A B A U.S. postage stamp honors Cesar Chavez in April, 2003. In Arizona, Cesar Chavez took up the civil rights leadership role for the farm workers of Arizona and California. Born near Yuma, Arizona, Cesar sought to improve the pay, housing, and working conditions of thousands of migrant workers. In 1962 he organized the National Farm Workers Association. For 13 years his organization members used non-violent protest against the grape farmers of California. Finally, in 1975 the growers agreed to the conditions of the Agriculture Labor Conditions Act. This act improved the living and working conditions and wages for thousands of workers. Another great Arizonan, Cesar Chavez had done an outstanding job for the American Dream. In 1991 Cesar Chavez was honored by the country of Mexico when he was awarded the Aguila Azteca (Aztec Eagle). He received this award for the work he had done for the migrant workers. On August 8, 1994, a year after his death, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is the highest civilian honor given by the United States of America. During this time, another great Arizona story was just beginning. A young United States Navy pilot named John McCain was training to become an aircraft carrier pilot. His life story would take him from being a fighter pilot to a prisoner of war, and on to the United States Senate. It is a story of a new great Arizonan that continues to unfold in the early years of the 21st century. B The Presidential Medal of Freedom was presented to Cesar Chavez in 1994. Chapter 15 • People at Work Today  155