On March 31, 1962—his own birthday—Cesar Chavez
launched the farmworker movement with the National Farm Workers
Association. He had a bold vision for a strong farmworkers’ union as
well as services that would support that union by building communities
up beyond the workplace. Cesar Chavez knew it would take an entire
movement to empower his community to overcome the burdens of poverty,
discrimination, and powerlessness.
He started by creating a death benefit, a credit union and a cooperative
gas station. These early efforts quickly grew, and the National Farm
Workers Service Center was introduced in 1966 to build affordable
housing for the elderly and displaced Filipino-American farmworkers.
Cesar Chavez also established two educational-style Spanish-language
radio stations, which have now grown into 11 stations.
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