Top 100 César Chávez Quotes (2025 Update)

1. “True wealth is not measured in money or status or power. It is measured in the legacy we leave behind for those we love and those we inspire.”

— César Chávez

2. “Together, all things are possible.”

— César Chávez

3. “To make a great dream come true, the first requirement is a great capacity to dream; the second is persistence.”

— César Chávez

4. “Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot un-educate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. Cesar Chavez Address to the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, Nov. 9, 1984.”

— César Chávez

5. “The people united will never be defeated.”

— César Chávez

6. “We have seen the future, and the future is ours.”

— César Chávez

7. “You are never strong enough that you don’t need help.”

— César Chávez

8. “Preservation of one’s own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures.”

— César Chávez

9. “Kindness and compassion toward all living things is the mark of a civilized society.”

— César Chávez

10. “You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore.”

— César Chávez

11. “There is no substitute for hard work, 23 or 24 hours a day. And there is no substitute for patience and acceptance.”

— César Chávez

12. “Real education should consist of drawing the goodness and the best out of our own students. What better books can there be than the book of humanity?”

— César Chávez

13. “Our language is the reflection of ourselves. A language is an exact reflection of the character and growth of its speakers.”

— César Chávez

14. “The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people.”

— César Chávez

15. “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.”

— César Chávez

16. “Students must have initiative; they should not be mere imitators. They must learn to think and act for themselves – and be free.”

— César Chávez

17. “The people who give you their food give you their heart.”

— César Chávez

18. “History will judge societies and governments – and their institutions – not by how big they are or how well they serve the rich and the powerful, but by how effectively they respond to the needs of the poor and the helpless.”

— César Chávez

19. “Self dedication is a spiritual experience.”

— César Chávez

20. “We must understand that the highest form of freedom carries with it the greatest measure of discipline.”

— César Chávez

21. “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!”

— César Chávez

22. “We draw our strength from the very despair in which we have been forced to live. We shall endure.”

— César Chávez

23. “What I do shows people what kind of person I am.”

— César Chávez

24. “Only when we have become nonviolent towards all life will we have learned to live well with others.”

— César Chávez

25. “We know we cannot be kind to animals until we stop exploiting them – exploiting animals in the name of science, exploiting animals in the name of sport, exploiting animals in the name of fashion, and yes, exploiting animals in the name of food.”

— César Chávez

26. “The end of all knowledge must be the building up of character.”

— César Chávez

27. “Kindness and compassion towards all living things is a mark of a civilized society. Conversely, cruelty, whether it is directed against human beings or against animals, is not the exclusive province of any one culture or community of people.”

— César Chávez

28. “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.”

— César Chávez

29. “We need to help students and parents cherish and preserve the ethnic and cultural diversity that nourishes and strengthens this community – and this nation.”

— César Chávez

30. “The basis for peace is respecting all creatures.”

— César Chávez

31. “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.”

— César Chávez

32. “The first principle of non-violent action is that of non-cooperation with everything humiliating.”

— César Chávez

33. “We need, in a special way, to work twice as hard to help people understand that the animals are fellow creatures, that we must protect them and love them as we love ourselves.”

— César Chávez

34. “In giving of yourself, you will discover a whole new life full of meaning and love.”

— César Chávez

35. “We do not need to kill or destroy to win. We are a movement that builds and not destroys.”

— César Chávez

36. “Our conviction is that human life and limb are a very special possession given by God to man and that no one has the right to take that away, in any cause, however just...”

— César Chávez

37. “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.”

— César Chávez

38. “It’s amazing how people can get so excited about a rocket to the moon and not give a damn about smog, oil leaks, the devastation of the environment with pesticides, hunger, disease. When the poor share some of the power that the affluent now monopolize, we will give a damn.”

— César Chávez

39. “When you sacrifice, you force others to sacrifice. It’s an extremely powerful weapon.”

— César Chávez

40. “I am an organizer, not a union leader. A good organizer has to work hard and long. There are no shortcuts. You just keep talking to people, working with them, sharing, exchanging and they come along.”

— César Chávez

41. “In non-violence the cause has to be just and clear as well as the means.”

— César Chávez

42. “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.”

— César Chávez

43. “In 1968, I became a vegetarian after realizing that animals feel afraid, cold, hungry, and unhappy like we do...”

— César Chávez

44. “Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed.”

— César Chávez

45. “In the no-nonsense school of adversity, which we did not choose for ourselves, we are learning how to operate a labor union.”

— César Chávez

46. “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.”

— César Chávez

47. “Non violence means people in action. People have to understand that with non-violence goes a hell of a lot of organization.”

— César Chávez

48. “If you’re not frightened that you might fail, you’ll never do the job. If you’re frightened, you’ll work like crazy.”

— César Chávez

49. “Being of service is not enough. You must become a servant of the people. When you do, you can demand their commitment in return.”

— César Chávez

50. “What is at stake is human dignity. If a man is not accorded respect he cannot respect himself and if he does not respect himself, he cannot demand it.”

— César Chávez