffering Yourself
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
There is enough love and good will in our movement to give energy to our struggle and still have plenty left over to break down and change the climate of hate and fear around us.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Break Change Enough Fear Hate Love Ourselves
Through Gandhi and my own life experience, I have learned about nonviolence. I believe that human life is a very special gift from God, and that no one has a right to take that away in any cause, however just. I am convinced that nonviolence is more powerful than violence.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Believe Experience Learning Life Myself Powerful Violence
Self dedication is a spiritual experience.
CESAR CHAVEZ

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

Principle Violence
Concentration is inspiration. You must be completely overtaken by your work and your subject. Only then do all your influences and experience come up to the surface.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Experience Inspirational Yourself
It’s ironic that those who till the soil, cultivate and harvest the fruits, vegetables, and other foods that fill your tables with abundance have nothing left for themselves.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Food Yourself
Our language is the reflection of ourselves. A language is an exact reflection of the character and growth of its speakers.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Character Growth Language Ourselves Reflection
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
Never, never is it possible to reach someone if you become angry or bitter only love and gentleness can do it. Maybe not this time but maybe the next or the hundredth time.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Angry Love Possible Time
It takes a lot of punishment to be able to do anything to change the social order.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Change Punishment
You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Education Learning Reading Yourself
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
You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Oppression Scare Yourself
I am convinced that the truest act of courage, the strongest act of manliness, is to sacrifice ourselves for others in a totally nonviolent struggle for justice. To be a man is to suffer for others. God help us to be men!
CESAR CHAVEZ

Act Courage God Man Myself Ourselves Sacrifice Suffering True
Nonviolence is really tough. You don’t practice nonviolence at conferences; you practice it on picket-lines.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Battle Practice Violence
The people united will never be defeated.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Defeat People True Unity
When any person suffers for someone in greater need, that person is a human.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Greatness Human Person Suffering
We believe that unions have always been about much more than the industries in which they operate. The fight is never about grapes or lettuce, It is always about people.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Believe Fight Food People
Our very lives are dependent, for sustenance, on the sweat and sacrifice of the campesinos. Children of farm workers should be as proud of their parents’ professions as other children are of theirs.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Children Live Ourselves Parents Sacrifice
In the no-nonsense school of adversity, which we did not choose for ourselves, we are learning how to operate a labor union.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Learning Ourselves Suffering
Those who are willing to sacrifice and be of service have very little difficulty with people. They know what they are all about. People can’t help but want to be near them. They help them; they work with them. That’s what love is all about. It starts with your heart and radiates out.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Help Love People Sacrifice Start Willing

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