César Chávez’s 36-day water fast that exposed California’s toxic fields

Chávez’s 36-Day Water Fast Against Deadly Pesticides

In 1988, César Chávez took on his most brutal fight yet – not against growers, but against pesticides. At 61, he stopped eating on July 16 at La Paz in Keene, California.

His fast came after kids in nearby McFarland were dying of cancer at rates 400% above normal. For 36 days, Chávez drank only water, lost 33 pounds, and got so weak he couldn’t walk.

When he broke his fast on August 21, 3,000 people watched as Ethel Kennedy handed him bread. Stars like Martin Sheen and Whoopi Goldberg then took turns fasting.

The César E. Chávez National Monument now stands where this powerful protest unfolded, with his office preserved just as he left it.

Kids in McFarland Got Cancer at Rates 400% Above Normal

In the small farming town of McFarland, California, something scary was happening. Between 1975 and 1988, doctors found cancer in 13 children in this town of just 6,000 people.

Six kids died, including five-year-old Johnnie Rodriguez who fought cancer for two years. Cancer rates jumped 400% above normal.

Health experts blamed pesticides and fertilizers leaking into local water.

Farmers sprayed more than 17 tons and 11,000 gallons of cancer-linked chemicals around McFarland from 1979-1983. Almost all fathers of sick children worked in fields treated with pesticides.

Chávez Started “Wrath of Grapes” to Fight Toxic Chemicals

César Chávez launched his “Wrath of Grapes” campaign in 1986 to show Americans how pesticides hurt grape workers and their children.

More than half of all pesticide sickness in California came from grape farms during the 1980s. Whole crews of workers got sick in 1987 and 1988 after working in sprayed vineyards, even when following safety rules.

Grape growers often broke laws, using banned chemicals like Fixx for 20 years.

The danger reached shoppers too – over 2,000 people got sick in 1984 after eating watermelons sprayed with illegal Aldicarb.

A 61-Year-Old Labor Leader Decides to Risk His Life

At age 61, César Chávez made a bold choice – he would stop eating and drink only water to make Americans notice farm workers dying from pesticides.

He saw farm workers as “canaries” showing the first signs of chemical dangers.

The fast had three goals: protest pesticides, show his commitment to peaceful protest, and support the grape boycott. What pushed him to act?

California Governor George Deukmejian blocked a small $125,000 study to find out why McFarland children kept dying of cancer. Chávez said farm worker families suffered from “fiscal integrity” while their children died.

The Mountain Headquarters Becomes Center of Protest

On July 16, 1988, at midnight, Chávez started his water-only fast in a small room at La Paz, the UFW headquarters. This 187-acre former TB hospital in the Tehachapi Mountains served as the union’s home since 1972.

The remote spot gave the union both safety and spiritual space.

About 200 people lived at La Paz in the 1970s and 1980s, including Chávez and his family who lived simply with few things.

The compound needed guards at night because Chávez got death threats for his work organizing farm workers.

His Body Began Breaking Down After a Month Without Food

By day 30, doctors grew very worried as Chávez lost about 30 pounds. Medical staff warned they reached a “critical point” and begged him to eat something.

His body reacted with bad cramps, high uric acid levels that threatened his kidneys, and such weakness he couldn’t walk anymore.

Yet visitors who came to comfort him often left feeling better after he consoled them instead.

Through it all, he stuck to his plan – sipping only mineral water while keeping his spiritual commitment to finish all 36 days.

Famous Supporters Brought News Coverage to La Paz

Three of Robert Kennedy’s children visited Chávez during the fast, bringing national news to the pesticide cause. Movie stars like Martin Sheen and Edward James Olmos showed up to support him.

Jesse Jackson traveled to La Paz to stand with Chávez and get ready to take over the relay fast afterward. News crews tracked the 61-year-old labor leader’s health as he lost 33 pounds.

The plan worked – newspapers and TV stations across America talked about farm workers and pesticides again, just as Chávez hoped.

Doctors Feared Chávez Might Die as His Organs Started Failing

After losing 33 pounds (19% of his body weight), Chávez faced life-threatening health problems. Dr.

Marion Moses and other doctors watching him pushed to end the fast right away. His weakness grew so bad that his two sons had to carry him, and his speech became slurred.

His kidneys struggled with high uric acid while his body ate away muscle for energy.

Family members and UFW leaders worried he might not survive as the fast entered its final week, but Chávez refused to stop before the planned 36 days.

Hollywood Stars Lined Up to Keep the Protest Going

A relay system formed with celebrities each promising to fast for three days.

Big names like Martin Sheen, Edward James Olmos, Emilio Estevez, Danny Glover, Carly Simon, and Whoopi Goldberg signed up.

Kerry Kennedy, Robert Kennedy’s daughter, promised to continue her family’s support for farm workers.

This clever plan made sure news outlets would keep talking about pesticide dangers long after Chávez ended his personal fast.

Jesse Jackson stood ready to take the first three-day shift as soon as Chávez finished his 36 days.

Thousands Gathered in 100-Degree Heat to Witness History

On August 21, 1988, about 3,000 people packed into a huge tent at the Forty Acres retirement village. Reverend Ken Irrgang led a Catholic Mass in sweltering 100-degree heat while Chávez sat in a wooden rocking chair.

His 96-year-old mother Juana and his wife Helen sat beside him as he wiped sweat from his face. Ethel Kennedy came with four of her children, joining Jesse Jackson, Tom Hayden, and many Hollywood celebrities.

The ceremony linked the 1988 pesticide protest to the historic 1968 fast that ended with Robert Kennedy giving Chávez bread.

Ethel Kennedy Handed Him the First Bite of Food After 36 Days

Ethel Kennedy gave César Chávez a small piece of bread during the Mass, marking the end of his 36-day water-only fast.

The moment mirrored the scene twenty years earlier when her husband Robert Kennedy had given Chávez bread to end his first major fast.

Chávez felt too weak to speak during the ceremony, but his presence alone sent a powerful message about pesticide dangers.

The bread-sharing ritual held deep religious meaning for the mostly Mexican-American farm worker community. Medical staff stood close by as Chávez ate his first solid food in over five weeks.

The Torch Passed to Jesse Jackson and Other Celebrities

Jesse Jackson started the first three-day shift of the celebrity relay fast right after the ceremony.

The fast then moved to Martin Sheen, Reverend Joseph Lowery, Edward Olmos, and other famous supporters in the following weeks.

News coverage continued as each celebrity used their fame to teach Americans about pesticide dangers to farm workers.

The ongoing campaign helped people understand how agricultural chemicals poisoned workers, their families, and nearby communities.

Though Chávez’s personal fast ended, his message about farm workers serving as society’s “canaries” spread nationwide for months afterward.

Visiting César E. Chávez National Monument, California

You can visit César E. Chávez National Monument at 29700 Woodford-Tehachapi Road in Keene, about 30 miles southeast of Bakersfield via Highway 58. The site is open daily 10am-4pm with free admission and parking.

Here you’ll learn about Chávez’s 1988 “Fast for Life,” his 36-day water-only protest against pesticide poisoning of farmworkers and children.

You can visit the Memorial Gardens where César and Helen Chávez are buried.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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