Editing Cesar Chavez (section)

===Forty Acres and public fasts: 1967–1968===
[[File:2009-0725-CA-Delano-40acres.jpg|thumb|right|The Forty Acres complex in Delano, which Chavez established as his headquarters, was made a National Landmark in 2008.]]

The union purchased land known as [[The Forty Acres]] for their new headquarters.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=154}} Chavez hoped for it to be a "spiritual" center where union members would relax; he designed it to have a swimming pool, a chapel, a market, and a gas station, as well as gardens with outdoor sculptures.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=155}} He wanted the main building to be decorated inside with Gandhi quotations in English and Spanish.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=155}} Meanwhile, Chavez was increasingly concerned that his supporters might turn to violence.{{sfn|Bruns|2005|pp=59–60}} Members had engaged in the destruction of property, something they regarded as not breaching the movement's ethos on non-violence.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=158}} Chavez's cousin Manuel had tampered with refrigerator units on trains, so that grapes being shipped out of Delano spoiled before reaching their destination;{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=158}} Chavez noted that "He's done all the dirty work for the union. There's a lot of fucking dirty work, and he did it all."{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=158}} In February 1968, the Giumarra company obtained a contempt citation against the union, claiming that its members had used threatening and intimidating behavior against its employees and had placed roofing nails at the entrances to its ranches.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=159}}

In February 1968, Chavez began a fast; he publicly stated that in doing so he was reaffirming his commitment to peaceful protest and presented it as a form of penance.{{sfnm|1a1=Bruns|1y=2005|1pp=60–61|2a1=Wells|2y=2009|2p=8|3a1=Pawel|3y=2014|3p=159}} He stated that he would remain at Forty Acres for the duration of his fast, which at this point had only a gas station there.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=160}} Many members of the union were critical of what they saw as a stunt; Itliong was annoyed that Chavez had not consulted the union's board before making his declaration. The union introduced a motion urging Chavez to cancel his plan, although this failed.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=160}} Father Mark Day announced that a Mass would be held every night at Forty Acres. These attracted many of Chavez's supporters, with the gas station decorated as an impromptu shrine.{{sfnm|1a1=Bruns|1y=2005|1p=61|2a1=Pawel|2y=2014|2p=161}} Sympathetic Protestant clergy and Jewish rabbis also spoke at these Masses.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=162}} After three weeks, Chavez's doctors urged him to end the fast. He agreed to do so at a public event on March 10.{{sfnm|1a1=Bruns|1y=2005|1p=63|2a1=Wells|2y=2009|2p=8|3a1=Pawel|3y=2014|3p=167}} He invited Robert Kennedy to be the guest of honor at this event. Kennedy arrived at the event, which was attended by thousands of observers as well as the national press, and there they shared bread.{{sfnm|1a1=Bruns|1y=2005|1p=63|2a1=Wells|2y=2009|2p=10|3a1=Pawel|3y=2014|3pp=167–168}}

{{Quote box
| quote = You stand today as a living example of the Gandhian tradition with its great force for social progress and its healing spiritual powers. My colleagues and I commend you for your bravery, salute you for your indefatigable work against poverty and injustice, and pray for your health and your continuing service as one of the outstanding men of America.
| source=— Martin Luther King's telegram to Chavez after the latter announced his fast in February 1968{{sfnm|1a1=Bruns|1y=2005|1pp=61–62|2a1=Pawel|2y=2014|2p=166}}
| align = left
| width = 25em
}}

Not long after, Kennedy announced his candidacy to be the Democratic Party's next presidential candidate. He asked Chavez to run as a delegate in the California primary.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=168}} Throughout May, Chavez traveled across California, urging farmworkers and registered Democrats to back Kennedy.{{sfnm|1a1=Bruns|1y=2005|1p=64|2a1=Pawel|2y=2014|2p=170}} His activism was a contributing factor to Kennedy's victory in that state.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=171}} It was at the victory celebration in Los Angeles, an event attended by Chavez, that [[Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy|Kennedy was assassinated]] on June 5.{{sfnm|1a1=Bruns|1y=2005|1p=65|2a1=Pawel|2y=2014|2p=171}} Chavez then attended Kennedy's New York funeral as a pallbearer.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=172}} Kennedy's assassination came two months after that of Martin Luther King, generating growing concerns among the union that Chavez would also be targeted by those who opposed him.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|pp=171, 174}}

In May, Chavez appeared on the ''[[Today (American TV program)|Today]]'' television show and announced a boycott of all grapes produced in California.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=186}} The boycotters' message was that consumers should avoid buying California grapes so that farmworkers would get better wages and working conditions.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=186}} Supporters across the country picketed stores selling California grapes and disrupted annual meetings of several supermarket chains.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=186}} Chavez hoped that by putting pressure on the supermarkets, they in turn would pressure the grape growers to give in to strikers' demands.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=186}} The growers hired a public relations firm to counteract the boycott, warning stores that if they gave in to the boycott they would soon be faced with similar boycotts for many other products.{{sfnm|1a1=Bruns|1y=2005|1p=67|2a1=Pawel|2y=2014|2p=188}} The growers also turned to the newly elected Governor of California, [[Ronald Reagan]], who in turn sought the support of the Teamsters.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|pp=186–187}}

Chavez's back pain worsened and in September 1968 he was hospitalized at [[O'Connor Hospital]] in San Jose.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|pp=173–174}} He followed this with a recuperation stay at St Anthony's Seminary in Santa Barbara.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=175}} He returned home, but finding it too crowded moved in to Forty Acres.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=175}} Due to a donation from the United Auto Workers, the union had erected an office and meeting hall here, with a trailer being used as a medical clinic; it was still far from Chavez's original vision.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=190}} He used his image of physical suffering as a tactic in his cause, although some of his inner circle thought his pain to be at least partially psychosomatic.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|pp=175–176}} By 1968, Chavez was a national celebrity.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=172}} Journalists increasingly approached him for interviews; he granted particularly close access to [[Peter Matthiessen]] and [[Jacques E. Levy]], both of whom wrote favorable books about him.{{sfnm|1a1=Watson|1y=2005|1p=95|2a1=Pawel|2y=2014|2pp=172–173}} In July 1969, Chavez's portrait appeared on the front of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=181}} Within the union, personal loyalty to Chavez became increasingly important;{{sfn|Pawel|2014|p=177}} tensions between him and Itliong grew.{{sfn|Pawel|2014|pp=176–177}}