EL Education Curriculum

The heroic life of labor and civil rights activist César Chávez greatly influenced the political and creative thinking of famed Chicano novelist Rudolfo Anaya. After Chávez’ death in 1993, Anaya wrote this elegy eulogizing the man and his life’s work. Echoing Shelley’s elegy on the death of John Keats, the poem expresses the grief of la gente, but closes by calling all peoples together to continue his non-violent struggle for freedom and justice. The book--endorsed by the César Chávez Foundation--includes an essay by Anaya detailing the effect that Chávez had on his own vision and a chronology of Chávez’ life. Powerful illustrations by Gaspar Enriquez bring home the significance of César Chávez to the American cultural landscape.